Capacity

Exploring mathematical concepts through nature play helps students to make sense of the world around them. This week in nature play, students throughout the upper primary school were given the opportunity to investigate and explore the concepts of capacity and volume. This was a perfect opportunity for students to apply mathematical concepts that have been taught inside the classroom. This open-ended way of learning expands a student’s frame of reference and allows students to be inquisitive and gain insight into mathematical principles.

Eddie Woo is a Mathematician who was named Australia’s Local Hero of the Year in 2018.  He expressed enthusiasm for mathematical learning when he stated that “Maths enables us to see and touch the invisible realities that make our universe what it is, and maths can help us more deeply appreciate all the things we love in this world.” (Eddie Woo, 2018, Woo’s Wonderful World of Maths)

Students demonstrated their love of maths when they explored the concept of capacity. They enjoyed pouring water from one container to another. They used scales to measure the weight of water then compared it to the millilitre scale represented on the side of the measuring cup or jug. They poured water into balancing scales to see what happened to the tipping scale when more water was added. They used funnels and jugs to pour water into containers to compare volumes and amounts. They even tested the boundaries by filling the containers past their capacity until they overflowed. Reflecting on their nature play time today one student stated, “We had fun learning about capacity. It was very fun.”

Foundation Visit Festival Theatre

Yesterday, the Foundation students went on an excursion to the Festival Theatre for the Dream Big Festival! We loved watching the play 'Magic Beach', there were so many funny parts and lots of bright, colourful sea creatures on stage!

Lowers Sports Day

A couple of decades of my professional life was spent working in a high school. One of the challenges families, teenagers and the educators face, is keeping students engaged in learning through what is a very challenging time. I remember working with teens who no longer lived at home, were trying to achieve what they wanted educationally, and struggling with turning up to school. Each person was different, each situation was different, but what was a common theme was that if we could keep them engaged in learning, they had far better life outcomes. School attendance can often be a challenge from a family life perspective, from child preference perspectives, not to mention pandemics, but we know that if we can keep children engaged, learning and attending, life outcomes are far better achieved. I read this article recently that I thought you might find helpful on school attendance and how we can help our kids. I hope you enjoy it.

“During the current COVID-19 pandemic parents are rightfully urged to take a cautious approach and keep children and young people at home if they show symptoms of the virus.

It’s a balancing act if you’re a parent as one the most important things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to make sure he or she goes to school every day—and gets there on time. It sounds simple, but it’s true. The correlation between school attendance and children’s achievement levels is well established. The more time kids spend at school, the more likely they are to experience school success. Of course, most people know this intuitively, yet school absenteeism is a huge problem in Australian schools.

According to a report by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment authority nearly 13 per cent of Australian students are missing at least one year of schooling by the time they reach year 10. In today’s highly competitive world, this rate of absenteeism is alarming, putting our kids at a distinct disadvantage.

Current research shows that mornings for most children are the most productive time of the day, with 10.00am the peak period for productivity. When children arrive late and take time to settle as they inevitably do, valuable learning time is lost.

It’s reassuring to know that you can maximise their chances of future success just by making sure they turn up to school every day. And, of course, regular school attendance also helps kids prepare for the workforce, where it will be expected that they turn up each day work-ready. The real world is unforgiving of those who stay away with no excuse.

As a parent:

• Commit to sending kids to school every day
• Make sure kids arrive at school and class on time
• Inform the school when they are away, sending medical certificates and other evidence of genuine absence
• Follow current COVID-19 health guidelines and recommendations
• Consider catching-up on missed work
• Make kids who are away stay in their bedroom, which is where unwell kids should be” (Grose, 2021)

Have a great week with your kids,

Mark B

Have you ever been driving somewhere and then suddenly can’t remember the last few kilometres?  You snap out of a daze and realise you weren’t really focused on the road or the cars around you. I have done this before and discovered that I am not alone in this. Research suggests that what you experience is highway hypnosis.

Psychologists noticed the phenomenon all the way back in the early 1900s. A paper entitled “Sleeping with the Eyes Open”, theorized that people in monotonous situations often tended to enter a sleep-like state without closing their eyes. One major example that was given, is long, boring drives. In any situation, ‘sleeping with your eyes open’ can be potentially disastrous, because it leaves you less alert and functioning on autopilot.

It is not just in a physical sense that this phenomenon can occur, it can also manifest spiritually. We can look like a Christian, talk like a Christian and act like a Christian, but we are really just on autopilot, spiritually asleep with our eyes open going through the motions.

So, if research suggests that monotonous tasks cause this sleep-like state, then we need to ensure that we keep our Christian faith vibrant, and focused on God.

Have a good week,

Chaplain Phil

Lower Primary F-2 Sports Day Friday 28th May

The canteen will be open and hot drinks and food will be available to purchase for fundraising for the CEC.

Any parents/family attending must COVID check-in using your mobile phone. If you are unable to do this, the Front Office has paper copies.

SAPSASA Cross Country