Preschool News Week 2 Term 2

Posted on May 11, 2025 by katrinaa

Hello everyone,

It felt like we experienced all four seasons in just five days this week! We’ve been encouraging the children to look after themselves and dress appropriately for the weather. That said, our preschoolers seem to run 5 to 10 degrees warmer than adults, with some still reluctant to pop on extra layers!

As many of you know, we welcomed a student teacher, Alex, who joined us this week for a five-day science-based practicum. Alex led several engaging experiments with interested children, connecting beautifully with their current interests in parasites and microorganisms.

During group times, we’ve continued our learning about fire safety and conflict resolution. In our fire safety discussions, we’ve focused on what to do in the unlikely event of a fire—including how to respond if we or someone near us is on fire. The children have also learnt that smoke is dangerous and that we need to crawl low if escaping a building that’s on fire.

In our conflict resolution sessions, we’ve been using the language of being “powerful people”, exploring how powerful people show respect to others, keep themselves safe, eat healthy food, rest well, exercise, and communicate their feelings and needs. These are big and important life skills that are still developing for many children, so we’re continuing to provide plenty of support and guidance throughout the day.

On Wednesday, we went on our first excursion to Lane Cove Library, and the children did an excellent job, following our safety agreements and listening carefully the entire time. We’re now planning our first visit to Kimberley Playground on Monday, weather permitting. As with the library trip, we ask that children arrive as close as possible to 9:00am to allow time to settle into the day before we head out.

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, Alison, our new preschool assistant, will be joining the team full-time from Monday. We also want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Abi for her incredible support and commitment to preschool over the past 18 months. Abi has worked with us on a full-time casual basis throughout last year and Term 1, and we’re so grateful for everything she has contributed to our preschool community. To show our appreciation, we’ll be holding a celebration for Abi on Monday afternoon from 2:30 to 3:00pm. If your child doesn’t attend on Mondays, or if you’d like to join as a parent, you’re very welcome to come along.

Love,

Katrina, Lisa and Abi

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The Ladybirds Week 2 Term 2

Posted on May 11, 2025 by megs

What a Big Week for the Ladybirds!

In Maths, we revisited patterns, with a special focus on growing patterns. The children created their own using a variety of classroom resources, building on their understanding of how patterns change and develop.

During English Station Rotations, we had our first Read with a Friend session. The children loved being read to, discussing the stories, and sharing their thoughts. A big thank you to Siobhan for coming in to help! I’m still looking for volunteers for Weeks 7–10. If you’re available, please email me. The children would love to have you join us!

In English, we also began writing our own sentences using heart words. We explored the importance of capital letters and making sure there’s a space between each word.

In our Investigation unit, Marine Monsters, we learnt about the different layers and the unique habitats where creatures live beneath the sea.

Finally, on Friday, we said goodbye to Evie. She’ll be greatly missed, and we wish her all the best at her new school.

With love,
Meg (and Sarah D)

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Amelia’s Class Week 2 Term 2

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Amelia

Hi everyone,

This week we started our first Soundwaves unit for the term, looking at /g/ spelt with g or gg. We got back into our usual literacy stations on a Monday and Tuesday and the children got right back into the routine with ease.

In Maths, we are looking closer at number and place value, and started using a great resource called ‘Cuisennaire rods‘ to explore a visual representation of numbers up to 10, and to later explore numbers beyond 10.

On Thursday, we had a very enjoyable impromptu performance from a number of elders in our group. Otto coordinated a play with Sophie, Nyra, Oce, Ellie and Grace on the second day of term and performed it for the class this past Thursday. It was so pleasing to see a child-led and child-directed performance that the group clearly enjoyed preparing for and presenting.

The elders began their first PIP on the chromebooks with Archana. The excitement was palpable from the first day of term knowing they had this new experience to look forward to. I am very excited to see what they produce over the term!

We also began our space unit called ‘Space Explorers’ which the children have  also aptly decided to rename our class for the term. We looked at our solar system and the planets neighbouring us and started a poster placing the planets in order from the sun. The children had some fun adding stars and asteroids using posca markers as well.

Next week we are going to the Lane Cove Library so please pack any returns!

Amelia x

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Sarah’s Class Week 2 Term 2

Posted on May 11, 2025 by sarahm

And we have “Lift off!!”……. into SPACE and our unit of work – ‘Our Place in Space’. Throughout this term we will combine our learning experiences with both Jess’ and Amelia’s classes to look at the stars, planets & solar system. We began this week with a focus on the rotation & revolution of the earth around the sun. We looked at the number of days it takes to rotate and recognised that the earth turns on its axis as it orbits and revolves. We drew an example of the interplay between the Sun, Moon and Earth and created a mini earth, as a start towards making the whole solar system.

For our music this week, Gemma introduced Gustav Holst and 1 of his compositions from the seven-movement orchestral piece, “The Planets”. She showed a small video of an orchestra playing and there was a discussion on the feelings evoked by the instruments and what planet the movement might represent.

Also this week we looked at character traits. We read a picture book called “Stellarphant” about an elephant who wanted to become an astronaut and go into space! Our discussion moved from looking at characters in books and movies and TV shows as all having character traits and personalities. After reading the book we made a list of all of Stella’s traits and qualities she had and needed in order to get to the place to achieve her goal. The group also completed a book report on books read and they shared the traits of the main character in their story.

Other things, we finished up a Maths assessment on last term’s work we did on addition and subtraction. Next week, we will move on with Multiplication & then Division. I’m sure we’ll also cover some measurement activities, to link with ‘Space’.

Next week, its our turn to return to Lane Cove library on Monday and Tuesday, the children begin the first of 4 weeks of their first PE choice.

That’s us for the week!

Love, Sarah

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Jess’ Class Week 2 Term 2

Posted on May 11, 2025 by alejandral

Dear Parents,

This week, we began our class novel, Leo and Ralph. We explored new vocabulary and worked on developing complex sentences to make our writing more engaging. The students practiced including key details in sentences—who, what, where, when, and how/why— to enrich their storytelling.

In maths, we’ve been focusing on improving fluency in addition and subtraction through our daily “Mad Maths Minute.” The children are timing themselves to complete a series of equations, and it’s been great to see their confidence and speed improve. They’ve also been sharing strategies to stay calm and not panic—lots of great teamwork!

Our excursion to Ryde Leisure Centre on Tuesday was a huge success! The waterslide was a definite favourite, and everyone is already hoping for a return visit.

We also kicked off our Space unit with Sarah’s class. The children had a fantastic time researching the Solar System, modelling Earth’s orbit and rotation, and creating their own mini-Earths from styrofoam balls. It’s shaping up to be a very engaging topic, and I’m already trying to keep up with how much they already know! (I forgot to take photos during the session, but Sarah has shared some in her section.)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend,
Jess

Dear Parents,

After the fabulous PIP presentations last week, we’ve enthusiastically dived into our Term 2 PIP planning. I’m very much looking forward to upcoming presentations on topics such as chocolate, black jaguars, the 80s, tsunamis, and more!

On Thursday afternoon, we watched a video by Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki, inspired by Eden and Pepper’s PIP on cats and the saying that cats have nine lives and always land on their feet. It was fascinating to learn that cats have a better chance of survival—and break fewer bones—when falling from the 32nd floor of a tall building compared to the 7th floor!

In maths, we’ve been exploring 2D shapes, focusing on properties such as parallel lines and right angles to help us identify various polygons.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Susan

 

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Wendy’s Group Week 2 Term 2

Posted on May 11, 2025 by wendyp

It has really started to feel cold this week! Winter is on its way.

We’re busy as usual in our room and it’s been a great week. In English, we’ve looked at character profiles and started creating an imaginary character for a story some have already begun writing. In Maths, completing multiplication and division by looking at BODMAS… I wonder how many of you remember that??

In History, we have begun research on topics chosen by individuals as important historical events or people. Each person is going to run a lesson for the group on their chosen topic, while I fill in some aspects of Australian history. Some fascinating topics have been chosen.

PIPs are also well underway with some equally fascinating topics chosen for these!

Highlight of the week was the excursion to Ryde Pool and the water slide with Jess’s group. Thank you SO much to the parents who volunteered their time at such short notice to make this excursion possible. I hope the children all thanked you themselves, of course, but huge thanks from us all for giving us your time! It was a great way to celebrate the end of our Science unit on Water.

Next week, we start our Term 2 PE sessions with mixed age groups doing a range of sport options. Tuesday afternoons will see soccer, games at school, bushwalking, pickleball and other sports run in groups each with a different teacher. It’s always great fun to see the children playing together and getting to know other children they might not have interacted with very much before.

In Class Meeting this week, the group discussed having a class ball later this term. Details still to be decided … watch this space! This is one of the unique features of Currambena, that any individual can suggest something like this and step into a leadership role to make it happen. Brilliant organisational and people skills are on display!

The group also voted to donate some of our fundraising money to Down Syndrome NSW and some more to Kateryna, a teacher in Ukraine with whom I have a connection through IDEC (International Democratic Schools Conference). We raise money each week through selling ice-blocks and we have raised more than we need to support our World Vision Sponsor child, Emmanuel, in Zambia. We looked at the Excel spreadsheet Wendy H put together for us and everyone was delighted that we have money to donate to other charities.

A student from Macquarie Uni, Quinn, joined us this week on Monday for just a one week prac and another. Miso, will join us next week for a three week prac. Please pop in and say hello if you are around.

Stay well and keep warm!

Love,
Wendy

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Minutes of School Meeting Friday, 2nd May, 2025.

Posted on May 11, 2025 by wendyp

CHAIRPEOPLE: HAZEL AND CARRIE

Hazel and Carrie read out the acknowledgement of country.

1. Sustaining Currambena by Wendy.
Please meet in your small group before starting Sustaining today. Please also make sure to work cooperatively with others in your group to get your job done.

2. Lost Watch by Preschool.
A watch has been found. Please come to preschool if you think it might be yours.

3. Bamboo by Crafty Chris.
The bamboo has arrived for lantern making and it needs to be split. Please be careful of splinters if you help with this.
Also please start designing and making lanterns in your craft session or on Friday.

Meeting adjourned. Preschool first. Wendy’s group stay to tidy up.

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Preschool News Week 1 Term 2

Posted on May 2, 2025 by katrinaa

Hello everyone,

We hope you all had a lovely Easter and an enjoyable school holiday break. It’s great to be back, what a wonderful start to Term Two!

The children have returned refreshed, and most have settled beautifully into the rhythm of the preschool day. It’s been heartwarming to see friendships pick up right where they left off, with relationships  continuing to strengthen. We’ve offered a range of group times this week, and the children have been eagerly participating.

We have some sad—but also exciting—news to share. As many of you know, Abi has been a wonderful part of our preschool over the past year and a term, supporting us casually while we searched for a diploma-trained assistant. We’re delighted to let you know that Alison Smith will be joining us full-time from Monday 12th May. While Abi won’t be with us every day, she will continue to work casually as needed, so she won’t be far away!

From next Wednesday we will be commencing our routine excursion to Lane Cove Library. Our Library visits will be once a fortnight. To assist us in getting to the library on time for our visits we need everyone to make sure they arrive as close as possible to 9:00am to ensure that we have time to get everyone ready to leave as close as possible to 9:30am. We’ll be having the morning meeting a little earlier than usual on the days we are heading off to the library.

Next week, we’ll also be welcoming Alex, a practicum student from the University of New England, who will be with us for the week completing her placement as part of her degree to become an early childhood teacher.

A big thank you to everyone who helped with preschool cleaning and maintenance at the end of last term. A special shout-out to June’s dad, Sam, for sanding and lacquering our lunch table, it’s looking brand new!

That’s a wrap for Week One!

Love,

Katrina, Lisa and Abi

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The Ladybirds Week 1 Term 2

Posted on May 2, 2025 by megs

Welcome Back to Term 2!

We’ve had a fantastic start to the term and are thrilled to be back at school!

We kicked off the week by sharing stories about our school holiday adventures. It was a wonderful way to reconnect and hear about each other’s experiences.

Our new Investigation Unit for the term, Marine Monsters, has already sparked lots of curiosity! We’ll be diving into the fascinating world of sea creatures and exploring what makes them so unique.

In maths, we’ve been learning about data collection. We even went on a scavenger hunt around the school to spot different animals, and then used our findings to create graphs showing the variety we discovered.

In history, we’ve started exploring the concept of change over time by learning about ourselves and our families. The students are enjoying discovering how we grow and evolve throughout our lives.

We’re currently looking for parent helpers to support our English ‘Station Rotations’ by acting as adult readers. If you’re available on Tuesday mornings from 10:15 to 11:00 am, please shoot me an email.

It’s been a joyful and energetic start to Term 2, and we’re looking forward to all the exciting learning ahead!

With love,
Meg (and Sarah D)

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Amelia’s class week 1 term 2

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Amelia

Welcome back everyone!

It was lovely to see all of the children again after our two weeks apart. They were all very excited to regale me with stories of their holidays. It sounds like a lot of you were very lucky and went away for camping trips, family visits, or holidays overseas. I hope you all had a good rest and are settling back into the work and school routine.

This week we spent a lot of time socialising and reconnecting as a class group, as well as playing ‘silent ball’ with Meg’s group for this week’s sport.

We started our maths unit on place value by exploring the number 10 by discussing what we know and what makes it a special number.

On Thursday to commemorate ANZAC day which occurred during the school holidays, we read the beautiful book ‘ANZAC Biscuits’ by Phil Cummings. The book follows a daughter and mother baking ANZAC biscuits in their home for their dad who is not there whilst listening to ‘Waltzing Matilda’, interspersed with images of a soldier on a battlefield. At the very end of the story, we find out the soldier is in fact the dad in the story. We baked ANZAC biscuits, listened to ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and learnt to waltz together.

At the end of the day on Thursday, we finished off our ‘Rad Reptiles’ unit of work by presenting our recycled reptile creations. It was fantastic to see how creative the children were with designing their creatures as well as using the materials available to construct and display their reptile’s features. They all seemed to have a fabulous time explaining the unique aspects of their reptiles as well as the purpose of these features. Next week, we will start looking at our new topic ‘Space Explorers’.

Have a lovely weekend!

Amelia x

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