Mrs Dunwoody shares an update on the refurbishment of Barbara Sutton Hall, and Mrs McClure reflects on her time on the European Music Tour.
Within the first 2 weeks of Term 3, Ormiston has come alive with EL3 – Year 6 students reconnecting, settling in, and embracing their learning with plenty of enthusiasm. From the first session after the school holidays, classrooms have been filled with eager faces, thoughtful conversations, and a renewed sense of curiosity that reminds us of the joy of learning.
It has been heartening to see students stepping back into familiar routines while also welcoming new opportunities and challenges. Whether it’s revisiting foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, or diving into exciting new projects, our Junior School students have shown resilience, confidence, and a genuine commitment to their learning already at the start of a new term.
As Head of Junior School, I quickly found the playground was filled with laughter, and our classrooms have been echoed with respectful greetings and shared moments of connection. Teachers and staff have noted the smooth transitions and the kindness shown by students as they support one another, reflecting the strong sense of community that makes our school so special.
A special thank you to Ormiston families for their continued partnership and encouragement this year. Your support helps set the tone for a term filled with the anticipation of new experiences and challenges, as well as special events.
This week, we celebrated a truly special milestone in the journey of our Foundation students, 100 magical days in primary school. From those first steps earlier in the year to now, the confident strides we see each morning, our youngest Junior School students have come a long way, and we couldn’t be prouder.
Throughout these 100 days, the students have embraced new friendships, discovered the joy of learning, and grown in courage, creativity, and curiosity. They have mastered routines, tackled challenges, and most importantly, have spread kindness and smiles to every corner of Ormiston.
This achievement is a testament to our Foundation students’ resilience and the nurturing support from families and teachers. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped lay the foundations for such a joyful start to each child’s educational journey.
Angela W of Year 6 was fortunate to win the MCC Glen Iris Junior Tennis Tournament during the Term 2 school holidays. This was a very rewarding experience for her after a lot of training and dedication. Angela was challenged during every match she played, but she stayed composed and was able to adapt her game. The tournament helped Angela grow not just as a player, but in the areas of resilience and focus. We look forward to hearing more about Angela’s tennis experiences in the future.
Have a great weekend.
Paul Donohue
Head of Junior School
As researchers and curious learners, the Early Learning 4 Full Time children connected online with the Museum of Australian Democracy and met Boonwurrung Elder Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, the authors of the picture story book Country. Aunty Fay read the dialogue from the picture story book and used the illustrations, by Cheryl Davison, as provocations for the children to think about Country. The story reinforced our understandings about Country, developed through our sessions with Murrundindi and Pallyan, that Country encompasses the past, present and future, songs and stories, art and ceremony, all the wildlife and plants, the waterways, sky, sun, moon and stars.
As active citizens, we reflected on this session and the importance of working together to take care of Country and the interdependence between people, animals, plants, lands and waters. As communicators and creative and imaginative thinkers, the children used the illustrations from the story as provocations to express their thinking about Country through drawing, painting, collage, and dialogue.
Through the story Country, engaging with Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, and our ongoing connections with Murrundindi and Pallyan, the children continue to build on their understandings about Country. This term, as critical thinkers, we will consider our impact on Country and how we can work together to ensure we respect and implement sustainable actions that care for Country.
Angela Follacchio
Early Learning 4 Full Time Teacher
In an unforgettable way, our Year 3 students were fortunate to visit the Melbourne Skydeck in the iconic Eureka Tower. On a beautifully clear morning, students were treated to panoramic views of the city, stretching all the way to the horizon. The visit included a private session in the lookout area, guided by an expert who helped the students identify and learn about many of Melbourne’s most important and well-known landmarks.
This hands-on experience provided the perfect launchpad for our new Inquiry Unit, where students will be exploring the unique natural and human-made features of Australia. Seeing the city’s layout from above helped students understand how Melbourne has been shaped by both geography and human development and sparked some thoughtful discussions that we look forward to expanding on in the classroom.
A clear highlight of the excursion was the immersive virtual reality experience. Students were virtually transported to significant locations across Victoria, including a thrilling flyover of the Great Ocean Road, a front-row seat at the AFL Grand Final and Melbourne Cup, and an exciting ride on the rollercoaster at Luna Park. Complete with sensory effects like breeze, scents and movement, this interactive tour brought learning to life.
We are very proud of how engaged and curious the students were throughout the experience and look forward to building on this enthusiasm as we continue our Inquiry journey this term.
“I loved the virtual reality tour. It felt very real!” Eugenie
“I learnt that the MCG held the Olympics in 1956. It’s not just for football.” Olivia
“I found out that the inspiration for the Arts Centre spire was a ballerina’s tutu.” Diyana
“There are so many things you can do in Melbourne!” Isabella
Selena Reedman
Year 3 Classroom Teacher
This term, our Foundation students reached a very special milestone – 100 days of school! To celebrate this exciting achievement, we combined our 100 Days of School celebration with ‘Milo Monkey’s Birthday Surprise’.
Throughout the term, students have engaged in the Little Learners Love Literacy program, learning each sound and meeting Milo’s friends along the way. Reaching the end of our single sounds and our 100th day of school gave us the perfect reason to celebrate.
Students enjoyed a range of activities, including a collaborative mural made from 100 decorated paper circles and an Alphabet Hunt with our Year 5 buddies. These activities encouraged teamwork, creativity and reflection on how far they have come. We also asked students to consider, “If you could have 100 of anything, what would it be?” Their responses ranged from 100 puppies to 100 dried mangoes.
The celebration marked more than just a number of days, it highlighted the growth, confidence, and skills our students have developed since the start of the year. Here’s to the next 100 days of wonder, growth, and learning together!
Muxi – “My favourite part was playing outside in my costume and doing some writing.”
Janice – “I enjoyed colouring pictures and making our colourful class picture. I loved being Leo Lion.”
Isabelle – “I love doing Harry Hippo’s Hunt with my buddy because it was a lot of fun. My second favourite activity was Gabby Goat Gives. I enjoyed dressing up as Izzy Insect.”
Liya – “I loved making paper bracelets and dressing up as Zoe Zebra the same as Miss Stanaway and Mrs Jackson.”
Mikaela Stanaway
Foundation Classroom Teacher
In the last weeks of Term 2, the Year 2 students developed their understanding of planets in our solar system. Students used a range of explicitly taught reading and writing techniques to build their knowledge of the key characteristic of each planet. These included choral and partner reading and utilising a Single Paragraph Outline (SPOs) template to take specific notes by identifying the topic sentence and supporting details in a text. To consolidate their learning, students used a range of interdisciplinary skills to create their own solar system models. Students used their notes to write haiku poems for each planet and construct each planet using Styrofoam balls and paper clay. They harnessed their creative skills to ensure they represented the key features of the planet such as poisonous gas, storms, craters in their models.
On Friday Year 2 held their first Solar System Expo for parents and families to share their work. Year 2 students showcased their models, explaining the features of different planets, how they created their models, aboriginal perspectives on the stars and constellations and the reading of their Haiku poems about each planet.
Students were also able to show the process of how they created their Haiku poems. From supporting details in their reading books to draft haiku poems that experimented with syllables to a published and printed Haiku about one of the eight planets. The afternoon highlighted the depth of knowledge the students had about the topic. It was very successful, and I thank all families that came to support the Year 2 Expo.
Here are some student reflections on what they learnt during our Space Inquiry Unit:
Lilian “I learnt about Saturn and that its rings are made out of ice, rock and dust.”
Chloe “I learnt that the Sun is a star and it’s made out of hot gas.”
Isabelle “I learnt Venus is the hottest planet because it has thick, poisonous clouds that trap the heat.”
Agnes “I learnt that there are some stars in space that are bigger than the Sun and you can’t stand on Jupiter because it is made out of gas.”
Harriet “I learnt that Jupiter spins the fastest out of all the planets and Earth is the only planet that has life.”
Peter Sartori
Year 2 Classroom Teacher
Year 5 had a whole day incursion in the Junior School Hall with Burn Bright. Our wonderful leaders, Bonnie and Erin, did a great job of teaching us about leadership, and they shared inspiring stories and quotes. At the start, most of us were excited and also nervous. Who knew what the day would bring?
Year 5 got the chance to connect with different classmates and share our ideas. The games we played and the stories that Bonnie and Erin shared made the space feel safe to talk about our ideas. It was fun as everyone was included in all the activities. The ‘Dance Off’ was a highlight for many students. It brought joy and playfulness to the Junior School Hall, but it also brought lots of encouraging words from Year 5 students.
Even though we try to be good leaders, there might be challenges along the way. During the ‘Wool Muster’ activity, some students were scared of tying the knots together because some people were inexperienced. We learnt we need to cooperate and help each other. We should all appreciate others’ differences and encourage each other to persevere through challenges, which will make our fears easier to overcome.
Throughout the day, we learnt about striving to achieve our goals and look at the positives. We discovered that you are more likely to succeed with the help of others and use teamwork as a super strength. We learnt about the mindset, ‘Think we, not me’. It means to not just think about yourself and to help others. We learnt that working with others is vital, for different people have a wide range of skills and ideas. We completed many different activities on teamwork and encouragement.
In conclusion, Year 5 had a dynamic day learning about leadership and how to be a role model. If you want to be an effective leader, you need to lead by example, collaborate with others and act with kindness.
By Year 5 students
Mrs Dunwoody shares an update on the refurbishment of Barbara Sutton Hall, and Mrs McClure reflects on her time on the European Music Tour.
It has been a busy start to Term 3 at the Secondary School with incursions, excursions, competitions, and celebrations.
The Foundation students celebrated a significant milestone this week - 100 days of school!
The School was excited to welcome back two Class of 2024 graduates who ran workshops during a recent Upskill day.
