I recently had the privilege of joining our Year 5 students for their camp and leadership training on the Sunshine Coast. I truly commend them for their willingness to take risks and be vulnerable, which made the experience deeply impactful and enriching.
Many activities focused on collaboration and effective communication, with a special emphasis on "Big Up’s," akin to our Shout Outs. This practice encouraged students to highlight what went well, sparking meaningful conversations with peers they may not know well, and then sharing a Big Up (a positive message) in a group setting. This experience was instrumental in fostering positive communication and mutual respect—key qualities as our Year 5 students prepare to step into their roles as Year 6 leaders.
A massive shout-out goes to our students for their exemplary behaviour and exceptional participation. I’d also like to extend immense gratitude to our dedicated staff—Gabrielle Argent, Jessica Ingham, and Tracy Ashbridge—whose guidance, support, and care made this experience possible. Their extra time and effort are deeply appreciated.
As we head into a busy few weeks, I am excited to celebrate your child’s learning journey through events like the student-led conferences and the Year 6 Exhibition. I particularly extend my gratitude to the efforts of our Year 6 students. I wish them all the very best and congratulate them on their hard work during this journey.
I hope you all have a restful and relaxing weekend!
Mr Matthew Noel
Head of Primary/Deputy Principal
matt.noel@hills.qld.edu.au
Student Led Conferences
The Prep - Year Five Student Led Conferences will be held on Tuesday 3 September 2024. The conferences will begin at 3:45pm, with the last one starting at 5:30pm and concluding at 5:45pm.
Student-led conferences involve both the student and the parent. They are a response to our philosophy at Hills that when students reflect on their learning, they have a deeper understanding of concepts being explored. Students are responsible for leading the conference and take responsibility for their learning by sharing the process with their parents. Each conference involves students demonstrating their understanding through a variety of different learning situations allowing them the opportunity to take ownership of their work and be accountable for their learning journey.
Conferences are held in 15-minute intervals, with three students in each allotted time. Please access the booking system via Parent Lounge or Parent Orbit to book a timeslot.
Specialist teachers will facilitate a drop-in system with a variety of activities that showcase the learning experiences students have been undertaking. Please see below for their locations:
Chinese: Miss Qu and Dr Li will be in L4 – next to the Year 2 classrooms.
Dance: Miss Landers will be located in M block Dance room
Digi Tech: Mrs Carter will be in L4 – next to the Year 2 classrooms.
HPE: Miss West, Mr Moffett and Mr Kanaya will be in the Primary Undercover Area.
Art: Ms Barnard will not be participating in in the Student Led Conferences as she is assisting with the Exhibition.
Music: Mr Gratton will be assisting our Year 6 Teachers in preparation for the Exhibition and will not be participating in the Student Led Conferences.
The students will be leading this conference, so we encourage you to ask plenty of questions about their learning. Teachers will be in the classroom and, if required, may facilitate questions between you and your child. Please note, that this is not a Parent-Teacher interview. If you have more detailed questions specifically for your child’s teacher, please liaise with your child’s classroom teacher to arrange a suitable time.
We look forward to seeing you at the conferences.
Mr Stuart Ablitt
Deputy Head of Primary / Head of IB Programs
Year 6 Exhibition
On Tuesday 3 September, our Primary School will be a buzz of Learner Agency as our students share their individual learning journeys with their families and the wider College community. Following our Prep – Year 5 Student Led Conferences, our Year 6 students will be presenting their Exhibition to their families, and wider College Community.
The Year 6 Exhibition is the culminating event in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), designed to showcase the skills, knowledge, and inquiry-based learning. The exhibition provides our learners with an opportunity to explore real-world issues and engage in collaborative, in-depth research projects. Students select a central topic of global significance, investigate various aspects of it, and present their findings in a meaningful and impactful way to their peers, teachers, and parents. The Year 6 Exhibition not only emphasises critical thinking and research skills but also encourages students to become responsible, caring global citizens who can address complex problems and contribute positively to their communities.
Please see below for some key information and timings:
Location – College Resource Centre
Times:
- 5:30pm – Year 6 students are to arrive at the Resource Centre and meet their teacher.
- 5:45pm – Opening performance and Acknowledgement of Country
- 6:00pm – 6:10pm – Year 6 students undertake their main exhibition presentation for their family members. Family members are encouraged to attend their own childs presentation during this time.
- 6:10pm – 7:30pm – Exhibition is open for all guests to walk around and interact with Year 6 students.
We are looking forward to an exciting evening! If you have any questions about the information above, please don’t hesitate to contact me on stuart.ablitt@hills.qld.edu.au
Mr Stuart Ablitt
Deputy Head of Primary & Head of IB Programs
Captains Corner
The Primary Captains had the wonderful joy of presenting Isla Price with the Captain's Award. Isla constantly displays the Hills Way through her respect and manners. We also applaud the pride she has in her uniform and school. Congratulations and well done Isla!
Congratulations Uday Sing who was the prize winner for our Compassion Bands. Well done Uday!
From the Primary Captain’s
Little Library
We are thrilled to announce that Hills Primary students will soon have access to a brand-new Little Library! A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Hall, our Inclusive Education Teacher, for turning this idea into a reality, and to our College Captains for collaborating with students on the development of an Essential Agreement. We look forward to seeing many students enjoying this wonderful new resource and sharing in the joy of reading.
About our Little Library
Our Little Library will be located behind the Primary Office.
Essential Agreement
*Sit in the shaded areas outside I, H and D Block
*Please do not eat or drink while you are reading
*Treat the books with compassion
*Return all books when you are finished with them
Mrs. Hall and the Primary Captains
Thrive With 5
At Hills, we take pride in creating the ideal conditions for our students to thrive. To extend this supportive environment beyond the classroom, I wanted to share a readiness for learning plan, Thrive to 5, endorsed by the Australian Primary Principals Association. I encourage you to focus on these five strategies to give our students the best chance to excel in their learning.
Thrive with 5
Year 5 Camp
At the end of Week 7, Year 5 enjoyed a three-day camp at Maroochy Waterfront Camp and Conference Centre. The Character Builder’s Team facilitated various activities that built on student’s confidence around teamwork, leadership, communication, and resilience.
One of the most heart-warming parts of camp was learning about ‘Big-Ups’, a close relation to ‘Shout-outs’, where students are given the opportunity to acknowledge the successes and kindness of their peers. This demonstration of gratitude and friendship lasted throughout the entire camp, with requests even now to keep Big-Ups going at school.
Here’s what the students said…
“I had the best time ever at camp. We did so many group activities like human sponge, walking on the water mat, squirting water into cups, dragon boating, iron-man obstacle course, and trivia. We also had a dance party at the end” Chloe, 5B
“My favourite part of camp was the food. My favourite meal was the first breakfast with the mini sausages and delectable scrambled eggs” Levi, 5A
“Camp was amazing, we got to do all these fun activities, I got to be with all my friends. I feel like it was a good experience to learn more about how to work as a team and how to calm down in frustrating situations and I learned more about people I don’t hang out with” Amy, 5B
“The activities were all so good that I can’t rate them, but my favourite activity is dragon-boating. I definitely think that next year 5’s should go to the same place” Anabelle, 5A
“I loved camp because we had very, very, very nice Character Builders named Lucy and Alex. I loved Quiz night. We had two quizzes, one was a normal quiz but the second was a song quiz and I love music” Olivia, 5B
“My personal favourite part of camp was the dragon boating. This is because I was a bit skeptical about doing it. I did it and it was so fun. The most difficult bit of camp was probably working with new people but I learned how to work with them eventually. It was really fun” Albie, 5A
“The most challenging part was the kayaking and dragon boating. I was scared and nervous but I overcame that and I did it and it was fun” Lillyana, 5A
Year 5 Teachers and Students
In the Spotlight with Prep B
As Term 3 progresses, Prep B has been busily engaging in a variety of exciting, hands-on learning experiences. Our young learners have been immersing themselves in new concepts, developing essential skills, and enjoying the wonderful outdoor learning spaces our school has to offer.
Maths: Our focus has been on understanding and working with teen numbers. The students have been exploring these numbers through a range of hands-on activities and interactive lessons. They have been counting, ordering, and representing numbers in different ways, which has helped them gain a solid grasp of this important concept. Other key areas of math's we have been working on have been patterns and duration. The students have been identifying and creating various patterns using objects, colours, shapes, and movement. Additionally, the students have been exploring the concept of duration, understanding how long activities take, and sequencing events in order of time.
English: Every day, Prep B are becoming more confident readers and writers. With daily reviews and tasks, they are enhancing their ability to express their thoughts and ideas on paper. They have been working on forming letters correctly, constructing simple sentences, and sharing their success with enthusiasm. The progress made in just a few terms has been nothing short of amazing!
UOI: Our Unit of Inquiry has centered around “Where we are in place and time.” With our central idea being, “Family histories shape our identity,” the students have been exploring the concept of time and place, understanding how their own personal histories have shaped them into the amazing person they are today. This inquiry has provided a rich context for our learning activities, helping students connect their classroom experiences with the world around them.
Outdoor learning: One of the highlights of this term has been the outdoor learning experiences. Prep B has been taking full advantage of our beautiful surroundings, utilising the ampitheatre space, cafeteria/pond area, and yarning circle. These outdoor settings provide a unique and stimulating environment for learning. The students have enjoyed storytelling sessions, nature walks, and collaborative activities that foster a deep connection with the natural world.
Term 3 has been a fantastic journey of discovery and growth for Prep B. We are incredibly proud of the progress our students have made and look forward to continuing this exciting learning adventure together.
Keep up the great work, Prep B!
Mrs Weaver and Miss Parer
Digital Technology in Year 1
Year 1 has been learning about directional language. This activity was engaging and reinforced direction.
The students used colour codes to provide instructions to the robots. The ozobots have colour senses which read the sequence of colours and move accordingly. Colour codes exist for right, left, straight, and u-turn. Additional codes exist that alter the speed.
The students were free to use either set of codes, however, directions were compulsory at certain points along the route.
Mrs Carter