Many of our classes have enjoyed time in the garden since our return from remote learning. We have planted different seeds and seedlings, including beans, tomatoes, corn, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin and watermelon.

We have observed the growth of an abundance of fruit on our fruit trees- cherries, apples, pears, plums, nectarines, peaches, figs, oranges and limes. We eagerly await when they will be ready to eat.

Students have helped with planting, watering, weeding, looking after our chickens, collecting compost and identifying pests in the garden.

Thanks for a wonderful time in the garden!

This term in physical science we have been exploring electrical circuits. Students have had a ball making fans, radios, dexterity games, keyboatds and lucky number generators with our circuit kits. Can you name all the parts of an electrical circuit?

Last week senior students had a chance to explore electrical circuits and coding using our new Micro:bits.

Just a quick post to let you know there is an online event promoting girls in Tech running at the moment with many pre-recorded events and expert talks that students can access from home. Though the messaging encourages girl’s participation, all students can access the event recording links with parent permission.

Girls’ Tech Day 2020

National Science Week 2020 – Deep Blue: Innovation for the future and our oceans

Next week we will be celebrating National Science Week 2020. The theme this year is Deep Blue: Innovation for the future and our oceans. Your family may like to check out the National Science Week website for a range of different events and competitions. The website is https://www.scienceweek.net.au/. Students can share their science work with Mrs Winder in their STEM Google Classroom or via email awinder@stbofficer.catholic.edu.au if they wish.

Some great events and competitions that I have found include:

Junior activities:

Make a marine creature

Research and make your own marine creature and go in the running for some great prizes.

https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/deep-blue-marine-steam-competition-for-3-10-year-olds/

Little Bang Discovery Club On Demand

Young children are already great scientists without even knowing it. This hands-on program combines everyday objects and experiences with genuine scientific enquiry methods that children and their accompanying parents will thoroughly enjoy.

https://waggalibrary.com.au/riverina-science-hub/little-bang-discovery-club-on-demand

Call of the Blobfish – a Pod Play by Kids Story Room

https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/call-of-the-blobfish-a-pod-play-by-kids-story-room/

To register: https://mailchi.mp/c403b838c2d9/call-of-the-blobfish

All levels:

Ocean Habitats Video with SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Join the Education Manager Olivia from our SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, as she takes you on a journey and introduces you to ocean habitats! You could also check out the live streams from the aquarium. https://youtu.be/VXjjurv5i_M

InquiBox At Home Science Scavenger Hunt

Download this scavenger hunt and complete as a family. You need to answer some tricky science questions along the way.

https://mcusercontent.com/022f1c4e0ef82bc53eb9cb7a9/files/d4dd241f-042c-4390-beb5-a0772ca4e021/InquiBox_At_Home_Science_Scavenger_Hunt.01.pdf?mc_cid=b467df5af4&mc_eid=f6fb2e4d4e

Swim with the Giant Australian Cuttlefish – Virtual Tour

Read some amazing facts about the Giant Australian Cuttlefish, and check out the virtual tour off the coast of South Australia.

https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/swim-with-the-giant-australian-cuttlefish-virtual-tour/

You could also check out the Underwater ROV Cuttlefish Challenge which is more suitable for older levels:

https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/an-rov-cuttlefish-challenge/

Register here: https://www.inspiringwa.org.au/australian-giant-cuttlefish

Future Scientist Quiz

Complete a short quiz to find out how your interests could lead to a career in science.

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=future-scientist-national-science-week-career-quiz9k

Young Scientist Paper Planes Challenge

https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/young-scientist-paper-planes-challenge/

Middle and Senior Research Projects

CSIRO National Science Week 2020 Challenge

https://www.csiro.au/en/Showcase/Challenge

Poster Competition

Collaborate, investigate, create. Develop, implement and creatively report upon (in poster format) an investigation on any area or topic of interest … for prizes.  https://ssapostercomp.info/

Families have made an astounding effort during our remote learning last term. Communication has occurred primarily through the various online learning platforms of Google Classroom, Class Dojo and email for Foundation.

In Science and Sustainability we explored our understanding in chemical science in many different ways, using materials we had at home. Our Middles and Seniors even had an online STEAM Workshop about Solids, Liquids and Gases with professional dancers from the Australian Ballet. We could also participate in Costa’s ‘What’s in your backyard?’ competition.

In Digital Technology, students could access their various Code.org courses with amazing progress made in learning to use block code.  Students also tried out different Unplugged Robot Games, and some diffeent apps including the BeeBot App and Lightbot: Hour of Code.

As a commendation for the excellent work I have received during this time, please celebrate our success and achievements!

Introducing Code.org

This year we introduced a specialist Digital Technologies component to our STEMS program, with an extra lesson for every class every fortnight. The school also invested in a variety of different robots, programming and engineering equipment.

In the junior area, our work in class has including basic ‘Unplugged’ programming like giving verbal directions to a human robot, writing simple codes with arrows, drawing paths for line tracking Ozobots, programing Beebots with simple directional instructions and programming Dash and Dot robots with an app on the iPads.

Every student in the school has also accessed a free online coding website – Code.org. Each student has their own log in on our school account. Grades 3, 4, 5 & 6 students log in with their Google account. For Foundation and Grades 1 & 2 students, they have a unique class section code or URL, and a picture code.

Code.org has a number of different courses for students of different ages and I have selected an appropriate course for each level. Students are able to progress through the set course at their own pace. There are video lessons and sequential tasks to teach students different aspects of coding.

https://code.org/

During this unique time, I am very aware of the enormous stress families may be experiencing on many different levels. Accessing Code.org from home is an optional task if you feel it is appropriate for your family, however it can provide some fun, independent learning time and help develop their coding skills.

If your family chooses to access Code.org during this time, I am available to offer support as needed. For Gardes 3, 4, 5 & 6 students, sending a private message on the Assignment page of Google Classroom is the easiest way. If your child is in Grade 1/2, your code should be in the front cover of their work book, but if you need your code please email me your child’s full name and class. If your child is finding their current course too difficult, just let me know and I can also allocate a different course. I will endeavour to get back to you as soon as I can during school hours Tuesday to Thursday, as I am managing remote learning students from across the whole school, as well as my own children’s remote learning tasks.

I look forward to seeing you all back in the classroom and giving our students many opportunities to use our new resources at school.

What’s in your backyard?

This week our Science and Sustainability classes are asking ‘What’s in your backyard?’ Kids across Australia are grabbing a camera to snap photos of the flora and fauna in their backyard in this new Junior Landcare campaign, then writing a short explanation of why it is important to them (25 words or less).

I hope you can take some time to check out your backyard and think about why it is important to you. Costa will tell you more about it on the video link below:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/391877256

Students can share their photo and comment in Class Dojo or their STEM 2020 Google Classroom.

If your parents would like to, together you can also submit your entry publicly online in the official Junior Landcare ‘What’s in my Backyard’ competition. 

Don’t forget to ask your parents first before posting any photo or any of your information online.

Here is the link for Junior Landcare ‘What’s in your backyard?’ Campaign

Hi everyone and welcome back to Term 2 in a way that has never been done before!

I am back, healthy and ready to jump into online teaching for our STEMS curriculum.

Middles and Seniors all have access to the STEM 2020 Google Classroom for your class, and Juniors and Foundation parents will receive emails from their classroom teachers with their specialist work or through the Class Dojo.

Our focus across all the levels will be chemical science this term, and we will continue our work in Code.org for Digital Technologies, but I will also be sharing a variety of resources for free-choice STEMS activities to keep your brains ticking.

Below is my first link for the ABC Me Education channel, which has a number of science related shows at designated times. I’m looking forward to Science Max! and Fierce Earth about Hurricanes today from 12.20.

ABC Me – Week 1 Guide  https://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/12136602/data/abc-tv-education-term-2-2020-guide-%2814-april—8-may%29-data.pdf

My family have also been enjoying watching episodes of the Magic School Bus and The Magic School Bus Rides Again through our Netflix account at home. Do any other parents remember watching that at school?

Please subscribe to my blog to stay get alerts as new posts appear here.