2026 Term 1 - Newsletter two
Year 5 NAPLAN
Our Year 5 students have been working through their NAPLAN assessments this week. Like many schools across Australia, we experienced some technical interruptions, which meant a few sessions had to be rescheduled. Despite this, the students have approached the week with patience, flexibility, and a very positive attitude.
They have done a wonderful job adjusting to the changes, and we have been impressed by how calmly they handled the disruptions. Some students have needed to complete catch up sessions, which has meant a few adjustments to their normal classroom routines, but they have managed this very well.
We have just one final NAPLAN session remaining on Monday. Thank you to the students for their effort and resilience throughout the week.
HIA Netball Day
On Wednesday 4 March, a group of Year 5 and 6 girls represented our school at the HIA Netball Competition, playing against Hills International College and The Kooralbyn International School. Despite the very hot conditions, the girls showed great determination as they competed in five games throughout the day. With each match they grew in confidence, working together well as a team and supporting one another on the court. It was wonderful to see their skills improve across the games, along with the excellent sportsmanship they displayed both on and off the court. The girls represented the school proudly and enjoyed a fantastic day of netball.
Year 5 Camp
We are already looking ahead to the Year 5 camp in Term 3. Full information about the camp will be shared with families at the beginning of Term 2.
In the meantime, one of the biggest challenges for some students during camp is simply being away from home overnight. A great way to help children feel more confident is to organise a few sleepovers with friends or family over the coming months. Getting used to sleeping away from home in a familiar and relaxed setting can make a big difference and helps students arrive at camp feeling more comfortable and excited for the experience.
Cross Country Postponed
Due to the wet weather in Week 7, the Cross Country Carnival has been postponed. The event will now take place on Friday 27 March (Week 9). We are looking forward to seeing the students give their best effort once the conditions improve.
Classroom Photo Folder
We are still awaiting one final approval for the Year 5 photo folder. To keep things moving, I will send an updated link to families on Thursday that includes the photos we are currently able to share. We look forward to giving families a glimpse into some of the classroom activities and moments from this term.
Parliament Role Play
Our classrooms recently transformed into the House of Representatives as students stepped into the roles of Speaker, Prime Minister, ministers, and members of opposition parties. Students began introducing their own bill and practised debating ideas, asking questions, and responding during a lively Question Time. Along the way they discovered that respectful debate, clear arguments, and careful listening are essential parts of how democracy works. After watching a real Question Time from Canberra, we also concluded that our class politicians were considerably better behaved than some of the real ones!
Student Representative Council
Our Year 5 students recently took part in selecting their Student Representative Council (SRC) members. Students who nominated prepared and delivered speeches to their classmates, sharing their ideas and explaining how they hoped to represent the class. It was wonderful to see the confidence and effort students put into speaking in front of their peers. After hearing the speeches, the class voted to choose their representatives through a democratic process.
Congratulations to Aria Souter and Leo Tomolowicz, who were selected as our Year 5 SRC representatives.
Science – Light
Our Science lessons have been filled with light experiments this term as students investigate how light travels and how we see the world around us. One of the most fascinating demonstrations involved an apple that was half painted with Musou Black paint. This special paint absorbs more than 99 percent of light, meaning almost no light is reflected back to our eyes. The result is striking. One half of the apple appears normal, while the Musou Black side looks almost flat and two dimensional because our eyes receive so little reflected light.
Another highlight in our classroom is the triangular prism placed near the window. When the sun shines into the room, the prism spreads the white sunlight into a beautiful rainbow across the classroom wall. This has helped students see that white light is actually made up of many different colours, each with its own wavelength. It has been wonderful to see the students asking thoughtful questions and exploring the science behind the light we see every day.
Design and Technologies
Students have been busy working through the design process as they develop their own robot ideas. Most students have now written the purpose of their robot, created a 2D design sketch, and many are currently finalising their 3D designs using Splat3D. It has been wonderful to see the creativity and problem solving involved as students think carefully about how their robots will work and what problems they are designed to solve.
Next week, some students will begin turning their designs into real models by building their robots out of cardboard. We already have plenty of thick cardboard available in class, but students are welcome to bring thin cardboard from home, such as cereal boxes or shoe boxes, as it is much easier for students to cut and shape while building their robots.
Thank you to all families for your continued support this term. It has been a busy and exciting few weeks in the classroom, and it is always wonderful to see the students engaging so enthusiastically in their learning. We look forward to finishing the term strongly and sharing more of these moments with you.
Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Newman, Mr. Schönherr