Merry Christmas from the Grade 1 Team

We like to say a big thank you to all our families for a wonderful year!

1A1B1C
Sarya – This year I liked making clouds in a jar because it was fun to use blue dye as rain.Ari – This year I liked going to the Zoo because I liked seeing the animals and patting the turtle. I also liked looking at the kids garden, it was awesome!Edwina – My highlight was the Scienceworks excursion because I could explore lots of things and do lots of fun activities.
Bejna – My favourite part of Year 1 was going to Scienceworks because it was so cool in the Lightning Room and the lightning show was amazing.Zaviour – My highlight was when we had the Fun Run because I liked when the parents threw paint and squirted water at me. I liked the hot dogs and the drinks.Ivy – This year I liked the Specialist Showcase. I liked it because I got to sing and perform in front of a lot of people and with another class 2C! I enjoyed looking at the paintings and I saw my art work! I had FUN!
Mara – My highlight was the Specialist Showcase because I got to sing. We got to watch the Julia Donaldson collection when my dad and my sister got to watch me.Ruken – This year I liked making bread because it was fun making bread in the kitchen and writing about it.Amna – This year I liked how we did the Fun Run because we got to run in paint and it was amazing.
Aliyah – My favourite part of Year 1 was Scienceworks because we got to do exercises and a game where you had to press buttons. My highlight was the Zoo because we got to see extinct dinosaurs.Hayley – This year I liked the Fun Run. It was the best because I liked all the colours.Liam H – I have enjoyed making popcorn for writing because I like using my five senses and eating the popcorn. I also liked writing about it.
Mason -I enjoyed Scienceworks because we went in the Lightning Room and saw lightning up close.Charlotte – My favourite part of Year 1 was when I made popcorn in the classroom, it was exciting. I also liked the Fun Run because we all got to run in the paint.Silas – This year I liked the Fun Run because I liked getting coloured with paint and also I loved the prizes!
Angus – My favourite part of the year was the Mad About Science incursion because I liked doing the experiments.Jensen – I have enjoyed making healthy lunch boxes because I liked squishing the clay and warming it up to make it into mini fruit and vegetables.Oliver – My favourite part of Year 1 was when we made bread because it was so yummy and fun to make.
Imagen – My favourite part of Year 1 was when I went to choir because I love singing.Aahil – This year I liked going to Scienceworks because we learnt how to make a cloud and lightning. We went there on a big bus which was exciting.Grace – My highlight of Year 1 was the school Fun Run because I loved getting sprayed with paint and water. I also liked going under the inflatable tunnel.
Lincoln – I enjoyed the Zoo excursion because my mum came and she has never come on an excursion before. We got to touch a turtle and see lots of animals.Pranesh – My favourite part of Year 1 was the Specialist Showcase because we got to perform for the parents, and before and after the showcase we got to watch Stick Man by Julia Donaldson.Isabella – My favourite part of Year 1 was making bread because we got to have a go at putting the ingredients in the bowl. I also liked it because we got to eat it altogether.
Jakob – I enjoyed the Zoo excursion because it was awesome and we saw elephants.Maria K – My favourite part of Year 1 was the Fun Run because I liked getting the prize and getting paint and water on me.Lolitta – This year I liked the Specialist Showcase because every grade got to sing or play an instrument and I got to choose what instrument I wanted to play. I chose bongos and shakers and it was really noisy and fun. 
Ethan – I enjoyed going to Scienceworks because we got to see the Lightning Room and the Lightning Room was so cool.Ayla – My highlight was the Fun Run because we had an icy-pole and we got sprayed by paint when we were running.Sanugi – My favourite part of Year 1 was the Scienceworks excursion because I got to go there with my friends and we made a car. It was a terrific, fantastic, amazing excursion.
Zara – My favourite part of Year 1 was Scienceworks because we got to see lightning up close. We were safe because there was a metal cage.Ammara – My favourite part of Year 1 was the Specialist Showcase because we got to perform in front of our parents and I was playing the bells. I learnt the chords and it was so fun to play.Amelia – My favourite part of Year 1 was when we did the Specialist Showcase because I really liked playing the keyboard and I have one at home.
Summer – I have enjoyed doing lots of things like crafts and excursions because it’s always lots of fun. My favourite part of everything was when we had the Specialist Showcase.Maria N – My favourite part of Year 1 was making clouds in Inquiry because when I put the blue dye on the shaving cream it rained so much.Lucas – I have enjoyed writing poems (especially acrostic poems), and I also enjoyed doing talk homework with/without my parents. I liked some homework topics like the picture prompt of the cat.
Julian – My favourite part of Year 1 was writing, reading, making bread and popcorn and also Scienceworks.We learned about thunder, clouds, wind and snow. We learnt a lot at Scienceworks.Dimitri – I have enjoyed the excursion to the Melbourne Zoo because I got to see some of my favourite animals like an elephant, tiger, lion and meerkat.Mia P – My favourite part of Year 1 was the Specialist Showcase because we got to play music. I played the keyboard with Amelia!
Tialia – My favourite part of Year 1 was Italian Day. We had gelato and mine was rainbow. I liked that we got to do lots of fun things and we had Italian all on the same day.Kiara – My favourite part of Year 1 was when we went to Scienceworks because I loved exploring in my own little group. I also liked the Specialist Showcase because I liked singing my own part in the song.Anthony – My highlight was the Fun Run because we got to run and got to have fun.
Cole – I enjoyed making bread because we made it with lots of ingredients. It was so fun and I got to put some ingredients in the bowl.Alexander – This year I liked the Fun Run because I loved the prizes and getting sprayed with water and food dye. Racing my friends was awesome!Stella L – This year I liked Maths. I have enjoyed division because it is fun to figure out the problem by drawing the pictures of shapes and food like cupcakes. 
Zac – This year I liked doing division in maths because it’s fun using arrays to solve problems.Stella S – My favourite part of the year was making sock puppets because we got to take them home and play with them.Stefania – I have enjoyed going to Scienceworks because we saw lots of cool things like lightning and everyone had so much fun.
Raizel – My favourite part of the year was the Mad About Science incursion because we got to eat the sherbet we made.Nina – My favourite part of Year 1 was the Melbourne Zoo excursion. I got to see a giraffe eating leaves on a high tree and my mum was a helper. I also liked making a healthy lunch box because we made it out of clay like my mini fruits.Jayden – I have enjoyed learning about fractions and making paper chains for our classroom in Maths.
Katana – I liked Scienceworks because I liked the race against Cathy Freeman. It was fun.Maximus – I have enjoyed making popcorn because I liked tasting it and smelling it. It was so salty and nice.
Mia – I enjoyed going to the Zoo because a butterfly landed on me and it tickled me a lot.

Aishah – My highlight was performing in the choir because I like singing all types of Christmas carols and songs.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to our 2019 Foundation students and families!

We have had the most incredible time in Foundation this year. The Foundation teachers are so honoured to be a part of such a special year of school. We have learnt, laughed and grown all together – building memories to last a lifetime!

As our time together comes to an end, we must not forget to reflect on the year that has been. In the table below, all students were asked to share a highlight from their first year of school.

Foundation A   Foundation B     Foundation C

Mete – I love Maths because we add numbers.Amelia – I loved when we had Italian Day because I was cutting the tomatoes.Deniz – My favourite thing at school has been the firefighter visit.
Zayn – I have enjoyed Maths because we get to use cards and play games.Arya – I like playing with my friends.Strati – My favourite thing about school this year has been AFL day.
Paige – My favourite thing at school has been P.E because I love it.Breanna – I enjoyed the visits from the community helpers, especially the dentist Dr Ben.Jasmine – My favourite thing at school has been going to Italian.
Miles – I like Music because I like playing the xylophone.Victoria – I have liked making Christmas things especially making the Christmas tree crafts in Art.Alessandro – My favourite thing about school is when I do music and sing and hop on the stage.
Lucy – I liked Italian Day because I made passata.William – I had so much squeezing the tomatoes on Italian Day.Rojbin – I liked the school Fun Run because I liked eating the sausages.
Ava – I liked Book Week because I liked dressing up as Dorothy.Mariam – My favourite thing at school has been Italian, because I like writing words in Italian.Hayden – My favourite thing this year has been the Fun Run because I got covered in powder.
Lilah – I have liked making lots of friends this year.Scarlett – My favourite thing at school has been the disco, because I liked dancing.Yahya – I liked the school Fun Run because it was fun running through the obstacle course.
Natalie – I liked singing the alphabet in Italian.Josh – I enjoyed making a Chinese Dragon with my buddy.Thomas – My favourite thing at school this year has been Art because I like doing art work.
Leora – My favourite thing about school is doing morning activities on the iPads.Ethan – My favourite thing at school has been the Colour Run.Baxter – I liked making new friends at school this year.
Elijah – I have enjoyed learning about the 4 VCOP sections.Milla – I liked when we performed in front of everyone at the Specialist Showcase because all my family was there to watch.Daneen – I liked the Specialist Showcase because we got to sing and watch the other kids perform.
Jackson – My favourite thing at school has been Italian because I learn another language.Stella – This year I have made lots of new friends.Lulani – My favourite thing has been writing because we write lots of fun stuff.
Miette – My favourite thing is doing writing and reading because you get to write to exciting things.Sophia – This year I have loved learning to write.Elijah – My favourite thing at school has been seeing my Dad at AFL day.
Indiana – My favourite thing at school has been Music.Nia – I like to be in Foundation because you get to make new friends.Yves – My favourite thing has been Art because you can create things.
Moustafa – I love Music because it has instruments.Orlando – I like writing words.Aubrey – My favourite thing at school this year has been performing at the Specialist Showcase.
Louis – I have liked making new friends this year.Oliver – I like Maths because it is fun.Tiffany – I liked when I got to perform at the Specialist Showcase, I had a really good night.
Mia – My favourite thing at school has been Music because I love Mary had a Little Lamb.Rafa – I like doing Italian because I like saying words in Italian.Alessia – My favourite thing about this year has been making stuff in class.
Oscar – I like Maths because I am good at maths.Eli – I like reading because I like words.Jack – I loved footy day because you got to play footy for a long time.
Heidi – I love Maths because I like adding numbers.Emma – I have enjoyed the School Fun Run and all the other events.Jacinta – I like learning new things like counting.
Jack – I like PE because we do free bouncing and throw balls in the sky.Aydin – I enjoyed Inquiry because sometimes we make stuff.Stephan – I liked playing sport in PE.
Jack Will – I have enjoyed Art because we make stuff.
Mert – I liked playing with the guitars in Music.


Alyssa – I liked playing with my friends at school.

We encourage you to reflect at home and talk about such questions as:

  • What is something you did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?
  • What is something that was hard for you at the start of the year but is easy now?
  • What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?

  • What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?

Students have been very considerate of the less fortunate, especially over the holiday season and have generously donated to the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal. Teachers are very appreciative of how generous our students and families have been with donations. Students have shown a great deal of maturity and understanding during the collection of toys and gifts and teachers are so proud of them. We can tell the students feel good about giving back to the community too!

Have a look at Mrs Crundall placing all of our presents under the Wishing Tree!

Thank you for a wonderful year! We wish all students every success in the years to come!

Mrs Strouzas

Miss Vounouridis

Mrs Crundall

Miss Marsden

Andrew

Opening of our new playground

Last week, there was a lot of excitement as Mr Olm officially opened our new playground. At the opening ceremony, Mr Olm thanked all those wonderful Parent Club members that made this possible. All the students were thrilled to use the fantastic new facilities. The climbing equipment proved to be extremely popular!

Canberra

The excitement was high at the end of Week 5 as we were only a few days away from attending camp either in Canberra or Melbourne.

At 6:10am on Monday of Week 6, there was a lot of tired but excited students ready to get on the bus to Canberra. We said our goodbyes to our loved ones with multiple hugs and lots of waving out the bus window as we set off up the Hume Highway. Our bags FULL of snacks!

We watched the landscape change out the bus windows as we made our way along the Hume Highway. We had our first stop at Euroa, where we had morning tea and explored the luscious green parklands. Then we were off again for a few hours before reaching our lunch spot in Holbrook. The students were quite surprised to see a large submarine at our lunch spot. We explored the submarine and read about the history of this landmark after we ate our delicious packed lunches from home.

Once back on the bus, we watched a movie before arriving at the ‘Dog on the Tuckerbox’. The students were intrigued to see the landmark and learn a bit of the history behind it.

Then we were on the home stretch to Canberra. One more movie and we were almost there!

Once we arrived at camp, we settled in our cabins before enjoying a delicious dinner then heading up to the Recreational Rooms for a movie and games before bed. The students were kept very busy over the next three days and nights in the three groups as we all attended Old Parliament House, Parliament House, National Portrait Gallery, Questacon, Rock climbing, Royal Australian Mint, ANZAC Parade Memorial, National Capital Exhibition, Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Australian War Memorial and Mount Ainslie Lookout. 

The students had the privilege of attending the ‘Last Post Ceremony’ at the Australian War Memorial before two students paid our respects by laying a wreath beside the ‘Pool of Reflection’. Whilst attending the experiences, they were engaged in role play scenarios, guided tours, hands on experiences and more. Questacon was a clear favourite with all of the students as they explored the National Science and Technology Centre at night.

Before we all knew it, the week was done and it was time to pack up our bags (lucky most items were labelled) and clean our rooms. We set off early on Friday morning towards Melbourne and the buses were quiet with whispered chatter about their favourite parts or sleeping children. The excitement returned to the bus as we arrived back at school to a sea of loved ones waiting for us with huge smiles on their faces!

The teachers, students and parent volunteers had a busy but exciting, fun, engaging and great time while on camp in Canberra. A big thanks to the parent volunteers for helping all week and joining in all the fun we had!

CERES Excursion! Grade 4

Last Friday the Grade 4 students went on an excursion to CERES Community Environment Park to learn more about our Inquiry topic ‘Beautifully Sustainable.’ In the classrooms, students have been working on their Inquiry Rich Task, in which they are repurposing materials to create a new, environmentally friendly object. CERES provided an opportinity for students to come up with additional ideas or other ways to improve their Rich Task. 

While at CERES, students enthusiastically participated in a range of environmental education workshops. 

In the ‘Rethinker Tinker’ workshop students discussed solutions to single-use plastic. They then followed one of two designs to repurpose their old T-shirts into new reusable bags. Students were proud of their bags and will hopefully use them at home.

In the ‘Paper Making’ workshop the Grade 4s learnt about how paper is made and the impact paper production has on the environment. Students got the chance to make their own paper. They used pulp made from recycled paper and a piece of equipment called deckle. At the end of the workshop, students learnt about lots of different materials that recycled paper can be made from. 

Students enjoyed spending time in ‘Sustainable Gardening’ workshop. During this workshop, students learnt about the requirements for a healthy and productive organic garden. They investigated worm farms, companion planting, hunting for ‘minibeasts’ to feed the chickens and weeding. 

During the ‘Farm Task’ workshop, students explored a working crop farm. Students investigated the different types of crops that can be grown, seeds, importance of soil pH and how the sun can affect how crops grow. They then went into the chicken pen to learn about how chickens and bees are used at CERES to promote a sustainable and organic farm. 

Kind regards,

The Grade 4 Team

Specialist Showcase

What a wonderful night we celebrated on a great evening. There was a buzz in the school with the anticipation of the first Specialist Showcase.

The food trucks after school and the BBQ were a hit as was the environmental stall. Congratulations to all students who have produced fantastic artwork which was on display in the stadium.

It was a truly amazing sight to see the beautiful artwork. Then the students’ talents were on display again with the amazing performances. We touched on the Italian language program with Foundation students singing and with the opening to the show. Some Grade Five and Six students also showcased their language skills when sharing their written description of outfits with a fashion parade! 

The evening also showcased the fantastic musical performances from every class in the school. What an amazing effort to put on such great singing and musical performances! They were so entertaining and had everyone singing along!

What a memorable evening! Congratulations to all involved!

The specialist team

Full Steam Ahead to the Specialist Showcase!

With the Specialist Showcase only two weeks away, students are still going….. full steam ahead! 

Grade 2 students have just finished embellishing their Chinese pagoda collages and they are incredibly impressive.

Foundation and Year One students have been engaged in the ‘Dotty World of Yayoi Kusama’ and have been creating 2D and 3D pumpkins with lots and lots of dots. It’s certainly been a lot of fun and a chance to experiment with our new ink daubers that make the perfect dot shape.

We can’t wait for you to see it all soon!

Royal Botanical Gardens Excursion

The Grade 3 students had an amazing time exploring the beautiful surrounding of the Botanical Gardens on Friday. This term, the Grade 3’s have been learning about different types of biomes and ecosystems in their Inquiry unit. 

The day was filled with lots of walking and exploring the different types of environments and plants that the gardens have to offer. The students compared biotic and abiotic features found in wetlands, arid landscapes, Australian forests, bamboo forests, tropical environments and rain forests.


Pen Pals – Italian

Last week the Grade 5 and 6 students met their pen pals through a Webex meeting at school. We went into the staff room and called Avondale primary using the Webex technology. Students were able to see and hear their pen pals and had a short conversation with them in Italian!

It was exciting to finally meet!

Sports Skills in Grade One and Two

The Grade One and Two students have had a great start to their ‘Striking and Fielding’ unit of work. The students have experienced success in hitting a ball from a T-ball stand. They have learnt to stand sideways, with their knees bent and shoulder-width apart, looking at the ball, lifting the bat behind their body at hip height to enable them to swing the bat and strike the ball. This skill will later transfer into the games of softball, T-ball, rounders and cricket.

Stadium Maths

For the rest of the term on a Friday, Maths number sessions are being held inside the stadium for ‘Stadium Maths.’ This is being run with all of the Grade 4 students and teachers. The students have been given a list of maths number goals that they need to work through and achieve. These goals have been targeted to their learning needs. Throughout the Maths sessions, students will participate in at least one workshop run by the teachers. While students wait for their workshop, they rotate through a range of activities that are targeted to their maths goals. 

Once students feel they have mastered a math goal, they will demonstrate their new skills to one of the Grade 4 teachers. The teacher will sign off the goals once the students have demonstrated their understanding. Last Friday was our first session of ‘Stadium Maths’ and we have received positive feedback from the students. They have exclaimed that they like having lots of choice on their activities, interacting with students from different groups, partnering up with different learning buddies and they enjoyed that their activities are game based. 

Students have taken a photo of their goals on their iPads so that they can practise their goals at home as well. 

Scienceworks Excursion

Last Friday we visited Scienceworks, because we have been learning all about Wild and Wonderful Weather in our Inquiry Learning Unit!

First we went to the Lightning Room to watch a show called ‘What’s With The Weather.’ We learnt that weather is controlled by three factors: temperature, moisture and changes in the way the air moves (wind). We got to see some wacky weather experiments like how to make a cloud in a bottle and how to make rain and… we even got to see real lightning flash before our eyes!! It was really cool. We also visited the STEM Lab where we transformed and turned into engineers, our mission was to work together to build and test solutions to the challenges faced by Dot, the main character in an interactive story. We worked really well and came up with some creative designs!

After that we explored the museum and exhibitions, some of our favourite parts were: racing our friends at the Cathy Freeman running race, experimenting with different sounds in the sound room, seeing one of the first ever computers which is the same size of our classroom and playing the exercise and diamond game.

We had an awesome time at Scienceworks, it was a spectacular experience for all!

Italian Passports

Over the last couple of weeks, students in Grade Three and Four have been working on their Italian Passports as part of the ‘Travelling Around the World’ unit. Students included personal details such as their date of birth and address as well as their nationalities. Throughout the lessons, students learned how to write and translate all of their information into Italian! They are now ready to travel the world!

Clay Play in the Art Room!

This Art this term students are learning about ‘Clay’ and have been having lots of fun exploring this medium. Who would have thought that penne pasta could make such pretty pattern in a slab of clay? Or that Grandma’s old doilies could create such a beautiful texture?

Junior students are getting the hang of rolling the clay into a slab that has the thickness of a ‘choc chip cookie’ (or any cookie you like really!) and using different implements to create patterns in the clay.

Senior students have also had fun learning the ‘Slip, Score and Smooth’ method to attach two bits of clay together.

We have also had the opportunity to test out our clay sink which is a new addition to the art room and makes cleaning up a whole lot easier!!

‘I want to ride my bicycle’

Blink and you’ll miss this Term and all the exciting learning happening. The students in 5/6 have been busy extending their knowledge in and out of the classroom for the last four weeks and it’s going to continue until the end of term!

The grade 5 students have started their Bike Education program. We brushed up on our bike theory in the first week during rotations. This allowed the students to discuss the importance of bike safety, be guided through how to do a thorough bike check, what to do in certain scenarios and what actions should be taken when approaching road signs.

We have now moved onto the practical elements which saw the students getting onto their bikes to participate in rotations to practice their skills. Our rotations focus on bike skills that are fundamental and will create lifelong safe habits while riding their bikes…as much as we all dread the slow ride!!

The grade 6 students have been hard at work as well getting ready for their upcoming Graduation. They have been working collaboratively to ensure that their night is nothing but spectacular and the excitement after each meeting is contagious. I wish we could disclose more information but we don’t want to ruin the surprise. You’ll have to watch this space for an update!


Inspirational quote: “Everything you don’t know is something you can learn”

World of Robotics

Grade 2 students delved into the ‘World of Robotics’ today. Students explored the design and technology that goes into planning such a unique life-like machine. 

Thus far in our Term 4 Inquiry unit, ‘Ch-Ch-Changes’, students have explored the evolution and development of technology through the ages. Our unit has a large focus on modern technologies, hardware, software and the commands that make technology function. 

Students overall enthusiasm and engagement in today’s incursion and the unit thus far has been great to see. Here are some snapshots from the ‘World of Robotics’ incursion.


Striking and Fielding

At the beginning of this term, Grade Three, Four, Five and Six students have had the chance to work on the ‘Striking and Fielding’ unit. This unit is set out in four learning stages such as careful catching, target practice, successful striking and fantastic fielding. In the last four weeks, these students have played cooperatively with teammates, as well as making decisions about when to run for points and when to not. 

In the T-ball game, the senior students have been using their batting skills to strike a stationary ball in an intended direction. They had the opportunity to invent rules for striking and fielding games.  Right now, these students are beginning to identify strengths and areas in which they could improve. 

Grade 4 Shape Hunt!

This term in Mathematics, students have been developing their knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes. They are learning to name shapes and discuss their geometric properties. Last week, students were given the task to go on an exciting shape scavenger hunt around the school. Their goal was to find real life objects that represented 2D and 3D shapes. Once students located their shapes, they needed to identify the number of corners, faces, sides, edges and vertices they have. Students found many shapes in creative places around the school, including the playground and the new basketball courts. Below are some pictures from the hunt!

Fairy Tale Fun in Foundation

Our Foundation students have enjoyed reading and discussing elements of fairy tale stories these last few weeks. This week, students helped create a class fairy tale by innovating on the text – ‘The Giant Turnip’. As we are growing sunflowers, we cleverly created our class book ‘The Giant Sunflower’. The students enjoyed seeing themselves as characters in the story and assisted with illustrations. Over the next few lessons, students will create individual fairy tales and short stories by innovating. Teachers are looking forward to seeing all of the imaginative stories.