Literacy Week – A Love of Reading

This week we celebrated Literacy Week with a range of activities that highlighted the joy and importance of reading. Exploring different genres and sharing stories helped remind us that books open doors to new ideas and experiences.

At school, we aim to nurture a lifelong love of reading in every child. Families play a vital role in this journey too, whether it’s reading together, talking about stories, or encouraging visits to the library. Together, we can inspire a passion for books that lasts well beyond the classroom.

In today’s world, literacy also extends to the digital space. We encourage students to develop strong digital skills while staying safe online. Parents can support this by setting clear screen-time limits, exploring educational apps together and discussing how to use devices responsibly.

Why not share a favourite family book together this weekend or explore a digital story as a family and continue the celebration at home?

Sally Savic- Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School (Woodlea) and

Melanie Morton – Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School (Maddingley)

Maddingley

Prep Wild Action Zoo Incursion

On Tuesday 26 August, our Prep students were treated to a Wild Action Zoo incursion that brought the wonders of the animal kingdom right into our classroom.

During the program, students were introduced to an incredible variety of creatures including Stumpy the shingleback lizard, Kermit the green tree frog, Casper the black – headed python, Moriarty the freshwater crocodile, Gandolf the tawny frogmouth, B2 the boobook owl, Morticia the mountain pygmy possum and Millie the short-beaked echidna. Students were given the unique chance to touch and hold many of these animals while learning to classify them by their features—fur, feathers, scales or skin.

The session also explored how different species are specially adapted to survive in their environments and encouraged students to consider the impact humans can have on their habitats. Our eager learners were captivated by this hands-on experience which not only built on their scientific understanding, but also fostered a deeper appreciation for protecting Australia’s native wildlife.

Kylie McKerrow – Head of Prep

Woodlea

Year 1

On Friday 1 August, Woodlea Year 1 students began their day at Staughton Vale with Recycling Relays. Students were given pictures of different objects and had to relay them into the correct bins as part of our Sustainability unit.

Everybody was having a wonderful day, when suddenly, halfway through the day, disaster struck! The teachers’ picnic vanished and so began The Staughton Vale Mystery. A witness called Ms Ramsey to notify her that they had seen a teacher take the picnic from the staffroom and had left clues hidden all around Staughton Vale. Each House was given its first clue and then students used their inferring skills to deduce the location of their next clue and off they went to solve the mystery. They worked in their Houses to place their clues together in the right order to reveal information about the thief and, as a cohort, we eliminated suspects and discovered the culprit.

In the end, the teachers’ picnic was returned with some extra treats, and the mystery was solved.

The Year 1 Team

Junior School Art

In Term 3, our Prep students have been busy exploring their creativity through a variety of zoo animal artworks. Each week, they have focused on a different animal and an artmaking technique. They experimented with water and Crayola textas to create colourful elephants, used their painting and drawing skills to bring Giraffes Can’t Dance to life, and sculpted echidnas out of magic clay. This week, in celebration of Book Week, students will be constructing elephants inspired by How to Move a Zoo, by Kate Simpson.

This term, our Year One students have been developing their creativity through artworks inspired by space and storytelling. They used soft pastels to design imaginative space scenes and applied their printing and painting skills to create enchanting fairy-tale castles. For Book Week, students will be exploring colour theory by making their own Thaumatrope inspired by the book The Garden of Broken Things by Freya Blackwood.

This term, the Year Two students have been busy developing their creativity and skills. They began by combining printing, painting and weaving techniques to design their own imaginative Dream House. More recently, they have started exploring sewing including learning how to use a running stitch. For Book Week, students will be creating a textured wall painting inspired by the book Afloat by Kirli Saunders.

The Year Two students have thoroughly enjoyed their co-curricular time this term, creating a range of artworks to brighten our corridors. They also designed individual flowers which, with the support of Lou Callow, were combined into a stunning collaborative piece now proudly displayed in the foyer of the Woodlea administration building. In addition, all P–4 students took part in a special Blue Challenge Week, where they were tasked with creating a painted artwork using different shades of blue. This challenge encouraged creativity, problem-solving and a deeper understanding of colour.

Lucinda Degiorgio – P-2 Art Teacher

 

Student Achievement

Congratulations Deetya!

We are thrilled to congratulate Deetya –4WE on her selection to represent Australia in the Under-16 Black Belt Camp in Vietnam. This prestigious opportunity will see Deetya train alongside Vietnam’s National Taekwondo Team, legendary masters and world champions, while also experiencing cultural exchanges and team bonding activities.

We are incredibly proud of Deetya’s dedication, skill and commitment to Taekwondo. We wish her a memorable camp experience!

Sally Savic – Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School