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Sunday, December 2, 2018

Term 4 Highlights


Hi Parents,

Well, just like that, the year is nearly at an end. It's been a privilege teaching the students of class Korora, and I'm glad I'll be seeing most of them around next year.

Here's a couple of highlights from the last few weeks...

Art

The students have produced some really nice pieces of work this term. There was landscapes in the first few weeks, and lately we've been drawing and painting still-lifes.


 the colour of Sienna's roof is, well, sienna of course! 

 Ethan's philosophy of art is to curve the spine in harmony with the curves of his lines.
Tiger's controversial technique is to drink the paint-water, so as to be at one with the art.


Class Plays



When you're a woman of mature years, you need to use the jaw for extra grip. 
Oscar is part of an expedition, along with his robot Thomas, to explore a planet inhabited by aliens (Claire and Jack)
Aston wishing he'd brought a gun to this fight. 
Chelsea unfortunately underestimates the distance needed for a stage dive.


Golf 

We had a great lesson, led by Jenna Gainford. 

Thomas wonders why he's heard adults swearing when playing golf...it's not that hard?
Golf is a lot more motivating when aiming for human targets.

Science 

This term we've covered the physics of sound.


Daniel conducts his teams rendition of "it sort of sounds like a song"
Experimenting with glass and water out on the grass means that the crickets provide a backing choir
Luke uses a string telephone to share a piece of juicy gossip with Konstantin 
While Claire is testing a paper banger, Chelsea perfects her runway pose.

Athletics

In Week 5, we had our annual Athletics Day. 

Ethan's shadow has already cleared the jump, so you know he's going to be fine. 
Not casting spells, but practicing shotput. 

Oral Language 

There's been lots of opportunities for strengthening oral language skills this term: persuasive speeches, news sharing, and sharing presentations for topic.  

Harper shares a speech on Lego, ensuring that you'll be pestered for expensive kits for Christmas. 
Ollie sharing on the topic of skateboarding
Poppy using eye-contact to make sure that her audience are as riveted as she expects them to be. 
Sienna shares some medals. Chelsea wants one.

Sailing

In Week 7 we had our sailing day with Volvo, Learn to Sail. We're grateful to have gotten such good conditions in a week that wasn't always pleasant! 

Daniel and Tiger looking as smooth as the water.

Luke and Oscar find that sailing is pretty cruisy when you remove the ocean.


Jack looks for unchartered land
Daniel and Tiger see if they can get any fish nibbling on their scalp.
Claire shows no-hands. Poppy resists shaking the boat.
Ollie overboard! 

Friday, September 14, 2018

Term 3, Weeks 4 - 7 Highlights.




Hi parents,

Now that we're nearly at the end of Term 3, let me share with you a few highlights:


Science

We finished up our investigations of magnets, by making our own compasses from corks and needles. We can now attest that we're going North when we exit through the classroom door!

Daniel now knows where North is, and is ready to go question Santa about a gift he never received. 


These guys are giddy with excitement at their discoveries. Or corks in water looking like floating poops. Probably the latter.


Lately, we've been looking at the human skeleton. Below you'll see photos of us comparing the measurements of our major bones. 


"My vertebrae are more impressive than yours"
 Dr Chen, prepares his patient for a lobotomy 
Dylan, looking like he has all the makings of an excellent tailor. 

Maths

Recently, we've had a focus on geometry: naming, drawing, and constructing three dimensional shapes. 



 Aston and Harper show that it's not just girls that are known for their delicate craftsmanship.

Tiger juggles two cubes. Coming up: he swallows three tetrahedrons that are on fire.





Computational Thinking

The student's have learnt a significant amount of computer skills this term, including how to use email, and how to use the Google suite (Google docs, Google Slides etc) to produce work. 

Jack checks the status of his financial stocks, and decides whether to invest in bitcoin. 

Literacy

Persuasive Writing and Speeches

We've had a focus this term on learning the features of effective persuasive writing and speaking. We've recently been practicing our oral language skills by sharing a page from a novel. We're now in the process of writing our own speeches. 

Konstantin decides that having to hold the book is for sissies. 

Grandpa Rensen enthralls us all with tales from long ago. 

Storybooks

We've added another illustrated narrative to our storybooks this term. 

 Dylan's latest is a war between robots and humans.

Luke's latest is the story of a war between flies and spiders. 
War! - what is it good for? Stories, if nothing else. 

Art

In Art, we've had a focus on learning to draw and colour landscapes. 

Poppy finishes giving her tree a "perm".

Chelsea's left hand takes a holiday, while her right hand is busy at work. 


Production Rehearsal 

As you would have heard, we have our major production coming up at the end of term. We've been busy learning and rehearsing all the songs and dances. 


At Wentworth we pride ourselves on students being able to know where their knees and ears are. 

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Term 3, Weeks 1 - 3 Highlights


Hi parents,

Here's some highlights from the term thus far...

New Students

At the start of Term 3, we had two young men join us: Konstantin and Ollie. Three weeks in, they're part of the team, and it's easy to forget that they're new.


Konstantin and Ollie. Both always early for school because they don't have to 
waste time styling their hair. 

Art

Early this term we finished our self portraits. They are hanging in the school hallway for you to check out, next time you are in.

 Oscar in the early stages of a skin-graft
 Daniel animated in more ways than one. 



Topic

For topic, we're taking a look at history. We'll begin to focus on the 1920's: the period of our upcoming school production. 



Matching his place on the timeline, Tiger adopts the pose of a reclining Roman emperor

Science

We've been focusing on the properties and behaviour of magnets. 

Ollie finds his bones and sinews are no match for magnetic force. 

Konstantin gets a trail of magnets going

Harper made this himself at home: a magnetic contraption that causes two coins to stand upright. 

Oscar uses magnets to become a hipster. Now he just needs skinny jeans. 

Reading

We've been learning to participate in "Literacy Circles". The students are in groups of 5, with each group reading the same novel. They have different roles to fulfil, such as "Discussion Director", "Passage Picker", "Word Master" etc. Every 3 days they have a discussion day where they discuss and share what they have prepared. 


 Claire ponders the far-reaching implications of Poppy's statement. Or, she just wishes it was 
her turn. Can't remember which. 
The boys are turning pages. An important skill to master when you are reading. 
Ethan seems to literally have his nose in a book. 

Luke and Dylan with their best "show me how much you love learning" faces. 


Cross Country

On Friday 10th August, we had our annual cross country event. An all around good effort and attitude from the Year 4's. No tears, just flushed faces! 

 The Sienna-strut
 The Aston-Martin, firing on all cylinders
 The Jack-Be-Nimble, Jack-Be-Quick