Welcome back to term 3. It’s going to be a very busy one with lots of different activities.

This term we will be working on an Integrated Studies unit titled ‘From Then Till Now’. Our aims are for the children to gain an understanding of the ways in which people, places and things change over time. During this unit, the children will examine some of the changes that have taken place in themselves, their families, their school and their neighbourhood. The children have already worked on timelines of their lives, talked about an ‘old’ object and how it was used, and matched their friends’ faces to their baby photos. The photos are still in our classroom if you would like to have a look at all of the beautiful babies.

Our grade worked with the 1/2’s to set up a worm farm, and the children have been saving their ’brain food’ scraps to feed them. They have also planted carrot seeds in the new vegetable patch. Let’s hope we get to make some yummy food when they grow. We have plans to make a scarecrow to frighten off the birds, and we are also going to plant a herb garden outside our classroom near the outdoor learning area.

The children will continue working in literacy groups including guided and shared reading, handwriting, spelling activities, Reading Eggs, and writing in different genres. At the moment we are learning how to write narratives, and the children have found out that narratives need to have a setting, characters, a problem and a solution. The Preps have joined the Grade Ones in doing Reader’s Workshop where they are learning to think more deeply about what they have read. They may respond to their reading with a comprehension activity, a reflection or response, an activity on the language and vocabulary in the book, or a response as an artist or illustrator. They are all making great progress in Reading, and hearing their readers at home as well as sharing picture story books with them is a huge support to our work at school. The children will continue to participate in speaking and listening activities, show and tell and reading to the Grade.

This term we will continue to develop the childrens’ understanding of number, writing numerals, counting in different ways and counting on and back from a given number. The Preps will be focussing on learning about 10: the different arrangements of numbers which make 10 and using ten-frames to investigate 10. The Ones will be focussing on numbers to 100: counting and sequencing; counting forwards and backwards from different points and understanding the value of tens and ones. We will also be looking at multiplication, chance and data and perimeter later in the term.

The School Production will be performed at the end of this Term. All grades are involved in the Musical production of ‘Trash and Co’ and the Preps and Ones have already started to learn their songs. On Friday afternoons we practise all of the Production songs with the other grades. We have read through the Prep and Grade One parts and will assign them very soon. Some children are keen for a speaking part and others are happy to just be a part of the Production. If your child is given a part they will probably need some help in learning their lines and projecting their voice. More information regarding dates, times, tickets and costumes will be sent home as we get closer to the date.

We will also be attending a performance of ‘Two Peas in a Pod’ at the school on the 16th August. The children have read and enjoyed the book in Library with Mrs Kitching.

We have been reading lots of books for the Premier’s Reading Challenge, and some of the Grade Ones have been adding in the books they have been reading at home. Everyone is well on the way to meeting the challenge which ends soon.

We are looking forward to this busy, exciting term and continue to value your support and input.

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to Term 3. This Term we will be doing a unit of work entitled ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ which focuses on how people’s choices impact on the Environment and how the Environment impacts on the way people live. Our focus questions are : How can we take care of the Earth? How can we conserve resources? How can materials be recycled and reused to produce new products?

You may have seen the eggs that the children named, made homes for and cared for while at school. We have also created a Rainforest reading corner that we will encourage the children to be responsible for and treat with respect, as well as being a quiet place to enjoy a book. We will be talking about ways we can help the Earth, using the slogan, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We would appreciate if you could collect and bring to school smaller sized boxes, polystyrene trays, yoghurt tubs, lids, offcuts etc that we will use for a variety of Maths (capacity) and Art activities.

The children will continue working in literacy groups including guided and shared reading, handwriting, spelling activities, Reading Eggs, and diary writing. They are all making great progress in Reading, but please continue both hearing their readers at home as well as sharing picture story books. We are emphasising trying to write on the lines, using more lower case letters and punctuation. The children will continue to participate in speaking and listening activities, show and tell and reading to the Grade. This term we will continue to develop the childrens’ understanding of number, counting in different ways and counting on from a given number, patterns, capacity, time, length, Days of the week and Months.

The Perceptual Motor Program will start again this coming week, with some new equipment adding to the enjoyment. The Buddies program will also start up again once the Grade 5/6 get back from their Urban Camp.

The School Production will be performed at the end of this Term. All grades are involved in the Musical production and the Prep children will soon be starting to learn their song.

We will also be attending a performance of ‘Schumann the Shoeman’ at the school in a few weeks. The performance is based on the Picture story book of the same name, which has been nominated for a Children’s Book Week award.

You should all have received an envelope from School Nursing Health, specifically for Prep children, which we ask that you complete and return by Wednesday 28^th July.

As you have been previously informed, Mrs Weinberger will be absent on Leave for the first 3 weeks of Term. I will be teaching the Grade on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and Mrs Selmann on Wednesday.

If your child is absent for any reason, please bring a written note to school on the next day. If you have any concerns come and speak to us preferably after school or ring and make an appointment. We look forward to continue working with you and your child,

Regards,

Caroline Smyrk and Annette Weinberger.

Welcome back toTerm 2.  This term we will be doing a unit of work entitled Healthy Me, which will focus on our five senses. We will look at how our senses are used to know and learn about ourselves, which body parts are responsible for our sensations and how this information keeps us healthy and safe. We will be taking the children for sensory walks this week, firstly around the school and then to the local park on Thursday for them to explore their senses in natural environments. Both teachers will be accompanying the children on this walk. If it is still cool on Thursday please send a coat or extra jumper.

The children will continue working in literacy groups including guided and shared reading, handwriting, spelling activities, Reading Eggs, and diary writing.  We have been reading lots of stories which will form part of the children’s tally for the Premier’s Reading Challenge. We hope you are adding in the books that you read at home, too. Over the holidays our take home readers were collected and re-levelled. Take home readers are now levelled by colour and not by letter. When your child brings home books to read please disregard the letter level on the back cover as they will be given the correctly levelled text. Children will continue to participate in speaking and listening activities, show and tell, reading to the grade, and Tribes activities.

We will continue to play games and activities in Maths. This term we will be developing children’s understanding of number, making ten, counting, patterns, capacity, time, length, location words,  and 3D shapes.

This term the children will also be participating in the Perceptual Motor Program twice a week. More information will be sent home soon.

During our weekly Buddy sessions, children will be partaking in activities around our theme of Healthy Me. The children are really enjoying these sessions as well as catching up with their ‘big buddies’ in the yard. It’s a wonderful program and the Preps are so excited when it’s Buddies Day.

The children have been developing some independence as they bring in their readers, brain food, etc. in the mornings. We will be giving the children a little more responsibility as we choose two students who will be our “Classroom Leaders”. These children will be responsible for lots of the little jobs that need to be done, and at the end of the week, they will be awarded with a certificate for all their hard work!

We also encourage the children to be responsible for their own belongings. During the Winter terms the children need to keep track of their jumpers. Sometimes your child may bring home a jumper belonging to another child without you being aware of it. Could you please check the labels in the back from time to time and return any jumpers as quickly as possible.

At the end of this term, the children will be given their Semester 1 Reports. This will give you information about what they have achieved, any areas they need to improve, and what the school or home can do to help them. We will also have Parent-Teacher Interviews late in Term 2 or early Term 3 to discuss your child’s progress.

We hope the children have all been practising their Alphabet books, and word lists during the holidays. Some of the children will bring home new lists soon, as they are doing so well.

If you have any concerns about your child or you just want to check on how they are going, the best time to see us is after school.  If we can’t see you on that day, we’ll make a specific time for an appointment.

Regards,

Annette and Caroline