The Axolotls: Term 1 Week 7

18 March, 2026

Dear families,

It has been a fun and focused week in the Axolotl class. Here is a summary of our learning this week:

  • Craft with Sarah – sculpting with ‘femo’ (modelling clay).
  • Group interest project with Amelia’s class – Oceans. An inquiry into octopuses and how they move.
  • Social skill focus – standing up for ourselves and expressing our needs and feelings. Starting to advocate for the needs/feelings of others.
  • Reading and responding to the story ‘Tom Tom’ by Rosebery Sullivan and Dee Huxley. Recording our comprehension through drawing and writing.
  • Enjoying fruit from our community fruit bowl.
  • Class meeting – topics discussed included: creating a roster of class jobs, rough play games, Art Festival, ‘Sock Day’, fundraising for a possible axolotl.
  • Sustaining on Friday, helping to care for our school.
  • Library on Monday and Spanish on Wednesday.

Juniors (Early Stage 1)

  • Soundwaves and Literacy stations (with Joanna) – phoneme – grapheme relationship (letter sounds) a, t.
  • Mathematics – number recognition, counting, and addition.
  • Handwriting – Back Flip Letters and lines (a)
  • P.E. with Joanna on Tuesday – Fundamental Movement Skills – jumping and leaping. Team game – ‘Survival Tag’. ‘Rock and Water’ program – conflict resolution.

Elders (Stage 1)

  • Literacy stations (with Amelia) – group reading, Soundwaves books.
  • Soundwaves – D,d,dd. Reading and spelling cvc, cvcc, ccvcc words.
  • Mathematics – representations of 2 digit numbers, partitioning (tens and ones).
  • Handwriting – Back Flip Letters (words and sentences with ‘a’)
  • Individual reading with Joanna/ Parent helper (every child)
  • Swimming with Ameila’s class

Next week will be busy and fun. On Tuesday 17th March, we will all go on an excursion to NSW Art Gallery. On Wednesday 18th March, we will have our first Summerhill Day of 2026. The children will choose and sign up for experiences across the school. On Friday 20th March, we have ‘Crazy Sock Day’, to raise awareness for the Down Syndrome community. Your child is welcome to wear bright coloured or crazy socks. Also please be aware that I will be away on Friday (20th) as I will be attending a Science and Technology professional development course.

A little note about mozzies. Due to the weather, we have noticed a lot of mozzies close to our classroom and sometimes coming in. You may wish to apply repellent to your child in the mornings, but this is your choice. I will purchase some repellent plug-ins this weekend which should help.

The children and I are currently looking into the possibility of a pet axolotl, with help from some of our families. We will be requiring quite a bit of equipment e.g. tank, tank chiller, filter, tank decorations, food etc. So it’s quite a project and we may need to fundraise. If anyone has any equipment going spare, or suggestions, please let me know.

Have a lovely weekend everyone,
Joanna

Categorized Uncategorised