Woodstock goes bush
Last Thursday, a group of very excited K to 2 students and their teachers headed off to Centennial Parklands to learn more about the wonders of nature.
Occupying over 890 hectares of green space in the heart of Sydney - including the Botany Wetlands, a fresh aquifer, Lachlan Swamp, bush landscape and Banksia scrubland - Centennial Parklands proved to be the perfect location for our Woodstock students to experience fun, hands-on inquiry-based learning activities far removed from the everyday classroom experience.
Despite the cold, soggy start to the week, it was a perfect winter’s day for our students to explore the amazing trees in the Parklands, from the holm oak (Quercus ilex, to the swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta), to the liquidamber (Liquidambar styraciflua).
The park is home to a variety of creatures, from brushtail possums, microbats, and tawny frogmouths to one of Sydney’s largest colonies of grey-headed flying-foxes.
Drawing on their natural curiosity, their knowledge and their inquiry skills, our students asked lots of open-ended questions about the creatures they encountered in the Parklands.
Everyone enjoyed dip netting in the ponds, and they loved using maps to locate hidden treasures.
They also loved climbing, digging and using their imagination and creativity to play in this beautiful outdoor setting.
Everyone was extremely tired on the journey home and needed a little ‘lie down’ in the Piazza when they arrived back at Wenona.
Miss Richardson asked her Kindergarten students what was the best thing about the day. The answer? The bus ride home!