End of Term One
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a safe and happy school holidays. Thank you to all of our staff that have helped to contribute to a smooth transition to the start of this school year.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Meg Hutchins who has started in our front office. Sally is going away on long service leave commencing Term Two and Meg will be filling her role whilst she is away. We hope you enjoy your time away Sal and if you haven't had a chance to meet Meg, stop by the front office to say hello.
In our classrooms
As a culmination of our learning of The Gingerbread Man book, 1SH made gingerbread men! We measured out all the ingredients and followed the recipe. At the end of the day, we decorated them! A delicious way to end the term.
And here are some pictures of our Grade 3 students measuring the length and building of Lego islands for rules and laws and later presenting their Lego island rules and laws to our community of students and teachers.
STEM Design Learning Bridge Challenge
In grades three and four, students have been constructing a bridge with a 30cm span that is predominantly made of paper. We experimented with the strength of different shapes such as cylinders and triangular and rectangular prisms. There was an option of using 4 corks, 8 icy pole sticks, foil, scrap paper and I only allowed 2 pieces of A4 card. Also lots of tape!!
The aim was for the bridge to hold and balance a tin of beans…. however, the constructions were so good they held a lot more weight. Afterwards we deconstructed our bridges so we could reuse the materials.
In grades five and six, the bridge had to have a 50cm span. We investigated truss and cable bridges to assist our designs. Students first discussed and drew their ideas. Then we began to construct, and they could use icypole sticks, corks, card, hot glue, tape, foil and bring some materials from home.
Once again, the aim was to show balance and strength and hold 1 -2 cans of beans. They held a lot more!
Below are also some pictures of our prep students exploring magnets.
This Week in Art
During Harmony Week every class in the Art room created a decorative hand using pen and ink on colour diffusing paper. Students were inspired by Mehndi, a popular form of body art in South Asia, and the intricate patterns seen on hands, painted with henna.
Each hand represents the individual who created it and became a feather on a beautiful bird of peace. This bird represents our wonderful diverse community at GIPS, filled with many talented individuals. The whole school artwork is now on display in the lab. Pop in and check out the talented artists at GIPS!
Looking for something to do in the school holidays? The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is open to the public showing the Triennial and artwork that has inspired the students this term. This exhibition is free and open to all until April 7, check out the link for more information
https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/triennial/home/
Recently in Physical Education
It has been a wonderful start to our sporting calendar this year!
Over the last month, Prep-Grade 2 students have been revisiting some of the core Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) through games such as Pacman, Poison Ball and Rob the Nest. During these lessons, students have been discussing what makes a good winner and good loser, and how we can help to support others through these situations.
Grade 3-6 students have also been revisiting some of the core Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) through games such as Pacman, Crossover and Endzones. These games emphasise teamwork and the implementation of strategies. It has been great to see the students willingly assist and work together to ensure all members of the team are valued and included in each game.
Grade 3-6 Swimming
On Monday 19th February, a range of GIPS students participated at the District Swimming Carnival. To progress through to the next stage, students had to place in the top two in their individual event. Eleven GIPS students successfully qualified for the Divisional event on Friday 1st March.
Congratulations to all students involved who progressed through to either Divisional or Regional Carnivals. It was great to see the strong display of sportsmanship, respect and encouragement these students displayed to other competing schools and each other on both days.
Upcoming Events
Monday 6th May – Grade 3-6 Cross Country
Tuesday 14th May – District Cross Country
Monday 27th May – Divisional Cross Country
Wednesday 5th June – Grade 3/4 Hooptime
Friday 14th June – Grade 5/6 Hooptime
Endangered Animals Expo in Grade Four
Our students are hard at work creating their endangered animal habitat dioramas in preparation for the Endangered Animal Expo!
Student Focus Group: Voice and Agency
This year, one of our school improvement strategies is to incorporate more student focus groups in order to design, lead and provide feedback on our teaching and learning programs. Here Mrs McDermott is meeting with the School Action Leadership Team (SALT) Promotions student group to discuss the upcoming French Day in Term Two.
