The final weeks of term are always a particularly full and active time across the school. Alongside the many school-wide and extra-curricular events taking place, students are also entering the most intensive part of the assessment period. While it can sometimes feel as though assessments dominate the schedule, they are really an extension of the regular learning process – with students applying their skills more independently. These tasks are closely aligned with the types of activities and lessons completed during class time, so they should feel familiar rather than unexpected.

We know it can feel like a lot, and that’s understandable – most year levels cover eight learning areas, and that means a number of assessments are simply part of the process. We aim to support students to do their best without feeling anxious. These assessments aren’t just for reporting – they help teachers identify what students understand, what they’ve mastered, and where they may need further support or challenge. Remind your child that this is their chance to demonstrate their progress and showcase everything they’ve learned.

Due to the reporting period closing a little earlier this year, enabling report cards to go out before the end of the term, students have the final two weeks to work on Mode B projects. Whilst they will continue to practise their skills in English and Mathematics, they will also embark on some learning adventures aimed at applying what they have learned over the semester. This will include mini projects, STEM tasks, and real-world problem-solving tasks. Teachers and students are looking forward to these more open-ended forms of instruction to lead into the holidays.

This week, we are checking in with what Year 3 students have been learning as well as Japanese classes in Prep-Year 2.

Year 3

Term 2 has been a hive of activity in our classrooms. Here are some highlights of our busy days.

In Science, Year 3 have been investigating ways of heating water and heat transfer. We conducted three investigations based on these inquiry questions:

1. What happens when you put a cup of cold water in the sun?
2. What happens when you heat the water inside a popcorn kernel?
3. What happens when spoons are placed in warm water?

From these investigations, we concluded that multiple heat sources can heat water, heat can transfer from water, and metal is a good conductor of heat. Year 3 also concluded that popcorn is delicious!

In Technologies we have been exploring and using a range of digital systems to plan and create a digital solution. Students enjoyed using their previous Science knowledge of Living and Non-Living things to create a guessing game for others through visual programming language. Students were enthusiastic game creators and game players as they shared, explored and evaluated others’ games.

Japanese

In Japanese this term, Prep students have continued to practise Japanese greetings and have been learning colour vocabulary. This has helped establish the vocabulary required for term three when they explore the text Brown Bear, Brown Bear in Japanese. They will begin to use their knowledge of colours to describe different animals. Preps will bring home a colour booklet towards the end of this term to read with their families.

In Year 1, students have been learning shape names in Japanese and using size and colour vocabulary in basic sentences to describe them. This gave them the opportunity to create their own version of Pin Pon Bu, a Japanese game played regularly with their flashcards which focuses on quick recall and accuracy in pronunciation. Year 1 students will be bringing these home this week to test their family’s knowledge of shapes and colours in Japanese!

In Year 2, students have been learning about pets in Japan. They have recently started learning hiragana, a Japanese script for the associated vocabulary. They were very proud of their efforts and should be commended for working tough when recalling hiragana characters and forming them correctly.