Kindergarten and Year 1 Science
SANTA'S LITTLE HELPERS
In Science and Technology this term, our Kindergarten and Year 1 students have been learning about the characteristics and properties of materials and how they can be changed and combined for a purpose. Students have also been exploring how forces (push and pull) and energy can be used.
At the start of the term, the students received a letter from Santa. The letter asked our students to think about other children, families and school communities who are not as fortunate as we are and who are affected by drought. Our students decided that they would use their knowledge gained this term to design and create toys for these children.
The community at St Joseph’s Tenterfield have been affected by both drought and bushfires. Our students have learnt about the community and have decided that they would like to bring joy to the children and their families there.
Last Tuesday our Kindergarten students engaged in the design making process and built a range of games including a 10 pin bowling set, some mini foosball tables, labyrinth styles mazes, a theater stand and some marionette puppets.
On Thursday and Friday last week our Year 1 students attended an excursion at the Community Maker Space in Albert Circuit where they engaged in engineering and building their toys. The Maker Space offers programs that allow students to find a new way to learn in a real-life workshop setting. With their support our students made pom pom shooters, kites, fishing games and gnome catapults.
This has been an amazing and rewarding opportunity for our students. The joy and excitement on their faces during the making phase of the unit shows the level of empathy and compassion they have developed over the last seven weeks for those in need. The toys will be delivered to Tenterfield on Monday 9th December.
Emma Francis
On behalf of the Kindergarten and Year 1 Teaching Teams.