Intaka Island
The week before last, our Year 2 students went out to Intaka Island at Century City. They were given the opportunity to explore nature in all its wonderful ways.
We looked at various small organisms under the microscope, were given a guided tour around the island, spotting and appreciating the little birds, bugs and flowers around us. After the wildlife watching, were given a guided boat tour around the canals, appreciating the views around us and learning more about the conservancy.
This is definitely an outing we can recommend for the whole family! So much fun was had by all!
Siobhan Hendry
Year 2 Teacher
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Year One Barnaby Bear Day
“Travel leaves you speechless. Then turns you into a storyteller.” – IBN Battuta
The Year 1 students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed an eventful day, traveling from country to country (class to class), learning about the different countries Barnaby Bear had travelled to and tasting all the delicious cuisines each country had to offer.
Barnaby Bear is the bear we learnt about in Geography that travels the world to visit different countries. He sends the teachers post cards which explains in detail, the sites he visits, the transport he uses to get around, the seasons in each country and the temperature he is currently experiencing.
The students in Mrs Cordner’s class represented America, Mrs Cronje’s class represented England and my class (Miss Hierse’s class) had the privilege to represent India. The students flew from class to class where they got to do some fun activities and learn some interesting facts that symbolized the country they had travelled to. They then enjoyed some delicious snacks and cold drinks which each class offered. The students were dressed beautifully and walked away from the day with more knowledge on America, England and India as well as full tummies.
The Year 1 teachers are extremely grateful for the parents help and support in making the day a successful one.
“Wanderlust. (n.) A strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.”
Year 1 Teacher
Erin Hierse
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Why do we do ‘Show and Tell’ at school?
I think we all recognise the importance of public speaking in our workplaces. Public speaking should begin at school where children form social bonds and learn self-confidence along the way. ‘Show and Tell’ is a popular way used in schools to develop these public speaking skills.
Here are a few ideas that parents can use to develop these skills at home:
Observe the Journey Game
- Whilst driving, walking or on public transport, ask your child to describe as much of their surroundings as they can within one minute!
- Get them to think about shapes, colors and what is happening.
- After multiple attempts over days/weeks your child will begin to speak more clearly and sharpen their observation skills which are essential for speaking well.
- The Woof Game
- This hilarious game will build your child’s ability to think Choose a common word like it or be.
- Provide your child with a topic to speak on for thirty seconds.
- Every time the chosen word is to appear in their speech they should replace it with woof.
Imaginary Animal Game
Get a group of family members, neighbors and friends together with your kids.
- Ask each group member to think of an animal and give them one minute to think of how they would describe that animal.
- Each member must then be questioned by their fellow members on the size, color(s), habitat and other attributes until they discover what animal it is.
For more fun, games go to:
https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/30784/public-speaking-for-kids/
Above all, remember that practice makes perfect and to have as much fun as you can along the way…
Kim Coetzer
Year 2 Teacher
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Show and tell in Year 1
The aim of Show and Tell is to motivate students to speak in front of each other, it builds confidence and allows them to speak about something they know and are comfortable with discussing.
The process of preparing a show and tell encourages students to consider the importance of a special item and appreciate its significance in different ways.
Being part of a show and tell audience is also an important part of learning. Most importantly, the audience learns to sit still and listen closely to someone other than their teacher, and to be respectful. We always congratulate our peers after their Show and tell and create a positive and uplifting environment.
In Year 1 the students get a chance twice a term to prepare their Show and Tell. We link our topics to the themes of our different core subjects. In History the students are learning about the history of toys.
On Friday, a few students had their first Show and tell with the topic “Toys”, where they could bring anything of interest or a special toy to speak about.
They enjoyed this topic very much and we all had the opportunity to learn something new.
Tayla White
Year 1 Teacher
Show & Tell: My favourite Sea Creature
“Show and Tell” is always a very exciting day in the Reception classes. Students come to school eager to share their presentations with their friends.
Although a fun day, the importance of “Show and Tell” cannot be overlooked. “Show and Tell” gives students the opportunity to share some of their personal experiences and general knowledge with their peers. Preparing a presentation with their mom and dad creates that special time between parent and little one and often they find facts that even the teacher didn’t know.
Our “Show and Tell” this week was all about under the sea and the students came prepared to tell everyone about their favourite sea animal. It is daunting task standing in front of the whole class to do your presentation, and some of the little ones are often shy at the beginning of the year. Though as the year progresses it is amazing to observe the growth in confidence. “Show and Tell” not only builds that self confidence that comes from presenting, but also teaches students respect for their peers, as it is just as important to be a good audience.
How to Prepare for Show and Tell:
(When your child is practising you may need to remind them of the following)
– Keep your head up and look around at your audience as much as possible.
– Use a loud and clear voice.
– Keep your feet still and together on the floor.
– Try to use exciting words or adjectives to describe your adventure or object.
Go to https://speakupstudio.com.au/show-and-tell-part-two-tips-for-show-and-tell for the full article.
We are so proud of our little ones and as always, the teachers also learned some interesting facts. (Who knew there are 440 different species of sharks?)
Monique Crawley
Reception Teacher