Hello Everyone,

Term 2 is already flying past us and we have been very busy over the last few weeks. I am very impressed with the way so many students are trying hard to improve the neatness of their writing and their general work presentation. We also have a lot of students who are working hard towards their goals set in Term 1. By the end of Term 2 we should be able to set new goals to focus on. 

Science

This term in science we are learning about Natural Resources. This is a very important topic as it relates to the importance of sustainability. So far we have investigated the water cycle and will be learning how water gets from the sky to our taps. The students were very surprised to find out that not everyone in the world is lucky enough to have running water and clean water!

History

At the end of Term 1 we commemorated Anzac Day which integrates perfectly with our Term 2 history topic of investigating the significance time and person in our past. Before ANZAC day students in Room 25 worked in pairs and read about The Red Poppy and ANAZC day. They then summarised the information and made their own red poppies. I was very pleased with the maturity and collaborative skills exhibited during this time. The work is on display in Room 25 for all to see. Please come and take a look at it when you have time. It is very interesting!  

Numeracy

During our numeracy block which is typically held between recess and lunch we have been focusing on column addition and subtraction. During this time we have been working on our ‘Self-Talk’. ‘Self-Talk’ is a process where the students talk out loud as the go through the steps of adding and subtracting with regrouping and borrowing. This strategy enables students to remember complex processes and has been very successful so far. 

Regards

Miss Mills

WGPS SCIENCE SUPERSTARS

In an endeavour to lift the profile of Science across the school and get students enthused about all things 'sciency', we have a whole school fun competition in mind. Participation and enthusiasm is our key objective here. 

This competition has 3 stages:

Stage 1: Each student will research and present either a short science experiment or report on a science related concept, to our class. The students in our class will then select their top two 'Super Scientists'. 

Stage 2: The selected two students will then have to present (again) to ALL the students and teachers in Year 5. An admin representative will will then choose their year group's #1 scientist!

Stage 3: Finally, the school will celebrate our top 6 scientists by getting them to present their report or experiment to the entire school, at a giant Science assembly! There will be prizes awarded to all students who made it through each stage of the process. 

The Presentation:

·                     Can be a report or an experiment 

·                     Can be a maximum of 5 minutes in length

·                     Students can use ICT resources such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word (or similar) to support their presentation

·                     Posters and charts are also an option to assist their presentations

·                     Experiments should be simple to set up, demonstrate the outcome within the time limit, and be safe!
·                     Students will need to explain what they are demonstrating, what procedure they are following, the aim, hypothesis (prediction), materials and of course, the results. Careful consideration should be made to how something happened and why. Some of the children may even think about the real world applications of their science if it applies.

There are many websites that can help assist in finding ideas on what to present. These have been listed below.

Science Kids

CSIRO

Easy science for kids

Kidspot science experiments

Steve Spangler

Science Bob

Fizzics Education

Due Date:  All experiments/reports will be presented in Week 6.

I am looking forward to seeing all of the presentations in Week 6 and I can't wait to learn more about all things science.