As we come to the end of Term 3, it is wonderful to reflect on the many achievements, experiences and opportunities our Junior School students have embraced. Throughout the term, students have continued to develop their knowledge, skills and independence, while demonstrating our eight School values.

Term 4 is always an exciting time in the Junior School, with our students looking forward to a range of experiences, particularly our camp and adventure programs. Our camp program provides students with valuable opportunities to develop independence, resilience, teamwork and confidence outside the classroom.

Prep to Year 1 students will participate in day camp experiences, providing an introduction to camp activities.

Year 2 students will embark on their first overnight camp, providing an exciting opportunity to develop independence, responsibility and confidence. While Years 3 and 4 students will participate in a two-night camp, embracing a range of new challenges and experiences.

Across the camp programs, students will participate in a variety of recreation, personal development, team-building and environmental activities. These experiences encourage students to work collaboratively, try new things, support one another and develop greater independence.

Camps are a wonderful opportunity for students to put our school values into action. Leadership is demonstrated through taking responsibility and supporting others; Confidence through having a go at new experiences; Discipline through following instructions and taking responsibility. Respect is demonstrated through caring for others and the environment, and Kindness through encouraging and supporting fellow students.

We look forward to seeing our students embrace these experiences and return with many wonderful memories and stories to share.

A Reminder About School Bus Behaviour

As we look towards a busy Term 4, we also remind all students of the importance of demonstrating safe, respectful and responsible behaviour on school buses.

Students are expected to:

• Follow the instructions of the bus driver.
• Remain seated while the bus is moving.
• Sit facing the correct way and follow the seating plan at all times.
• Wear seat belt correctly.
• Not eat on the bus. (Only water bottles on the bus).
• Demonstrate our School Values at all times.
• Maintain a respectful noise level.

Travelling on a school bus is a shared responsibility, and positive behaviour helps ensure that everyone can travel safely and enjoyably.

We look forward to a wonderful Term 4 filled with learning, adventure, personal growth and opportunities for our Junior School students to demonstrate our School Values every day.

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

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

Maddingley

Year 2 Reflection

During Term 3, our students have enjoyed a range of memorable experiences and enriching activities. In English, the students explored the text Wandi which follows the journey of an alpine dingo.

This week, the students were thrilled to welcome Ooti, a dingo from the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary. Ooti captivated the students and provided a unique opportunity to learn about dingoes and wildlife up close. The students discovered that dingoes are incredibly flexible and can rotate their heads up to 180 degrees. They also learned about their supersonic hearing and their ability to hear sounds such as a human heartbeat.

Literacy Week was another highlight featuring a variety of engaging activities designed to further a love of reading. The week finished with a colourful dress-up day, where students brought their favourite literary characters to life. The students demonstrated great creativity in designing costumes inspired by a text of their choice.

The students enjoyed an exciting Father’s Day afternoon, celebrating their dads through special crafts, games and shared moments together. Dads were introduced to our focus text, Wandi, and had the opportunity to see the students’ learning in action as they shared a fluency passage and explored the variety of sentence structures they have been learning about in English. Students completed an engaging STEM activity with their dads when they designed and created their own aluminium foil boats. The challenge was to build a functional boat that would stay afloat while holding the greatest number of pebbles. It was wonderful to see their creativity, problem-solving skills and persistence as they experimented with different designs.

Each of these experiences contributed to a dynamic and enjoyable term, filled with learning, creativity and a strong sense of community.

Maddingley Year 2 Team

Woodlea

Junior School Art

Our students have been busy creating, experimenting and developing their artistic skills this term.

Prep students have been inspired by the book ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’, using their painting and drawing skills to create colourful giraffe artworks.

Year 1 students have created beautiful painted artworks inspired by artist Anna Blatman, while Year 2 students have designed their very own dream houses using collage and painting techniques.

Year 3 students have been developing their sewing skills while creating pumpkins inspired by Yayoi Kusama, and Year 4 students have completed their wonderful animal “felties”, showcasing their creativity and growing skills.

Please join the Art Team in celebrating and showcasing our junior students’ amazing artwork at Woodlea Campus on Wednesday 7 October from 3.30pm to 5.00pm. We would love to see you there to celebrate the creativity, imagination and hard work of our young artists!

Woodlea Art Team

What’s been happening in Year 2?

During Literacy Week, our Year 2 students were very lucky to spend time with Australian author Claire Saxby. Students enjoyed hearing about her wonderful books and learning more about what it is like to be an author.

Claire shared her experiences as a writer and inspired our students to think creatively about their own writing. The Year 2s loved having the opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and learn some tips from a real author!

It was a fantastic experience and a wonderful way to celebrate our love of reading, writing and storytelling.

Father’s Day Afternoon

On Friday 28 September, our Year 2 students were delighted to welcome many special people to our school for a wonderful afternoon together.

Students and their special guests enjoyed decorating their very own kites, using lots of colour and creativity to create some fantastic designs. Once the kites were ready, everyone headed out to the oval to put them to the test! It was wonderful to see students and their special people running, laughing and working together as their colourful kites soared through the air.

Thank you to all our special visitors who joined us and helped make the afternoon so memorable.

Jaimie Vernon – Head of Year 2 (Woodlea)

MAV Games Day

Once again, eight high-achieving Year 4 Mathematics students were selected to represent Bacchus Marsh Grammar to participate in the annual Mathematical Association of Victoria Games Day, hosted by St Anne’s Catholic Primary School in Park Orchards.

The students embraced this opportunity with enthusiasm and humility, conducting themselves with distinction throughout the event.

Competing against teams from other schools, they demonstrated exceptional mathematical knowledge, courage, collaboration and respect. In a highly competitive field, one of our teams achieved an outstanding 3rd place finish, a thoroughly deserved result that reflected the students’ dedication and teamwork.

Sze Foo – Teacher