Term 2 Wrap Up

This is our last newsletter for this term, and what a productive term it has been.

Our students competed in Athletics, Cross Country and represented our school in district Sport Gala Days. There have been excursions and incursions across P -6. We celebrated Harmony Day on Friday 24 March children all wore orange. Celebrating Harmony Day was a great way to show that we care about everyone in our learning community. National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday the 24 May was National Simultaneous Storytime. This year our p -2 grades all read the story ‘The Speedy Sloth’ written by Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie.

Our Grade 2 students have been learning about ‘Past, Present and Future – Communication and Transportation’. The students worked really hard on designing some amazing projects! As part of Grade 2 Geography Inquiry unit, students learnt about ‘Special Places’. On Tuesday 9th of May, the Grade 2 classes went to visit Princes Circuit Nature Reserve. Grade 5 families visited our classroom to share in a gallery walk where students displayed and discussed their learning about important events in Australian History. Our Grade 5 and 6 students participated in an online maths competition, to compete against other schools within our network.

We also celebrated Mother’s Day Card Making Night, which our dedicated staff and community events and fundraising committee organised. It is great to see that we have some new people on our Community Events and Fundraising Committee (CEF) this term, they are always looking for more people to join, so if you are interested please leave your details at the office.

We also celebrated Education Week in May. This was a great week to highlight all the wonderful learning that happens at Craigieburn Primary School.

Student Led Conference

Thank you for your participation in our Student Led Conferences. We hope you enjoyed seeing your children’s work samples and learning about their goals for their future learning. At Craigieburn Primary School we value your feedback, it would be greatly appreciated if you could take a few minutes to complete a small survey about your experience at our Student Led Conferences. SURVEY LINK

Semester One reports can be accessed through the Compass parent portal.

Volunteering at School

As part of our commitment to home-school engagement, continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing we will be running a volunteer induction session starting next term.

All volunteers at Craigieburn Primary School are required to hold a current Working with Children Check Clearance and attend a volunteer induction session. This includes canteen helpers and

classroom helpers. Anyone wanting to attend this meeting can email the school at craigieburn.ps@education.vic.gov.au to register and receive the meeting invitation.

Refugee Week 2023: To all of those who have come from far and wide…

Finding Freedom Refugee Week is an important opportunity for us all to experience and celebrate the rich cultures of refugee communities through theatre, music, dance, film, food and other kinds of events that take place all over Australia - and beyond. What does it mean to be free? To live without the fear of war, to have your basic human rights upheld, to live in equality and without the fear of persecution are just some of the examples of what freedom can entail.

Everyday millions of people across the world embark on dangerous journeys for the sole purpose of finding safety and freedom. From Australia to nations across the globe, settling into a new environment after experiencing the perils of a refugee’s journey can also provide the opportunity to live, to love and to dream.

Dogs at school

Whilst Craigieburn Primary School understands that many families in our school community keep dogs as pets, to ensure that our school remains a safe and inclusive place for everyone, pet dogs are not permitted on school grounds under any circumstances.

Our school community is diverse and may include people that are allergic or uncomfortable around dogs. We are also conscious of the health hazards that may be posed by dogs. We ask that families please leave their pet dogs at home or safely tether them outside school grounds when attending our school or school events.

Staff Farewell

We say goodbye to the following staff this term Amanda Lee, Linda Maxwell and Lucinda Gooda. We thank them for their time and commitment to CPS and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

I would like to wish all of our community a safe and happy holiday and remind everyone that school finishes at 2.30pm today Friday the 23 June. We look forward to seeing everyone return safe and well on Monday 10 July.


         
         Bernadette Pizaro
                 Principal

Curriculum News Grades Prep, 1, 2 and 3

Nearly the end of term!!! Where did that time go!!! During Week 7 and 8, the Prep to Grade 3 students have been busy engaging in learning and are currently preparing to share their learning and goals with you in our Week 9 Student Led Conferences. They will be excited to show you how much they have learnt this term, as they share their progress against their learning goals. The teachers are all looking forward to seeing you soon.

Prep Water Watchers Incursion

Last Thursday the Prep children attended a free Water Watchers incursion run by Yarra Valley Water. The students learnt about where water comes from, how people consume it and why we all have a role in saving it. The children participated in a wide range of fun activities and experiments designed to build their water saving knowledge.  Every student who attended the incursion received their very own Water Watcher to take home, along with a magnet to pop on their fridge.  

Here are some of the Prep’s reflections following our visit to the Water Watchers incursion:

You can save water by switching off the tap. - Nicole PA

You can save water by getting a bucket. - Ayla PA

You can save water by turning off the tap. – Jessica PA

You can save water at the toilet with half a flush. – Vaneesha PC

Fill up the dishwasher then press the button. – Jessica PC

Close the tap before you brush your teeth. – Nisa PC

Water Watchers said turn off the tap. – Saskia PD

Use the washing machine for a little bit. -Tilly PD

Welly tells you not to waste water. - Dante PD 


       
    

Grade 1 Inquiry 

This term we have been learning about observable changes that occur in the sky and land and we investigated the seasons. In class, we discussed the changing weather for each season and the clothes people wear at these times. Students explored how each season changes and discovered the changes that happen to the trees. We recorded our learning by creating a four season’s tree.

 I have been learning about seasons. I learnt that it is not only sunny in one season. – Olivia 1A

In Inquiry, we have been doing Science. We have been learning Science stuff like putting together our season’s tree. – Ryan 1A

We have been learning about the different seasons. They are Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.  – Amelia 1A

I know what the seasons are now. My favourite season is Summer because it is sunny – Edward 1B

The seasons are Autumn, Spring, Summer and Winter - Lyric 1B

In winter animals hibernate - Nabil 1B

Most baby animals are born in spring - Tyler 1C

Most of Australia does not have snow, but Craigieburn can during Winter - Alyssa 1C

Here are some examples of students enjoying Inquiry this term:

                    

Maths in Grade 2

This term, in Mathematics the Grade 2 students have been learning about Addition and Subtraction.

Students have explored strategies such as “counting on”, “doubles” and “near doubles” to assist them with adding higher numbers. They have also used a wide variety of concrete materials, such as twenty frames, bundles and MAB- Multi Arithmetic Blocks to assist them with adding numbers to 100 and beyond!

In subtraction, the students developed their understanding of how addition and subtraction are linked. They used concrete materials, number lines, and played subtraction games to reinforce all their skills learnt throughout this term!

I like using my fingers to help me with subtraction. – Rayan 2A

I use my tens facts to help me work out addition problems. – Harry 2A

I love addition and subtraction! – Gurreet 2A

This game is so fun, it reminds us of connect 4 but with numbers and we have to use our maths knowledge. - Ela and Kiratpal 2B

We love playing games in maths! - Jaffar and Yousif 2B

We love playing maths games with our friends. -Aubree and Sofia 2C

I know I have to subtract the second number. – Gabriel 2C

I love using big numbers in Maths. - Zavvy 2C

I enjoyed working as a team. – Benjamin 2D

Answering the questions were really fun. – Heidi 2D

Grade 3 Writing

For the last few weeks the Grade 3s have been learning about Information Reports in writing lessons. We have looked at the features of an information report and completed a full cycle of the Writing Process – plan, draft, edit and publish. The Grade 3s have had lots of fun writing their reports.

Please enjoy the samples we are sharing.

                       

                          

                           Amanda Lee 
                           Asssistant Principal
                           Prep - 3 

As we approach the end of term, our energetic and focussed learners have been busily engaged with their learning from Grade 4 to Grade 6. Our students are very much looking forward to sharing some of their learning in the Student Led Conferences next week. Some of the work they will be sharing includes their reading goals that they have been refining and they have been practising their reading strategies to achieve these goals.

Grade 4

The past fortnight has seen our Grade 4 students exploring verbs and adverbs while reading procedural texts. They have been reading science based experiment texts and creating classroom ‘anchor charts’ to record their new knowledge. These anchor charts form a very important part of our classroom environments and are used by students as a tool to assist them with their learning strategies. Classroom resources are one of the ways the students support the development of their reading and writing goals. In writing, the students have been creating their own game based on research they have completed in small groups. While creating their new game, they have been also reading and creating procedural texts to guide them in developing a procedural text for their own game. In addition to brainstorming their game, they also had to plan and draft their text so that it made sense to their audience. This provided them with an opportunity to show their understanding of the different components of a procedural text, such as headings, diagrams and the technical language specific to their game.

In maths, the Grade 4 students have been exploring money. They learnt about the purpose of the decimal point when dealing with dollars and cents and used this knowledge to engage with addition and subtraction. They created anchor charts in the classroom to capture and summarise their new thinking. They also learnt about rounding to the nearest 5 and 10 when dealing with money and practised these skills on board games that they created. In inquiry, the students continued their learning about different forces that occur in the scientific procedural texts that they engaged with in reading and writing. They learnt about the scientific difference between ‘push’ and ‘pull’ forces and investigated these different forces around the classroom. They used different objects around the classroom to explore force when they dropped, threw, bounced or rolled objects

Grade 5

Students in Grade 5 this fortnight have been exploring metalanguage in their reading where they learnt about the language (words/vocabulary) about the language they are reading and writing. They learnt about the language of emotions that characters can feel while they are in different situations in a text and could use evidence (from the text itself or their own experiences) which could support their view of these emotions. They also explored contrast and symbolism as devices that authors use to connect with their audience and explain the meaning of the text. In writing, our student authors have been learning about explanation texts. In the classrooms, the students have been exploring different explanation texts and using these exemplar texts to identify what makes a good explanation text such as diagrams, headings and accurate facts. Our authors have been creating their own texts and seeking constructive feedback from their peers on how their texts can be improved. In addition, the students also created their own games and shared their games with others by writing explanation texts. The purpose of this learning was how authors must view their texts through the eyes of their audience, continually asking whether their audience has sufficient information.

In maths, the students explored multiplication through the lens of using different strategies to identify which strategy most suited their needs. In examining the grid, lattice and algorithmic multiplication methods students were able to explore different ways of solving the same problem. Students also explored the connections between multiplication and division and used their strategies to identify solutions to worded problems. In inquiry, the students continued to work on their Travel Expo which uses their geographical knowledge and skills to present their research on their chosen country. They also learnt how to paraphrase information from researched sources to ensure that they presented information in their own words and also how they could possibly present their information to an audience using subheadings.

Grade 6

In our Literacy sessions, the Grade 6 students have been deeply engaged in developing a point of view to prepare for a class debate. The students have been building their prior knowledge and understanding of the sinking of the Titanic. Students analysed the causes behind the sinking of the Titanic to help them prepare for a debate, where they argued for or against whether they believe it was the iceberg that sank the Titanic or other influences. Students have learnt about the structure of a debate including the technical language like affirmative and negative sides to each argument, as well as how to structure their arguments with rebuttals.

In Mathematics this week, our busy Grade 6 students have been developing their understanding around the order of operations and following the rule of BODMAS when solving problems. Students have been applying the different operations accurately to solve problems.

Our Inquiry subject this term has focused on Geography; the students have been working hard to complete a self-guided research project on a country of their choice. Students have researched information to try and persuade people to visit their country of choice. Students have researched their chosen countries, customs, and beliefs as well as other areas their country is known for like tourist attractions, landmarks, and native animals. Continue reading to see what the students have enjoyed about their Inquiry projects:

I can’t believe it I have learned so much in this term that I don’t have much room left in my brain. Since I’ve started my project I see my country in a different way that I never thought of. The teachers in my class help me so much in CPS that I have improved in inquiry and my perspective about Indonesia has completely changed. - Subaig 6C

In Inquiry this term, it has been good and fun. We have been learning about countries, we have researched with a partner and we chose how we wanted to publish our work. - Moses 6A

                                   
                                   Israel Carroll
                                   Assistant Principal 
                                   Grade 4 - 6 

Preps

The preps are still new to the gym and continuing to learn the rules and expectations of when participating in PE, overall they have been amazing and have really engaged in everything we are learning. Our main focus this term has been catching with our ‘bowl of soup hands’. Ask your students to show you their bowl of soup hands and they will know exactly what you’re talking about! Next week we are going to start learning how to kick with a soccer focus.

The prep students have also continued to participate in a PMP program which runs every Wednesday. The Perceptual Motor Programme is a motor coordination program designed to develop students’ perceptual knowledge and judgment. It targets school aged children from ages 4-6 and is carried out through a series of stations where students rotate in small groups. Perceptual knowledge/judgement is developed through engaging in sensory experiences that are repeated. A big thank you to the year 6 leaders who have helped with setting up the activities and assisted the prep students at each station.

Year 1 and 2

The year 1s and 2s have been working on fundamental motor skills kicking with a soccer focus, overarm throwing and catching. They have been engaging in different activities involving the skills and they have continued to impress me. The students also focused on learning how to cooperate when working with a partner and they all did an amazing job.

Year 3 and 4

Year 3s and 4s have been learning how to play Newcombe Volleyball. Newcombe is a modified Volleyball game where the students can catch the ball. We have focused on catching the ball and practicing a set and dig over the net in group games and when working with a partner. The students loved playing a game called battleships which showcased teamwork and the Volleyball skills learnt throughout the unit. The last two weeks we have started to learn how to perform a Triple Jump and Long jump and we will be continuing to learn more of the difficult Athletics events as students will soon be chosen to participate for our school in the Athletics team.

Year 5 and 6

The year 5 and 6s are focusing on strategies, working with a team to coordinate and perform offensive and defensive strategies in different sports or games. Four corner Soccer and capture the flag have been two class favourites for the year 5 and 6s and all the students have been engaged in each session.

The last two weeks we have started to learn how to perform a Triple Jump and Long jump and we will be continuing to learn more of the difficult Athletics events as students will soon be chosen to participate for our school in the Athletics team.

                

CEF Community, Events and Fundraising Committee

SPORTS DAY NEWS

Sports day is this coming Tuesday 6th of June. We hope the kids are ready for some fun with the AFL AusKick Team.

If you wish to volunteer on Tuesday 6^th of June just speak to the office and they can pass on your details to one of the committee members. You will need a working with children’s check (volunteer is acceptable).

Please encourage your children to dress in any sports themed clothing they would like to wear on the day.

Big CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the colouring competition. It was a very difficult decision to make across all the year levels. Our students are very talented. If you would like to see the winner’s masterpieces, please visit the office they are up for display.

OTHER NEWS

Next event will be out of school uniform day at end of term 23^rd June (gold coin donation)

We are looking for a DJ for an event coming up later in the year if you know anyone who is happy to help with this please contact the office.

Thank you.

                                            CEF Committee

                              


                    


 
                                   

This term at CPS, we had five Grade 5 and 6 students participating in the Victorian High Ability Program in English and Mathematics. Students were either nominated by the Department of Education or our school.

The Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP) is an online program where students engage in both synchronous and asynchronous learning with a teacher using Virtual Schools Victoria Online. Every week, students attended 55-minute virtual lessons to complete learning tasks. They were given opportunities to problem-solve, collaborate with peers and engage in lots of deeper learning tasks. Our school aims to run this program every term with new nominations based on student achievement.

Well done to the following students for their participation, hard work and dedication:

Angad 5C participating in English

Sukhraj 5D participating in English

Stella 5A participating in English

Jairaj 5C participating in Maths

Keith 6B participating in Maths

Here is some feedback from our students:

“I think VHAP was a wonderful time for me and lots of other kids across Victoria to learn Maths. VHAP was a wonderful opportunity to learn with others. VHAP was so much fun and I would love to do it again next year. Thank you to my kind teacher Miss Dogan for helping me organise myself for the program and becoming a great Mathematician.”- Jairaj 5C

“I believe that VHAP was a great opportunity for me and all the other students that participated to develop our skills in English. We had a 55-minute session running from 11:35-12:30. Thank you to Miss Dogan and all the other teachers that are helping me in becoming a successful learner” Angad 5C

Online Maths Competition 

On Thursday 22nd June, Grade 4 to 6 students had the opportunity to participate in an online maths competition to compete against schools within our network. Students worked in small groups to solve maths problems with the aim of achieving the highest score against other teams/schools. The competition focused on students bringing their skills and knowledge for problem-solving in Mathematics. It was lovely seeing our students collaborating with each other and communicating with respect and resilience.

Congratulations to the following two teams from 6D for receiving a perfect score in the competition:

Ian, Ryan, Selena, Zoe, Aditya and Fin

Eshal, Areeba and Jasmine

We had many students who were runner up with only one question wrong. The improvement that our school has shown from our last competition shows us that our students have been working hard this term in developing their problem-solving skills in Mathematics.

Well done!

Here are some of the comments our students have made about the competition:

“Today in Maths all the students from Grade 4-6 participated in the Maths Competition. We were there to compete with the other schools. I liked this Maths competition because I could see students from other schools and see how smart I am compared to them.” Angad 5C

“It was very fun and challenging”- Shimaia 5A

“I liked the team work and I tried my best and it was very fun”– Gabriel 5A

“It was very fun and we really had to work together to answer the questions”– Jaskarman 5A


Ferhan Dogan
Leading Teacher

PYJAMA DAY

TUESDAY 25 JULY!!

Grab your PJ’s, Dressing gowns and Oodies for Pyjama Day.

Bring in a gold coin to donate to the school.

We are having a fun relaxing day wearing our PJ’s to school.

Please come in your warmest PJ’s.

(We advise the students still wear their school shoes on the day)

We have a special morning tea that can be ordered through flexischools or in the office.

FLEXISCHOOLS ORDERS OPEN 23/06 AND CLOSE 21/07

ORDERS CAN BE PLACED AT THE OFFICE UNTIL 21/07 10AM

We have 2 snack packs available.

  Snack pack A: 2 cinnamon donuts & Juice for $4.50.

Snack Pack B: 1 Hot jam donut and juice $4.50

(The students will receive these before recess)

We will have warm hot chocolates available from the canteen recess for purchase $1 per cup. Marshmallows available too.

The cinnamon donuts are egg free.