“We went to the rangers to become rangers!” – Finn

This term we have been exploring how scientists research and gather their findings. Drawing on the students’ interests in the natural world, we set up provocations that allowed the exploration of the natural world through research, reading, writing, art and scientific observation. Building on these provocations, the students themselves began to bring in found insects, feathers, leaves and other objects from home and outside on the yard. 

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“We saw the hot dogs! I saw them in the flowers at school!” – CJ

Our exploration continued, and we prepared for our first excursion! A visit to Royal Park to take part in their rangers program. Year 1’s leading the way and Year 2’s one week later. Through this full-day excursion, Victoria Park Rangers took the children through an investigation into plants and flowers, insects, nature under the microscope and native animals. 

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“Wombats use their butts to survive! It’s an adaptation.” – Arlo 

“I was really focused. I had to get all the details.” – Maggie 

“It’s making a nest! For the babies! – Tate

By getting out to explore a familiar space to many of our year ½’s we were able to research and investigate using a scientific lens. Students continued to develop their observation skills and many even made connections to past inquires such as the Prep Puddle from 2020, as well as provocations and nonfiction research that was taking place back at Princes Hill. 

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We are looking forward to reflecting on this experience and building on our scientific knowledge and processes. 

The past two weeks has seen the connections and interconnections into and out of the ‘PHN’ news room continue to grow. The overarching theme of communication continues to provoke the many different types of learners across our neighbourhood and is fuelling a real buzz throughout all the learning spaces.

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“We didn’t even start with PHN, we started with a news paper provocation in the learning commons. We got so interested we got a whole newsroom” Flynn

“We connect with people by communicating with them and sharing our learning with them.” Oscar

The group of students committed to developing the logo for ‘PHN’ put forth a range of styles, colours and ideas that were then reduced to five finalists by a student panel and then put to a vote across all in the neighbourhood.

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The winner chosen by popular vote was…

This is already adorning the front of the news desk, but soon will also be incorporated in many other ways to continue to build the brand ‘PHN’.

The journalists who roam the neighbourhood interviewing and documenting learning for the news each day, have had deeper support and guidance these past weeks from a newspaper table in the Learning Commons, where students have been inspired by copies of newspapers to create their own news. They are finding information, creating a range of texts across various sections of the news and extending their learning from various workshops on Communication they have been attending. As educators we are excited at the prospect of how the learning will continue to grow.

“Every single time we do the news we build on our documenting and also sometimes we get more information about the news stories by asking questions. “ Zack

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