Here is a quick overview of a few things happening in our room, 19-1.
BY MISS GREGORY’S 5/6 CLASS
Science
We have been learning about different states of matter. We have been completing many experiments focusing on reversible and irreversible changes. Everyone has also been working on completing detailed and accurate scientific reports. As we investigate, we have been finding out about how different materials and substances can be used for different purposes.
Design Technology
Lately in Design Technology, we have been making scarecrows for the school to scare off the pigeons, because there has been an unpleasant pigeon problem since we got the chickens. Fingers crossed the scarecrows will scare off the pigeons. It would also be great if all of the materials could be environmentally friendly.
Recently, we have begun using 3D printing technologies. We have been using an app called “Maker’s Empire” to improve our skills. We hope to print 3D learning tools for our little buddies in Mrs Gwatking’s class. We have also done this activity with Ms Thompson’s class. We have made our own characters and gone through lots of challenges together in this app but it is worth it.
We’ve improved our reading skills by reading often and by not just reading to ourselves. We read to buddies, classmates, teachers, SSO’s and other adults. Buddies read to us as well which improves their reading skills and makes them go up reading levels and everyone ends up with a higher lexile.
(by Jimmy)
Economics and Business
This term our class has started a new topic in Economics and Business. At the start of the term we all got a folder for all of our important things such as our bank log, rent log and paychecks. We each got a list of all the jobs we were able to apply for and a job application form. On our job application, we had to put our top three jobs that we wanted to apply for and why we would be good at them. Some of the jobs were; banker, fine officer, loan officer, custodian, technology monitor, diary monitor and some others.
We are starting off with renting our desks which we have to pay for every two weeks. We earn money by doing our jobs when we can so that we get our paychecks every fortnight unless Miss Gregory doesn’t think your job was done correctly. Then she can tell the person’s banker not to give them their paycheck. Jobs earn us between $400 and $700 each fortnight. We can earn bonus money by being good during class time, getting 90 to 100% in a big test, getting a compliment from another teacher and doing above and beyond what is expected.
When it’s time to pay our rent, which is $700, our bankers write it in our bank log and rent log so we know how much money we have left in our banks. However, If we don’t even have enough money to pay rent one week, we will have to get a loan that you have to pay back which also has a 20% interest rate. To put money in our banks, we have to make a deposit or if we want to take money out we have to make a withdrawal.
During class we have an offense log which is for people who get addressed a fine by a fine officer which they will have to pay later that week. If people have some bonus money, we also have the option to spend it at the auction we have every Friday and have the choice of buying a comfy chair for a lesson which will cost $20. If we save enough money to buy our desks it will cost us $3000.
(by Lexi and Stella)