Posts By Kerrie Cogger
A cold wet day for potato planting.
Our Year 2 students have taken up the potato challenge through their involvement in the WA Potatoes Seed for Schools program this year. Our materials package from WA Potatoes arrived earlier this term with instructions to have our seed potatoes planted by end of term. So the race was on to get them in.
Mr and Mrs Cogger had chosen Wednesday as the day to plant the potatoes. However, the weather was wet and wintery. We kept watch all morning for a break in the weather. Unfortunately 2B missed out on getting their bed of potatoes planted as during their Science lesson it was ‘pouring’. Finally there was a break in the weather for about 15 minutes and Mrs Cogger called Mr Cogger and ordered him to ‘meet 2G at the veggie garden now!’
Here are a few photos of the students planting the seed potatoes. WA Potatoes Seed for Schools will be following our potato planting journey. The Year 2 students will be learning about tubers and seeds next term and how they are different.
Backyard bandicoots with Amanda
Friday was one of the most exciting days ever for our year One students as we had our first ever ‘incursion’. Mrs Cogger arranged for Amanda from Backyard Bandicoots at Murdoch University to come to St Emilie’s and give a presentation to the students.
The Year Ones have been learning about nocturnal animals this term and carefully following the habits and behaviours of our own bandicoot. Mrs Cogger has been showing the students video images and photos from the night activation camera that we set up each week in the bushland.
Amanda explained to the students that many people confuse bandicoots with rats!
After the presentation the students had the choice of three different activities. One group of students went outside with Mrs Roberto to play a the bandicoot chance and quiz game.
There were other activities for the students to do. Some of the students made a set of bandicoot ears.
The students learned that bandicoots should not be given human food. We also learned that a bandicoot digs up to 45 holes a day! No wonder there are so many holes in St Emilie’s Bushland!
We presented Amanda with a small gift at the conclusion of the presentation.
Veggie garden
The Devereux brothers were back in business again this week helping out with St Emilie’s Community Veggie Garden. Patrick and Merrick helped harvest ALL the radishes and wow look at that amazing amount of produce!
The boys have fun towing the trolley to the hall to sell our veggie produce to visiting parents and guests.
Here are some of our happy customers this morning.
A group of Year 6 students have taken over the veggie accounts. This a wonderful maths problem solving and accounting exercise for the students. Mrs Cogger gives the students the money made from the sale of veggies and then the students work out their own accounting system. As a team they work out the profits and pay out any debts. At present we are in front.
Mrs Cogger is putting together a new veggie garden roster for Term 3. If you would like to volunteer, then please send Mrs Cogger an email.
Chem Rocks with Earth Science WA
The Year 6 students have enjoyed an incursion with Cecily Arkell from Earth Science WA. The role of ESWA is to create, produce and deliver innovative, valuable earth sciences experiences to students and the community and to emphasise the importance of earth sciences in understanding contemporary issues.
Our incursion commenced with a study of a map of WA to identify the various minerals and rocks and determine their age.
Our first task was to learn how to effectively use a magnifier.
Cecily introduced the activity. The students investigated the chemistry of soils, testing for lime to help out a farmer with their crop (via a simple test with vinegar). WE found out that calcium carbonate (lime) is also in Caltrate. We tested a few drops of vinegar on a Caltrate tablet.
We investigated other rocks to see if the acid in the vinegar would make a change to the rock.
We concluded the investigation by sharing our findings for each of the three rocks. Mrs Cogger recorded the students responses in the Class Science Journal.
We would like to that Cecily for coming to St Emilie’s and sharing her geology knowledge with us. She triggered many new ideas and questions with the students and answered their queries about earthquakes too.
Cecily told us about the two or possibly three ‘cratons’ that make up the WA region. One is the Pilbara craton and the other is Yilgarn. She told us that there is a third craton but she couldn’t remember the name of it. So Josh Jain did some research and Cecily’s reply is – ‘On the cratons – I’m so happy that he did some research so quickly!! He’s not quite on the right track though as Woodleigh is a crater (from a meteorite impact). I now realise there are only two cratons (Pilbara and Yilgarn) and many basins that make up WA’.
The students also received this nice compliment from Cecily – ‘Thank you for having me again and I really loved working with such bright and engaged students. They really are a credit to the school and yourself’.
Bandicoot back at St Emilie’s
Mr and Mrs Cogger are delighted to inform the school community that we have managed to get some coverage of the quenda living in St Emilie’s Bushland. Recently Mrs Cogger purchased a ‘night activation camera’. Over the past few weeks we have been setting up the camera in different spots around the bushland with the hope of capturing some images of the quenda.
Finally we had some luck.
This image shows the quenda on the far right bottom corner
Trail camera
We also found a mouse on the tree trunk.
Trail camera
If you click this link below you will see the video coverage of the quenda.
Our Year Ones are learning about nocturnal animals. The students will be having a presentation from Amanda Kristancic from the Backyard Bandicoot project based at Murdoch University. We will be very excited to share these images with her.
Another busy but cold morning in the veggie garden.
This morning the Devereux brothers and Jermaine met with Mrs Cogger to work in St Emilie’s Community Veggie Garden. Mrs Cogger was here early (in the freezing cold) to set everything up. The boys and their parents had a busy morning.
Firstly they had to pull up a lot of radishes. The radishes will need to be harvested by end of term to make space for the potatoes we have received from Seed Potatoes for Schools from WA Potatoes.
Then the boys had to pick and bag the rocket. Finally we were ready to take the produce to the hall to sell to the parents arriving for the Year 5 assembly item.
A small group of Year 6 students will calculate the profit as they manage the veggie accounts for Mrs Cogger.
St Emilie’s Community Veggie Garden will continue in Term 3 so if you would like to be involved please email Mrs Cogger.
Science Term 2 newsletter
Science– An overview of Term 2 learning experiences
Dear Parents
This term the student’s learning experiences will be focused on the Science Understanding of Earth and Space Sciences and integrating with the whole school Mappen concept of CHANGE.
Year 1 Changes in the sky
Year one students will consider the changes in the night and day sky. Students will make predictions and scientific observations about the daily, weekly and seasonal changes that they observe in their local environment. They will use their understandings about day and night to make observations about the changes nocturnal animals make to adapt to their environments. I am waiting to hear from the Backyard Bandicoot project at Murdoch University as our resident Southern Brown Bandicoot is still inhabiting our bushland. I have invited Natasha Tay to make a presentation about bandicoots to the students.
Year 2 Night and Day
Year two students will consider the changes in the night and day sky. Students will make predictions and scientific observations about the daily, weekly and seasonal changes that they observe in their local environment. They will use their understandings about day and night to make observations about the Earth’s rotation, how shadows are formed and participate in role plays to show their learning. The Year 2 students will also commence the Seed Potatoes for Schools Project (an initiative through WA Potatoes) and plant their seed potatoes towards the end of term 2. WA Potatoes will support the students throughout this initiative.
Year 3 Earth, Sun and Moon
Year three students will explore the changes in size, shape, position and movement of the Earth, Sun and Moon. They will investigate how shadows change throughout the duration of the day and link this new knowledge to changes in the Sun’s apparent movement across the sky.
Year 4 Earth’s Place in Space
Through a unit on the Earth’s rotation the students will learn how the changing patterns in the sky relate to days, months and years. Students will understand how observation and models can be used to shape their ideas and understandings through hands on activities. Students will explore the changing face of the Moon, explore Aboriginal astronomy and investigate the changing Noonjar season of Makaru.
Year 5 The Earth’s Orbit
Students will learn about the concept of change through a unit about the Sun, Earth and Moon. Students will understand how observation and models can be used to shape their ideas and understandings through hands on activities. Students will investigate the light spectrum and explore the solar system by using Celestia and Stellarium (a planetarium app). Students will also share how Science for Human Endeavour impacts our lives by sharing articles from the Double Helix magazines.
Year 6 The Changing Earth’s Surface
Through the concept of Changethe students will understand the causes of earthquakes and how they change the Earth’s surface. Students will also learn how changesto our local water supply have benefits for the local population. As a Waterwise School, we have been invited to the Ground Water Replenishment Facility in Craigie on Tuesday 29 May to learn about the future initiatives of our water supply. The students will also have an incursion from Earth Sciences WA about ‘Chem Rocks’. Students will be investigating the chemistry of soils and testing lime to help out a farmer with their crop. Robogals an initiative from the University of WA will also be giving a robotics workshop to the Year 6 girls on Tuesday 22 May.
What you might like to do at home:
- Perhaps you could sit down and watch and discuss some space -related TV programs? There are some wonderful programs about stargazing currently on ABC TV.
- Maybe you could make some space models together at home?
- What do you know about bandicoots? Perhaps you could do a little research!
- Why not buy a Double Helix magazine online and read some articles?
- Why not go for a visit to the Planetarium at Scitech!
Year 6 Robogals incursion
On Tuesday the year 6 girls had a Robogals incursion. Robogals is a student run organisation that aims to inspire and empower young women to consider studying engineering and related fields. Robogals offer engineering and technology workshops free-of-charge in their local communities, focusing on encouraging girls from primary to secondary school to explore an interest, as well as cultivate self-confidence, in these areas.
Our presenter was Aaron. Aaron commenced the workshop with a presentation about STEM careers.
Aaron then showed the students how to program the Lego Mindstorms robots.
The students were placed into their cooperative teams and given time to experiment with he robots.
Our first challenge was to program the robot so that it travelled in a ‘square’.
Aaron was available to help the students if they encountered any difficulties.
Here are some photos of the students enjoying the incursion.
Mrs Cogger would like to thank Aaron and Dil from Robogals for providing this wonderful opportunity of learning, fun and collaboration.
Our first veggie garden sale for the year!
This morning two of our St Emilie’s families met with Mrs Cogger to work in the veggie garden. The tasks were to pick and bag rocket and to pick, wash and bag radish. BTW Mrs Thuijs loves our radish!! Unfortunately she missed out on a bag this week as we sold out!
If you would like to volunteer for the veggie garden roster then please send Mrs Cogger an email as she is still looking for helpers to fill the roster. Her email is
Kerrie.Cogger@cewa.edu.au
We meet on the Friday mornings when there is an assembly. We work from 8-8:30am in the veggie garden and then take our produce to the hall to sell at the assembly.
Mrs Cogger would like to thank the Devereux boys Patrick and Merrick and Solomon Bonney for working so hard this morning.
