Kitchen Garden at the Freds Pass Rural Show

The Kitchen Garden would like to congratulate all students who contributed to the entries into the Freds Pass Rural Show. This community event gives us the opportunity to showcase some of the wonderful learning occurring in the Kitchen Garden Program at Zuccoli Primary School.

All students can be proud of the effort they put into caring for the school garden to help it grow and thrive.  A representative from the Freds Pass Show came to the school and were given a tour by two Sustainability Squad members, Katlyn in 3/4 Mick and Layla from 3/4 Golding. The students impressed the judge with their knowledge of what they have been up to in the school garden.

Some students in Sustainability Squad and Year 3/4 classes also created a beautiful mural using recycled lids. A recycling minded scarecrow was also created by students using chicken feed bags and other recycled materials. We should be proud of our environmentally conscious students.

In the kitchen, students were busy preparing delicious entries for the cookery competitions. This included rosella jam, cordial, patty cakes and healthy lunch boxes. It seems the school can now showcase not one, but two winning jams. Last year the Paw Paw Ginger Jam achieved first place and this year the Rosella Jam won. This yummy jam will be available for sale at the Sustainability Squad stall before assembly.

Here is a list of the school entries and achievements at the show:

 Mrs. Christine Sapuppo for the Kitchen Garden Team

Where Wonderful Writing Takes Place

Year 1/2 students have been working hard each and every day during our Literacy Block and we are so proud of their progress! Over the past few weeks, we’ve been focusing on information report writing and learning how to share facts clearly and confidently.

Students have been refining their writing by planning, drafting and editing their work. We’ve been building our knowledge of text structure, learning how to use headings, factual sentences and labelled diagrams to inform our readers.

As part of our unit, the students have been creating their own information books. It’s been exciting to see their curiosity and creativity come alive as they researched and wrote about a wide range of creatures including cows, emus, frogs and clownfish!

It’s been a joy to see everyone’s confidence and pride in their work grow.

Celebrating learning through outdoor Science and Mathematics exploration!

 This term, the students embraced the great outdoors to deepen their understanding of measurement and soil science. In an exciting celebration of learning, the class participated in hands-on investigation that combined Mathematics and Science in a meaningful and engaging way.

Equipped with measuring instruments such as trundle wheels, measuring tapes and metre rules, students set out to explore our school grounds to measure specific lengths of a field and then recorded results. They also calculated perimeter of the basketball court and other areas – putting real-world purpose to their mathematical skills.

In Science, the focus was on soil investigation. Students examined different soil types, learning to identify features such as texture, colour, moisture content and organic matter.

The outdoor experience not only boosted engagement but also fostered collaboration, inquiry and critical thinking.

The Miracle of Life

Putting on our gardening hats this term, students in 3/4 Middleton have been investigating the growth of different types of plants in various kinds of soils, focusing primarily on which is preferred for the plant to successfully thrive.

Viewing our plant’s growth from seeds into seedlings, we have been keeping a steady record of how the miracle of life occurs and what is needed in order for it to happen.

We regularly recorded the growth of our plants in our science books and with labelled diagrams and will continue to do so until our plants either reach the flowering stage or are too large and need to be repotted and taken home.

Students in 3/4 Middleton have enjoyed watching the miracle of life occur before their very eyes and will continue to do so for the remainder of the term.

Staff shout out: Mr Sean for introducing a  fun and exciting library initiative - Wonka Golden Ticket Reads!

It’s a magical way to inspire reading and reward students who show outstanding effort and the school values during library and literacy time.

Here’s how it works:

Each week, one student will be selected to choose a book from the Golden Ticket Book Pile.
Students earn this opportunity by showing excellent reading behaviour, always remembering to return their books or demonstrating RRRIC values connected to reading in the library.

The selected student will receive a RRRIC ticket as a guaranteed reward
and their chosen book may contain a hidden Golden Ticket inside!

If they find a Golden Ticket,
They’ll get one pick from the prize box as an extra bonus!

Every student who earns the opportunity feels recognised and valued whilst also keeping the mystery and excitement alive with the chance of a golden surprise.

Mr Sean will choose one student to visit the Golden Ticket display and take their chance!

Parents encourage your children to visit the library and participate in the ZPS library adventures.

Let’s keep building that love of reading together!

This term students in 5/6 Johnstone-Palm have been busy applying their inquiry skills to investigate Australian History. They are learning to ask questions and conduct research to find out why British colonies were established in Australia and how the Australian colony changed over time. Students are building teamwork skills by collaborating in small groups and working towards a common goal. Throughout the unit of work, students will present their information to share what they have learnt. 

Each Thursday afternoon our class visits the school library. We learn about different genres, authors and the structure of books such as covers, pages and illustrations. Having stories read aloud, the children are engaged in listening, visualizing and responding. This interaction helps develop their imagination and critical thinking skills.

Through our regular library sessions, the children are enhancing their Literacy skills. Exposure to books at an early age improves vocabulary, language skills and comprehension, laying the foundation for successful reading later on.

During Week 1, students in Preschool got to participate in the Colour Splatacular. Groups 1 and 3 held their event in the Preschool outdoor environment on Wednesday and it was so much fun! The students dodged the water guns, slid down the slippery slides, bounced through colour and really enjoyed doing multiple laps of their obstacle course. Groups 2 and 4 participated in the whole school event on Thursday on the oval. The Preschool students loved the adventure of making their way down to the giant obstacle course. They had so much fun on the bouncing castles, slip and slides and slime pools. They even got to see their Preschool teacher Mrs. Malan get slimed. Thank you to all the wonderful parent volunteers who came to both events. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without you! We know the students had such a great time and we look forward to coming together again next Term for more events!

Thank you to our community for supporting our Election Day Fundraising BBQ. We were very busy and sold out of all the yummy baked goods provided by School Council. The Preschool team is busy finalizing the total and excited to look into purchasing some new things for our Outdoor space. Thank you to all the families who donated items, their time and helped make the day such a success! Zuccoli truly is an amazing community!

The Preschool Team

The first two weeks of Term 2 have been full of meaningful learning and thoughtful discussions in Blue 2! As part of our history unit, we’ve been exploring how and why people celebrate and commemorate important events. With ANZAC Day, we took a deep dive into its significance by reading powerful texts like Alfred’s War and Roly the ANZAC Donkey during our literacy block. These stories helped us shine a light on some of the often-forgotten contributors to war efforts – Indigenous Australian soldiers and the brave animals who served. Through rich discussions, we’ve explored themes of courage, mateship and remembrance, making it a thoughtful and inspiring start to the term.