Head of Primary

Term 2 Reflection

What a term we have enjoyed together with many fabulous learning experiences! Our theme from Isaiah 40:31 has been a constant source of strength to the Primary team.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

As we focus on our real hope, it has been a blessing to launch the Care Bears into each Primary classroom. This is to support our connection with Transform the Nations and specifically praying for the children we have sponsored. At our recent Primary Assembly, hosted by Year 4, we announced our colouring in competition winners for Transform the Nations Posters. A congratulations to our Grand Champions, Alison Kim from 2P and Ian Wang from 4C. We are looking forward to our final Mission Service Learning event this term which will be a Coin Trail. All money raised will go to Transform the Nations.

Some highlights this term have included the taster sessions for our Year 6 students. This was a new initiative two years ago which has continued to be refined to support students in developing their readiness for Year 7. Secondly, as a Primary we hosted our first National Simultaneous Reading event joining in with thousands of other students across the state online to read the same picture story book, The Truck Cat, and celebrate a love of reading. A third highlight has been the Primary Swimming Program at Aquanation. All students furthered their water safety and developed confidence with various strokes. In the final weeks of Term 2, we are looking forward to Primary Music Festival and Year 6 Market Day. We are thankful for these enriching learning experiences.

As we reflect on the term, teachers have been busy releasing feedback pieces and finalising student reports. The hope is that by the end of term, parents will have received several feedback pieces informing them of their child’s progress and fostering learning conversations at home.

I am thankful for God’s sustaining grace and provision for each student, family and staff member. Please join me in praying for a restful break.

Blessings,

Prep News

Prep Badges

Last term, the Preps celebrated starting school with having their school badges and teddy bears presented to them. Their Year 12 Buddies very kindly handed them out and helped to welcome them to school. We thank God for a smooth and joyful start and pray this is the beginning of many learning milestones to come.

Community Helpers

In Term 2, Preps have been learning about how there are many different ‘jobs’ people help with in our community. Thanks to our amazing parents who took turns to come and tell us what they do to help in our community, our Preps got to learn about:

• How to be a helpful neighbour around our neighbourhood and beyond,
• Managing constipation from a Nurse,
• How to support people in different life challenges,
• Teachers who support other university students from other countries,
• Engineers who work with windfarms and where to place them,
• Lecturers and Researcher in a university who work in Digital Health,
• Physiotherapists who work in schools,
• Working in construction to build large buildings and facilities,
• How to be a cheerful and willing Volunteer,
• Project Engineer who helps make creams, sanitisers and sunscreens for people’s skin.

This also got us thinking about what we wanted to be when we grow up, like doctors, teachers, police officers or fire fighters. We are thankful for those in our community and for all the different ways they help us!

Year 1 News

Year 1’s Wild Day at the Zoo!

What an exciting day our Year 1 students had at Melbourne Zoo! One of the highlights of the day was seeing the giant tortoises up close. Like most of the Year 1’s, they were 7 years old, but we learnt that they would live to 107 years old! We also saw lions, giraffes, tigers, lemurs and cheeky meerkats. Everyone loved watching the animals move, play and eat. A magical surprise happened in the Butterfly House, where some lucky children (and even parents!) had butterflies land right on them! It was a fun and fantastic day full of animals, adventure and big smiles.

Year 2 News

Mont De Lancey Humanities Excursion

The Year 2 students visited Mont de Lancey as part of their Humanities unit on how technology has changed over time. They learnt about the old homestead and church as well the wood turner and blacksmith. They went to the old school house and sat in old desks and wrote with chalk on blackboards. Many students had a turn at the billycarts, stilts and tug of war. They were involved in making a rope and learnt to skip. It was a wonderful day of learning, participating in activities from the past and listening to experiences about how technology has changed.

Year 3 News

McClelland Sculpture Park Excursion

Blessed with sunshine, the Year 3's explored the variety of sculptures at McClelland Sculpture Park. We discussed how sculptures are made using certain materials and processes, and how art can send a message to the audience. We made time to interpret the different topics through a biblical perspective and even saw some art inspired by the Tree of Life and Revelation! After seeing, hearing, walking in and even climbing through the sculptures, we finished the wonderful day by drawing the various sculptures on the front lawn, using both observation and their imagination!

Year 4 News

History Box Incursion

Our Year 4 students had a fantastic time during their incursion with Barry and Cynda from History Box, who brought the story of the First Fleet to life with engaging storytelling and interactive activities. As part of our Humanities unit, students deepened their understanding of European settlement and convict life in 1788. Some stepped into the shoes of historical figures like Sir Arthur Phillip, a marine, a convict, or an Aboriginal man, while everyone got hands-on with activities like decorating love tokens, writing with a quill, grinding herbs, and playing the traditional Aboriginal game Ngaka Ngaka. It was a memorable morning full of fun, creativity, and learning!

Year 5 News

Year 5 Writing Adventures!

This term, our Year 5 students have been diving into the world of narratives. Recently, Grade 5S have been putting their creativity to the test by writing their own Choose Your Own Adventure stories! These interactive narratives have sparked excitement as students explore different plot paths and share their stories with classmates. It’s been wonderful to see them so engaged in storytelling and supporting each other’s imaginative ideas.

In connection with our Humanities unit on natural disasters, Grade 5FS have written powerful bushfire narratives. Through vivid descriptions and emotional storytelling, they explored the impact of bushfires on people and communities. This cross-curricular task encouraged students to apply their narrative skills while deepening their understanding of the real-world effects of bushfires.

Year 6 News

Market Day

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CSEN Primary Chess Championships

Congratulations to the Primary chess team who came in equal second in a competition at Carey Baptist School. Special shout out goes to Joseph Lim who, after a cautious start, courageously and prayerfully set himself the goal to win every match no matter who the opponent. He ended with 5.5 out of 7 points, becoming our teams highest point scorer. Well done, Joseph!