Cunderdin District High School

The term has flown by and here we are almost halfway through the school year. Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) at Cunderdin DHS is in full swing. Secondary students have continued to display the four Great Expectations and been able to utilise the PBS shop to acknowledge their positive choices. The PBS committee would like to thank the school and the P & C for their continued support of this initiative. As the term comes to a close, Primary classes are looking at their acknowledgement activity for the accumulation of Great Expectations tickets.

Classrooms have been engaging with Explicit Instruction behaviour lessons, using our school’s behaviour matrix to focus on specific areas for our Great Expectations. Staff have been delivering lessons and having engaging discussion with year groups to identify positive behaviour. Students have found the videos of examples and non-examples helpful in identifying appropriate behaviours, and also a little bit of humour watching staff demonstrate the ‘wrong” thing.

Classrooms have continued using Play is the Way to teach problem solving skills, resilience and cooperation, particularly in managing emotions and dealing with setbacks.  Students have worked together to achieve common goals and had a lot of fun and laughter along the way.

The PBS committee were extremely fortunate to have Christina Lockyer, WAPBS Regional Coordinator, attend CDHS to support the committee in reflecting on current practices, offering insight and assistance to further develop systems and processes for PBS at our school. We look forward to working closely with Christina as move forward along this journey

What a wonderful and busy term we’ve had in Kindergarten!

We began the term with a heartwarming Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea Party. It was so lovely to welcome all our mums and grandmothers into the classroom to celebrate this special day. The children were very proud to share some special treats and a few surprises with their loved ones.

In our Talk for Writing lessons, we had so much fun learning the story “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.” We created a story map to help us remember the story and even made our very own bears to go on an adventure with us!

We also explored a non-fiction text about sheep. The highlight was when Mrs Stokes brought in real wool from her farm! The children were fascinated and loved using the wool in a special craft project. To make it even more exciting, Miss Taylor brought in her crochet needles and showed us what wool can be turned into, like scarves and blankets. The children were amazed to see how the wool could be transformed into something so beautiful and useful!

In phonics, we have been busy clapping out syllables in words, identifying pairs of rhyming words, and listening carefully for the initial sounds in simple words. The children are becoming fantastic sound detectives!

During maths, we have been learning about patterns, creating our own using shapes, colours, and objects. We’ve also been developing our subitising skills by playing fun dice games and quickly recognising quantities without counting.

Art has been especially exciting this term. We explored different mediums, using straws to blow dye across paper, rollers, sponges, and brushes to create vibrant artworks. The children have been very creative and expressive with their painting!

To help develop fine motor skills, we’ve been enjoying hands-on activities with playdough and kinetic sand. These materials are not only fun to play with but also help strengthen little fingers for writing.

Our morning fitness sessions have kept us active and energised. The children have been learning how to do pencil rolls, forward rolls, and practice underarm throws using bean bags. It’s been great to see their confidence and coordination grow.

It’s been a joyful term filled with learning, laughter, and lots of hands-on experiences. We’re so proud of how much the children have grown and can’t wait for more adventures ahead!

Literacy

This term, our class has been focusing on recounts and narratives, using the exciting text Zelda Claw as inspiration. Students have been developing their writing by exploring character, setting, and plot, and learning how to build tension and structure stories effectively. We’ve recently dove into using dialogue to engage the readers.

In Reading, we’ve been learning about our neighbouring countries and their climates, using informational texts to compare environments and practise key comprehension strategies like summarising and making connections.

Mathematics

This term, Mathematics has been all about exploring numbers and solving real-world problems! We’ve been diving into fractions, learning how to recognise and compare fractions. Students have also been mastering the formal algorithm for addition and subtraction, developing their confidence with carrying and borrowing to solve more complex problems.

In Measurement, we became shape detectives—calculating area and perimeter of different spaces and discovering how these concepts connect to the world around us, like designing gardens or building enclosures. It’s been a hands-on, minds-on term full of mathematical thinking and problem-solving!

Arts

In Art this term, we’ve been exploring the wonderful world of texture! Students have experimented with different materials and techniques to create artworks that not only look interesting but also feel unique. From rough bark rubbings to soft, layered collages, we've learned how texture can add depth and emotion to our creations. We've also looked at how artists use texture in their work and used these ideas to inspire our own masterpieces. It’s been a fun and tactile journey of creativity and expression!

Humanites and Social Sciences (HASS)

This term in HASS, we’ve been learning about the importance of rules and laws in our communities. Students explored why we have rules, who creates laws, and how they help keep people safe and fair. We discussed the differences between school rules and national laws, and looked at real-life examples to understand their impact. Through role-plays, discussions, and case studies, students developed a stronger understanding of civics and citizenship and the role they play in being responsible community members.

Indonesian

We have been learning numbers above thirty and learning about describing our peers appearance and personality.   

Room 3 has had a busy and exciting term filled with plenty of creative fun. Students have continued to build strong friendships, take pride in their learning and challenge themselves in new and exciting ways. Whether working collaboratively, diving into their writing, or exploring learning through hands on activities, students have tackled everything Term 2 has thrown at them with enthusiasm and a sense of curiosity. One of the most exciting events this term was our Winter Carnival. Students participated in a range of sports including football, netball or hockey, showing enthusiasm and fantastic team spirit.

This term we stepped into the exciting world of Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg for our reading. Students were hooked from the start following the adventures of main characters Peter and Judy through a magical boardgame that brings animals to life. We have used the text to explore predictions, inferences and to compare character traits.

Our writing focus this term was character, using the Talk for Writing model to write a narrative text. Students have built up a character toolkit throughout the term, to help them write interesting characters, using adverbs, dialogue, metaphors and noun phrases to bring their characters to life. We began by learning the model text, then innovated our own versions before planning and writing original character driven narratives. It has been great to see students so engaged in their writing. To bring characters to life, students participated in character interviews, where they created and dressed up as a character of their choice. They were able to present to the class and answer interview style questions in role. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of character traits and voice, and we were blown away by the creativity, commitment and confidence they showed.

In visual arts we explored the element of texture through ephemeral art. Students collected natural materials like sticks, leaves and stones to design temporary artworks. These beautiful, collaborative pieces were photographed before nature reclaimed them.

In HASS, our focus was on Civics and Citizenship, where students explored the roles and responsibilities of government and the importance of democratic processes. To extend their understanding, we held or own class election using a preferential voting system. Students nominated for roles and voted using real ballot papers.

We’re so proud of the way Room 3 has worked together and supported each other throughout the Term. With so much amazing learning already behind us, we’re excited to see what Term 3 will bring!

This term our Year 10 Follow the Dream students attended a 3 day ‘Pathways’ camp in Perth alongside students from Northam SHS, Central Midlands SHS and Merredin College. Activities included teambuilding and personal challenge activities with Teamworks Development Australia, visits to the Perth Careers Expo, North Metro Tafe, the Construction Futures Centre and Murdoch University. It was a great camp to help students explore different career pathways filled with lots of fun memories for our Polly Farmer Follow the Dream students.

Year 9/10 Science has been looking to the Universe to discover how stars are formed and what happens when they die. As well as many other discoveries from Galileo to Hubble. We are now looking at global issues back on Earth including climate change and how this in impacting natural systems. In class and during the term break, students will be working on their individual science investigation and presenting them during National Science Week in term 3.

Year 7/8 Science began the term looking at cells and all the important functions they carry out in living organisms. We are now looking at body systems and the importance of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. During practical lessons students have been learning how to use a microscope, testing food substances and dissections.

In 7/8 Maths this term we have being learning angles, fractions and decimals and applying our maths skills to problem solving. Many of the students sat exams for the first time in week five. They all did extremely well, having to sit quietly for such a long time. Some students learnt an important lesson of checking your work carefully before handing in your exam paper.

Year 9/10 Maths started term two with linear equations before going onto probability after semester 1 exams. Many would agree that probability was the much more favourable topic. In probability students got to apply their maths skills to problem solving.

In Music we have been looking at music in popular movies and how it can evoke different emotions. Students enjoyed researching the music in their favourite movies. We have been practising our musical piece for the school assembly at the end of term and enjoying making and playing different instruments.

The students in year 3-6 recently represented Cunderdin at the Primary Winter Carnival in Quairading. The students got the choice of playing hockey, AFL or netball. Well, done to the students playing Hockey who won the shield! Below are some images of the students on the day.