Monday, 26 March 2018
¡Los juegos en Español! ✳️
Students enjoyed playing in pairs with counters during their 'Juego de Los Animales' and correctly identifying the name of the animal during their game.
Sunday, 25 March 2018
Week 7 and 8: Smarties, Whales and Parachutes
Hello everyone,
These past two weeks students have worked very hard to complete their Whale story. Most stories have been published and will be proudly displayed in our classroom. During our Stage 2 Maths lesson on Monday, the students were really excited to learn about division because they each received a small box of Smarties to help them explore and practice dividing their Smarties into equal groups.
We discussed the language of division (sharing, equal groups, how many in each group, splitting, dividing, equal shares, division symbol, opposite of multiplication).
They also learnt that division can be looked at and written in different ways e.g. arrays, pictures, tally marks, skip counting, repeated subtraction, inverse of multiplication.
The best part, of course, was eating the Smarties after the lesson!
During Science this week, we hypothesised, predicted and observed an egg drop experiment. We discussed and made conclusions on the effect of gravity (non contact pull force) and air resistance (non contact push force) on the parachute. Below is the link to the experiment we viewed which you and your child may like to watch again and discuss.
Egg Drop Experiment
In History, students also collaborated very well together in pairs/threes to research one topic on the Aboriginal way of life (e.g. housing/shelter, bush foods, fishing and hunting, tools and weaponry, bags/baskets/containers, songlines/stories, art/music, belief systems). They enjoyed creating a PicCollage poster on the iPads to show what they had learnt.
This week we have also started preparing for NAPLAN. It's hard to believe it's already the end of Week 8. Term 1 is flying by!
Wendy Lucas
These past two weeks students have worked very hard to complete their Whale story. Most stories have been published and will be proudly displayed in our classroom. During our Stage 2 Maths lesson on Monday, the students were really excited to learn about division because they each received a small box of Smarties to help them explore and practice dividing their Smarties into equal groups.
We discussed the language of division (sharing, equal groups, how many in each group, splitting, dividing, equal shares, division symbol, opposite of multiplication).
They also learnt that division can be looked at and written in different ways e.g. arrays, pictures, tally marks, skip counting, repeated subtraction, inverse of multiplication.
The best part, of course, was eating the Smarties after the lesson!
During Science this week, we hypothesised, predicted and observed an egg drop experiment. We discussed and made conclusions on the effect of gravity (non contact pull force) and air resistance (non contact push force) on the parachute. Below is the link to the experiment we viewed which you and your child may like to watch again and discuss.
Egg Drop Experiment
In History, students also collaborated very well together in pairs/threes to research one topic on the Aboriginal way of life (e.g. housing/shelter, bush foods, fishing and hunting, tools and weaponry, bags/baskets/containers, songlines/stories, art/music, belief systems). They enjoyed creating a PicCollage poster on the iPads to show what they had learnt.
This week we have also started preparing for NAPLAN. It's hard to believe it's already the end of Week 8. Term 1 is flying by!
Wendy Lucas
Saturday, 24 March 2018
Thrass Chart Raps
The school's new students attending the Thrass Catch Up lessons with me have been practising the Thrass Phoneme Raps at a slower pace to get accustomed to the various phonemes and their places on the chart.
Here are links to the Alphabet, Consonant and Vowel Phoneme Raps at a slower pace to rehearse at home. Enjoy!
http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=SFdsWm0
http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=x1XqYQS
Darine Groch
Here are links to the Alphabet, Consonant and Vowel Phoneme Raps at a slower pace to rehearse at home. Enjoy!
http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=SFdsWm0
http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=x1XqYQS
Darine Groch
Monday, 19 March 2018
Monday, 12 March 2018
Home Learning Term 1 Week 7 Spelling Word List
Dear Parents
I have added the list of spelling words on page 2 of the Term 1 Week 7 Home Learning grid pdf uploaded on a separate post.
If your son or daughter is keen to do the spelling tonight then they don't have to wait until tomorrow when I will send home a hard copy.
Or, if this is easier here is the list below! Words ending in 'me'.
come, become, welcome, unwelcome, some, someone, awesome, handsome, worrisome, enzyme
Kind regards
Wendy Lucas
I have added the list of spelling words on page 2 of the Term 1 Week 7 Home Learning grid pdf uploaded on a separate post.
If your son or daughter is keen to do the spelling tonight then they don't have to wait until tomorrow when I will send home a hard copy.
Or, if this is easier here is the list below! Words ending in 'me'.
come, become, welcome, unwelcome, some, someone, awesome, handsome, worrisome, enzyme
Kind regards
Wendy Lucas
Friday, 9 March 2018
Inquiry Learning
During weeks 5 and 6 students have grappled with new scientific concepts and engaged in practical mathematical experiences. In our Forces and Motion unit of work we conducted several investigations on the concepts of friction and gravity. Students found the notion of friction as an opposing force to a push or pull to be a challenging one. They showed a greater understanding of gravity and what happens when objects are dropped and rolled from various heights. They were asked to make predictions, record results and write a conclusion. Find out from your children what they learnt about objects that were the same size but had different weights. Which object (balls, lids) landed on the ground first? What happened when you dropped a marble from 3 different heights into a container of flour? What happens to a ball rolling down a ramp when the angle (slope) is increased? Why doesn't water spill out of holes in a cup when you drop it into a bucket of water (but is does when you hold it still)? We also had a group of Japanese University Students visit our classroom today. These students are training to be teachers in Japan and this was part of their course studies to visit schools in other countries.
Thursday, 8 March 2018
What do we need to know about the Thrass chart?
Over the next few weeks I am running a 'Thrass Catch-up Workshop' for students who are new to the school.
Some points for parents to understand regarding the Thrass tool are:
English words are produced using 44 sounds.
The THRASSCHART has 44 boxes. The function of these boxes is to give a physical reference for each sound in English.
English is made up of two distinct groups of sounds.
The THRASSCHART has two distinct parts. One part groups the sounds that are the consonant phonemes of English, the other groups the sounds that are the vowel phonemes of English.
English words are written using letters, Capitals and Lower-Case.
The Alphabet is placed at the top of the THRASSCHART showing both the Capitals and Lower-Case versions of each letter. Letters are used to represent sounds in written words. Learners need to be able to name and identify them. Alphabetic knowledge is important as this code is used as an indexing reference system in books, electronically etc.
Pictures can be named and described using words. We use words to write a story.
The THRASSCHART has a picture (120) for each word on the chart. Learners learn to read by associating with a picture. Oral and written language skills can be developed by using the pictures on the chart for identification, classification and story telling.
WHY HAVE A THRASSCHART?
Sounds in English words can be represented with different letter combinations.
Each of the 44 boxes on the chart contains the most common spelling choices for that sound. It also has a word for each spelling choice. The THRASSCHART allows the learner to quickly identify a group of letters as depicting an associated sound in a word. When we read we have to identify grapheme groups and associate them with a sound. The sounds are then blended together to make words. When we write we have to identify sounds we can hear and choose a spelling choice for that sound.
Sounds have common written patterns.
Each word on the THRASSCHART contains only spelling choices that are on the chart. This analogous cross-reference allows the learner to start to visualise common spelling patterns thereby building an understanding of spelling. Each word on the THRASSCHART can be spelt using patterns from other chart words. e.g. bird is made up of bird, shirt, dog.
Some points for parents to understand regarding the Thrass tool are:
English words are produced using 44 sounds.
The THRASSCHART has 44 boxes. The function of these boxes is to give a physical reference for each sound in English.
English is made up of two distinct groups of sounds.
The THRASSCHART has two distinct parts. One part groups the sounds that are the consonant phonemes of English, the other groups the sounds that are the vowel phonemes of English.
English words are written using letters, Capitals and Lower-Case.
The Alphabet is placed at the top of the THRASSCHART showing both the Capitals and Lower-Case versions of each letter. Letters are used to represent sounds in written words. Learners need to be able to name and identify them. Alphabetic knowledge is important as this code is used as an indexing reference system in books, electronically etc.
Pictures can be named and described using words. We use words to write a story.
The THRASSCHART has a picture (120) for each word on the chart. Learners learn to read by associating with a picture. Oral and written language skills can be developed by using the pictures on the chart for identification, classification and story telling.
WHY HAVE A THRASSCHART?
Sounds in English words can be represented with different letter combinations.
Each of the 44 boxes on the chart contains the most common spelling choices for that sound. It also has a word for each spelling choice. The THRASSCHART allows the learner to quickly identify a group of letters as depicting an associated sound in a word. When we read we have to identify grapheme groups and associate them with a sound. The sounds are then blended together to make words. When we write we have to identify sounds we can hear and choose a spelling choice for that sound.
Sounds have common written patterns.
Each word on the THRASSCHART contains only spelling choices that are on the chart. This analogous cross-reference allows the learner to start to visualise common spelling patterns thereby building an understanding of spelling. Each word on the THRASSCHART can be spelt using patterns from other chart words. e.g. bird is made up of bird, shirt, dog.
Sunday, 4 March 2018
Library Lovers Month - Mystery Reads!
We have been challenging students to try new books
and launched Library Lovers Month.
All students were given the opportunity to pick a Mystery Read from reading only the first sentence of a ‘hidden’ book
- no title, no cover picture, no author details ..... tricky!
Students got a Library Lovers Book Mark and were invited to write their name, the title of the book and tell us what they thought of their ‘mystery’ read.
Congratulations to everyone who took the challenge – very brave!
Keep Reading!
Premiers Reading Challenge 2018!
It is exciting to launch the Premier's Reading Challenge for 2018. The aims of the Challenge are to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.
If your child attended St Luke’s Grammar in 2017 they are already enrolled in the Challenge for 2018. Their existing PRC username and password are the same as last year and access is at PRC site: https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html from Monday 5 March.
Mrs Duffy will send home a Personal Reading Record along with student log-in details on Monday or Tuesday this week and the students will then be able to access the PRC site and record books read.
By entering this challenge, your child is declaring that they have read the books entered in accordance with their school year rules.
K-2 students – can read the books on their own, read them with someone, or someone can read to them. If your child is reading simple chapter books they can attempt the 3-4 challenge – please let Mrs Duffy know if this is your child so that she can change the record?
3-6 students – must read the books on their own, but someone can help choosing them.
Complete rules are found here: https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/rules.html
The Learning Hub team has gathered a selection of PRC books for each stage that are now on display in the Hub. Students will need to visit your local library to access other interesting titles.
Don’t forget - we are launching the event with a Scholastic Book Fair and the cabinets are due to arrive in the morning of 6 March we will open for sales on Tuesday after school. Come along to the Learning Hub from 2.35 to find an exciting range of PRC and other book titles.
Book Fair opening hours:
Tuesday 6 March from 2.35
Wednesday and Thursday 7 & 8 March from 8.00-830 and 2.35-3.00
Monday 12 March 8.00-8.30 and 2.35-3.00
The students have until the 31 August 2018 (11.59) to complete the Challenge.
Friday, 2 March 2018
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