So grateful for this year

The end of our school year is here! In Australia all states are now officially on summer break for about five weeks. 

It has been such a busy end of the year and we have crammed in so much in that time.

Teaching Year 5/6 at this time of the year is full of end of year work to get our sixes ready for secondary school,

They have graduated and have had a special assembly, made speeches, had a special lunch, had a graduation dinner and rung the school bell for the last time. 

My families spoiled me with thank you gifts and I feel so fortunate to have had their children for a year to work with, teach, watch grow and become the special grade they were. 

So now my big news - at the very end of January I will welcome a grade of Year Three and Four students. Stacey and I will be team teaching in a new team.

I have worked with such a special team this year and not only are we colleagues - but we are friends. 

I have team taught with Fiona and we have laughed, drank copious amounts of coffee, planned, taught, assessed and laughed some more, maybe shared a glass or three! 

I am such a better teacher for having worked with her this year. I love to her to pieces. 

Here is our team enjoying a summer night together. 

This photo is of Fiona, Chloe and I having a celebratory drink at the the end of the year. 

Chloe will be team teaching with Fiona in the new year. 

Lots of changes ahead - but change is good.

 We also farewelled this gentleman - Wayne. He will be on long service leave - to trial retirement. 

We will miss him. 

Happy holidays everyone. 

Christmas around the world

We worked on this last week and had so much fun working on the research.

I haven't even had time to put this work together for others to use - so slack! maybe on the weekend.

I have been so busy with Year 6 Graduation, my own daughter's Award Ceremony, getting ready for end of year, buying presents that I haven't blogged for a week.

I will be back on deck soon!

Here are a few photos to check out until I do.

Last day tomorrow and then summer break and back at work in late January!

Loving melonheadz graphics xx

Reindeer and budddies

Today we visited our buddies and made reindeer!

There were split pins and card and lots of chatter.....

6 more get ups to go before Christmas break!

Transition

This week has been a transition week for our school. 

We have some Year 6's going to private schools next year so they went for a visit for the day last  week. Some of our Year 6's going to state schools went for the whole day yesterday. 

So that means that our new Preps (5 year olds) spent the morning with their new teachers for 2015. 

All our kids then moved up a year level and experienced life in their new year level. 

We did some mapping, maths and goal setting. 

Science Day

One of our local Secondary schools hosted a Science day for our Year 5/6's and we have had a blast. 

We experienced an hour and half each of 

Biology

Physics

Chemistry

In Biology we got to look at some very cool things under the microscopes. We learnt how to set up the microscopes so we could see these things well with lamps and natural light. 

There were fly legs, bug testes, bug ovary, leaves, wool and dandelion.

  

In Physics we made rockets and learnt about aero dynamics. 

We launched them to see how far they would go.

In the design phase we could make modifications and make our rockets fly better each time. 

In Chemistry we wore lab coats and goggles. 

We made slime and elephants toothpaste. Lighting the Bunsen burner made some nervous. 

We learnt about the colour of the flame and which one was the safe flame. \

 

A fantastic day.