Readers Cup Competition

On Thursday 19 June, five of our dedicated students, Collette, Alice, Max, Olivia W and Georgie, represented our school in the Readers Cup competition. The team worked incredibly hard in the lead-up to the event, reading a selection of books and preparing for a series of challenging quiz-style questions.

We are so proud of how they performed on the day. Each student gave their best effort, demonstrating teamwork, perseverance, and a genuine love for reading. While it was a competitive event, our students showed great sportsmanship and enthusiasm throughout the night.

A big thank you to the students for their hard work and to the families for your ongoing support. Well done team!

Year 4 Excursion – Mangroves

On Friday 13 June our Year 4 students headed off to Moreton Bay to participate in the Mangroves and the Environment program. Take a look at 4A’s recount of their day on Moreton Bay.

Year 4 went on an exciting science excursion to Moreton Bay and the mangroves to explore the open ocean and the mangrove ecosystem, while using state of the art scientific equipment.  We went on the “inspiration” catamaran to investigate how the plankton helps the ocean ecosystem.

Charlie stated, “There was a bunch of marvellous creatures that we spotted in the ocean.”

Elzy discovered that some types of mangroves soaked up the salt water from the sea.

Lily enjoyed using the fancy microscopes to identify microorganism.  “The microscopes made them look so big!”

Some of the microorganisms looked like tiny crabs, tiny fish, a pile of sticks and eel-like creatures.  Some even looked like aliens.

Leila enjoyed discovering different species of plankton and mangroves.

Renae enjoyed strolling along the Mangrove boardwalk with binoculars to see the birds in the mangroves.

Troy enjoyed the ride on the boat and using the microscopes to see the amazing microorganisms.

Evie liked the mangrove ecosystem trying to spot the different types of leaf patterns on mangroves.

Josh, Shannade and all of 4A liked learning new things on the boat using the microscopes.

“It was one of the most fantastic days of the year!” Troy announced.

We also received some wonderful feedback from Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre regarding our visit.    

What a wonderful and engaging learning day we had with your Junior Ecologists last week!  

Thank you for enabling your students to participate in the Mangroves and the Environment program with Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre. It was fantastic to see your students’ excitement and enthusiasm for the great outdoors. We would like to congratulate them on their beautiful behaviour and deep thinking across the day.    

Year 1 Excursion – Habitat Heroes

On Friday 20 June our Year 1 students headed off to Moreton Bay to participate in the Habitat Heroes program.

Students boarded the boat, Inspiration and participated in a variety of hands-on scientific investigations as they explored the Bay’s habitats and inhabitants. Sediment sampling and sieving, and vision of underwater footage enabled students to develop their understanding of the environment above and below the water.

Students then walked out onto the intertidal zone at the Manly Foreshore to explore this habitat close up and compared it with the other Bay environments. They discovered different organisms that lived in this habitat, identified them by examining their external features and considered how their survival needs are met. Students reflected on their day to determine how they can apply their learning in order to become Habitat Heroes.

NAIDOC Excursion to Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre

Today our Year 2, 5 and 6 students visited the MBEEC to participate in activities to celebrate NAIDOC Week.  Students were excited to see Matt Burns, the Quandamooka Cultural Officer, as he demonstrated Indigenous lifestyle, culture, tools and weapons.   He took our students through the pond for exploration and shared information passed down to him from his Elders on sustainability.

Students then participated in three activities including Indigenous games, stories from Minjerribah at the yarning circle and explored the bush tucker trail to gain insight into the plants used by the First Nations People of the Quandamooka Region. 

4E also participated in an online drawing activity through the National Portrait Gallery.  Students watched a video about a piece of artwork ‘Infinite dollar note’ that honours Ngan’gikurrungurr Elder Regina Pilawuk Wilson (born 1948), who was a respected artist, leader and knowledge holder. Artist Ryan Presley’s reimagines banknotes to explore the impacts of colonialism. Instead of the usual five-dollar note featuring Queen Elizabeth II, this painting shows Wilson’s face. Presley uses detailed watercolour and a much larger size to highlight the importance of Aboriginal culture.

Symbols on the note have special meaning. The dollar amount is replaced with an infinity sign, showing the endless cultural value of Wilson’s life and work. Native plants like pandanus, lotus and sand palm also appear, linking to traditional weaving. Wilson, who is related to Presley, helped write parts of the design using her language. One word, "Nimbi," means "old cultural ways" and appears like a watermark.

Our students in 4E created their own bank notes with an inspirational person in their life using both line, symbols and sketching.