St Peter’s Anglican

Primary School

Teaching and Learning Newsletter

Term 1 2014 Dear Parents & Carers,

It has been an exciting start to the year at St Peter’s with

the introduction of new curriculum, new technologies,

collaborative furniture in Year 5. To keep you up to date

on developments in teaching and learning, each grade

has prepared an overview of the students’ learning this

term and their plans for Term 2.

Across the school, we have begun to implement the

Australian curriculum this year. In NSW, the Board of

Studies (now BOSTES) is responsible for the development

Kindergarten to Year 10 syllabus documents that

incorporate the Australian curriculum content. The

implementation of these syllabus documents in NSW

schools is gradual, which has enabled our teaching staff

to thoroughly prepare through professional development

and collaborative work

In all K-6 classes, we are teaching the new K-10 English

syllabus. An exciting part of the new curriculum is the

requirement that students be exposed to a variety of

quality literature, including Australian literature,

Aboriginal and Australian identity, multiculturalism and

Asian perspectives. The students are actively engaged in

activities through speaking and listening, reading and

writing, and viewing and representing.

Implementation of the K-10 Mathematics syllabus was

optional in 2014 and we have begun teaching this

curriculum in Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5. This

decision was made to ensure consistency for students as

they progress through a stage of learning. The new

curriculum focuses on problem-solving, mathematical

reasoning and communication and the content is taught

through learning experiences in number and algebra,

measurement and geometry, and statistics and

probability. Our students have thoroughly enjoyed

engaging in mathematical investigations that connect

with real life experiences.

Years 2, 4 and 6 will continue with the current curriculum

until 2015.

Further information about the new curriculum documents

can be found in the Parents Guide to the New NSW K-10

Syllabuses that is available at

www.syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/support-materials/parents-

guide/

The languages program has expanded in Junior Primary

classes and each student from Kindergarten to Year 2

now experiences a language lesson each week with Mrs

Holmes or Mrs Meallonnier. Following the successful

Languages Day held in 2013, it is wonderful to see the

students embracing the opportunity to learn about

another language and culture. Kindergarten will

continue with French for the year, and Year 1 and Year 2

will each learn a semester of French and a semester of

German.

The Learning Support teachers have been reviewed and

evaluated our support processes and have introduced

new programs to assist our students academically and

socially. The majority of learning support this year is

conducted in the classroom and quiet rooms attached

to the classroom to aid the inclusion of students within

the context of their class. This ensures learning can be

differentiated to meet the individual needs of students,

as they learn similar content, alongside their peers.

Learning Aides also come into classrooms for additional

support during some literacy lessons.

The Junior Primary teachers have enjoyed teaching their

students Scripture each week. Mr Hills is still responsible

for the Primary classes. The Scripture program this term

focused on God’s plan to save the lost through his son,

Jesus. The program is enhanced by the weekly Chapel

services run by the staff of Campbelltown Anglican

Churches.

Term 1 has been a term of getting to know one

another and settling into the routines of a new

classroom and school. The children have all

connected with their peers and are happily

engaging in the variety of activities the Prep

classroom has to offer.

Throughout Term 1, each of the Prep classes has

completed a unit of work about ourselves and how

God has made us all different and special. We

have learned about our bodies, our families and

friends, our homes, our clothes, and about the food

and exercise we need to keep our bodies healthy

and working properly.

The children enjoyed telling their friends about their

families, and showing the photos they brought in. It

is not too late! If you have not sent your family

photo to school yet, we would love to see it and

include it in your child’s portfolio.

We have been enjoying the last days of warm

weather and have had fun playing in our water

fountain and water tray during our outdoor play

sessions. We have been learning about colours,

and now are studying shapes and patterns.

Through all of our activities and units of work we are

concentrating on our fine motor skills, particularly

correct pencil grip and writing and cutting

accurately in readiness for Kindergarten.

This week, we began a new unit of work called

‘Building Things’. We are looking at tools for

building (and other purposes), and we will be doing

a bit of our own ‘building’ using our woodwork

table. The children are all looking forward to this!

As a part of this unit, we will be doing a literature

unit of work on the well-known fairy tale, “The Three

Little Pigs”.

The term is very quickly coming to an end. We

have had a wonderful time getting to know each

other and learning and playing together. We look

forward to next term with many exciting activities

planned.

Prep

We have been learning about the first Good Friday

and Easter. Your children should be able to tell you

the Easter story. Perhaps they can sing you the

song we are learning to help us remember that

God’s son, Jesus, died on the cross so that we can

be friends with God; that God brought Jesus back

to life, and that Jesus is still alive today. This is the

most important message about Easter.

Prep Helpers

A parent/carers duty roster is now on our notice

board. Feel free to add your name to the list on a

day that suits you if you would like to help out in our

room for our morning session from 9:00 – 10:20 am.

The first term of Kindergarten is always very much a

time of newness and beginnings as the children

encounter new routines, meet new friends and

begin to develop the skills that are necessary for life

at school. The children are coping well with school

life and are excited about the many things they

have been learning this term.

Mathematics and Science

The children have all been very excited to

participate in the investigations that facilitate their

learning in Mathematics. In our investigation of day

and night, the children shared and compared their

daily routines, considered the appropriate time of

day that particular events take place and began to

learn to tell the time. They spent time sequencing

events, ordering activities according to duration

and they each made a clock to practice modelling

o’clock and half-past times. The children have

continued to master writing numerals and they have

practiced counting up to 10 and back down again,

while enjoy the catchy songs and jingles that

accompany many of our activities. The highlight of

Mathematics is the interactive nature of our

learning. Much fun is had using the Smartboard to

answer questions and solve problems in

Mathematics. The topic of ‘Day and Night’ has

been expanded through our Science unit. The

children had great fun modelling day and night

using a torch and a swivel chair, and they enjoyed

making and using a sundial.

HSIE

In HSIE, we have been discussing the concept of

differences in cultures, families and individuals, with

a focus on the uniqueness of us all and the theme

that God made each one of us special and unique.

The children especially enjoyed the making models

of themselves and their classmates.

PDHPE

A highlight of the children’s week is undoubtedly the

time they spend with their Friday Friends playing

together and further developing their social skills.

This supports the children's learning in class where

we are working through issues such as making

friends, being a good friend and making wise

choices. It is great for the younger children to see

positive relationships and appropriate interactions

modelled by their Year 6 friends

Kindergarten

English

In English, our focus has been on gaining an

understanding of letters and their corresponding

sounds, and on segmenting and blending the

sounds that make up words. The children have

learned a considerable number of sight words

and are practicing using these words to form

sentences. They are beginning to write creatively

in their journals each week and enjoy guessing the

mystery pictures that forms the basis of our

creative writing activities.

Creative Arts

The children have all enjoyed working with various

media to create some beautiful art works this term,

and had enormous fun learning the dances that

they performed on Grandparents Day.

The excitement will continue next term with the

children investigating the processes involved in the

production of food on the farm. They will find out

about Australian animals and the way we interact

with the natural environment. If you would like to

be involved in our activities, please let your child's

class teacher know, as we value your input greatly.

Year 1 had some amazing learning opportunities

this term and we are always pleased to share their

learning with our school community.

English

The students have been looking at the different

parts of a narrative, as well as the grammatical

features. This has led to them completing an on line

story book using the website ‘Little Bird Tales’. The

children were excited to write, publish and illustrate

using this website.

Science & HSIE

In HSIE we have been researching people who help

us in our community. We have read books, visited

the fire station and learned about the importance

of our community helpers. During the ‘People Who

Help Us’ theme day, community helpers came to

speak to the children and we had many fun

activities to further deepen our understanding.

Our Science unit is full of wonderful experiments

looking at light. The students have learned where

light comes from, how to bend it and that light is

made up of seven colours. We even made our

own rainbows using a crystal and light! The children

are learning how to write experiments and to

explore the world God has created.

PDHPE

In Year 1 we have investigated and discussed the

different types of bullying, why people bully and

what we can do. Pacer kids is a great website we

have been using to explore these concepts further.

Term 1 has seen Year 1 have great fun with the

specialist gymnastics teachers from Flexikids.

If you are interested in helping with Visual Arts,

reading groups or Science next term, please see

your child’s teacher.

Year 1

Mathematics

It has been exciting seeing the implementation of

the new Mathematics syllabus across Year 1. In

this problem based approach, the children are

taught key skills are involved in a real life

investigation. This term the children have

investigated numbers using dice games. They

have explored how to graph and record data

using class surveys. Our next investigation takes us

to space, where we explore subtraction and

addition concepts.

Creative Arts

Our creative arts unit has been linked to our

Science unit and focused on colour and light. The

children have learned about warm and cool

colours and how to mix colours. They have used

their knowledge of colour theory to create some

interesting 3D flowers, warm and cool leaf designs

and a Kandinsky inspired button artwork that shows

patterns with colours.

We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each

and every child within our grade. They are to be

commended for their settled start to a new school

year. It has been an exciting term, full of learning.

English

In English this term, we have been building on our

prior knowledge of imaginative texts. We have

been using the narrative framework in

collaboration with picture prompts and fictional

texts to create stories of our own. It has been

exciting to see the children eagerly participate in

games and activities through the Soundwaves

Spelling program and in a variety of rotations in

reading groups.

Science

We have been investigating environments of the

world around us. We learned that environments

can be natural or built, but have discovered that

most environments contain aspects from both

categories. We have looked closely at our school

environment and have discussed how changes are

made in accordance with our needs and our

wants. The children practised drawing birds’ eye

view maps and particularly enjoyed sharing maps

of their bedrooms with each other. Next term, we

will investigating how and why we communicate.

HSIE

2014 began with a new unit titled ‘Who am I?’ that

was designed to help the children to identify

themselves within the family and school contexts.

The classrooms are lined with beautiful family

photographs that the children shared with great

pride. This unit has been mostly based on class

discussions which has allowed the teachers great

insight into the children’s prior knowledge and

thinking. Next term we will explore changes to

society and technology over the years.

PDHPE

The children have really enjoyed solving everyday

problems they might face, using resilience

strategies and creating a more confident persona

to deal with a variety of different situations in the

playground. During sport and PE, we have been

practising a variety of fundamental ball skills. We

look forward to meeting with the Flexikids team to

consolidate and extend the gymnastics skills we

have been learning since Kindergarten.

Creative Arts

In Visual Arts we have been looking at line and

colour, and learning how to sketch and create

pictures through collage. In Drama, we have been

exploring the skill of mime and improvisation. In

Music, the children have been experimenting with

rhythm and pitch to compose simple melodies.

We would love to hear from you if you have a

particular interest in any of our topics from next

term that you would be willing to share with us.

Year 2

Mathematics

There was much excitement as Maths groups

commenced in Week 2. This has been the first

opportunity for a number of children in Year 2 to

develop independence in changing classrooms

and working with different teachers. We used

informal units to measure a variety of everyday

objects, explored numerous four- sided 2D shapes,

collected data and interpreted graphs. The

children continue to enjoy using concrete

materials to complete algorithms based on the

four operations and to create and continue a

variety of number patterns.

Year 3

English

Reading groups provide students the opportunity to

engage in varied reading activities and it has been

wonderful to see parents helping in the classroom

during this time. This term, the students have been

planning, composing, reviewing and publishing

narratives on a range of topics. They have enjoyed

using the Sound Waves Spelling program this term.

This word study program designed to develop

reading, spelling and writing skills using the

phonemic approach. They have participated in a

range of informal and formal discussions and have

been working on voice projection, confidence and

expression.

Science

Year 3 classes have developed their knowledge of

natural and people-made structures with the

program ‘Super Structures.’ They have a wonderful

time visiting Mrs Ward in the Science Stables where

they enquire, investigate, design and make.

Students have been particularly excited about

building structures to then break them! We tested

different structures to see how strong they are, and

have been amazed at the strength of some

materials and shapes. It has been interesting to use

the information we have discovered to try to build

our own strong structures with only straws and tape.

In Term 2 we will study structures of a different kind

in our topic ‘Body Bits’ where students will

investigate some of the parts of their amazing

bodies, and how God has made these parts to

work together.

PDHPE

Students have developed skills for building positive

and responsible relationships. They have worked in

small groups and as a class to role play scenarios.

Creative Arts

In Visual Arts this term, Year 3 has been inspired by

the artist James Rizzi. They used water colours and

oil pastels to create skyscrapers with exaggerated

shapes, distortion, elongation and added

unexpected facial features. The students have

used primary and secondary colours to create

paint wheels and investigated how to tint and

shade.

If you would like to share your interest or knowledge

on any of the topics Year 3 is exploring, we would

love to hear from you.

Mathematics

‘iMaths is so much fun!’ was a recent student

comment after he investigated how he would find

the area of 1000 words. Our investigation-based

numeracy program allows student to apply their

skills and knowledge in solving real problems.

Students in Year 3 have loved exploring

mathematics through inquiry and connecting

mathematical concepts.

HSIE

We have been learning about national parks in

HSIE this term. We have discussed and questioned

whether national parks are important and if it is our

responsibility to care for them. We went on an

exciting excursion to the Royal National Park and

bush walked, learnt about native and introduced

animals and tasted ‘bush tucker.’ In Term 2, we will

explore the question ‘what does it mean to be an

Australian?’

Year 4

English

This term students have been planning, composing,

reviewing and publishing narratives on a range of

topics. Students have participated in a range of

informal and formal discussions and have been

working on voice projection, confidence and

expression. They have also been working hard to

create a speech from the point of view of a convict

travelling to the new land. In reading groups, the

students have engaged in a variety of reading and

responses to literature.

Mathematics

We have covered many topics so far this term!

These include addition and subtraction, improving

our knowledge of times tables, identifying and

creating different number patterns, measuring

length and perimeter and investigating different

ways of presenting data through graphs.

HSIE

We have been learning about the First Fleet in HSIE

this term. We have discussed different points of

view on the arrival of the British and worked hard in

groups to research and present this information.

We also went on an exciting excursion to the Hyde

Park Barracks and Circular Quay in Week 7.

Students experienced different aspects of convict

life and saw several historic sites on their walk

between Hyde Park and Circular Quay. In Term 2,

we will be learning about the Antarctic

environment

Creative Arts

In Visual Arts this term, Year 4 has focused on art

around the time of the First Fleet. We have looked

at Aboriginal art before and after colonisation and

worked on our sketching skills to create some

amazing images of First Fleet ships. We combined

our PE and Drama this term to create interesting

performances based around the ABC Dust Echoes

stories, a series of twelve animated dreamtime

stories from Central Arnhem Land in Northern

Australia.

If you would like to share your interest or knowledge

on any of the topics the students of Year 4 are

learning, we would love to hear from you. We

particularly appreciate help in the classroom during

Visual Arts.

Science

Year 4 classes have developed their knowledge of

how God has made different parts of our world

work together with the program ‘Links in a Chain.’

They have a wonderful time visiting Mrs Ward in the

Science Stables where they enquire and

investigate. Students have particularly enjoyed

studying scats (animal poo) and using their

observations to work out what was eaten, which

animal ate it, and how these animals might be

linked in a food chain or food web. Our next topic

‘May the Force Be With You’ is not about Star Wars,

but the invisible forces around us that affect us

every day.

Personal Development & Health

Students have developed skills for building positive

and responsible relationships in Year 4. They have

worked in small groups and as a class to role play

scenarios to prevent and deal with bullying

situations.

Mathematics

Our new program is based on investigations and

mathematical thinking and reasoning. Students

were excited to race around Australia and see if

they could be the fastest group to visit all capital

cities in under 24 hours! In Term 2, we will explore

how shape is used and measured in our world and

complete an investigation in which we plan and

design an educational game of dominoes.

Science

Deserts: hot, dry, windy. How can plants survive in a

desert environment without much water?

Rainforests: wet, warm, dark. How can plants

survive in a rainforest environment without much

light? In our ‘Survivor’ topic this term, students have

been finding answers to these important questions

by investigating adaptations of plants which help

them to survive in their environments. In Term 2, we

will venture out into space to explore the wonderful

Solar System. We can that God gives living things

everything they need.

HSIE

We have been exploring the importance of

rainforests and the effects of deforestation.

Next term, students will be looking at global

interactions. This will include the trading of

commodities and the efforts to assist struggling

communities.

PDHPE

We have enjoyed honing our skills in basketball.

Next term, the students will participate in a range of

team games and design their own as a link with our

writing of procedures. They will be challenged to

use strategic thinking.

We are always interested to hear from parents or

caregivers who would like to be involved in our

learning.

Year 5

English

This term the students explored ideas in imaginative

texts: character development, storyline, imagery,

themes and genres. We discovered that stories

can be told in many different ways including

pictorial and verbal forms. Through literature, we

examined the theme of friendship. We also

planned, prepared and delivered a speech. In

Term 2, students will analyse persuasive texts and

individually create their own and participate in

class debating. We are looking forward to hearing

the opinions of our students! Creative Arts

In Music, the students have enjoyed exploring the

effect of layers of rhythmic patterns by developing

a composition for chairs and drumsticks. In Term 2,

we will investigate the origins and musical

characteristics of the Blues and create original

songs in this style. In Visual Arts, the students have

using mixed media to produce artworks. Next term,

we will be exploring the timeline of Australian Art.

English

Students in 6O and 6H have loved reading some

books from the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S.

Lewis. We have explored various themes, such as

power, temptation, loyalty and good versus evil. It

has been fantastic witnessing students analyse the

text, particularly as they notice links to Biblical

events. We have also viewed The Lion, The Witch

and The Wardrobe (2005) film and compared this

to the novel. If your child has enjoyed The

Chronicles of Narnia, it would be great for them to

have the opportunity to read the other books in the

series. With the inspiration provided from The

Chronicles of Narnia, we have explored Narratives

in our writing lessons. Next term we will be ‘looking

at both sides of the coin’ with students writing

discussions about controversial issues.

The students in 6M have been studying four Lois

Lowry novels in literacy groups and identifying some

common themes amongst them. These themes are

quite diverse including courage, death, freedom of

choice, individuality, utopian society and why we

have rules. Some of the novels have been quite

emotive and the students have displayed great

empathy with the characters. We have been

looking at the use of descriptive techniques and

dialogue to further the plot and character

development when writing narratives. We used

different sections of Jane Austen’s “Pride and

Prejudice” to spark our imaginations and create

detailed descriptions of places and people, where

we could actually feel that we were a part of the

narrative!

Mathematics

The three Year 6 classes have already explored a

number of different mathematical concepts and

how it is relevant in our world today. Some

memorable lessons include when students

discovered different types of nets to make a cube,

cut through play dough cross sections and listened

to Maths songs. 6M memorable moments have

also included students’ excitement at being able to

use Year 7 resources for some activities, as well as

discovering many accurate ways, and

explanations of inaccurate ways, to measure the

area and perimeter of the classroom. Games in 2

teams have been a highlight, in order for students

to increase their speed in calculating addition,

subtraction and multiplication algorithms.

HSIE

What is culture and what are agents that cause

culture to change? These are the questions that

Year 6 students are asking themselves as we learn

about Australian Aboriginal culture and how it has

changed over time and in particular the impact of

British colonisation on traditional Aboriginal culture.

This term, Year 6 has undertaken a group project

where they have researched an aspect of

Aboriginal culture and created a 3D model to

display their understandings. After watching the

Year 6

Science

Science this term has been quite eye opening for

the students as they have been studying the

properties of light and how we see in the unit ‘Light

and Sight’. The students were excited as they

handled ray boxes with mirrors to reflect light and

lenses to bend light. Most memorable this term was

when the students learned about the different parts

of the eye and how it all goes together by

dissecting a cow’s eye! Although some students

were initially squeamish, it wasn’t long before they

got their hands dirty in their learning. Since light

and how we see is so amazing, it shows how God is

even more wonderful because He made it! Term 2

will bring more hands-on experimenting as students

explore the properties of solids, liquids and gases in

the topic ‘What’s the Matter?’.

film Rabbit Proof Fence (2002), students gained a

deeper perspective on the impact that the Stolen

Generation has had and continues to have on

Aboriginal culture today. In Term 2, Year 6 will

begin to understand what it takes to run a country

as they learn about the roles and responsibilities of

federal government through videos, role plays,

simulation activities and an overnight excursion to

Canberra!

Creative Arts

In Visual Arts, Year 6 has enjoyed refining their

sketching skills by looking at bodies of work by

Leonardo da Vinci and focusing on particular body

parts to sketch in detail. With our focus on

Aboriginal Culture in Human Society and Its

Environment, we have also explored Aboriginal art

forms using sketching, painting and clay work

carvings of Aboriginal spirits known as Wandjinas. It

has been interesting investigating the symbolism

represented in Aboriginal dot paintings! In Term 2,

students will explore Cubism and, using Pablo

Picasso as their inspiration, will create their own

abstract art using a variety of media.

Year 6 love to explore dramatic performances and

we have had a lot of fun staging Aboriginal

Dreaming stories. In small groups, students have

written their own scripts, focused on character

development and thought carefully about how to

convey meaning in more ways than just using our

voices. Over the next two terms, Year 6 will be

exploring all the various stages of filmmaking from

writing scripts and storyboards to filming and editing

short films.

In Music, Year 6 has been exploring tone colour,

texture and rhythm through compositions for found

objects. In Term 2, the students will be investigating

how jazz evolved. This will build on their previous

study of the Blues in Year 5.

Term 1 has flown by as Year 6 students have taken

an active role in their learning and Term 2 is shaping

to be an exciting term as well! If there is any way

that you would like to be more involved in the

classroom in any of the topics that the students of

Year 6 are learning, we would love to hear from

you, so please write a note in your child’s diary.

Year 6

PDHPE

On Tuesdays before lunch, the three Year 6 classes

have come together to learn a number of bush

dances from Australia and around the world

including the Heel Toe Polka and the Virginia Reel

using the movements taught in class, as well as their

own background knowledge, Year 6 are creating

their own partner bush dance to keep in time with

set music that they will demonstrate and teach one

another.

As a grade focused on working as a team and

caring for one another, our Interpersonal

Relationships unit in PDHPE has been helpful in

allowing students to discuss and devise strategies,

represented through role plays, to best deal with

conflict resolution. Students have raised some

thought-provoking questions. We encourage you

to ask your child how they may use their ‘I-

messages’ to communicate their viewpoints and

feelings in a positive way.