It was wonderful to see OSG Mt. Victoria being recognised at the Regional Assembly last week for our strong academics:

🌟 Henley Simpson (Year 5) received first place in Australia for his mini museum for Pathway 2

🌟 Florence Reddel, Lavinia Bulloch, Giselle Dent, and Kingsley Hobson (Year 8) received first place in Australia for their English persuasive sustainability campaign (included in this newsletter)

🌟 Ryland Harris, Duke Morton, Melanie Pascoe, Archie Stewart, and Kiara Stewart (Year 12) were recognised for their performance in the OSG Accelerate unit on Humility.

Our students are tracking well in living the personas, with most students having achieved their Bronze awards, and many earning their Silver awards. This is on track for the year.

We are now entering the second half of the term, and the final quarter of the semester. The past two weeks have been busy with students submitting assessments, Year 12 completing First Aid at Illawarra Campus, OSG Accelerate approaching the next due dates for 11/12, Primary participating in OSG Aware training, Year 8 racing their CO2 cars at Sydney Campus, and students in Years 7-11 preparing for semester exams.

As exams approach, I encourage all students to prioritise consistent, focused revision. Effective revision strengthens understanding, builds confidence, and helps identify any gaps in knowledge. By establishing regular study habits and using strategies such as practice questions and active recall, students can maximise their performance and approach their exams with confidence. A guide on effective study strategies is attached to this newsletter.

Parent Checklist: Supporting Revision at Home

☐ Set up a quiet, organised study space

☐ Help establish a regular revision timetable

☐ Encourage short, focused study sessions with breaks

☐ Check in on progress without adding pressure

☐ Support healthy routines (sleep, nutrition, exercise)

☐ Encourage use of practice papers and revision techniques

☐ Avoid unnecessary travel or events in the lead up to exams to allow students time to study

🌟Congratulations to Capri White and Kingsley Hobson

on achieving Silver level 🌟

🌟Congratulations to the following students on achieving Bronze level ~ Benito Kennard, Iris Lee, Dolci Morton, Adelaide Wallace, Cheyenne Harris, Ola Simpson, Sylvana Campion, Harper Dent, Liliana Gaal, Liberty Clark, Milano Joyce, Josiah Woodbury & Clancy Wallace 🌟

Olaf Smith

Benito Kennard

Milano Joyce

Ottilie Butcher

Charlotte Kennard

Millicent Wallace

Liberty Clark

Emily Nason

Mia Horsfall

* I can creatively present my findings and final output in different ways.

* I can generate new ideas or solutions to a problem by thinking creatively.

* I can demonstrate curiosity as I explore, research and build.

I can show I am resilient when something goes wrong.

* I can demonstrate empathy with others and understand their creations.

* I can use digital tools as one of my options for my final output.

Year 3/4 Teal Mathematics Update
Over the past two weeks, Year 3/4 Teal have been focusing on strengthening their multiplication and division fact recall. Students have been building confidence and fluency through a range of engaging activities.

On Wednesday afternoon, the class worked collaboratively in the Primary Learning Centre, where they sorted and organised their multiplication and division facts. This hands-on session supported students in recognising patterns and deepening their understanding of how these facts are connected.

3/4 Gold has spent the term diving deep into the craft of narrative writing, and their progress has been nothing short of impressive. They have been exploring how authors build worlds, shape characters, and even challenge expectations. Their focus has been using figurative language to bring their ideas to life.

Each student then applied these skills to create their own narrative. Some chose to follow a conventional narrative ending, while others bravely experimented with subverted endings, which are those unexpected turns that leave the reader thinking long after the final line. Enjoy reading them below!

Alongside their writing, 3/4 Gold has been building confidence with challenging multiplication and division strategies. These lessons weren’t always easy, many students found themselves in the Learning Pit, but with perseverance, practice and a positive attitude, they got their way out and are now feeling more confident!

Students explored different ways to solve problems, shared strategies with classmates, and celebrated those “aha!” moments when everything suddenly made sense. Most importantly, they discovered that getting stuck isn’t a setback, it’s part of learning.

Stage 3 have been enjoying reading the text Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad. The text follows Sasha’s journey through four roles. As Mamma's Little Rabbit, he flees his destroyed village and hides in fear. As a Soldier, he is taken in by Red Army troops and travels with them through war, helping as their youngest member. As an Angel, his kindness brings comfort and hope to weary soldiers, earning him a special nickname. As a Thief, after the war, he silently steals small items in hospital to trigger memories. These roles show his growth from frightened child to resilient survivor, highlighting courage, innocence, and the lasting impact of war on his life.

The following are Diary entries and letters written as the voice of one of the characters in the text.

May 1942

Dear Diary,

Today was the same as any, long, painful, and more soldiers wounded. When I go on the battlefield I carry my canteen, a small shovel (for digging caves for shelter), a pouch of dry food or kasha, my picture of mama, and the magic buttons (because they are magic and give me courage). This is all I need to stay alive until the war is over (other than my friends). Imagine if the war was over by this time next week. Would Sleepy Bear finally not be sleepy? Would Grumpy Boris not be grumpy? I wish it would just stop and the German monsters would go running back to their mamas in Germany.

I’m going to be positive until the war is finally over (if it ever ends) even though it will be hard with all these soldiers dying. I like to think of when the war has ended. When the flowers start to bloom again and when, hopefully, I can see mama and Yelena again. When the war is over, I will go back to my village with Major Scruff, Invincible Ivan, Sleepy Bear, Cook, all the other soldiers and the dog. We will rebuild my village and live together happily, good night diary.

-Sasha

Dear Diary,

Today is another day at the battle fields. About an hour ago I was in the trenches helping Invincible Ivan dig out some more of the trench using my new shovel. This shovel comes out of my soldier kit which includes: canteen (for fetching water), fresh bandages and wrappings (in case of injury), small shovel (for digging purposes), Extra socks (to keep my feet dry) there is a lot more but there are so many that it would be to long of a list to write.

Earlier in the day a German bullet took off a very large part of Invincible Ivans ear so he swore a bit and he closed his eyes and kicked at random and kicked the side of a shovel. Then he swears a bit more and then Grumpy Borris shoots Invincible Ivan in the foot that he already hurt and then he boots Grumpy Borris up the backside as hard as he possibly can “Ouch my butt “he says It was like a chain reaction to watch and very funny. Finally, everybody calmed down and everything is normal again. What a day.

Max/Sasha

I will be going on Long Service Leave during Weeks 7 and 8, Mr Grandison and Mr Crowe will be on 5/6 Class. If you have any enquiries during this time, please email Mrs Katena on katena.taylor@au.oneschoolglobal.com and they will be passed onto the teachers. Thankyou Mrs Coleman

7/8 Homeroom

Students in year 7 and 8 continue to work hard on IXL each Tuesday. The students in the photo, plus Bianca and Kylie have each been recognised by the program as achieving an amazing goal eg. Completion of 250 questions, 10 hours on IXL or mastering 10 eighth grade skills! Well done everyone for working toward 30 questions per week!!

Mount Victoria have again been placed first in Australia in the National Persuasive Campaign competition in English. Giselle, Lavinia, Kingsley and Florence designed a beautiful video called “Operation Wild – Seek and Save” focussing on biodiversity and endangered animals. The video's purpose was to persuade others to join in the campaign to protect and preserve. Well done to these students!

9/10 Homeroom

As we move into the second half of the term, students are encouraged to remain organised and focused as assessment tasks from multiple subjects (Food Tech, D&T, Geography) are now due. This can be a busy and demanding time, so it is important that students regularly check their assessment schedules, plan their study time effectively and seek assistance from their teachers if needed. I am also available for students to book tutorials when needed. Please remind students that they can book a peer coach to assist them with any subject area or even just to assist them in managing time and distractions.

Assessments

Friday 5th June – Geography, Food Tech, D&T

Tuesday 9th - PDH

Year 7 Food Technology

Year 7 have been working hard on creating and cooking muffins this term. Their Assessment this week had some excellent results with students being able to plan and cook a muffin with a hero ingredient they did not choose (we used a spin the wheel technique). Students came prepared, organized and completed the practical in the time limit using sanitary and safe kitchen practices. We even had time to play around with the PhotoBox, we were Food Stylists! Well done year 7!

Year 8 Food Technology

Year 8 have been working on a ‘Use it Up’ Assignment in Food Technology this term and recently completed their Assessment practical. This challenged them to design a cook up using up ingredients that are often wasted or left over in the kitchen. Kingsley chose Apple turnovers as we had a surplus of apples and puff pastry in the kitchen, Florence, Stirling, Lavinia and Giselle chose dumplings and fresh orange juice as there are often scrappy bits of vegetable, mince and left over dumpling wrappers found in any kitchen. Kylie, Macarthur and Bianca completed a real ‘Use it Up’ where they found all the ingredients needed to make Spaghetti Bolognaise with veggies added! All students completed this task with excellent and yummy results. Well done.

Stage 5 Food Technology

Students have been busy making a documentary about sustainable practices in the kitchen. They chose a seasonal ingredient and then designed a meal around it, documenting the process on video. Some fabulous and yummy results have occurred 😀

Mrs P’s Mid – Term Reflections

As we move through the middle of the term, it is pleasing to see students continuing to engage positively in their learning and broader school life. This period of the term is often one of the busiest, with assessment tasks, examinations and study tasks all occurring simultaneously. While these challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming, they also provide valuable opportunities for students to develop resilience, organisation and effective study habits.

One of the most important skills students can develop at this time of year is the ability to manage competing deadlines. When multiple assessments and exams are due within a short timeframe, successful students avoid leaving tasks until the last minute. Creating a study plan, breaking larger tasks into manageable sections and setting realistic daily goals can significantly reduce stress and improve performance. Students should aim to review content regularly rather than relying on intensive last-minute study sessions. Using tools such as calendars, planners or digital reminders can help prioritise tasks and ensure steady progress across all subjects. Importantly, students should seek assistance from their teachers early if they are unsure about assessment requirements or need additional support.

Wellbeing Tips for Students and Parents

Maintaining wellbeing is equally important during busy periods. Students perform at their best when they achieve a healthy balance between study, physical activity, social connection and rest. Regular exercise, adequate sleep and healthy eating habits all contribute to improved concentration, memory and emotional wellbeing. Taking short breaks during study sessions and spending time outdoors can also help students maintain focus and motivation.

Parents play a vital role in supporting students during demanding periods of the school year. Encouraging consistent routines, providing a quiet study environment and helping students maintain perspective can make a significant difference. Open conversations about workload, wellbeing and personal goals can help students feel supported while also fostering independence and responsibility.

Mrs P’s Final Thoughts

As we enter the second half of the term, I encourage all students to reflect on their achievements so far and identify one or two areas where they would like to improve. Progress is built through consistent effort, positive habits and a willingness to learn from challenges. Every assessment, lesson and experience provides an opportunity for growth.

Mrs Jane Polster 📚

Attention parents ~ we need your help. Primary Swimming lessons will take place in Term 3, week 2 - week 9 and we require 2 parent helpers each week, 1 male and 1 female. If you are able to help out please click the button below and register the days that you can help. If you would like more information on what you will be required to do, please contact Ben Simpson or Julie Coleman. Thankyou

Our school garden has some great raspberry bushes (see photo), and we should have some by summer, as well as strawberries and potatoes.

If anyone has any seeds they would like to donate to the school, please get your children to talk to their home room teachers.

Address : 84 Great Western Highway, Mount Victoria, 2786

Ph : 0247 094 003