ACTION IN THE PYP 

Have you wondered what action might look like for our PYP learners? As teachers, we often deliberate over how we capture our students’ actions and then further develop their thinking to invite more action?

When learning is meaningful and relevant, students take action to bring about change. Action might come in different forms in response to planned or unplanned learning, challenges and opportunities that students encounter. It can come in the form of participation, advocacy, social justice, social entrepreneurship or lifestyle choices. 

Let's take a closer look at PARTICIPATION. 

LOOKS LIKE

Students are:

• involved in group activities
• engaged in learning community events
• focused and committed

FEELS LIKE

Students are:

• belonging
• interested
• motivated
• committed
• caring
• balanced

SOUNDS LIKE

Students are:

• having conversations and discussions
• asking questions and wondering
• adding to others’ thinking

Throughout this edition you will see many examples of the amazing action that has occured as a result of the learning and teaching here at Holy Trinity. 

Wishing you all a very safe and relaxing break. Stay warm. 

Warm wishes,

Katie and Brendon

PYP Coordinators 

Transdisciplinary theme:

An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas and feelings

Central Idea:

Feelings can be experienced in different ways.

Lines of Inquiry:

An inquiry into:

1. Ways humans express feelings and ideas
2. How different situations and events affect feelings.  
3. How expression requires consideration of self and others. 

The Rock Wallabies have read loads of books identifying different emotions. We have expressed emotions through drawing, creative art and drama. Through our play the Rock Wallabies are experiencing friendship and belonging. We are practising sharing, waiting our turn and expressing our joys and disappointments appropriately.

The Ground Parrots have been busy exploring how we can express ourselves. Putting a name to our feelings was our first step towards developing emotional regulation. Together we developed some emotional tools to understand our ‘big emotions’.  We learnt that we can take actions to ensure the wellbeing of ourselves and others.

The Black Cockatoos examined how emotions are expressed on their own faces and began exploring how these were illustrated in the literary works of author/illustrator Dr Seuss. The Black Cockatoos investigation deepened when they began exploring the use of Aboriginal symbols and how these can be used to share ideas and tell a story. They went on to study how Pablo Picasso (Blue Period) and Vincent Van Gough (Sunflowers) use colour to express emotion. Our Inquiry concluded with how we share ideas and talk with one another, sharpening our communication skills during our Yarning Circle and becoming aware of a range of strategies they can use to regulate their emotions.     

This term in Italian the students have continued to practise their ability to speak, read, listen and write. Kindergarten has been learning about days of the week, months, seasons and the weather.  Year 1 has inquired into different types of communities, in particular, family and Italian family traditions. Year 2 was busy discovering about housing in Italy, especially in Venice and Alberobello. They also looked at different materials used to make various houses. Years 3 and 4 have inquired into Italian explorers in particular Marco Polo. To support the “Who We Are” unit of inquiry, they have been learning about body parts. 5/6 created Italian alphabet books and learnt about the schooling system in Italy.  

Questo trimestre in italiano gli studenti hanno continuato a praticare la loro capacità di parlare, leggere, ascoltare e scrivere. L'asilo ha imparato a conoscere i giorni della settimana, i mesi dell’anno, le stagioni e il tempo. L'anno 1 ha indagato sui diversi tipi di comunità, in particolare la famiglia e le tradizioni familiari italiane. Il secondo anno è stato impegnato a scoprire case in Italia, in particolare a Venezia e Alberobello. Hanno anche esaminato diversi materiali utilizzati per realizzare varie case. Gli anni 3 e 4 hanno indagato sugli esploratori italiani in particolare Marco Polo.  Per supportare l'unità d'inchiesta su chi siamo, hanno imparato a conoscere le parti del corpo. 5/6 ha creato libri di alfabeto italiano e ha studiato il sistema scolastico in Italia.

.

Central Idea: Observations lead to understandings.

Lines of Inquiry

• what inspires people
• the process of creating and expressing ideas
• how people respond to creative works

Key Concepts

• Form
• Causation
• Connection

• Thinkers
• Knowledgeable
• Inquires

Provocation

To connect with our Central Idea we took all of Kindergarten for a walk around the surrounding area. During this walk we tested our observation skills by experiencing the walk with all five senses. Our Kinders observed: We enjoyed going for a walk and going through tunnels, seeing magpies, running on the wet oval, walking over a fallen tree, seeing the community library and feeling the wind on my face. One kinder said: “We discovered we can make observations by smelling, hearing, feeling and hearing. We also discovered we can walk far!”.

Weather Observations

Building on our observation skills we learnt about weather patterns and how observations can lead to more accurate predictions. We also discovered that weather patterns fall into a predictable yearly cycle. Who knew? Kindergarten are now experts on all things Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn! We discussed how the weather changes and how this impacts our lives.

Some of our budding meteorologists said: We liked learning more topics to write about, drawing the pictures and showing the temperature by drawing a thermometer. They also noted that, We discovered that we observe weather each day, the weather is different everyday, the weather changes, there are different types of weather and we do different activities based in the weather.

Candle Experiment

Did you know that part of being an experimental scientist is making predictions or hypothesizing about something then conducting an experiment to observe the results. We did just that! One of the many experiments we conducted was to find out what would happen if a glass was placed over a lit candle. Some suggestions were very accurate “The flame will go out”, others were not “The glass will explode!” or “the glass will melt.”

Afterwards some reflections were: “We liked seeing the flame go out and learning what happens with fire and air.” And “We discovered when oxygen runs out the candle flame goes out and if you don’t cover the flame it won’t go out.”

Water Cycle Experiment

To further our understanding of the water cycle we conducted an experiment using shaving cream and blue water in a glass. We enjoyed watching Mrs McDevitt set up the experiment and using the shaving cream as the cloud. We discovered that our clouds could only hold about 20 drops of food dye. We also discovered that it rains because the clouds become too heavy with water.

Lifecycle Day

We explored all things lifecycles! Starting with an exploration of the lifecycle of a butterfly. We discovered that they start as an egg, hatching into a caterpillar, which builds a cocoon and becomes a butterfly.

We then had an opportunity to explore a range of other lifecycles through videos, books, specimens, craft and with a range of hands on resources. We discovered how plants grow from a seed, we make the lifecycle of a spider. We also painted a butterfly.

The children reported: We liked making spiders, learning about the lifecycle of a butterfly, looking at how animals grow inside an egg before they hatch, painting butterflies and looking at the insects.

An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations, and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilisations, from local and global perspectives.

Central Idea: Diversity enriches communities.

Lines of Inquiry:

An inquiry into:

1. How family life and places have changed over time (Change)
2. The diversity of traditions (Connection) 
3. How appreciating diversity helps us understand each other (Perspective)

Thinkers - I am thoughtful and think before I speak and act.

Open-minded - I know that people are different and may think differently than me, I appreciate my culture and the values and traditions of others.

Caring - I have a caring attitude towards people and places. I want to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and I am sensitive to their needs.

Research Skills - I can ask questions and make connections. I can make a choice about what information I need to answer a question.

Thinking Skills - I am being exposed to new ideas that inspire me. I can support my decisions using information I have learnt.

Social Skills - I show respect for others and their cultural heritage and traditions.

Provocation – World Cultures Experience 

Students looked at images representing different cultures around the world - traditional dress, music, landscape, housing etc. Students recorded their thinking on these posters that will remain on display in the classroom.

Provocation Music Immersion – Student Voice:

• I think the music came from different countries like Japan and Europe. (Emme)
• I heard bagpipes and I know they are from Scotland. (Eloise)
• I thought of different countries when I listened to the music. (Henry)
• I heard the Haka, it’s from a different culture. (Eva)
• I think we might be learning about different countries around the world. (Max)

Provocation – Student Reflections 

After the provocation activity, the students engaged in a reflection regarding what they saw and what they were wondering.

Harmony Day 

Holy Trinity students dressed up in a cultural costume or wore the colour orange to celebrate Harmony day. We discussed all the places around the world that they were born and where their family came from. The students are all very proud of their cultural heritage.

National Museum of Australian Excursion 

Students participated in the ‘A Living Culture’ education program at the National Museum of Australia. Students handled and explored a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander objects to help them understand the ways in which Indigenous cultures have evolved and adapted in the last 200 years.

Excursion Student Reflections

Students wrote a reflective recount about their excursion to the National Museum of Australia. They all found different things of interest and asked some inquisitive questions about what they had seen, heard, and learnt.

 “Island Born” by Junot Diaz 

After reading this story about cultural heritage, each student artistically created an image from the place they were born, a place where they have lived or the place where their family originated from.

Guest Speaker – Gerard Hogan 

One of the parishioners from our Church, Gerard Hogan, spoke to the students about being a soldier in the war. He made some interesting comparisons between the clothes, food and equipment the soldiers had in the past and what current soldiers use today. The students asked, “Do bullets explode when they hit the ground?” “How did the soldiers heat their food?” “What information was on your id tag?”

Constable Kenny Koala Visit 

Year 1 had a visit from Constable Kenny Koala. Kenny gave us some tips about how we can stay OK in our community. These included:

• When crossing the road always stop, look, listen, think then walk.
• If you get lost: stay calm, don’t wander, tell a trusted person.
• If you get lost find someone you can trust wearing a uniform like a police officer or a shop keeper.
• Wear a helmet when riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard.
• Always stop and think before making a choice. Ask yourself…is it safe, healthy, or kind?

Teacher Topic Talks & Guest Speaker 

The Year 1 Teachers & our Guest Speaker each presented a topic talk about themselves. They presented information about what life was like for them growing up in the past. They shared information about their family, where they lived, where they went to school, the sports they played, what they enjoyed doing in their spare time and what they wore.

Compare & Contrast 

In response to the teachers and guest speaker’s topic talks, the students were asked to complete a Venn diagram. They identified similarities and differences between life in the past to the life they experience in the present.

Staying Safe in the Community – Early Warning Signs 

Students were asked to identify the changes in their body that occur when their body is telling them that they are unsafe. They were also asked to explain why their body’s respond in this way.

Staying Safe in the Community – Safety Network 

Students were asked to identify the people in their community that they trust. They were asked to consider the adults in their life and people within the community that are trustworthy.

Community Brochures 

Students created a brochure about a local community they are a part of. Students included necessary information for prospective members considering joining this community.

Student Voice:

• I learnt that people around the world live differently and have different cultures, we should be grateful for all the things we have. We are fortunate to live in Australia. (Arthur)
• I learnt that all countries around the world are special. We are all unique and we should celebrate that, like we did on Harmony Day. (Lilliana)
• I learnt about different cultures, like how the Indigenous people lived off the land and took care of the environment many years ago. (Jackson)
• I learnt what things were like in the past. I learnt that people wore different clothes, they lived in smaller houses and what life was like for the teacher when they were kids. (Georgia)
• I learnt how to keep myself safe in my community. I need to ask a grown-up with a uniform and a badge for help if I am lost. (Finley)

National Simultaneous Storytime was celebrated in Week 5 of this term. We all gathered in the hall and listened to the book ‘Give me some Space’ written by Phillip Bunting. This year the book was read to children all over the world from the International Space Station. It was great to listen to and the children loved watching the effects of zero gravity. If you ever get a chance to read any of Phil Bunting’s books please do, he writes fabulous fiction books and amazing non-fiction books. The children at HT love his work.

Book Club for Years 3 – 6 started this term. We have 10 permanent members and a few floaters. We have read ‘The war that changed my life’ and have just started ‘The one and only Ivan’. We plan to finish up with the movie ‘The one and only Ivan’ in Week 10.

All library lessons: compliment, work alongside and tie into the Units of Inquiry being covered in classes. Kinder are currently observing the world and cycles, Year 1 are looking at the importance of being innovative, Year 2 are unpacking decisions and consequences, Year 3/4 are exploring survival and the importance of interconnected systems, Year 5/6 are focusing on note taking, refining their research skills, and conducting effective internet searches.

Scholastic Book Club is going well, so well in fact that I have to get orders delivered in separate batches as there are just so many books to sort and give out. Well done to you all for encouraging the wonderful habit of lifelong reading.

Happy Holidays to you all. Please remember to take some time to read to or listen to your child read.

‘Up to Year 3 they are learning to read and after Year 3 they are reading to learn’.

Kate Mertz and Simon Bugden.

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws, the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Central Idea

Scientific Knowledge Leads to Innovation

An inquiry into: 1. The properties of materials (form)  2. Why materials are chosen to meet a particular purpose (function) 3. The impact of science in our daily lives (causation)

Students showed they are Thinkers through investigations

Students showed they are Balanced learners by making ethical decisions    

Students showed they are Knowledgeable learners by exploring concepts and ideas that have significance to our local and global innovations.

Approaches to Learning:

Thinking: Evaluation, analysis, dialectical thinking

Communication: Writing, listening, speaking, presenting 

Research: Plan and conduct scientific investigations and predict outcomes

Social: Developing positive interpersonal relationships and collaboration skills

Self-Management: Organisation, self-regulation and time management

This science-based inquiry was designed to give students hands on experiences with different materials so they can establish what properties they have and how they may be used and combined to meet our needs. During the inquiry, students learnt scientific behaviours such as observing, recording and developing hypotheses. They viewed and conducted a variety of experiments.

Task: Using a variety of materials, the student worked in groups to plan and construct a container to securely hold a sugar cube and keep it from being affected by the elements.

The students enjoyed a hands-on school chemistry workshop all about changes

During this incursion the students of Year 2 learnt about the science that can be found in their own kitchen. They were lead through some hands-on science investigations in chemistry.

Kitchen chemistry found at home:

• physical changes vs. chemical reactions
• acids vs. bases and indicators to detect them
• properties of solids, liquids and gases
• energy changes and more…

Guest Speaker

We were very lucky to have Shannon Battisson come in to visit Year 2 and share with the students information about innovative products that are being used when building houses today.

An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

 Central Idea:

Lines of Inquiry:

An inquiry into:

1. The process of decision making (form/function)
2. Consequences of decision making (causation)
3. The responsibility of meeting community needs (responsibility)

Inquirers – we are curious and like to ask more questions in order to learn more.

Knowledgeable – we understand and learn about many different things.

Principled – we tell the truth and do the right thing.

Communication - writing, presenting, listening 

Thinking skills - evaluation, analysis, dialectical  

Research skills - asking questions, collecting, recording data, planning, interpreting data 

Social skills - group decision making 

Self- Management - organisation and time management

Provocation: 

We got to make a decision about which activity we wanted to do. It wasn’t until after we made our choice that we realised there were rules depending on our decision.

We could choose to: 

1. play outside (rules:  must sit 1.5 metres apart can only play with a cone and no talking)
2. iPad time (use notes to type out the names of all the yr 2 students) 
3. Maths (rules: have fun and play the board games with your friends) 
4. At your desk (rules: free drawing time) 
5. Skipping ropes (untangle, roll up, clean and place back in the tub) 
6. Twister (write the instructions on how to play twister) 
7. Lego (clean the lego) 
8. Design ( Design a covid safe playground game)

Student reflections:

“I chose to play outside because I like moving and running. I was ok and not disappointed. I was thinking I am not going to be out here all day, I can do this. “ Juliette

“I chose iPads because I thought we would get to play games. I felt frustrated when I found out the rules.” Melina

I was disappointed that I didn’t get to play with the lego. If we saw the rules first I wouldn’t have picked lego.” Ema

Creating a new Australian flag: 

We learnt about the 3 flags that Australia currently have. These are the Australian flag, Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander flag. We discovered that the colours and symbols used represent significant features. After learning about the different flags, we decided to design a new Australian flag instead of having 3 separate flags.  

Reflections:

“The colour red represents the earth. Yellow is the sun, green for the grass, and blue for the sea.” Izabel

“The white represents peace and calm and the symbol represents the white headdress that Torres Strait Islanders wear at special events.” Steve

“The seven pointed star represents the states and territories of Australia.” Sage

This article first appeared in Parenting Ideas. It has been written by Dr Kristy Goodwin. In 2018 she presented a parent night here at Holy Trintiy. 

Dr Kristy Goodwin

An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; person, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Central Idea: Survival relies on interconnected systems

Lines of Inquiry:

• The workings of systems
• The consequences of interrupting a system
• The interconnected and interdependent nature of systems

Learner Profile:

• Balanced
• Caring
• Inquirers

Concepts:

• Function
• Causation
• Connection

Provocation:

To begin this unit, students watched a Ted Talk about mindfulness before reflecting on what it means to be healthy. It raised several issues about the mind and how it is a powerful organ in the body that controls how we feel. The students collaborated together to respond to the talk and reflected on this with a tool called Answergarden.

Survival Relies on Interconnected Systems:

In class groups, we explored the central idea “survival relies on interconnected systems”. Students completed a Word Inquiry on each of the words which included finding the meaning of each word and looking at the word origin. 

Expert Groups:

The students worked through Expert Groups where they participated in a lesson with a different 3/4 teacher for each topic. In these expert groups students explored the topics of Mental Health, Spiritual Health, Physical Health and Nutrition. They reflected on these topics before learning further about how they can maintain their health in each of these areas. 

Physical Health: 

Students worked with Mr Davis to explore Physical Health. During the Physical Health session students initially participated in some intense physical exercise to raise their heart rates. Heart rates were compared when sedentary vs when physically active. Students then discussed why their heart rate increases substantially during exercise. This then led to students uncovering the role of our Cardiovascular System in order to understand the role of the heart, veins and arteries during physical exercise. Students left feeling encouraged to increase their physical output and strengthen their heart- in order to be their best ‘physical self’.

Nutrition:

Students worked with Mrs Lee and Miss Caputo to explore Nutrition. They considered the impact of different foods on our body systems, such as the importance of fibre for our digestive health, protein for muscular health and calcium for our skeletal system. The students considered their lunchboxes and looked at the nutritional value of the foods included. They used nutrition labels (where present) and researched the nutritional content for various whole foods. We learned that often a tube yoghurt and a muesli bar can contain all the sugar children should eat in one day! We also explored how marketing can be confusing when considering healthy options for our lunch boxes. 

Mental Health:

Students worked with Mrs BW and Mr Pye to explore Mental Health. The Expert Group session started with what the students knew about Mental Health (what it looks like, sounds like, feels like). We then brainstormed as a class what is good mental health. We also discussed what we are like when we have bad mental health. We talked about the brain and the nervous system and keeping our brain healthy by caring for our mental health. This included mindfulness activities like blowing a feather, the breath ball and taking deep breaths. Our emotions and resilience was also discussed.

Spiritual Health:

Students worked with Miss Meany to explore Spiritual Health. Students began the session by participating in a Christian Mediation. Students identified how they felt in their body and their mind immediately following the meditation, and how this could positively impact their health. We then brainstormed ways we can connect with God in our faith, for example, through reading the Bible, mediating, contemplative prayer, compassion, action, and known prayers. Students also began a reflection on the gifts in their own lives, in the form of an artwork of a secret garden. Every one’s garden is unique, filled with their own gifts such as family, friends, pets, teachers, school and hobbies. 

Following on from participating in these expert groups, students made connections between each of the areas of health and the body systems. Students discovered the interconnected and interdependent nature of each of the areas of health, and each of the body systems. 

I Wonder Questions:

How much sugar does an apple have? Maddie

I wonder if your brain functions if you are stressed? Amelia B

How fast does your nervous system tell your brain something? Aminda

Can you get back into shape after being obese? Mary

I wonder what happens when your heart pumps 2x faster? Aimee

How does your brain remember all the things we learn? Carrie

I wonder where your blood is made in your body? Georgia

Literacy:

The students explored their body systems, and the way these systems interact with the domains of health investigated during their expert groups. They found ways to maintain the health of their body systems (such as through healthy nutrition or not sitting for too long!) and discussed how these systems are interconnected and interrelated, such as the link between the muscular system and the skeletal system. The students created Picture Information Books with a ‘Year 1’ audience in mind to explore 2 body systems and discuss what happens if they are not working effectively.

Visual Arts:

Students explored the proportions of the body through a ‘sausage and egg’ task. This task involved students creating a person using shapes. The length of arms, legs and torso were discussed.

Daily Health Rubric:

At the beginning of our unit, students were presented with a daily/weekly self-assessment rubric. This rubric was broken into four sections:

1. Exercise
2. Mental Health
3. Spiritual Health
4. Diet

Each day, students participated in exercise, Christian meditation and a range of gratitude questions. Each week, students reflected on their week, filled in their rubric and watched their progress grow in these four areas over the course of a five week period.

Science and Incursion:

Science was an important part of this unit and students took part in a human body incursion led by Fizzics. Through this workshop students learnt to appreciate the complexities of the human body. They looked at major body systems and how the five senses worked. They discussed where heat was conserved in the body, how lungs worked and what happens to food when they swallow. They learnt how their actions can affect their body.

In the classroom, students took part in experiments that linked up with the functions of the body such as the taste buds. 3/4Blue enjoyed exploring how the taste buds worked by predicting and then testing their results.

Homework:

Linking in with our Daily rubric and Expert Groups - students had to create a nutritious meal at home, provide photo evidence with recipes and analyse the food groups involved. These were then shared on Seesaw. 

PROVOCATION

Students were prompted with questions about their internet usage and digital footprint. We reviewed the answers and looked at the statistics and data we had collected. Students posted any burning questions they had to Seesaw. 

I really liked how we did a provocation on Google forms because in the past provocations that I’ve done were all hands-on activities. It was interesting to see all the data and information that we received. The learning expereinces that we did were informative, fun and exciting - Adonna

During our ‘how we organise ourselves’ unit I enjoyed inquiring into how ‘humans make decisions about using digital technology in daily life’ because I learnt a lot more about technology then I knew prior to starting this unit. We learnt all about how we use technology responsibly and the consequences of misusing our tech. We also learnt about the interface and data of our own app - Izzy

App Data

Students investigated how different apps track our data and where they store it. Students discussed why it might be important to know where an app keeps our data. Why it is important to know what data our apps are tracking. 

Network Map

Students inquired into the different digital connections we have here at school and at home. Students had to investigate how different devices were connected to each other both physically and wirelessly. 

Apps I Use

Students investigated apps that they used regularly that track information. They looked at how the app is designed, its User Interface and how it displays tracked data.

Big Data  

Students were tasked with designing their own app and tracking device. They had to think innovatively about what information they would track. Students had to design the User Interface for their app as well as decide what would be the ebay way to display the recorded data. 

I enjoyed making an app and using different ways of presenting it. As soon as the task was assigned I knew it would be fun and enjoyable. We got to choose an item and make it track something. I chose a pencil, it tracked what you spelt wrong and right. It also tracked how much you write. I loved this unit and I hope we do it next yeaR - Adelaide

I really enjoyed making an app prototype. It was really fun making the buttons on the app really work. It took a really long time to finish but when I did I couldn’t be prouder. My app was about a tracker on your shoes that tells you where you walked, how many steps you do in a day and a month. It also told you your average steps. This unit was incredibly fun and I hope to do something similar in the near future - Tim

Humans make decisions about using digital technologies in daily life
In this unit of inquiry, we discovered how people use technology in good and bad ways. At the start of the unit, we did a survey so the teachers could see what we do on social media.
At the end, we saw the results and they were interesting because seeing what people do and if they have social media and if they have posted anything so far.
We also made our own app which allowed us to make it about something that we were passionate about or that we were interested in. There were many different types of apps that made it interesting and to see what people wanted to do. We had a specific process that we had to do it in. We looked at some people’s from the years that they had done it and saw their process - Fleur

During this unit of inquiry, we learnt about how humans make decisions about using digital technology in daily life. This unit involved many things starting with a provocation which was a survey about how we use digital technology in our life and outside of school. We did many different activities such as showing people how to use an app and researching what type of security different apps have.
As our end of the unit assessment, we had to make an app that collected data from a
wearable device. I thought this was fun and challenging because we got to use our creativity to design a prototype that we were interested in - Darcy

This term we have be super busy fundraising for our partner school Evaland Hekima in Kenya. Every two weeks we had a different frundraiser - Footy Fever, Crazy Hair, Crazy Sock, Coin Heart and Lolly Guessing Competition.

Coin Heart Day has been our most successful fundraiser. Students had to bring in coins to make the most valuable heart. Congratulations to Kinder Green who were our winners!!

One of our successes this term was getting every fundraiser done on time, sticking posters around the school and advertsing to the community. We also hope to reach our goal of $3000 for Evaland Hekima. We have had success throughout the fundraisers because we worked as a team and helped each other out. Teamwork did make the dream work!!!

Raising money for Evaland Hekima is so important as they are not as fortunate as us. They still are very much in the middle of the pandemic and still require PP equipment to keep them safe. They also need new toilets for the school. We hope our fundraisers help Evaland Hekima!

This term the ICT team has focused on support the younger students at coding club each week. We have enjoyed the company of the students who are willing to come at lunchtime to play with our robots and our newest addition to the robot team 'Apollo the drone'. Everyone loves him and a lot more people have been coming more than ever thanks to Apollo.

Our highlights and successes were coding club at lunchtime and preparing technology for NAPLAN with the keyboards and iPads. 

We have been focusing on coming up with procedures for the new outside sports shed for the students to follow and supporting the teachers when organising sport carnivals. We have also focused on making sure the inside and outside sport sheds are clean.

Our highlights of this term was being able to come up with procedures on how the students borrow and return the equipment that we supply from the sports shed. Another success of ours was the new sports shed and being able to be the sports leaders that get to use the shed first and figure out what works for us. 

Throughout Semester 1 the sustainability group has been working hard to make sustainable changes around Holy Trinity. For example, every morning we give sustainable tips to our school on how to make changes around Holy Trinity and our community. We have also worked in our gardening club to grow fruit and veggies for our canteen and for school families to take home. We encouraged waste free Wednesdays which was successful, so we now encourage to be waste free every day. Earlier this term we celebrated Earth Hour, with an afternoon of activities without the use of lights, aircon or technology. Thank you to the parent helpers who make cupcakes for the classes.

Our progress has been successful and has been shared with the founded of Plastic Free July, Rebecca Prince Ruiz. We were lucky enough to be invited by Rebecca to morning tea at Government House to celebrate the launch of Plastic Free July with Their Excellencies, and representatives of other organisations and schools.

We are now challenging teachers around our school to ditch disposable coffee cups in July and reduce the amount of single use plastics being used.

We also challenge families to join in with Plastic Free July. Find out more info here:

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

Thank you to John (grandfather of Laura 2G and Sam KW) who has been volunteering his time at Gardening Club each week. Please enjoy the photos of our students who attend Gardening Club. If you wish to help out at Gardening Club on a Wednesday at 11:10am, please contact Caitlin Meany - caitlin.meany@cg.catholic.edu.au

The wellbeing group met fortnightly with Mrs Casey to discuss ways to improve the wellbeing of all students. Unfortunately, many of our plans overlapped with other groups or had technical difficulties. However, we enjoyed restocking the duty bags which helped all the teachers and students. We also helped at the school canteen. Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we had 3-5 wellbeing leaders help by handing out lunch orders and helping bag the lunch orders ready for collection. We tried to implement a chill out zone where people who were overwhelmed by anything can go to, well, chill. Unfortunately, we were not able to find an appropriate place to put this zone so we were not able to set the plans in motion. We also began making posters of stickers to put around the school to direct students how to properly use the playground equipment, we were in the progress of making them but we did not finish them in time.