Preschool News: Week 4 Term 2

Posted on May 25, 2025 by katrinaa

Hello everyone,

What a full and fun week it’s been in preschool, filled with exploration, performance preparation, meaningful discussions, and a touch of wildlife magic with daily visits from rainbow lorikeets, two of which we’ve named the Bilbil Boys from the Rainbow Snake.

We’ve been preparing for next week’s Children’s Voices for Reconciliation at The Canopy in Lane Cove. The children have been practising their performance songs with focus and energy. A reminder that all children are invited to join us on the day, even if they’re not usually enrolled on Thursdays. We’ll be walking up to The Canopy and ask that children wear red, black, or yellow to show their support.

Our group times have also continued to focus on what it means to be a powerful person, someone who knows how to keep themselves and others safe, express their needs, and show respect in relationships. This week, we explored problems in play and how to handle unwanted touching. We read Eve Listens to Her Feelings and acted out scenarios with puppets to help us talk through what to do when someone is doing something that makes us uncomfortable. The children offered thoughtful solutions and were reminded that teachers are always here to help them work through tricky situations.

We’ve had continuing visits from the rainbow lorikeets. One has become so friendly that it’s been hopping onto both teachers’ and children’s hands to eat, a beautiful example of the children’s growing respect for animals and the natural environment.

Wednesday’s walk to Lane Cove Library was another highlight. The children formed our “walking bus” and navigated the journey safely and confidently. We arrived just before the rain began and spent the morning exploring new books and talking about how libraries help us learn. We also reinforced our hygiene practices when returning from the community.

This week, we refined and introduced new visual prompts to support some of our routines, and they’ve been embraced with enthusiasm. It’s been wonderful to see children confidently leading and supporting one another in these tasks.

We look forward to seeing many of you at Children’s Voices for Reconciliation next week. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. A special thanks to everyone who came to Maintenance Day last weekend—your contributions and assistance are always very much appreciated!

Love,
Katrina, Lisa, Abi, and Michael

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The Ladybirds: Week 4 Term 2

Posted on May 25, 2025 by megs

This week in Maths, we practiced rote counting backwards. This activity helps us understand number sequences, develop number sense, and build a stronger foundation for subtraction.

In our Integrated Investigation unit, we explored hermit crabs. We watched videos and read stories, discussing what they eat, how they move, how they protect themselves, and where they live.

In HSIE, we talked about families and what they can mean to different people. We explored the importance of family in our lives and discussed who is in each child’s family.

We’ve also been having lots of fun rehearsing with Preschool for the upcoming Children’s Voices of Reconciliation Concert on Thursday. If you would like to attend and watch the performance, we’ll be heading up to the Canopy for a 10:00 AM start. You’re welcome to meet us there or join us at school for the walk up.
We kindly ask that on Thursday, children come to school wearing black, yellow, or red so they look united for their performance.

With love,
Meg (and Sarah D)

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The Space Explorer’s (Amelia’s class): Week 4 Term 2

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Amelia

Hi everyone,

I hope you are well. I am looking forward to a dry, sunny weekend!

This week we continued learning about number and place value. All of the children were exploring place value up in the 3 digits. Next week we will start delving deeper into solving addition and subtraction problems using our knowledge of place value.

For our Space Explorer’s unit this week, the children designed their own planet, which we will be making with paper mache later in the term with Sarah’s group. The children had to decide if their planets are Terrestrial or Jovian planets, and whether they have features of a gas giant or an ice giant. They also had to consider how many moons their planet has, the distance they orbit from the sun, and if they are habitable.

For Tuesday sport, my bushwalking group had a fantastic time exploring the mushroom forest this week. It is a little bit further than our previous expedition to the magic bridge, so we had to move quite quickly. The younger children kept up fantastically well and it was a treat to take so many children to a spot that is only up the road from our school, and new to so many of them.

Amelia x

 

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Sarah’s Class

Posted on May 25, 2025 by sarahm

Hi Everyone,

What wet n windy days we’ve had this week, and how lovely it was to see the sun over the weekend. We’ve been up to our heads in paint and planets this week. If you haven’t already, please come and have a look at the children’s Solar Systems they have created. Adorning our walls and bench there are an array of creative displays the group have worked hard on to create. Thanks to Archana for painting the planets in the main solar system. I am relieved its all done now and we can admire how bright and colourful they all look. For our unit on Space with Jess’ class we looked at Venn and Tri-Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast planets. Children then compared their findings with the rest of the groups.

Other things this week we have done have been looking further at character traits and compositions. The children designed their own planet giving it a name and detailing what makes it unique. We also focused on contraction words and made flip books to support our understanding of these words. We completed another unit in our Soundwaves and did some Maths in our text books. There will be a strong focus on Multiplication strategies this coming week, as the ‘planets’ took over a fair amount of time. Gemma, in music, continues to look at pitch & rhythm through Gustav Holst’s “The planets” and reports from her have been really positive. The children are engaged and enthralled in their learning of the various instruments in an orchestra through this particular composition.

Next week, is Reconciliation week, and along with other classes and schools we will attend The Voices for Reconciliation at Lane Cove canopy on Thursday. We ask that children wear red, black, or yellow to show their support.

That’s it for another one from us!

Love, Sarah

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Jess and Susan’s Class: Week 4 Term 2

Posted on May 25, 2025 by jessk

Dear Parents,

This week’s highlight was definitely the Writers’ Festival. It was such a fantastic day, and all the authors were super interesting and inspiring. Even with the rain and long lines, every child who wanted to buy a book or meet an author had the chance to do so during the lunch break. In class, we’ve been working on narrative writing, focusing on how to structure a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Using our class novel as a mentor text, the children have been writing their own story beginnings about an invisible friend. Friday was a great chance for me to sit down with each child and go over their work one-on-one to give feedback.

In Maths, we had a helpful lesson on arrays, which really helped some of the children understand how repeated addition, multiplication, division, and fractions are all connected. We’ve also continued with our Mad Maths Minute, and it’s been awesome to see the kids’ automaticity improving. We’re also continuing our space exploration, looking more closely at the planets and how they’re similar and different through Venn diagrams. Next week, we’ll likely start learning about other objects in our solar system, like asteroids and comets.

Warm wishes,

Jess

–

Dear Parents,

This week in Maths, we focused on symmetry. After exploring symmetry in regular 2D shapes, the students created “symmetry monsters” on graph paper. Some children also chose to extend their learning by building fantastic symmetrical creations using Magna-Tiles.

Our PIPs are coming along nicely, with students adding more detail and images. While Google Slides remains the most popular format, we’ve been discussing other presentation options, such as conducting a live interview or creating a video.

As always, it’s been a joy to spend time with our beautiful class.

Warm regards,

Susan

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Wendy’s Group: Week 4 Term 2

Posted on May 25, 2025 by wendyp

HUGE THANKS to the Maintenance Team for their work last weekend! It is wonderful to have the bricks cleaned outside our room and not to have to worry about slipping and sliding out there! And the staff room cupboards are brilliant! Thank you so much.

The highlight of our week was our day at the Children’s Writers’ Festival on Wednesday with Jess’s group. I hope the children have told you all about it. We heard from five different writers and each presentation was different and uniquely interesting. The day beautifully aligns with our current focus on creative writing. Miso, our Macquarie Uni student teacher, gave a wonderful lesson on Tuesday about the features of narrative writing and the whole group has launched into their creative writing with great enthusiasm. We had an almost silent room for almost 50 minutes on Tuesday morning, as the imaginations fired up and pencils (and pens) flew across the pages. Great fun!

Of course, we are now also deeply engrossed in reading…. many of the children were able to purchase copies of the books we heard about at the Writers’ Festival and I was able to purchase some copies for the school. Interestingly, our current shared book is by an author we heard two years ago the last time we attended this event.

In Maths, we are into fractions with a focus on equivalence this week. Textbook Unit 8 is due for completion.

We are also practising every day for the Lane Cove Children’s Voices for Reconciliation event next Thursday, 29th May. It starts at The Canopy at 10:30 and the group have voted to sing two songs this year! Come along and listen if you can. Mabel will be making a speech again this year on the new theme, Bridging Now to Next.

Especially families with children going to high school next year, please make sure you have the Year 6/7 night in your diary. Friday 30th May 6pm til 7:30. We’ll hear from last year’s Year 6 students about their experience of high school so far and if each family could bring a plate of food to share, we’ll have a some snacks together after the more formal part of the evening.

It was lovely to see so many people at the AGM on Thursday night, in spite of the ghastly weather. Here’s hoping for a smooth and successful year for Council and for Currambena. Many thanks to outgoing members and welcome to the incoming ones!

That’s all for this week!

With love,
Wendy

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School Meeting Minutes 23.05.25

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Amelia

School Meeting Minutes

Chaired by Nyra and Jude (Amelia’s class)

  • Senior room by Grace

Grace mentioned that in the senior room someone had dismantled the couch and pulled the pillows off. She just wanted to remind people to please not do that in the future.

  • Landscape questions by Wendy.

Wendy wanted to ask if the children would like to put more garden beds along the top playground and to add more tires to keep the tanbark in place. She also asked if the children would like a teepee put up in the playground like we used to have.

The chair people held two votes, and the majority agreed to have more garden beds and tires as well as a teepee.

  • Chanting in the playground by Sarah M

Sarah brought up a situation of chanting in the playground. She said a number of older children were crowded around a young person chanting loudly. This child’s teacher asked if they were okay with this and they said no. Sarah wanted to remind everyone that as elders we need to be responsible and set the example for the younger children. She asked everyone to imagine how they would feel in a similar situation. It was just a reminder.

  • Pink hats by Oce

Oce wanted to remind everyone that the pink hats in TBU are a visual reminder to give that person some space. Please don’t take the pink hats if you need a spare one.

  • Chromebooks by Oce

Oce wanted to remind everyone to be careful with the chromebooks. A number of people have dropped them or are forgetting to plug them in to charge. Please be careful as they are very expensive. A few people added that a number of the chargers do not fit the new computers. For sustaining, the chromebook group will have a look at the layout of the chromebooks and try to adjust them so they all fit properly and can be charged.

  • Screaming by Nirvana

Nirvana said that there has been a few people screaming. She asked if people could please not scream as it is not nice and it is a school rule.

  • Currambena song and Rattling Bog by Kitty, Emme and Harriet

Emme, Harriet and Wendy joined the school in to sing fantastic renditions of the ‘Currambena Song’ and ‘The Rattling Bog’.

End of school meeting.

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MINI CONCERT 3RD JUNE 11:30 am

Posted on May 25, 2025 by wendyp

Hi everyone!

Any children interested in performing at the mini concert at 11:30 on Tuesday 3rd June please speak to Wendy and tell her what you are intending to perform and how long it will go for.

All welcome!

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Preschool News Week 3 Term 2

Posted on May 16, 2025 by katrinaa

Hello everyone,

It’s been a big week in preschool!

On Monday, we farewelled Abi with warm hugs and heartfelt thanks as our new Diploma-trained assistant commenced with us. To celebrate, the children helped bake banana bread and banana bread cupcakes, and we finished the day with a cheerful little party.

By Wednesday, we warmly welcomed Abi back into the fold, as it became clear that the new assistant was not the right fit for our dynamic and child-led environment. It was lovely to have Abi’s familiar presence and energy return to preschool so quickly.

Throughout the week, our group times have continued to focus on fire and fire safety. The children have become very knowledgeable about what to do in the event of a fire, both in terms of prevention and response. In a stroke of perfect timing, we had a fire drill shortly after one of our sessions, providing an excellent real-world opportunity to put our learning into practice.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to share that on Thursday, May 29, from 10am to 12pm, the preschool children will be heading up to The Canopy to take part in this year’s Children’s Voices for Reconciliation. If your child does not normally attend on Thursdays, you are most welcome to join us for this special community event. Further details will be shared with all families shortly.

Wishing you a lovely weekend,
Katrina, Lisa and Abi

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The Ladybirds Week 3 Term 2

Posted on May 16, 2025 by megs

In Maths, we focused on rational and robust counting, which means understanding that the number of items doesn’t change just because they’ve been moved or rearranged. We had lots of fun teaching “Oops the Leopard Puppet” how to count his cookies while preparing for his party!

In English, we enjoyed reading with Kathryn (Noah’s mum) and continued to practice our handwriting and reading skills.

In our Integrated Investigation Unit, “Marine Monsters,” we explored the ocean food chain. We played a food chain game, where we pretended to be plankton, fish, and sharks. We also created our own food chains to understand who eats who in the sea. As part of this unit, we began our investigation into specific creatures and learned about the clownfish and its special relationship with the sea anemone.

In Music, we’ve been learning the song “Baby Beluga,” and in Craft, we created artworks inspired by the song. Stay tuned for this exciting project!

On Friday, many of us came together to create a class colouring/drawing. We had a blast drawing and colouring sea creatures as a big group!

Next Monday, we’ll be heading to the library for the first time this term! Please make sure you’ve visited the library to set up your child’s library card, and don’t forget to pack a library bag so they can easily carry their books back to school.

Looking forward to another fantastic week in the Ladybirds!

With love,
Meg (and Sarah D)

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