Kit and Quang-Dinh Create A City!

Hi everyone,

We wanted to share some of the independent work that two of our students have been doing during Learning Agreement.

There are many languages of learning and construction is a means through which children can show their understanding of concepts and model their thinking and learning.

Kit and Quang-Dinh have applied their knowledge of city structures and their understandings of culture and how this impacts the structure of our society to create their own city.

They have used video recordings to introduce and explain their city and used extensive mathematics to measure and count the various features of their city.

Please take a moment to see what they have achieved - the learning speaks for itself!

Collecting items for the Recycling Room

 

Hi All,

 

A group of teachers, the environments committee, is responsible for implementing the consistent use of spaces across the schools. One of our initiatives has been to set up a Recycling Room.

 

This is where we store reusable items that the children use in their neighbourhoods in art and craft activities. We encourage our community to add to our collection by bringing in clean, unbranded items they think we can use.

 

Examples include bread clips, wrapping paper, ribbon and plain cardboard boxes. These may include beautiful perfume boxes and interesting shaped boxes. We are also looking for industrial offcuts from manufacturing processes which are non toxic.

 

If you are unsure whether something is suitable or not, please send me an e-mail (a photo attached would be great). Please leave all suitable items at the office for collection.

Thanks,

Shana Upiter

upiter.shana.s@edumail.vic.gov.au

Reading

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/prc/

 

The 2013 Premier's Reading Challenge is now open. We are encouraging all children to join up for the challenge. Please speak to Simone for details. Well done to the children who have signed up.

 

Parent Teacher Interviews

 

Parent Teacher Interviews will take place on June 27th. We look forward to meeting with you and are always happy to discuss your child's learning.

Spelling

In the past two weeks the children have been

1. developing a knowledge of sound–letter relationships (for example breaking words into syllables and sounds)
2. using known words in writing and spell unknown words using developing visual, graphophonic and morphemic knowledge

We are investigating and looking for words with ay, ai, a-e, eigh, a and y, uy, i-e, igh.
The children may like to add some words to their readers and writers notebooks.

Writing

We have been reading and discussing the craft of writing and learning about the features of a narrative such as setting, characters, voice and punctuation.
The children will now be developing their own narrative incorporating the features as mentioned above

.

Our current maths focus is development of mental strategies

DEVELOPING A SENSE OF NUMBER

What is needed?

An understanding of number and operations together with an ability

·         to use this in flexible ways to make mathematical judgments

·         to develop useful strategies for handling numbers

·         to communicate, process and interpret information.

Three essential underpinnings:

·         (i) NUMERATION (PLACE-VALUE) An understanding of numbers and an ability to think of them in more than one way (rename numbers).

·         (ii) MEANING FOR THE OPERATIONS (CONCEPTS) An understanding of what the operations do, an ability to recognise the symbols and an ability to write and interpret symbolic statements.

·         (iii) MENTAL STRATEGIES (NUMBER FACTS) A working knowledge of addition and subtraction facts to 20 and multiplication and division facts to 100, based on efficient non-counting, mental strategies such as

Count on from the larger number

Double and near doubles

Make to 10 and count on

The Sustainability Inquiry Group NEEDS YOUR HELP IN THE KITCHEN!

Hi all,

I am calling for any cooking enthusiasts to join us in our upcoming cooking workshops as part of our Sustainability Inquiry (how we can positively impact our culture through sustainable choices).

***PLEASE SPEAK WITH SIMONE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING OUT (WE NEED YOU). It would be once a week and we will arrange a set time.

We have started heading down the path of how we can eat sustainably and here are some of the ideas the children have come up with through research and brainstorming:

• Buy local produce (to support our local farmers, and connects to the next point)
• Buy seasonal produce (so the food is fresh, and does not have to travel far)
• Don't waste food (cook with what you have in the fridge)
• Buy food with minimal packaging
• Try and cook with food you grow yourself (herbs are easy, backyard gardens aren't that hard).
• Eat healthy food to keep our mind, body and spirit clean and energised and this will help the environment as well (healthy food is usually nude food =less packaging).

SO, with these principles in mind, we have been looking at seasonal recipes that we might be able to cook together. The first thing we are trying out tomorrow is Simone's favourite thing in the whole world: GREEN SMOOTHIES (using the amazing Vitamix).

Every child will work with their small team to choose a recipe that they love (either from their family or from their research) and they will be the leaders the week that we cook their recipe. They will then be responsible for typing up their recipe to contribute to our AUTUMN/WINTER COOKBOOK.

During the cooking sessions, we will have a photography team (who are focused on stylising the food ready for beautiful shots for our cookbook), an illustration team (who will contribute hand-drawn pictures of our ingredients and tools), a preparation team, a recipe leader, a cooking team, and a cleaning team. These roles will change according to the children's special skills and interests.

I'm sure it is becoming clear that we will need some help!

So, please let Simone know if you can spare an hour a week to help out.

Regards,
The Sustainability Inquiry Group.

WHAT IS THIS?

Mining in Princes Hill!
On Friday, a group of enterprising young miners unearthed the rock pictured below.  We would love to know what it is.  There are many 'bubble' holes in the rock, which makes us think it may be volcanic.  It also has shiny patches that are quite sharp, and it cut Laurie's and Janette's fingers when they were holding it! There also appears to be a piece of charcoal embedded in it.