Jess and Susan’s Class: Term 1 Week 7

Dear Parents,

It has been a thoughtful and creative week in our classroom. We kicked off our learning with an exciting re-framing of our What Matters theme. Instead of starting with the question What matters? I asked the children to think about what problems exist in the world that need fixing? and, how could they become change makers?

We joined forces with Sarah’s class for a fantastic brainstorming session, and the ideas that emerged were truly impressive. The children explored some very thoughtful and sophisticated themes, sharing ideas including those about the environment, disability, neurodivergence, homelessness and how people can support and help others.

Following this discussion, the students began developing creative symbolic ways to represent these important ideas. They are now working on a special piece of artwork that reflects their thinking and the changes they would like to see in the world. These artworks will be proudly displayed at the upcoming What Matters Festival and we’re excited to see the children share their ideas with the wider community.

Next week will be quite full, as we have our excursion to the Art Gallery of NSW to visit Art Express and The Keys Under the Mat playground. Then, on Wednesday, we will celebrate Summerhill Day.

In maths this week, we’ve been learning strategies for the 8 times tables and working on missing value number sentences. These have proved a little tricky for the children, but they have given me helpful insight into where we may need to dedicate some more time.

The children have also continued writing persuasive texts and have been experimenting with structure, using firstly, secondly, and finally to organise their ideas.

Warm wishes,
Jess and Susan