Sovereign Hill and Year 5 2017

It is indeed endorsing of the value of the three days the Year 5 students spend at Sovereign Hill and enjoy two days of 1850s style schooling, to hear the excited chatter, to read snippets of their follow up reports and to hear about the adventure.

So much fun and much to learn and remember! From an 1850’s style teacher came the admonishment for the “girl who did not brush her hair well!” and “, “the naughty girl who was seen running with her hair falling behind her”, or, “the naughty girl who keeps on glancing longingly at the boys”.
Also, praise for the student who “could finally count to three”!

The adventures included an evening watching the ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’ light and sound show which included a late evening to bed, but highly informative and engaging. Sadly, 2017 is the last year in which the show will be available until 2019, due to major planned refurbishments.

A quick survey of students regarding preferences for 1850’s style versus 2017 teaching styles, brought interesting and mixed responses but not surprisingly, 2017 style saw the majority win!

Thank you to the staff who accompanied the Year 5 students and as always looked after them extremely well: Ms Catherine Samuel (Deputy Head of Junior School), Mrs Victoria Baldacchino, Ms Alyssa Flint and Ms Fiona Wardlaw.

Maths in Year One in Term One

At this early stage of the year, Mathematics in Year 1B is busy! Mrs Ballis reports:

“We have begun our year looking at different addition strategies. Math strategies develop along a continuum. Once we master one, we move onto the other. At this early stage, it is important for students to understand that there are many different strategies we can use to solve an addition problem. Whilst learning these strategies, we are learning to explain the chosen strategy that has been employed to arrive at the answer.

When students are first learning an operation, they rely on concrete representations and ‘count all’ to solve the problem. For example: In the problem 6 + 3, some students will count six counters and another three counters. Then they will count all the objects to arrive at their final answer. The ‘counting on’ strategy is an essential starting point.

We have been so clever in Year 1 and we are moving away from this strategy, to other more efficient strategies. We have quickly realised that it is a lot faster to count on from the biggest number or look for a doubles fact or a tens fact. We are learning to choose the best strategy. We are not there yet, but definitely on the way.”

Shaikha Aljneibi: “I have 6 in my head and I count on 3 fingers. 7, 8, 9. My answer is 9.”

Camilla Aberdeen: “I know that 4 and 4 is 8 because it is a doubles fact and I just know it.”

Anabelle Ranchod: “I like playing Making 10 with a deck of cards. I try to remember all the tens facts so I can make lots of pairs.”

We have been very busy in Maths looking at numbers and understanding their place value. We sometimes have a number of the day. This is where we need to find the number that comes before it, after it, whether it is odd or even, how many tens and ones and write it in expanded form. Mrs Ballis always asks us to do this even when we need to look at a page number in our books!

Arabella Foote: “The number of the day is 15. It has 1 ten and 5 ones. This means 10+5=15. I can make 15 cents using a 10 cent coin and a 5 cent coin. You can also use three 5 cent coins.”

Mia’Chanel Kelly: “In a number bond there are 2 part numbers and 1 whole number. You add the 2 part numbers to get the whole number.”

Tara Pattison: “My number is 17. 17 has 1 ten and 7 ones. It can also be 17 ones.”

Pedestrian Crossing

Barbreck students have all been reminded about the necessity to use the School crossing in order to cross Heyington Place both before and after School.

We ask parents to support the instructions regarding pedestrian crossing use by repeating them at home to children. Drivers are urged to refrain from calling children across the road from the other side. Children can dart quickly and without thought when called and our worries are many about the possibilities and we know that parents will also share our concerns.

Mrs Alana Moor, Head of ELC and Junior School