“What a kind, compassionate, caring and inclusive community we have at Unity College. Our students continue to lead by example and do their little bit each day to build a stronger and more respectful community.”
The 2022 – 2025 Strategic Plan is well underway and its really exciting to see the positive changes occurring around the College.
The Strategic Plan has four key areas of:
+ Learning and Growth
+ Community and Culture
+ Market Presence and Branding
+ Resources and Facilities
which were identified after an extensive consultation process with staff, students, and community alike. Each identify strategic priorities that outline how we can achieve these. Having a ‘live’ document to support us to achieve strong, future focussed results is exciting and will enrich our student’s learning experiences.
From our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program authorisation late last year and our delivery to authorisation of the IB Middle Years Program this year, our curriculum offering will set Unity up for educational success, particularly with a strong
SACE curriculum offering. With the wellbeing of our students at the forefront of our minds, our focus on wellbeing in the school will additionally add value to our care of our young people. Communication of our ‘Unity Way’ – the way we do things here at Unity – will enable students to know their value and set high standards of themselves and their school, so they can work and learn in a safe environment. That communication transcends to our families and wider community with a strong community presence, showcasing the many ways Unity is unique and strong. The upgrading of our facilities and resources to support all the above will mean that you will see the progression of a new site Masterplan, the Middle and Senior School Resource Centre upgrade and indoor and outdoor learning spaces that support flexible approaches to learning, with an emphasis on contemporary, 21st Century practices.
It is hoped you will see many changes over the coming months and that by 2025 the strategic vision we hold now will become a reality. Watch this space!
“Enabling students to know their value and set high standards of themselves and their school so they can work and learn in a safe environment.”
+ ‘Be kind’.
+ ‘Be brave’.
+ ‘Stand up for what is right’.
+ ‘Listen to each other’.
+ ‘Have respect’.
+ ‘Stand up for others’.
These are just some of the comments coming from Unity students as we recognised National Reconciliation Week this term. Among other activities, our Year 9 Ambassadors and Student Leaders acted as roving reporters, asking their fellow students to share and record their thoughts on reconciliation. The comments above show what a kind, compassionate, caring and inclusive community we have at Unity College and we pray that our students, staff and families continue to lead by example and do their little part each day to build a stronger and more respectful community.
Unity College staff and Student Leaders joined almost 200 people to participate in the annual Bridge Walk, crossing the old Murray Bridge to celebrate the first Australians during NAIDOC Week 2023.
Term 2 started with a smaller number of students due to family commitments in Community. The remaining 3 students joined us later in the term. Highlights included football for the fellas, who all played locally for Ramblers. We particularly congratulate Geoffrey who was invited to train at West Adelaide and selected to play in the Murraylands Association team. The girls meanwhile participated in Ten Pin Bowling each week.
The pinnacle of the term was the celebration of 50 Years of Bilingual Education in Areyonga. In 1973, the Areyonga school was chosen as one of five pilot programs, and are
Scan the QR code to see more photos from National Reconciliation Week activities at Unity College.
extremely proud to still be teaching it today. The day was a celebration of language and culture and showcased cultural activities such as spear making, basket weaving, bush medicine, painting and ceremony. It was special for Unity representatives to be invited and participate in a day where ex-principals, teacher linguists, teachers and students returned to the community to celebrate the big milestone.
Unity’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day saw over 400 special visitors descend on the College for a morning of family, community and connection.
After enjoying a devotion led by our Year 9 Student Ambassadors our guests were then treated to a private tour of the campus with their host, morning tea and time in the classroom.
Grandparents and Special Friends play such an important role in the development of our students, and we thank everyone who joined us.
Scan the QR code to see more photos from Grandparents and Special Friends Day.
Unity was represented at 2023 ANZAC Day Dawn Services throughout the Murraylands. Our students wore their uniforms with pride (even during the school holidays) and laid wreaths on behalf of our school community.
+ Murray Bridge RSL –Bella Schubert, Alicia Koop and Riley Franke
+ Tailem Bend RSL – Fallon Small and Tyler White
+ Mannum RSL – Alecia, Taya and Daniel Bormann
+ Coonalpyn Lutheran Church –Baxter and Ella Gierus-Heintze
+ Bowhill Lutheran Church –Narelle & Briannah Griffiths and Molly & Zoe Hawkes
Unity welcomed the first class of Little Scholars late Term 2 – our very special pre-Reception students. They settled in well to their new ‘classroom’ environment, making new friends and having lots of fun with the teacher Mrs Klein. We look forward to watching our Little Scholars learn and grow over what will (hopefully) be a complete R-12 journey at Unity College!
Year 3 students and staff were privileged to visit the Lutheran Homes on Owl Drive to participate in a Bible Study about Noah’s Ark, led by Tracey Woidt (College Board representative) with residents.
It was heart-warming to see the intergenerational authentic engagement, respect, connections and conversations, as the ‘littler friends’ worked with the ‘older friends’ to answer questions about the Bible, talking about treating others how we want to be treated, and how Jesus treats others. The Bible Study ended with constructing a little boat.
The Lutheran Homes residents were so encouraged by this visit. It put a spring in their step, and they have invited the students back for more visits. A lovely opportunity to experience intergenerational learning and sharing of God’s love.
The Year 4 classes continued to build connections and friendships with the Concordia Kindergarten students. Visit one saw students using fantastic teamwork to make self portraits using natural materials. Unity then visited Concordia, where they heard the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff, saw pictures of some pretty amazing bridges and were challenged to make a bridge using a bag of mystery materials. The excited chatter, sharing of ideas and smiles as they achieved their goal was heartwarming. In the words of the Year 4 students:
+ 'I love how cute and funny they are.'
+ 'They are friendly, nice and cute and you can help them when they need your help.'
+ 'I like doing all the activities with the kindy buddies.'
+ 'They are as short as me and I like that!'
Our 2023 Year 12s waited a whole decade to relive one of their favourite Junior School memories –the Year 2 Sleepover – by spending the night at Unity for their Mid-Year Staycation. The gallery was wall to wall in the girls’ swags and the boys took over the steeple (odour included!)
A new addition for 2023, the Year 11s ventured to Robe for a retreat aimed at building community and togetherness. Taking place after completing mid-year exams and before beginning second semester courses, the vibe was relaxed and peaceful. The Year 11s played games, built sandcastles and completed service work for the ‘Friends Of Little Dip’, were honest and vulnerable in devotional times and most importantly formed new connections and strengthened old ones. Rested and restored to tackle Semester Two!
It began with loads of fun and a lot of competitive spirit in Tanunda playing ten pin bowling and mini golf. Students also took time out in sessions to reflect on where they’ve been and where they’re headed. These were presented by Year 12 PC staff, Paul from Headspace and Megan from Lincoln College. Students also had the opportunity to give back to our school community through service activities including supporting students on the Junior School (most popular), cooking meals for families in need, cleaning the Middle School sports shed, sweeping the stadium floor and tidying various art cupboards.
Finding ways to build perseverance and grit has been a focus of the Middle School Pastoral Care program in Term 2, particularly through investigating ways we can overcome challenges and put a positive spin on learning through failure. Students were treated to another visit from Sammy G (aka Sam Ghamrawi from Sekseed Projects) to further inspire our students with his words and wisdom.
Sammy bolstered our program outcomes through his high energy – high engagement workshop where he equipped students with strategies to be active, focus and use our words to move beyond a negative and fixed mindset.
The annual Middle School Social saw 60 Middle Schoolers join in the fun under the theme ‘Neon’! There were multiple games played and prizes won. There were two DJ’s, Jess and Sam, as Mr Fiegert supplied his DJ decks. Thank you also to the many teachers who helped on the night and to the Year 9 Ambassadors for helping to make it happen.
The Reception students proudly paraded their creative costumes as part of the annual Jolly Phonics Dress Up Day. There was a CCCow, a HHHelicopter, a NNNurse, a FFFisherman, an OOOld(er) Lady, a MMMypo footballer and everything in between.
As a part of the Year 4 Social Skills Program, the Lake Albert boys enjoyed a tour of the local ‘Men’s Shed’ in Murray Bridge. The boys were fascinated by the working machines – including laser cutters – model making, metal work, paint shop and the specially made gardening beds. A wonderful time of community and sharing with some dads and granddads also attending.
Year 1s visited local playgrounds and reserves in Murray Bridge, including Long Island Reserve, Sturt Reserve and Memorial Park, and observed the changes to the landscape since the recent flood event and record the natural, managed, and constructed features of local places. On return to school, students wrote and shared letters with Mrs Blatchford, persuading her to install new playground equipment after
An afternoon of mud and fire themed nature play saw the Reception – Year 2 students use all their senses as they got dirty and enjoyed hands on learning through play. Fire pits, marshmallows, moulding clay, building and creating were just some of the activities on offer. They were also joined by the Concordia Kindergarten students which made the afternoon even more special.
Scan the QR code to see more photos from the Mud and Fire Nature Play Day.
National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is an Australia-wide group reading and literacy event, where schools, libraries and other institutions gather school-aged children together to read a chosen picture book at the same time. This year the book was ‘The Speedy Sloth’ written by Rebecca Young and our Junior School students joined in with over 2million other children from the Steeple. Who doesn’t love story time and promoting the value of reading and literacy!
The Year 3 students participated in their Indigenous Studies focus camp at Aldinga this term. From preparing and cooking fish in a firepit, painting boomerangs, orienteering, and looking at artifacts and tools, their experiences were varied, unique and educational. Highlights included:
“I liked cooking the fish and the night hike. It was interesting learning about the medicine bush.”
Hudson Beacham“I made a story on my boomerang… I painted my home, a road, three kangaroo paws, five birds, the sun and two plants.”
Zoe CartwrightScan the QR code to see more photos from the Year 3 Camp.
Selfless service to others builds beautiful communities, and this is something we strive to model at Unity. The Year 4s had their own Service Day at the end of Term 2 helping to clean and plant while leaving encouraging messages around the grounds to support their fellow students. We are very proud of their enthusiasm, skills and effort!
Year 5 students ventured over the border for the first time in 3 years to participate in the Costumed Schools Program at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat – a fully immersive program where once costumed, the students became a living exhibit in the Sovereign Hill Outdoor Museum, role playing being a child of the 1850s at the 'Wesleyan Day School' on the Victorian goldfields.
“We had to go to a school just like it was in 1851. We got new clothes called knickerbockers and a cap and jacket as well.”
“We met our Wesleyan teacher, then we had to follow her to the dressing room in a silent line. We got dressed and walked to our school. She taught us how kids lived in the olden days. We called her ma’am.”
Scan the QR code to see more photos from the Year 5 Camp.
Year 10 students completed Work Experience with a wide variety of employers throughout the Murraylands and Adelaide region. From education to cabinet making, hospitality to medical imaging, photography to veterinary science, aviation to plumbing, the Year 10s delved into their possible future careers with eyes open and a desire to learn.
Thank you to all the businesses and employers who hosted students. Your willingness to support and invest time and resources into the next generation is greatly appreciated.
Assisting our students to plan their pathways beyond school is an important part of the Middle/Senior School curriculum at Unity College. This includes Universities visiting students on site to compliment the off-site Expos and Open Days attended by students. With the aim of providing students with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their future, Flinders University presented the River Journey Program, designed to raise the aspirations of students who are currently underrepresented in Higher Education. The Year 12s then enjoyed 1:1 sessions with career counsellors from Uni SA, Flinders and Adelaide University to further explore their pathways and opportunities for future success.
Our Year 10s made the most of a visit to the Careers & Employment Expo at the Adelaide Showgrounds. They enjoyed conversations with a wide range of education providers, training organisations and employers. In the words of one of our students...
“The Career Expo was an amazing experience, and I am lucky to have had the opportunity to attend it. I got to have a wonderful one-on-one conversation with the University of Tasmania, (a university I was interested in going to) I got loads of information, not only on vital marine biology course details, but I found an online study program that I could complete in Year 11. Not only can it go towards my SACE, but it will also allow me to go for an exclusive study trip to Tasmania! Overall, the Career Expo was a big step forward in learning about my study possibilities in the coming years.”
Just one way Unity creates opportunities for our students to explore every possibility, so they can make informed decisions.
Unity College Cert 3 Rural Operation students took part in a Welding workshop where they learnt to MIG Weld – completing a bike stand.
For the Unit of Inquiry: Sharing the Planet, Year 2 students heard from Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) about the importance of water across the world and the effects on communities who have minimal access to clean water. The students were thoroughly engaged in hearing the struggles that children and families go through every day to find clean water and to have enough water to irrigate their crops. They were so moved that they asked the question ‘how can we help?’ and have decided to negotiate with their families about getting paid $2 per week (for 3 weeks) to do some chores around the home. It only costs $6 for an irrigation system to water their crops and vegetation, so what a difference this money can make for these poorer communities.
Year 11 Outdoor Education students ventured to Melrose in the Southern Flinders Ranges, to put their theoretical learning into practice. Brilliant weather, and some true grit and determination saw students successfully complete their planned hikes. Some groups even put their navigation skills to the ultimate test with some off-track walking.
The incredible Year 10 Geography class embraced a highly anticipated field trip to various riverside locations in Murray Bridge, including Sturt Reserve, Thiele Reserve and Riverglades Wetlands. Students learnt about various environmental management strategies that are in action in our local area, and how they fared through the recent flooding event. They assessed the effectiveness of the strategies and discussed our field trip inquiry question: Are the river management strategies along the Murray River in Murray Bridge suitable in order to balance the recreational interests of residents and tourists with the sustainability of the river environment? We congratulate the Year 10s on their excellent engagement with our local community.
Three of Unity’s very talented and creative Year 10 Japanese students took part in a Japanese Movie
Making day at St John’s Grammar in Belair. The students worked in mixed groups with students from other schools and created a Japanese commercial based on a mystery product. They were able to film and edit their Japanese commercials before watching them as a group, and voting on their favourites. A great experience and way to practice their Japanese language skills outside of the classroom. A free sushi lunch was also a highlight!
After studying WW2 and the Holocaust, Year 10 History students visited the Holocaust permanent exhibit in Adelaide and the ANZAC Memorial Walk. In what was a very interactive learning experience, students appreciated hearing firsthand the very personal stories of Holocaust survivors who lived in South Australia after the war.
The Agriculture Department at Unity College continues to grow and develop, offering students various opportunities to experience agricultural best practice.
Term 2 saw the arrival of the 2023 Show Team livestock. Students enjoyed getting to know their animals and are progressing well with their handling skills. Thank you to our breeders for their support of the Livestock Teams through the donation of stock:
+ Boer Goats - Bon Chevon Dairy Goats - Michael Leopardi and Cath Evans
+ Dairy Heifers - Springvale
Illawarras
+ Steers - Lancaster Simmental
x Angus, Caithness Charolais, Granite Ridge, Knockando
+ Merino Wethers - Lucernbrae
Other highlights included:
+ Year 9 Vegetable Production class growing and selling produce to family and staff, including a very successful stall at Grandparents and Special Friends Day.
+ Using the newly installed hot house more for growing strawberries, tomatoes and capsicums.
+ Year 5 Cows Create Careers (CCC)students hearing from the Murraylands CCC Advocate Mr Steve Hein about many aspects of the dairy industry including the importance of feed, hay and pasture production for producing a good quality dairy product.
+ Year 12 Agriculture students attended Hort Connections 2023 at the Adelaide Convention Centre - Australia and New Zealand's largest horticulture conference and trade show, celebrating the vital role that horticulture plays in our economic, health and nutritional wellbeing.
The 2023 Pedal Prix season kicked off this term with teams competing in two races.
Two teams took to The Bend track with Minnie Mouse placing 2nd in the Open Girls category and Bunyip placing 7th in the Open category. Amazing results for a very young team and some personal best times produced!
All five Unity College Pedal Prix bikes competed at the Adelaide event with our Year 5 students competing for the first time! After 6 hours of racing, the results were:
+ Bunyip – 4th (Open)
+ Minnie Mouse – 2nd (Open Girls)
+ Road Runner – 7th
+ Tweety – 19th
+ Sylvester – 47th
A great start to another exciting year of Pedal Prix. #StrengthInUnity!
The sporting highlight no one asked for… the annual Flat Netball Staff vs Student game closed Term 2 with a closely fought contest. Ultimately, it was the Staff taking the win 21-19 to make it four in a row… but the students are getting closer. Will 2024 be their year?!? A highlight was the support from the stands. It's building every year and we love it!
It was a big term of Knock Out Sport and SAPSASA and we congratulate all our students and staf who represented Unity (and the Murraylands) with great determination and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
5/6 Soccer (Boys): Wyatt Gallasch, William Hollis, Joshua Johnson, Maverick Mickan, Josh Zarantonello (Year 6) Lachlan Cameron, Chol Chol, Kaiden Gates, William Haggie, Suleman Khan, Ollie Matthewson, Xander McMahon, Minh Nguyen (Year 5) Isla Mickan (Ref) (Year 9)
7/8 Soccer (Girls): Elizabeth Cartledge, Amelia DeMichele, Lenni Hincks, Ella Ireland, Sophie Jacobs, Zoe Michalik, Lily Purvis, Ava Schubert, Zanna Turner, Annabelle Vowles, Cianna Watkins, Allegra Willason (Year 8) Arabella Milne, Abby Sanders, Helayna White (Year 7) Isla Mickan (Referee) (Year 9)
7/8 Soccer (Boys): Tyrone Beinke, Harry Cartledge, Deng Chol, Liam Court-Jamieson, Ethan Fiegert, Aiden Franke, Chad Freund, Toby Hollis, Aiden Johncock, Alex Mundy, Ryley Neumann, Thomas Nuske, Lucas Piggott, Max Reljich (Year 8) Josiah White, Jeremiah White (Year 7) Jayden Vokes (Referee) (Year 12)
5/6 Football (Boys): Jeremy Caceres, Jake Hartwig, William Hollis, Joshua Johnson, Philip Talbot, Jack Watson, Charlie Williams (Year 6) Nate Edson, Kaiden Gates, Suleman Khan, Ollie Matthewson, Oscar McGorman, Xander McMahon, Callum Oster, Nate Slok (Year 5)
5/6 Football (Girls): Layla Carson, Airlie Clayson, Indii Garrett, Charlie Harries, Matilda Harvey (Captain), Stella Knight, Logan Morrell, Hannah Shaw, Sadie Vowles (Year 6) Evie Calnan, Maddi Kemp, Molly Mason, Jade Piggott, Summer Skinner (Year 5)
9/10 Football (Boys): Patrick Bald, Spencer Hincks, Hayden Law, Logan McCabe, Jacob Neumann, Leroy Rathjen, Campbell Schubert (Captain), Rylie Stephenson, Sam Tonkin (Year 10) Roclin Bates, Archie Bell, William Crouch, Denzel Gallagher. Taj Garrett, Louie Hayes, Eli Hollis, Brady Lienert, Carl Modra, Ethan Morrell, Harry Saint, Tyler White (Year 9)
11/12 Football (Boys): Geoffrey Barnes, Jack Bell, Conor Cheriton, Seth Earl, Riley Franke, Seth Greenshields, Brayden Hein, Cooper Laube, Brodie Maloney, Callum Thomas, Ethan Watkins (Year 12) Oscar Coull, Hamish Dow, Noah Heym, Justin Miller, Bailey Morrell, Taj Rowe (Year 11) Logan McCabe, Campbell Schubert (Year 10) Taj Garrett, Tyler White (Year 9)
10-12 Football (Girls): Sienna Daniell, Olivia Eldridge (Captain), Briannah Griffiths (Captain) Emily Kerr, Dallas Merry, Emelia Morgan, Bella Schubert (Year 12) Ruby Ballard, Alecia Bormann, Millie Daniels, Georgia DeMichele, Narelle Griffiths, Kyla Jarvis, Rhea Kempe, Bridie Loller, Caitlin Michalik, Mia Perriman, Amelia Shute (Year 11) Abbie Coles, Tyler Edwards, Jessica Kerr, Millicent Manning, Isabella Mulyk, Erin Poulish (Year 10)
5/6 Netball: Madison Burgemeister, Airlie Clayson, Indii Garrett, Stella Knight, Lucy Mason, Logan Morrell, Sadie Vowles (Year 6) Bella Marchetti, Molly Mason, Jade Piggott (Year 5) Olivia Eldridge (Umpire) (Year 12)
7/8 Netball: Elly Burgemeister, Amelia DeMichele, Lara Franke, Yasmin Harrowfield, Lenni Hincks, Sophie Jacobs, Zoe Michalik, Ava Schubert, Cianna Watkins (Year 8) Zoe Harrington (Year 7)
9/10 Netball: Gemma Cocks, Abby Harrowfield, Layla Hearne, Jessica Kerr, Millicent Manning, Erin Poulish, Rosie Vowles (Year 10) Ariel Challinger, Porsha Marchetti (Year 9)
11/12 Netball: Sienna Daniel (Captain), Olivia Eldridge, Briannah Griffiths, Emily Kerr, Dallas Merry, Bella Schubert, Piper Wegener (Captain) (Year 12) Georgia DeMichele, Bridie Loller, Emily King (Assistant Coach) (Year 11)
5/6 Basketball (Boys): Izak Eleutheriou, William Hollis, Joshua Johnson, Michael Long, Philip Talbot, Jack Watson (Year 6) Maverick Mickan (Year 5)
5/6 Basketball (Girls): Madison Burgemeister, Airlie Clayson, Indii Garrett, Lucy Mason, Logan Morrell, Sadie Vowles (Year 6) Molly Mason (Year 5)
7/8 Basketball (Boys): Oakley
Edwards, Ethan Fiegert, Riley Kohler, Alex Mundy, Xavier O'Brien, Max Reljich (Year 8) Seth Rankine, Koen Wilson (Year 7)
7/8 Basketball (Girls): Elly Burgemeister, Zemiah Campbell, Amelia DeMichele, Yasmin Harrowfield, Ava Schubert, Annabelle Vowles (Year 8) Shay-Lee Maloney (Year 7)
11/12 Basketball (Boys): Jack Bell, Seth Earl, Cooper Laube, Brodie Maloney, Ethan Watkins (Year 12) Oscar Coull, Bailey Morrell, Taj Rowe (Year 11)
11/12 Basketball (Girls): Olivia Eldridge, Emily Kerr, Piper Wegener (Year 12) Gemma Cocks, Layla Hearne, Jess Kerr, Tyler Edwards (Referee), Rosie Vowles (Referee) (Year 10)
Cross Country: Isabella Roberts, Rosie Vowles (Year 10)
Layla Hearne (Year 10) represented Australia at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Chicago, USA in July. Layla, as a member of the ATC Academy Team White, played in their divisions Grand Final.
Kairui Zhang (Year 2) was selected as one of 89 students –from over 370 entries – to be included in the 2023 SA Refugee Week Youth Poster Awards Exhibition on display in the new Children’s ArtSpace Gallery at the Adelaide Festival Centre until 11 August.
Ruby Ballard (Year 11) plays AFL for West Adelaide and received the SANFLW Emerging Talent award at the 2023 SANFLW Best and Fairest Awards.
Kaitlyn Stamatakis (Year 12) recently acted as a mentor for the Operations Flinders Program. "I made the decision right after completing my own Operation Flinders walk that I wanted to walk again, and I took the opportunity to start my training as a Next Stepper which would eventually enable me to become a Peer Group Mentor. Operation Flinders had, and continues to have a huge impact
on my life, and I am grateful for everything that Operation Flinders and the past participant program has done for me. This year, after a lot of training, I was finally able to walk again as a mentor for an amazing group of young people from Burra and Eudunda schools. My group consisted of nine, 13-17 year old participants as well as two school teachers, me as the Peer Group Mentor and two Operation Flinders staff members. We walked for a total of 8 days and covered over 100km." For more information on the Operation Flinders program visit operationflinders.org.au. [1]
Baxter Gierus-Heintze (Year 12) completed AMEB Theory of Music Grade 4 Exam with Honours. [2]
Football (Boys): Charlie Williams, Jack Watson, Izak Eleutheriou (Year 6) Callum Oster (Year 5)
Swimming: Cooper Galbraith [3], Indii Garrett, Stella Knight, Taylor Lienert (Year 6) Josh Zarantonello (Year 5)
Cross Country: Lachlan Cameron (Year 5), Airlie Clayson, Sadie Vowles (Year 6)
Netball: Matilda Harvey, Taylor Lienert, Airlie Clayson, Indii Garrett, Sadie Vowles, Lucy Mason, Madison Burgemeister, Logan Morrell (Year 6) Bella Marchetti, Molly Mason (Year 5)
Our Term 2 Inquiry has focused on ways we can care for our world leading to a sustainability focus. We dove deep into the ocean, learning about how to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics to care for our marine life and developed our numeracy skills as we counted and compared the amount of rubbish in our lunch boxes over time using visual displays. Children also had the opportunity to make their own reusable bees wax lunch wrap to help reduce waste.
Early in Term 2, each child received the very special gift of a Bible, generously donated and presented by members of the Lutheran Church community and our penpals. We celebrated this wonderful event with a presentation in the Church, and a time of Bible story reading and story play. It was exciting to see the joy and delight as children explored their new Bibles, which led to sharing of Bible stories about helpers and kindness during our Christian Studies time.
We celebrated Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week by sharing of the Ngarrindjeri dreaming story about Thukeri, and the picture book Somebody’s Land, introducing concepts of First Nations People’s ownership and relationship with the land.
The children’s enthusiasm for creepy crawlies is an interest they never tire of! This term we hosted an Incursion from Bugs and Slugs where children were able to use all their senses to extend their learning about a wide range of creatures on display.
Special events this term included welcoming our Mum’s, Nana’s and Aunties to a special night of pampering and activities to celebrate Mother’s Day, and Mud and Fire Day fun, with marshmallow cooking at Unity. We also said farewell and good luck to our friends starting school with a certificate and candle presentation, as we wrapped up another amazing term of learning and fun.
