This morning the Village participated in Come Read with Me, it is fantastic to see all the students developing their reading skills. Students choose to read with a teacher, a friend, or special family member.

We then started our day going over the days of the week, what month we are in and then the season it is. We noticed all the trees outside are changing colour as are starting to fall from the tress because it is AUTUMN!

R1 EN and R1 MC explored Rainbow facts sharing if they knew different ways to make 10, the students then participated in numeracy play.

R1 MS and R1 EQ participated in for a shape hunt around the school, connecting to where they could see shapes in their everyday lives. They then recorded their learning in their learning journal, conferencing with their teachers.

The Village then participated in numeracy play developing their number knowledge and having a go at practising their numeracy skills.

The children loved exploring different numbers games, some of the students were playing number bingo, Snakes and Ladders, adding bugs, Go fish, making 10 games and number towers.

After Recess the village participated in free play, the aim for the students here were for them to lead their own learning and be independent learners as they explored and played. Classes moved in and out of The Village as r/1 EN and MC had library and R/1 EQ and MS had Spanish.

“Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” -Joseph Chilton Pearce

 “Play is the exultation of the possible.” -Martin Buber

“Play keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn’t taste good” -Lucia Capocchione

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw

Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” -Diane Ackerman

We then ventured out to Grevillea Park taking our play and learning outside.

At the end of the day we introduced our new sound “M” tomorrow we are looking forward to exploring the sound more through play and provocations. We are working on our stamina which is something we educators learnt at Berry Street.

This term we have been looking at number, so this morning before we went into numeracy play we asked the students what are numbers? What have we been  learning the term about term?

You can make 10 by 1 plus 9 make 10, Dimitra.

I have learnt to count to 100, Viraj.

5 and 5 make 10, Yasha.

0 and 10 make 10, Kiet.

100 and 1 make 10, Sahib.

1 and 9 make 10, 20 plus 20 makes 40, Cooper.

5 plus 5 makes 10, Nickolas.

6 plus 4 make 10, Zahra.

100 plus 100 equals 200, Jacob.

1 plus 1 makes 10, Leo.

2 plus 2 equals 4, Arabella.

We can count animals legs to make 10 and 20, Zahra.

The students then worked to solve some problem solving Easter egg problems and went into numeracy play.

After Recess R1 MS and R1 EQ has Spanish and R1 EN and R1 MC went to the library.

The Village participated in free play leading their own learning and investigations.

All of the students were so engaged flourishing as they explored.

After lunch we had our presentation for Palm Sunday what a great job we did with the other receptions, welcoming everyone in and singing our Palm Sunday song.

We have had a very busy day in the Village today the students engaged in a variety of different provocations and play inquires.

Students agency was at its highest as the students lead their own play and learning, using many different languages and learning powers.

Today The Village explored the provocation of Palm Sunday.

We first read “The Beginners Bible” together, then shared the video of God’s Story, Palm Sunday.

The Village reflected on what they thought Palm Sunday was about.

Arjan: you can clap the branches like they did in the book, a bad person was coming so they cut it down.

Dimi: Jesus had a big crowd around him, but some people didn’t wave because they were jealous

Declan: The bad people were jealous of Jesus so they didn’t wave.

Nhial: Jealous means selfish.

Olly: Jealous means you are serious.

Viraj: Jesus likes everyone so they wave the palms

Ishpreet: Jesus was helping someone

Nhial: Jesus likes people and likes to help them

Jacob: They were waving the Palms because they loved Jesus.

Declan: When they were waving branches because they grateful for Jesus.

Zac: They cut the palms trees so they could make a road and they welcomed him by fanning him and treating him like a king.

Charlee: They help people be kind and show especially respect.

Ishpreet: Jesus helps the people when they are hurt.

Alexander: When you put the palms on the road that means they are thanking Jesus for everything from the children and animals. They are saving Jesus and Thanking him.

Yasha: He went into a maze.

Adum: The people that were getting the leaf, they got the leaf from a tree, they were cooling down Jesus.

Elnathan: They blessed the plants to Jesus because he is the king of Israel.

Annabelle: They are important because of the cross on the head.

Nahom: They created a path to make him the king.

Alexia: Jesus was making him sad and he was giving some love to people.

“donkey” – Kiet

“I saw the people” – Alexa

“I saw people were rude to Jesus” Ravleen

“Jesus riding a donkey”- Yasha

“people mad”- Annabella

“Jesus was good and people were following him ” Alexia

“Jesus the king” – Annabel

“King of creating people” – Alexia

“God looks after everyone” – Yasha

“God made everybody and loved everyone” – Leo

“people around Jesus”- Zahra

“They are waving types of leaves”- Eva

“palm trees”- Enquire

“ashes come from palm trees”- Max

“because how we got the crosses on our heads people burnt the palms trees”- Alexa

The students then used their literacy skills of oral language, writing, comprehension and re-telling to reflect and share their understanding of the story.

From here the students went into play where they used their 100 languages to explore Palm Sunday

It was great to see all the students engaged take a look at the students and their great work.

After Lunch

Today we introduced the learning power “Sense Making” we used our puppet animal Dingo to help us.

Sense making or Miss Dingo is all about making connections between everything we know – ideas, memories, knowledge, skills, facts and experience. It is about us making sense of them in relation to each new context of learning and performance. We want the students to create a ‘knowledge map’ of what they are learning and making connections to how it all fits with their own learning.

As educators it is really important that we use our own knowledge of sense making to support our students and help them make connections to their own lives and learning experiences at school.

The children shared their ideas about what Sense Making means:

Adum: It means to be listening.

Declan: It means to have respect and be nice and be kind and be thankful for everybody and have a nice day and make sure you help God.

Nahom: It means to listen to the teacher so you can learn.

 Bodhi: It means to be nice, no hurting people and respect others of the kids and be nice.

Nhial: It means respect your elders.

Felipe: Respect your elders.

Arjan: You can keep thinking in your brain.

Elnathan: When your brain might not be feeling good, then when you have another rest and a long rest, your brain gets stronger and you learn lots.

Nahom: When people are thinking about things, then after they try to make it in their brain and then they will make a train for their brain.

Declan: When you have breakfast, your brain gets super, supper strong. You are good at maths when your brain works. It will make you think better.

Nhial: Songs can help us learn numbers and letters and shapes, different colours. Counting from 1 to 100 and the ABC’s.

Arjan: You think when you learn and we do actions in songs.

I am sorry lovely Village that I was not there last week but I hear and can see you have all been doing some great learning and investigations! Harmony Day looked great fun, and its great to hear that you have the wonderful Miss Roberts and of course your other teachers all helping you all out whilst I am away.

I am just resting now getting all ready to come back and hopefully might see you all later this week.

Have fun the next couple of days be Bucket Fillers to each others, be kind to yourself and each other, have Growth Mindsets and try something new, do lots of great investigating and exploring and I look forward to seeing what you have all been up to on the blog, I will see you all soon.

Thinking of you all-  have a great day R1 EN, R1 MC, R1 EQ and R1 MS.

Happy Tuesday!

Today in the Village we were challenged to find different ways to make numbers.

How can you make 10?

How can you make 5?

How can you make 12?

How can you make 20?

Children then led their own learning to investigate the questions themselves. It was great to see all the children engaged. They worked on their numeracy capabilities and problem solving skills to the question they were investigating. The students were practising their counting, number formation, one to one correspondences, subitising, quantities, number names, arithmetic, counting on, adding on and problem solving skills. The open provocation meant that all students could be involved and could be challenged. As teachers, we guided, supported and questioned the students further. Challenging them and letting them flourish whilst learning  important numeracy skills.

After Recess  and lunch –

The Village explored through play, some of us went to Spanish, other classes investigated in class moving throughout inside and out.

Spanish Play

We introduced the N sound and look forward to playing and learning more about it tomorrow. We are impressed with how the students are able to connect to words they know and then knew words they learn. Maybe tonight the students can find words in their readers that start or have the letter sound Nn in them?

R1 EN and R1 MC borrowed their books and shared the book “Lottie and Walter”

The Village had their specialist lessons today – Music, Sport and Spanish.

As classes we reflected on our Saint Vincent De Paul house and what can do during Lent to give to those that need it most.

Who is St Vincent de Paul?

He is a very helpful man and if people are sick, he gives them blankets and food. He makes them feel better and he makes people always feel better and never ignores other people who are sick. He helps them and cares about them – Elnathan

He is a big person – Nahom

Saint Vincent de Paul helps people and never explores them and never fights them – Bodhi

He doesn’t touch people, he doesn’t be rude to people and he reads books – Arjan

He is a good person and he helps a lot of sick people and he loves people, he gives people a lot of stuff – Nhial

He cooks food for people and be kind to people – Charlee

He helps people, he is really nice. He gives them drinks and he gives them food – Declan

He gives people food and blankets and a couch, so they can be warm and gives them some teddy bears so they can be nice and warm. He gives them some healthy drinks and Vincent just protects them – Oliver

Vincent de Paul gives them blankets and some toys and plays outside – Nyok

What is something you can bring to give to those less fortunate?

I don’t need my old shoes – Oliver

My Thomas and my teddy and my big fire truck – Nahom

My toy unicorn – Adum

My little kitchen – Charlee

Some clothes that don’t fit me – Ms Quigley

I don’t need my bottles – Oliver

You share and take care of the toys – Arjan

My dress – Dhyani

Making 10 

1 EN made a bus today their provocation was to have 10 people on their bus through different provocations

Jacob: We are plussing and trying to make the number 10 by plussing.

Dimi: A way you can make 10 is five plus five.

Videl: 3 and 7 make 10.

Jacob: 7 plus 3 make 10.

Sonny 5 plus 5 make 10.

Poppiest: 1 plus 9 make 10.

Vidal: 10 plus 0 make 10.

Nickolas: 8 plus 2 is 10.

Cooper: 5 plus 5.

Sonny: 4 plus 6 make 10.

We nearly got to make all the ways in which you can make 10!

After Recess we continued with our investigations. The students led their learning setting up provocations they wanted to play and explore with. They all supported each other and work together. It was interesting to see more and more students join in with different explorations.

The Village particapted in Writers Workshop- before the students go off we always have a mini lesson  on book making.

Today’s focus was “What a book needs and features of a text?”

It was great to see the students lead this learning, sharing their ideas and knowledge and then having a go as “Authors”.

Angie: It needs a front cover.

Sonny: It needs a picture and a title and who its from

Emily: page numbers in the book.

Dimi: Some writing and some drawing, you can get a sound chart to help you.

Jacob: It needs a blurb at the back it tells us all about the story,

The students are really enjoying being authors and we look forward too many more books being made.

At the end of the day we reflected on our CLARA learning powers….

Al: I used Mr Koala to build a bike.

Sahib: I used Mr Koala to make a spaceship.

Sara: I used Mr Koala I use some paper and some drawing.

Nickolas: I used Mr Koala for  picking up with Copper.

James: I used Mr Koala for making a restaurant.

Dimi: I used Mr Koala when I did my painting.

Mr Kangaroo wants to know what you are curious about?

Jacob: I want to learn more about writing and reading.

Kalil: I am curious about Jordan about what he likes.

Leo: I am curious about making numbers.

Isabella: I am curious about numbers.

Kiet: I am curious about Ethan.

Ravleen: I am curious about the Murry Cod.

Dimi: I am curious about the hopping mice.

Jed: I am curious about toys and how they are made.

Videl: I am curious about maths and making ten.

Al: I am curious about my friends.

Come read with me!! The Village has been doing a great job with ‘Come Read with Me’. Just a friendly reminder to the students to please remember to bring in their black reader bags everyday. ‘Come Read with Me’ is a special time where the students get to read with a friend, teacher, parent, caregiver, grandparent, sibling or even a buddy or they may choose to read by themselves. Us educators get to check in with the students and see how they are going with their reading, challenging them and teaching new skills.

This morning the students begun their literacy investigations exploring the Tt sound, oral language, writing skills, word knowledge, letter and sound formation, reading skills and so much more. Literacy investigations are where the children lead their own learning through play and hands on learning experiences. Us educators support the students to go deeper and challenge their thinking whilst supporting their growth. We ask questions, develop inspiring provocations, reflect with the students and educators to ensure all the students are engaged and most of all enjoy the students as they flourish and develop their literacy skills.

Some reflections the students had:

I used my growth mindset to do some writing- Annabella.

I choose to do the writing, I was finding t words and having a go at writing- A

I painted the number 10, Sahib.

I went on the laptop and practised my letters, The sound T, Viraj.

I used my growth mindset and Mr Koala to do my painting and my tracing on the whiteboard. I was learning the t t t sound. Dimi

I made a Turtle – it starts with T, Ishpreet.

I drawed a picture book, it had two girls, Raven.

I made a book about tennis with my Mum, Tennis starts with t, t, t, Yasha.

Maybe tonight the students could tell you some Tt sound words they know or go on a little hunt around the house to find Tt, or look for the Tt sound in their readers or even make up a Tt sound song. Songs, rhymes, dance, actions  poems and stories are all great ways in which the students can learn their phonological sounds.

After Recess R1 EQ and R1 MS had library the students then participated in “Writers Workshop”  challenging themselves and using their creativity (Mr Koala). We spoke to the children about “Growth Mindsets” having a go and trying something new even if they thought it would be hard!

If you like to have a read about writers workshop the below links are helpful:

https://lisaburman.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Writing-Workshop-Glossary.pdf

What is writing workshop?

Writing workshop is a student-centered framework for teaching writing that is based on the idea that students learn to write best when they write frequently, for extended periods of time, on topics of their own choosing. 

To develop skills as a writer, students need three things: ownership of their own writing, guidance from an experienced writer, and support from a community of fellow learners. The writing workshop framework meets these needs and streamlines instruction in order to meet the most important objective: giving kids time to write. The workshop setting supports children in taking their writing seriously and viewing themselves as writers. 

The four main components of writing workshop are the mini-lesson, status of the class, writing/conferring time, and sharing. There is not a prescribed time limit for each component, rather they are meant to be flexible and determined by students’ needs on any given day. 

Taken from: https://www.weareteachers.com/what-is-writing-workshop/

We modelled together as a class what a book needs- the children led this, sharing their ideas,

• we need a title page
• full stops
• capital letters
• writing
• pictures
• page numbers

The children did such an amazing job at being Authors!

We then went into investigations and play where the students choose to continued with their investigations and inquiries. The students then got to extend on these after lunch.

Viraj: I liked playing with my friends outside.

Al: I liked doing writing.

Arabella: I liked making my books.

Hendrix: I liked playing Police officer.

Sarah: I played paint and I played with Awan.

Isabella: I liked playing with the mud kitchen,

Ariana: I liked playing with money,

Sierra: I was making a unicorn book.

Kiet: I liked playing with Ethan.

Sonny: Dimi, Sierra and me were making a house.