The Nature School

Year 7 and 8 students adventured, trudged, tiptoed, climbed, waded and slid through the mangrove ecosystem during Field Studies this week.

They had a special task to capture footage for their mangrove documentaries, and were lucky to be accompanied by a mangrove-specialist biologist (Lloyd) and a zoologist (Ben).

Using iPads, student-owned go-pros and some shared lapel mics, students were well equipped to test out some wild ideas… and get a little muddy in the process in true TNS fashion.

Learning happens everywhere. 🌿

At The Nature School, our outdoor play spaces encourage creativity, teamwork and problem-solving as students build, explore and discover together.

Year 4 learning doesn't get better than this!

Whale spotting, compass making at the beach, scientific drawings of Coastal Banksia (Banksia Integrifolia) inspired by the drawings of Botanist Joseph banks, the 3 Brother Mountains Dreamtime story, and creative writing inspired by excerpts of Captain Cook's Journal as he passed the Port Macquarie coastline... all on a picture-perfect winter's day.

Year 7 & 8 students headed to the Ruins Playground to investigate the health of a local urban waterway. Using water bug surveys, students collected and identified aquatic invertebrates, using the species they found as indicators of water quality.

A great hands-on opportunity to see how scientists use living things to monitor the health of our waterways!

Our Kindergarten students enjoyed a wonderful day at Guulabaa - Place of Koala, beginning with singing the Koala song on the bus in Guthang language. We were privileged to have a guided tour of the Koala Hospital, where we met koalas being rehabilitated and discovered the important work being done through Guulabaa's breeding program to help protect this iconic Australian species.

Our adventure continued in the yarning circle, where we slowed down to listen to Country and connect with the natural environment. We then explored the surrounding bush on a nature walk, identifying a variety of gum trees and towering tallowwoods. Along the way, we were excited to discover a scribbly gum, spot fascinating fungi, and observe the many treasures the bush has to offer. It was a meaningful day of learning, curiosity and connection to nature.

Year 3 took their learning outdoors with a trip to Lighthouse Beach, Tacking Point Lighthouse, and Little Bay.

Students put their navigation and geometry skills to the test, exploring angles in nature, discovering the history and purpose of lighthouses, and constructing a custom class sundial to track the sun throughout the day. It was a wonderful, hands-on day of learning by the sea!

Playgroup is back! Book now to secure your spot.

Year 1 headed to Bartlett's Beach at Bonny Hills for Adventure Day! We became whale spotters, using binoculars to search for migrating whales, and used compasses to discover which direction was North and South.

Tree planting at Guulabaa was a wonderful way for our Kindy students to take part in National Tree Planting day and as part of NAIDOC. Students loved learning about the processes of a plantation and we thank the

NAIDOC Week is a powerful opportunity to honour the histories, cultures, achievements and continuing contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, while reflecting, celebrating and learning together.

While NAIDOC Week provides a special opportunity to shine a light on these conversations, at TNS this work is embedded in our everyday practice. We celebrated through weaving, clay work, painting, storytelling, symbol art and tree planting, meaningful experiences that connected children with culture, creativity, community and Country.

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