Foundation students have been revising their Auslan alphabets, colours and everyday signs from the previous lesson this term. Our new topic this week was focused on family signs! Everyone enjoyed talking about their own families and learning how to sign who is in their immediate family at home. Examples include, mum, dad, brother, sister, aunty, uncle, grandmother and grandfather.
In Auslan lessons this week, Grades 1 to 6 have been learning how to communicate signs about things outside the house. Through a range of activities, we discussed and explored many different objects that exist outside our own houses, such as trees, grass, barbecues, gates and sheds. Following this, students learnt how to sign and combine many of these into Auslan phrases to clearly communicate with each other.
During Auslan lessons this week, students from Grades 1 to 6 have been learning about how to communicate transport signs. We participated in a number of fun memory games and were challenged to use different transport signs (for example: car, truck, boat, skateboard, aeroplane and bike) in short Auslan phrases and sentences. Foundation students have been revising their fingerspelling skills and recalling their Auslan alphabet signs this week. We have also learnt how to sign many colours and had fun singing and signing the Rainbow Song.
This week, students have entered the Auslan room with great excitement, eager to begin learning a variety of new hand signs and demonstrating some of what they had been taught in 2024. Foundation grades have been introduced to the topics to be covered throughout term 1 and taught a list of basic hand signs to engage in short conversations. Grades 1 to 6 have revised the alphabet and some greetings signs as well. We also discussed the Auslan classroom rules and expectations, and took part in some fun ‘getting to know each other’ activities. The student’s enthusiasm towards learning Auslan this week has been awesome!
Term 2 2025
This week in Science, Foundation students explored the properties of materials, including colour, shape and texture. A highlight was our Properties Scavenger Hunt where we took our learning outside, to find objects with different textures. The smooth slide on the playground was an obvious favourite. In Grades One and Two, students investigated how different materials like elastic bands, straws, balloons, and foil can be bent, folded, or twisted. A fun yoga warm up helped them connect how our bodies, like materials, can also change shape. In Grades Three and Four, students examined the properties of solids and learned how molecules and atoms help solids keep their shape. They identified solids that are hard, flexible, rough, or absorbent and connected their learning to real world objects during a hands on investigation. In Grades Five and Six, students have continued to develop their knowledge of the properties of solids, liquids and gases by deepening their understanding of what ‘matter’ actually is- anything with weight and volume. Students designed their own demonstration with balloons to prove that air is matter and it was so interesting to see what they came up with!
In Science we have launched into Term 2 with a new focus- Chemical Science, focusing on the properties of materials, mixtures and the ways they can change. Across all year levels students have been sharing what they already know and exploring how to describe everyday materials and their properties. Foundation students have done this using simple properties such as shape, colour and texture. Grade 1 and 2 students have focused on how materials can change and have practiced using scientific vocabulary to describe these changes. Across Grades 3-6 the focus has been on states of matter, looking into Solids, Liquids and Gases to develop familiarity with the scientific vocabulary we will be using throughout our unit. We are looking forward to all of the fun to come in Term 2 of Science!
Term 1 2025
In Science, we have continued our exploration of Earth and Space Science. Foundation students have been learning how animals adapt in winter, some by migrating, like the humpback whale and others by hibernating, like the mountain pygmy possum! In Grade 1, the focus has been on seasonal changes and students made their own seasonal calendars in groups. Grade 2 students have been looking to the sky, to learn about the different constellations and then recreated these in their own arrangements. In Grade 3/4, students dived into the water cycle with several experiments to observe how water changes states. In Grades 5/6, students explored Aboriginal Seasons, identifying the similarities and differences between the seven seasons of the Kulin People and the European four season model. We’ve also been investigating the force of gravity, observing how different objects fall and identifying the effects of air resistance. The students applied this knowledge in a challenge to see which group could make a piece of paper take the longest to reach the ground. It’s been another engaging fortnight of learning and we look forward to wrapping up our learning for Term 1 over the next two weeks.
Students have been exploring a range of exciting topics across all year levels.
Foundation: Our youngest learners have been discovering the wonders of weather and seasons. They have explored what happens in Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring, including the types of weather we experience, seasonal celebrations, and how animals adapt throughout the year.
Grade 1: Students have been developing their understanding of weather and seasons by identifying similarities and differences. They are also expanding their vocabulary to describe seasonal changes with confidence.
Grade 2: In their learning about the day time and night time sky, students have been making observations about what they see and noticing patterns in the sky, deepening their understanding of natural cycles.
Grades 3 & 4: Students have been investigating the distribution of water on Earth and how much of it is fresh and available for human use. They have explored the differences between saltwater and freshwater and learned just how much of our planet is covered by water.
Grades 5 & 6: Our senior students have been delving into the vastness of the solar system, focusing on the scale and distance between major planets. They have been developing an appreciation for just how enormous space really is!
In Science, students have begun their exploration of Earth and Space Science. We spent some time showing and discussing what we already know, as well as familiarising ourselves with key vocabulary and new terms related to our topics. Foundation students learned how different types of clothing can protect them from the weather, like wearing jackets on windy days or sunglasses on sunny days. In Grades 1/2 students have learned about the changes in the sky and landscape across different seasons, as well as day and night. Grade 3/4 students explored the power of the sun, discussing how it affects the world around us, and created their own sun-inspired superheroes. A 5/6 highlight in Science this fortnight has been exploring the planets and other objects in our solar system, using a solar system simulator. Students were able to deepen their understanding of how the planets move and orbit the sun as well as the many features of each planet. Across all of these activities, students have been developing essential scientific vocabulary and connections between weather, seasons, and space.
Our Foundation to Grade 6 students have kicked off the year with enthusiasm as they step into the Science room, ready to explore, experiment, and learn! We are thrilled to see their excitement for the fresh environment and new layout of the room, and we can already tell they are going to have a fantastic year ahead. As they transition into this new space, students are learning the importance of a few key expectations in Science when transitioning from their classroom and the routines and expectations of our Science learning environment. This year, students are excited about the top three topics they’ll be diving into: hands-on experiments, the wonders of the solar system, and working together in groups to explore new concepts! We are so proud of our budding scientists and can’t wait to see all they discover and achieve in 2025.
Last Friday we had a selected number of Grade Three to Six students participate in the District Cross Country event. The students all did an amazing job, pushing through their race, not giving up whilst displaying great sportsmanship in the process. A big congratulations to Fia Coffey and Quinten Lloyd who placed within the top 10 and will now be moving on to the Divisional Cross Country Event. On behalf on the Avondale Community we want to send our well done to all the students who participated.
Today we announced our Athletics Champions. These students were selected based on their gender, age group and the number of points they accumulated per ribbon. Congratulations to our Athletics Champions. Leon P Lina T Henry S Ruby H Aiden B Mia S Sam S Josephine A Daniel G Harry H Ella D.
Students participated in their Grade 3-6 Athletics Carnival. It was a great opportunity for students to showcase their skills learnt throughout Term 1. Students displayed plenty of positive encouragement and sportsmanship for each other, enjoying the day no matter the outcome. Awesome effort by all the students who participated and a big thank you to all the teachers for their organisation and support on the day. A big shout out to the Maribyrnong Secondary College students for all their help in assisting on the events!
This week selected Grade 5 and 6 students participated at the Summer Gala Day sports including Soccer, Hot Shot Tennis and Cricket. All teams did an amazing job at representing the school, trying their best and displaying the school values. A huge shout out to the Boys Soccer Team who came second in the overall competition.
The students in Grade 3-6 are continuing to prepare themselves for our upcoming Athletics Day. Students have trained in the events of Long Jump, Shot put, Discus, Relay, High Jump and 800m.
Our Grade 5-6 students have also been preparing for their Summer Gala Day. Selected students are excited to participate in their elected sports of Soccer, Hot Shot tennis and Cricket.
This term we have been creating positive habits to enhance our teamwork skills. Students have been introduced to developing a routine of saying ‘good game’ and hi fiving a friend after each activity.
Our Foundation and Grade 1-2 students have enjoyed revisiting the fundamental skills whilst participating in a range of team games both indoors and outdoors.
Congratulations to all students who participated at the district swimming carnival on Friday 21st February, at East Keilor Leisure Centre. All students impressed Miss Devine, Mrs Benham and Ms Heywood with their positive attitude, support of others and willingness to swim as well as they possibly could, in individual and relay events. Well done to Ainsley C, Ajay R, Ann N, Ashely V, Kristina G, Mikey R, Ollie C, Sam S, Sebastian L and Zoe W.
A big congratulations to Zoe W who placed third in her event.
This term girls from Avondale Primary School have the opportunity to participate in a four week after school cricket program. The program began last week where the girls were introduced to key skills in cricket whilst having lots of fun in a variety of modified games.
Students in Grade 3-6 have been preparing for our upcoming athletics carnival in Term 2. Grade 5/6 students have also engaged in Friday sport sessions, in preparation for Gala Days. To begin the term, students have participated in a range of teamwork games whilst being introduced to key rules and expectations for the year. This year in PE, we are having a strong focus on ‘accepting the outcome of the game’ and ‘being a good sport’.
This week in Visual Arts, some of the Grade 3 and 4 classes began creating beautiful Mother’s/Special Person’s Day fan cards. Students had fun folding A3 paper in an accordion style to form the fan shape, then decorating it with a vibrant flower. To finish, students wrote a heartfelt message to celebrate their special person. This activity not only supported their learning in visual composition and personal expression, but also encouraged appreciation and gratitude.
This week in Grades 3 and 4, we had a fantastic time creating vibrant backgrounds using two plastic sheets with watercolour droplets sandwiched between them. The results were stunning, and the process was just as enjoyable — even if it meant getting our fingers a little messy! In Grades 5 and 6, we proudly wrapped up our self-portrait projects. This week’s focus was on the elements of form and space. To explore form, we added shadows to give parts of our portraits a three-dimensional look. For space, students got creative: some painted scenes in the background that reflect activities they love — like games they like playing, things they like doing and extra-curricular activities they do out of school. Others decided to experiment by overlapping different images with their portraits. The variety of approaches and final pieces have been truly impressive!
In Visual Arts, the Grade 3/4s worked on their Picasso inspired portraits. We added a twist to our portraits by using one or two colours that best represents our personality. We discussed how colours evoke emotions such as yellow for happiness and contentment, green for curiosity, purple representing mystery, red for anger, orange for joy and blue for peace, calm and reflection.
The Grade 5/6s have been working on their self-portraits. We spent a couple of weeks working on our portraits, using step by step guides for the facial features. We divided our portrait in seven sections with each section displaying a different art element. So far, we have covered the element of line, colour, value and texture.
The Grade 5/6 students have kicked off the year with lots of creativity and individuality. Their first activity involved colouring a tile, which formed a small section of famous painting. Once completed, all the tiles were assembled to create the full image. Some grades looked at famous artworks of Vincent Van Gogh, such as Starry Night, Irises and a self-portrait, while others looked at Claude Monet’s Bouquet of Sunflowers and Pual Cezanne’s still life paintings. Frida Kahlo was showcased with her symbolic self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird and Robert Delaunay’s Rhythm Joy of Life painting. Do you recognise any of these artworks?
This week in Visual Arts, students in Grades 3 and 4 each created an individual tile, focusing on a specific colour theme. These tiles were then combined in groups of fours to form a large, complete tile that revealed an intricate pattern. Finally, all the completed tiles were assembled to produce stunning collaborative art pieces.
This week in Visual Arts, students came together in groups to define the expectations and routines for our art room this year. It was truly enjoyable to watch each group collaborate, share ideas and engage in meaningful discussions. I’ve loved seeing how students took ownership of the task while also having fun throughout the process. It’s been a fantastic start to the year!
The students in Grade Foundation to Grade 2 are gaining confidence with their dance and performance skills. We have been making progress from simple, singular moves to creating moves in combination to form a sequence. This week, our focus was on combining song and dance to create routines to the chorus of popular songs and nursery rhymes.
The students in Foundation, Grade One and Grade Two have been revising their skills from last term as well as learning new songs to add to their repertoire. Our focus has been on the Australian National Anthem as well as learning and discovering anthems from around the globe. The history of anthems as a celebration of country and culture has been discussed and the children have enjoyed highlighting their talent in singing and performance along the way.
In Performing Arts, the last two weeks have seen us focus on creating an orchestra and reading music notes to create rhythm. Students have learned that music can be created by following a conductor and reading music the same way as we read a book from left to right. It has been a wonderful experience watching the students' progress so quickly from ad hoc performance to guided musicianship. Well done to everyone in Foundation to Grade Two.
The students have been making magical music as they explore the sounds, rhythms and beats of the many and varied instruments we are lucky enough to have in the performing arts room. Foundation students are learning the names of the instruments and how to play and take care of them. Students in Grades One and Two have been making orchestral music, incorporating rhythm and reading music notes to learn that rhythm is music’s pattern in time.
The last two weeks in Performing Arts have seen the students engage in learning about the string family of instruments with a particular focus on the ukulele. We have used various media to listen to, visualise, and physically play the ukulele. The students are now familiar with the various parts of this small string instrument and have studied it closely as an important part of the string family. Chants, song, rhythm, beat and dynamics have all been incorporated into our learning. Thank you to all of our students who have engaged with such passion and enthusiasm.
This week the Foundation and grade 1/2 students have enjoyed their performing arts experience. The Foundation students have focused on an introductory session of establishing exactly what performing arts is. They have discovered it is a lively combination of drama, music, song and dance. The grade one and two students, who already have some performing arts skills developed, have stepped back into the arena by establishing familiar roles and expectations whilst having fun participating in this space. We are all now ready to enjoy the fabulous lessons ahead!
Specialist Classes Learning News 2024
