Junior School Newsletter, Term 4 - Week 5

 

 Term 4, Week 5

After a relaxing weekend and busy Melbourne Cup Day, students have returned excited and energetic for their short week. On Monday afternoon, students participated in horse racing, after a horse-themed day which included Melbourne Cup themed Math problems, creative animal drawing, fine-motor skill activities and fun games! Last week, we were lucky enough to have a visit from the Senior School who brought their wonderful picture story books down to us to share. It was lovely to see the year levels mixing and sharing their work. Our visit to the Duck Park was a success, with students learning about the history and geographical significance of the Mentone Racecourse Reserve. We were blessed with wonderful weather, and the students showed respect for their local environment which was great to see. Our Maths Groups for 'Time' and 'Addition' continued to support students in a more targeted manner, and their skills improved throughout the units. We started learning about Remembrance Day and the importance it has in our Australian history. The Remembrance Day Ceremony that is hosted every year at the Mentone RSL will be held on Sunday this year, because it is commemorating the centenary of armistice. We hope families will be able to attend their local ceremony so that our students have the chance to reflect on the sacrifice and courage of the men and women who have bravely fought for our country. Lest We Forget.

Walk to School: 7th - 30th October
Excursion to Braeside Park: Friday 30th November (parents needed)
Whole School Sports Day: Friday 7th December (volunteers needed - please let your classroom teacher know)






In READING this week, we are learning about using clues in the text to predict what will happen next.

During WRITING this week, we are working on narrative writing that includes a beginning, middle and end.

Our latest topic in MATHS is Time and we are working in Maths Groups across the year level to focus on specific skills on a more individual basis. Our next topics focus on revisiting Addition and Subtraction strategies.

This week we continued our INQUIRY topic, 'Location, Location, Location!' focusing on maps and the geographical features of our local area. We walked to the Duck Park and learned about the history of the Racecourse Reserve and how to use maps of the park.

• Please ensure that all students wear helmets if they are riding or scooting to school. If students are not wearing a helmet, they risk serious injury in the event of a crash.
• We always welcome parent/family helpers in the classroom. If you are interested, please ensure you provide a copy of your Working With Children Check to the office. More information can be found at: http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/   
• If there are any parents/families that would be able to help us out with covering our 150 brand new Take Home Books, please see your child's teacher - we need all the help we can get. You can come in, or take some home, any help is appreciated!
• Term 4 is a SunSmart term - please ensure your child has a MPPS wide brim hat for recess and lunchtimes. Students without hats will be asked to play in the shaded areas.
• Have you signed up for the Colour Run? It's happening on November 18 and we are super excited! See FlexiBuzz for more information.

Please take every opportunity to walk, ride or scoot to school over the next two weeks - each class is recording their data to see how many students can walk/ride/scoot all or part of the way to school! Even parking at the end of the street and walking a small distance is good for your health!