Learning and Teaching
SFS READING NIGHT – THANK YOU
A big thank you to all the parents/carers who attended our Junior and Senior Reading Night on Tuesday.
It was so wonderful to meet and speak to parents in person and have them visit our learning spaces on the night. We hope that the tips, resources and strategies provided by teachers will continue to help you support your child/children at home as they continue developing their reading skills. Thank you also to the teachers for their efforts in preparing the parent workshops for the evening. It is greatly appreciated.
Below are some helpful suggestions and things to consider when reading with your child at home. Stay tuned for next week as we look at some of the digital reading resources that children can access.
At the moment we are in the process of updating children’s accounts and this will be completed next week. Information will be sent home as well as published in the newsletter.
Thank you
Joanna Forbes
Learning and Teaching Leader
READING WITH YOUR CHILD
Should the books your child be easy or difficult?
For the Junior children the texts read at home should be at a slightly lower level than what children are reading at school. By the time children reach Year 3, their decoding skills are well established and therefore they have more choice in the reading material they choose. However, a good rule of thumb for all children is that if your child is getting stuck on every second word or more than 5 words per page, then the book is too hard for them.
Make it Routine
Find the right time for you and your child to read. Do what works for you! Ten minutes of reading every night is what we need to aim for in Years F-2 and 15-20 minutes for Years 3-6. For the Junior children it is important that a parent/carer listens to them read and engages in this experience with them by reminding them of their strategies and discussing the text with them. Many older children like to read independently and before bedtime. This is fine and should be encouraged. For children in Years 3-6 listening to your child read aloud once or twice a week to check for fluency and expression is recommended. It is then important to find a time during the week to discuss what they are reading with them to help them develop their understanding of the text.
English is not our first language.
It does not matter!!! We encourage parents/carers to read to children in their first language. The most important thing is that you are modelling positive reading behaviours and an enjoyment of reading. This makes a huge difference to how children view and feel about reading.
Turn off devices and remove distractions
Think about where will you sit and read together if you are reading with your child? Are there any distractions that will take away from focusing on what you are reading? Consider where the best place might be.
Who holds the book?
The reader holds the book! The reader needs to be in control. Particularly with little children it is so easy for us as parents/carers to hold the book for them and turn the pages as they read, however as the one reading they need to be in control and do this for themselves so that they become independent.
Make it Enjoyable!
Reading is meant to be fun. If you are getting frustrated with them, they will sense this and get frustrated too, especially in the early stages when children are learning to read and apply the strategies taught.
Avoid using words like ‘good’, ‘excellent’, ‘getting better’ – focus more on the strategies they are using. For example, “I like how you looked at the first sound and picture to read that word”, “ I like how you changed your voice for that character” or “ I noticed you went back and re-read the bit that didn’t make sense”. Even with older readers making comments about their understanding when they are talking about the text with you also helps build their confidence. For example, “That was a great text to self-connection”, “You really have a good understanding of what happened or why that character acted that way” or “WOW. You have remembered lots of facts about…….”
Don’t Tell Them, Guide Them
If you tell your child every word they get stuck on, they won’t learn to use the reading strategies they are learning at school and will expect you to tell them every time. This isn’t going to help them develop and grow as readers. Listening to your child read each night is not a TEST – you are not checking if they can read all the words correctly as an indicator of how they are progressing in their reading development. They need to have a go at ‘figuring out’ the unknown word by applying the strategies taught. Your role is to use the prompts and tips provided to help them in this process.
My Child is an independent reader what do I do now?
Continue to share reading time – maybe the library book that they bring home OR talk about what they are reading. Show interest in their reading choices. Ask them about the book, series they have chosen to read and why they choose it. Talk to them about your reading choices and continue to model positive reading behaviours within the home. This might be as simple as your child seeing you read the paper.
Comprehension and ‘TALK’ is important!
TALK! TALK! TALK! . This might be talking about the pictures and what is happening in the text before you read and as you read together. After reading with your child or after they have read their book independently ask them some questions about the text. Talking to children about what they have read is not only great for developing their understanding of the text, but it also helps build their vocabulary. Parents/Carers are key to assisting children in developing and building on their use of new and more complex language. Oral Language and the key skills of speaking and listening when engaging in a discussion are central to all aspects of a child’s learning and development.
Senior Music
In Music this term, the Senior students will be learning how to play the keyboard. Students will be able to learn simple songs and learn how to read Middle C, D and E in the Treble Clef and C, B and A in the Bass Clef. Students will work in partners.
This week, the Grade 3 and 4s learned about the Staff/Stave,Treble/Bass Clef and the positioning of Middle C on the piano. Students also learned the note values of Semibreves, Minims and Crotchets. A part of the practical unit is to also complete theoretical exercises so students practiced drawing a Staff.
We played as an ensemble and then students had time to practise on their own. They finished off their lesson by performing to one another. It has been great to see the variety of skills on display.
The Senior Choir started rehearsal last week. We hope to perform ‘Cloudy Day’ at the next assembly.
If your child has signed up for choir, please ensure that you have completed the eForm. If you are purchasing a new top, please place $35 in an envelope and give it to Lorenza or Vivienne in the front office. The tops will be distributed once the payment has been made.
Kristy Galea
Music Teacher
LEARNING IN LS1 JUNIORS
Maths in LS1 Juniors
Here in LS1 we have been exploring counting and place value. We know that good mathematicians use maths tools such as 10s frames, counters, dice, unifix cubes and 100s charts.
INQUIRY in LS1
We have been exploring the concept of Connections. We began simply by using our 5 senses to make connections to our surroundings. Then we made a visit to the Community Garden where the children identified different stimulus in their environment that triggered their senses (e.g. the wind, sun and grass)
Getting ready for writing
The Foundation children in LS1 have been working on their fine motor skills to support them with their writing. They have been manipulating smaller items and objects as a warm up activity. It has been so much fun strengthening the muscles in our hands and fingers.
SPORTS NEWS
FRIDAY SENIOR SPORTS
This week Grade 5/6 students started their training for their summer interschool sports and Grade 3/4 began their sports rotations for summer interschool sports.
We hope that by giving the Grade 3/4 this opportunity, they will be familiar with the interschool sports once they are in Grade 5/6 and choosing the sport they are interested in.
We are hoping that inter school sports may begin later this term. Grade 5/6 parents will be notified via Operoo once we have more details.
GRADE 6 BIKE EDUCATION
Grade 6 students today started the Level 2 Bike Education unit: Bike Ed Pathway Cycling. Today they stayed at school and recapped the skills they learnt last year.
Next Friday they will begin their pathway cycling. The program will be modified to meet student needs.
JUNIOR GOLF CLINICS
Juniors eagerly participated in their first golf clinic this week. They had a great time and we would like to thank Kate and Linda our coaches for their enthusiasm and dedication.
A reminder to parents that Juniors will continue their golf clinics next week. Students will need to wear their sports uniform and ensure they bring their hats and water bottles on the following days:
Monday – LS3
Tuesday – LS2
Friday – LS1
Please refer to the note on Operoo for further details. There is also a flyer included in the newsletter from the coach delivering the program, in case your child is interested in continuing golf out of school hours in Term 2.
Giuliana & Lulli
SFS TWILIGHT SPORTS
Thursday March 10th, 2022
5.30 – 8.00 pm
Our annual Twilight Sports will be held on Thursday March 10th. Please make sure you arrive no later than 5.15 pm as we begin races promptly at 5.30 starting with the Juniors, specifically Foundation students.
Home Group Teachers will inform new students, including Foundation students of the House they belong to. They will also remind other students of their Houses. If you have any queries about Houses please email your Home Group Teacher.
Students will be required to wear their sports uniform on the night as they will be running, but we hope that they will wear a t-shirt that is in their house colour and wear other accessories such as hats, scarves… in their house colour.
Teresa House - Blue
MacKillop House – Yellow
Bosco House – Red
Patrick House – Green
Students will be sitting with their houses under their house marques, supervised by staff. Those that come 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th will be awarded points for their House and we will also be giving out points to the House who supports their competitors the most.
An assembly will be held at the end, to announce the House winners for the house sports award and the house spirit award. The Grade 6 Gift will also be presented to the fastest Grade 6.
We hope to have teacher, parent and toddler races as well!
We ask all parents and family members who attend to be covid safe: social distance and sit in family groups. Please be aware that all spectators who attend will need to be fully vaccinated. Parents will also be asked to sit on the school side of the track across from where students are sitting in their Houses.
We are very grateful to Parents and Friends who will provide sausages/vegetarian options to the students. Please ensure your form has been filled in on Operoo for your child to receive their sausage. Parents and Friends will also be selling sausages, drinks and icy poles near LS2 on the evening. We hope that parents will support them.
Lulli and Giuliana