21 Feb 2020
The whole school was filled with excitement as our Red STAR person arrived at Homebush West Public School, with their red star balloons and some excellent dance moves, to open the mystery gift. Teachers have been encouraging students to explore and discuss what was inside, a stimulus for creative writing. It has been wonderful to hear students’ ideas and anticipation, and on Tuesday the time finally came to open the gift and share with our curious students.
In line with current learning in K-6 around careful and responsible management of natural resources, the gift to our students was the gift of education, an ‘animal show’, where education officers from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo brought a number of native Australian animals to our school and helped students to develop an understanding about how their species have been impacted by the bushfires, short and long term recovery impacts, their role in an ecosystem and practical things we can do to support them. It was an authentic learning experience for students K-6 and we were very proud of their respectful behaviour and insightful questions.