This term has been filled with rich and engaging learning across all areas of the curriculum. Our students have worked hard, shown persistence, and celebrated many achievements along the way. It has been wonderful to see them grow in confidence, take on new challenges, and share their learning proudly with one another.

In Sounds Write, the Grade 1s explored how the /ie/, /oo/, and /u/ sounds can be represented in different ways. They enjoyed investigating spelling patterns and noticing how the same sound can look different in words. The Grade 2s focused on the /n/, /v/, and /er/ sounds, learning that these too can be written with more than one spelling. Students are building strong strategies to help them tackle tricky words in their reading and writing.

In Literacy, students have been busy developing their descriptive writing skills. They learnt how to label and describe pictures in detail, expand their vocabulary by using synonyms, and carefully select verbs to make their sentences more powerful. We explored the structure of procedural texts, with students writing their own step-by-step instructions for a range of fun activities. Book Week was a highlight of the term, and students loved diving into the shortlisted texts, including We Live in a Bus, Afloat, and These Loved Things. They built their comprehension skills by predicting what might happen next, making text-to-self connections, and exploring new vocabulary such as plunge, towering, murky, and darting. These words became great discussion starters as students linked them to characters and events in the stories.

In Maths, students deepened their understanding of multiplication and division. They used skip counting, repeated addition, and arrays to solve multiplication problems, while also learning how to share objects equally and write number sentences to represent division. Activities such as building Lego towers, working with skittles, and counting snakes made multiplication fun and hands-on. Students also began exploring remainders in division, practising skip counting on number lines, and discussing what to do when something doesn’t divide evenly. Towards the end of the term, we are turning our focus to time. Students are beginning to read o’clock and half-past on both analogue and digital clocks, describing the position of the hands, and linking times to their daily routines. This is helping them to see the important connections between maths and everyday life.

Our Inquiry unit, Machine Makers, was a hands-on favourite this term. Students investigated how objects move by exploring pushes and pulls in their everyday environment. They experimented with ramps, tested how balls of different mass could move cars, and worked in teams to design and trial their own levers and pulleys. This gave them the chance to see how machines can make tasks easier, while also building their teamwork and problem-solving skills. It was exciting to watch students plan, test, adjust, and share their creative ideas as budding engineers!

In Respectful Relationships, students explored the difference between calming and cheering coping strategies, and when it might be helpful to use them. They identified situations that can cause worry, fear, or anger, and practised positive strategies to help manage these feelings. Teamwork was another focus, with students learning how to work together respectfully, listen to each other’s ideas, and support their classmates to solve problems. These skills have helped strengthen our classroom community and friendships.

Overall, Term 3 has been a wonderful time of growth, discovery, and fun. We are incredibly proud of the effort, creativity, and resilience our students have shown. With so many achievements behind them, we are excited to see how they will continue to build on their learning in Term 4!

- Miss McLaren