As part of our Unit of Inquiry which has focused on, “caring for our community and the different ways we interact in it,” students in Year 1 have been exploring how we can care for our environment, as well as the natural, man-made and managed features that are around us.

We explored our local community during a walking excursion. The Year 1 students and their teachers walked around the school grounds, examining and discussing the surrounding managed and man-made features. We saw the new school being built next to Hume Anglican Grammar and held discussions about why there would be the need for more schools in our growing community. The classes looked at the installed traffic lights, zebra crossings, housing developments, the sporting facilities being constructed as well as Gumnut Park. While looking at these features of our local community students explored and questioned why these facilities had been constructed, and why these locations were chosen. The Year 1s also made predictions about what they thought might be being built next to Gumnut Park. Some of the guesses included; shops, as there are none in the estate, and more houses, as there are already lots of houses being built. We ended our excursion with a picnic at the park as well as a play on the play equipment.

The students had an enjoyable time exploring their neighbourhood and were excited to continue their discussion about the features of our community when they returned to school.

Amanda Schuch - Head of Curriculum P-2 (Donnybrook)