Prep Term 4 Overview

Prep: Term 4 

Welcome back!

This term the Preps will be reintroduced to the expectations of school life and how we show respect to self, others and property. We will re-identify places to play around the school, how we can ask to play with other people and how to spot students who might need a friend. 

Religious Education

This term students will listen to parables Jesus told and draw out the key messages in the story. They will also explore the themes of how earth was created and identifying God’s creation and man-made creations. They will explore the events leading up to the birth of Christ, such as the Annunciation and Advent. This term the Preps will also spend time studying the Nativity Story, which they will re-enact.

English

Students will be learning how to comprehend texts beyond the surface level this term and will be exposed to more advanced reading strategies such as changing the vowel sound, reading on and inferencing. Students are now expected to read a wide variety of high frequency words and stretch out simple new words and be encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of what is being read. 

We will be learning more explicitly about non-fiction texts through writing, in particular information reports. Students will be exposed to a greater variety of authors and writing styles and will be taught how to write for a particular purpose, for example, to entertain, to persuade or to inform. A few skills include, searching for facts, how to create headings, and how to use diagrams. 

Mathematics

In addition to our daily work on counting, we will be developing and consolidating skills in these areas: 

Fractions: Modelling and explaining equal parts of a whole, particularly looking at halves and quarters. 

Money: Identifying Australian coins and comparing their value.

Chance: Using specific language to describe how likely an event is to occur. 

Time: Using time-specific language and telling the time to the hour (o’clock times).

Please continue to utilise the Mathletics program at home to support your child’s learning. 

Inquiry

This term's Inquiry is based around Geography. We will be locating places and their features on maps and models, including a globe, and the location of the major geographical divisions of the world in relation to Australia. We will also be identifying the different connections between people in Australia to other places in Australia as well as across the world 

Social and Emotional Learning

This term there is a whole school focus on Social Management. This strongly relates to problem solving, resilience and making and keeping friends. Students will learn that friends can like different or the same things and both are ok. They will also learn what self-control is and how it is a combination of being both strong and gentle at various times.  

Specialist Subjects

Specialist subjects will continue this term. This will include:

• STEM, Digital Technologies and Physical Education is on Wednesday
• Italian and Performing Arts is on Thursday
• Visual Arts is on Friday

Here is a friendly reminder of our “school things”

Food: The Preps eat a fruit/vegetable snack each morning around 10am. Food should be chopped into small pieces as students do not have a long time for this snack. Please bring a named drink bottle to school every day. Just a reminder that students need to have only four items in their lunch box as there are 3 opportunities to eat. Please be aware that some children have nut allergies and cannot come into contact with these foods. Thank you for your understanding with this. 

Book Bags: Our blue book bags need to be brought to and from school each day. They are used for notices and reminders, so please check them each day when they come home. At school they live in our ‘book bag locker.’

Hats: Hats are to be worn during Term 4 when outside for sports, lunch and recess. 

Home Learning

• Reading - Daily reading and recording in their reading records. 
• Spelling - Practise reading and writing Smart Spelling words for the week. 
• To assist your child with writing, they are encouraged to practice both reading and writing each word in context and as single words. 

Optional extras:

• Reading Eggs
• Mathletics

Important dates to remember:

Kids Disco: Friday 14 October 

Art Show: Friday 4 November 

150 YEAR Celebration for St John's School: Sunday 6 November

School Closure Day: Friday 18 November 

SJM Fete: Saturday 19 November - 10am - 5pm

Mini Mission Day: Tuesday 22 November 

Please check the newsletter each week to make sure you are aware of any updates.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Thanks for your ongoing support,

Shannon Wilton swilton@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au