What's Happening in our Classrooms

Prep

What’s Happening in Prep: Weeks 5 & 6

What’s been happening in Prep

What a busy and exciting two weeks the Preps have had! The Prep teachers have loved seeing students continue to settle into the routines of school with a big smile on their face. We have been doing lots of hands-on learning to help consolidate our understanding of taught vowels and consonants S, M and T. To celebrate our learning of these letters we have made Superhero Sticks, done some Mask Making and had a Teddy Bear’s Picnic with our Year 6 buddies. We have also introduced Zones of Regulation to support our understanding of emotions and what strategies we can put in place to help us regulate. Don’t forget to have a look at our communal Zones area in the Prep corridor and our family photo wall, too!

What will be happening over the next two weeks in Prep

Wellbeing

• Continuing to practice our class norms
• Revising the Zones of Regulation
• Understanding ‘expected’ and ‘unexpected’ behaviours
• Building personal Zones Toolkits

Phonics

• Revising short vowel sounds and the consonant phonemes /s/ sock, /m/ man and /t/ tap
• Learning consonant phonemes /n/ nest and /p/ pig

Reading

• Practising ‘Sapphire Memory Words’ and identifying their ‘tricky bits’
• Becoming Independent Readers (phrasing, fluency, sounding out, pointing to words as we read, predicting) 

Writing

• Using our knowledge of short vowel sounds and consonants s, m, t, n & p to write simple CVC words (consonant vowel consonant)
• Using memory words in our writing
• Understanding the number of syllables in words
• Using the correct letter formation for both upper- and lower-case letters

Maths

• Practising carefully counting groups of objects up to 20
• Creating patterns with objects and drawings
• Describing the position of ourselves and objects (above, below, over, under, behind)

Inquiry

Big Question: How might we reuse and recycle products? 

Over the next fortnight, students will be exploring the following lines of inquiry:

• What is a product?
• Why do we reuse and recycle?

Homework

Begin looking at your reading pouch sent home last week.

Reminders

• The last Wednesday of Prep testing will be Wednesday 28th of February. Preps to return to school full time as of Monday 4th March. This is due to Japanese Day happening on Wednesday 6th of March this year. Please check Compass for more information or get in touch with your classroom teacher.
• Friendly reminder to send in a family photo to be displayed in our Prep corridor.
• If you haven’t done so already, please send a named art smock along with your child. These stay at school for the year.

Year One

What’s Happening in Year 1: Weeks 4 & 5

What’s been happening in Year 1

The past few weeks the Year 1’s have eased into the school routine beautifully. They’ve understood and accepted the challenge of becoming a grown-up Year 1 student. We’ve had a fun time getting reacquainted with each other, we’ve already learnt new things and we’ve discussed what is yet to come throughout the term. We are so excited to learn and grow together! 

What will be happening over the next two weeks in Year 1

Wellbeing

• We will be rediscovering the toolkit we can use for the Zones of Regulation. The toolkit includes strategies to help students transition to the green zone. Each student will develop personalised toolkits with these strategies.

Reading

• We will read Diary of a Wombat and discover how to write a diary entry. Following this, students will write a diary entry of their own. 
• Students will then learn how to construct a letter. Parents and carers, beware, you might be receiving some handwritten letters persuading you to expand the family with several fun pets. 

Writing

• We are looking at verbs and how we can correctly use them in our writing to make it more interesting. As inspiration, we have looked at the live cam at The Melbourne Zoo and written class lists with verbs we can use in our future writing. 

Maths

• Now that we know our days of the week, we’re expanding our knowledge to the months of the year. We’ll be learning a fun new song about the months of the year; you might like to ask about this at home so you can practice together. Ask about ‘the months macarena’. 
• We will also continue to unpack Place Value including ordering and expanding numbers.

Inquiry

• Our students will be introduced to the process of designing. This is a process we’ll be using for our final assignment for our Inquiry Design and Technology unit. Students will understand the importance of planning their thoughts when designing and constructing something. 

Homework

• Our Year 1 students have received readers, which they will swap for new readers every week on a Friday. 
• Friendly reminder to please record these in your child’s reading journals.

Reminders

• A reminder to bring labelled headphones to school if you have not done so already. 
• Please bring a named art smock to school if you are yet to do so.
• Our excursion to Myuna Farm is coming up in a few weeks on Wednesday 13th March – Please make sure you have provided consent and paid on Compass, no later than 22nd February 2024.
• If you are yet to do so and wish to, please fill out and return the ‘Class List Contact Form’ to your child’s classroom teacher.

Year Two

What’s been happening in Year 2

The Year 2’s have continued to settle in beautifully at Beaumaris Primary School. Over the past two weeks the students have worked on forming class norms and continuing to build classroom relationships. Students have begun exploring the big question for our Inquiry unit and taking notice about the world around us. A highlight has been participating in FMS (Fundamental Motor Skills) and learning about our Inquiry topic.

What will be happening over the next two weeks in Year 2

Wellbeing

Students will be visiting the Zones of Regulation, building new toolkits and identifying ways in which we are able to help ourselves regulate. For the next two weeks students will be revisiting the Green and Blue zones and making toolkits that they can access both inside and outside the classroom in times of need.

Reading

• Use our prior knowledge to make connections with the text.

Writing

• Revisiting information texts.

Maths

• Recognising there are different ways of representing numbers and identifying patterns going beyond 100.
• Developing fluency with writing numbers in meaningful contexts.

Inquiry

Big Question: How do changes in the sky and landscape affect living things?

Over the next fortnight, students will be asked to:

Begin thinking about the difference between day and night, weather patterns and changes in landscape and how these affect living things. 

Reminders

• Open afternoon - Friday 23rd March. The Year 2 team and students would love to invite you into our classrooms to play some maths games with the students.
• Japanese Day - Wednesday 6th March. BPS has an incredible day planned with some international talent coming to perform. Students are asked to dress up in a Japanese inspired costume.
• Moonlit Sanctuary Visit - Friday the 8th of March. Please make sure you have paid and consented on Compass for your child to attend this excursion prior to the 1st of March.
• Take Home Readers - Each student will have the opportunity to change their readers each week and take home 5 levelled readers. It is expected that students read their 5 readers and complete their reading journal. The Year 2 teachers would love to see our students taking responsibility to complete their own reading journal.
• Library - Please find below a timetable of when your child will visit the BPS library. Please ensure that your child brings their library book each week on this day. Students should bring their library book to and from school in a library bag (this can be the navy BPS one or another bag of your choice). 

• Hats must be worn during recess, lunch and Physical Education until the 1st May. Please ensure your child has a named hat (to be left at school in their tub or on their hook).
• If you wish to contact your child’s classroom teacher for any reason, please do so using the beau box: Beaumaris.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Specialist classes

Year Three

What’s Happening in Year 3: Weeks 5 & 6

What’s been happening in Year 3

I have really enjoyed the inquiry investigations and learning about the Zones and connecting them to my emotional health. (Willa)

A highlight for me was getting a pencil case and having our own stuff which means being more responsible and caring for our things. (Finn M) 

I liked that I'm in a new classroom with different people from last year. I’ve made a few new friends so far. (Amelia)

So far, I have liked all the learning we’ve done, the activities, getting outside to play games with the other grades and the other subjects: Performing Arts, PE, Art, Japanese and Environmental Science. (Max M)

What will be happening over the next two weeks in Year 3

Wellbeing

• Taking part in FMS (Fundamental Movement Skills) activities outside. 
• Building a toolkit of individual strategies to help us get back to the green zone. 
• Strengthening our existing relationships and building a supportive and team environment within our classes.

Reading

• Looking at good reading habits and learning new reading strategies for comprehension.
• Exploring NAPLAN reading questions.
• Regularly visiting the library to replenish our books for reading at school and at home.

Writing

• Continue re-introducing the 6 + 1 Writing Traits that will guide us through the writing process and help us to level up our writing. 
• Using our Writer’s Notebook to inspire and generate ideas to create interesting and personal writing pieces.

Maths

• Looking at place value, extending to three-digit numbers and beyond.
• Unpacking worded problems and how to answer them.
• Skip counting forwards and backwards from three-digit starting points.

Inquiry - Health

Big Question: How might we promote healthy living choices in our school community?

Strengthen our understanding of physical, social and emotional health and learn how to best look after ourselves. We will consider what healthy habits do we already have in place and what habits we could adopt.

Homework

We are very impressed with those students who have been able to demonstrate independence and responsibility when completing their homework and recording their reading. We’re hoping to see all diaries every day!

At this stage homework will be reading (at least 5 times per week) and Mathletics activities set by the class teacher relating to the current topics being explored in the classroom. 

Reminders

Please ensure your child has their labelled art smock and headphones at school. 

Diaries are expected to come to school every day with their reading recorded and ready to be checked by the teacher.

3K and 3S are desperately looking for an amazing person to be their Parent Rep for the year. Please contact your child’s teacher if you’re willing and able to take on this responsibility.

Year Four

What’s Happening in Year 4: Weeks 5 & 6

What’s been happening in Year 4

Last week we had a very exciting, belated, BYOD launch. After an unforeseen power outage, we managed to jump back online on Thursday and set up their laptops and practise using the Microsoft applications which help our learning. We also started Year 4 sport, playing a range of summer sports. So far we have learnt about Tennis, Oztag and Teeball.

What will be happening over the next two weeks in Year 4

Wellbeing

• Creating Zones of Regulation toolkits

Reading

• Continuation of our term novel, The Dragon Defenders
• Exploring the concepts of connections, vocabulary choice and filtering main ideas
• Conducting reading groups for targeted activities
• Silent reading personal choice book

Writing

• Revising the 6+1 Traits of writing, with particular focus on word choice, ideas and presentation
• Using the text ‘Why I love Australia’ by Bronwyn Bancroft as a mentor text, with particular focus on finding and elaborating ideas, noun groups, precise verbs
• Personal writing

Maths

• Investigating the properties of odd and even numbers
• Making, naming, recording and ordering numbers to tens of thousand
• Rounding numbers
• Problem solving

Inquiry

Big Question: How can we promote our local community?

Over the next fortnight, students will be exploring the following lines of inquiry:

1. What is democracy? 
2. What is citizenship and what are the rights and responsibilities of citizens? 

Homework

Students will receive homework on a Monday and it is due on the Friday of the following week (signed diaries due every Friday). Homework consists of 20 minutes reading a night, 3- 4 Mathletics tasks to reinforce the concepts being taught at school, and one additional task, as instructed by the classroom teacher. Homework for weeks 3 and 4 is due on Friday 23rd February.

Reminders

• Fill out and send back contact information for class contact lists.
• Homework for weeks 3 and 4 is due on Friday 23rd February.
• We have an incursion for Inquiry on the 27th February, consent/payment can be completed via Compass.
• Year 4 camp will take place in Week 1, Term 2 from Wednesday 17th April to Friday 19th April. Please remember to send signed forms back ASAP.

Year Five

What’s Happening in Year 5: Weeks 5 & 6

What’s been happening in Year 5

The Year 5 students have settled in nicely after our busy first few weeks, with the excitement of Camp and our visit to The Enchanted Adventure Garden. We have been revising expectations of the BYOD program, and what it means to be a part of the senior school. The students have thoroughly enjoyed the Interschool sports training and look forward to participating in our first matches tomorrow. In Year 5 we are a part of the biodiversity team and take care of our school Kitchen Garden. We have started the year by picking tomatoes and basil to make some delicious pizzas!

What will be happening over the next two weeks in Year 5

Wellbeing

• Launch of the Zones of Regulation in our classrooms. Recognising the different emotions that are associated with each zone.

Reading

• Analyse the text structures and language features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text.
  
  Book Club Groups:

Students read set chapters - Complete Talk Sheet - Participate in Literature Discussion Groups

Writing

• Explore persuasive texts by revising persuasive techniques, analysing the structure of persuasive texts and comparing various persuasive texts including news articles, visual literacy, debates and opinion pieces.
  
  6+1 Traits: 
• Revising Word Choice/ Ideas/ Organisation.

Maths

• Identify and describe factors and multiples of whole numbers and use them to solve problems.
• Recognise that the place value system can be extended beyond hundredths.
• Calculate the perimeter and area of rectangles and the volume and capacity of prisms using familiar metric units.

Inquiry

Our big question: How has the Gold Rush had a lasting impact on Australia today?

Our lines of Inquiry over the next fortnight will include:

• What were the different roles that existed on the gold fields? (e.g., miner, teacher, trooper etc.)
• What were the living conditions on the gold fields?
• What were the different classes that existed on the gold fields?

Homework

• Year 5 weeks 4 and 5 homework was handed out on Tuesday 20th of February and is to be returned on Tuesday 5th of March.
• Students are expected to be reading each night, completing their assigned Mathletics task and completing the front and back covers of their Writer’s Notebook (more information can be found in their homework folder on One Note).

Reminders

• Interschool Sports Double Header Friday 1st of March
• Whole School Japanese Day - Wednesday 6th of March (Please dress up in Japanese themed costumes/clothes)
• Interschool Sports Friday 8th of March

Year Six

What’s Happening in Year 6: Weeks 5 and 6

What’s been happening in Year 6

The students had an excellent camp despite some thundery weather meaning some activities were missed. The Talent Show on night two was a great showcase of our wonderful Beaumaris performers. A huge thank you to all our parent helpers and of course our students for demonstrating the Beaumaris values throughout.

What will be happening over the next two weeks in Year 6

The Prep-Year 6 Teddy Bear Picnic Lunch will take place this Friday 23 February, along with the first round of interschool sport against Brighton. There will be an Open Afternoon in place of assembly this Friday (23rd) focusing on Maths games. Parents are welcome to attend.

Wellbeing

• Students identify types of problems they can solve independently.
• Students identify types of problems where they can benefit from seeking help from peer.
• Students identify types of problems where they can benefit from seeking help from adult.

Literacy

• Examining text features and sentence structures in the mentor text, The Little Stowaway, and using these as a model for our own writing.
• Using precise and emotive verbs to develop author’s voice (tone).
• Reading and exploring themes and text features in our class novel, A Glasshouse of Stars.
• Developing oral reading fluency routines.
• Spelling – daily morphology lessons.

Maths

• Learning to recognise the properties of number (including the properties of composite, prime, triangular and square numbers).

Inquiry

Big Question: How have significant people and events of the twentieth century shaped our nation’s national identity and way of life? 

Homework

The school homework policy is currently being reviewed. Until then students will be expected to be reading every night and completing Mathletics activities where possible. Diaries with reading recorded will be checked weekly. 

Reminders

• Students need to bring a teddy bear and a picnic blanket (if possible) on Friday for our Teddy Bear Picnic.
• Students need hats, water and runners for sport for the next two Fridays. Students to arrive at 8:30am.
• All students require a new digital agreement signed in preparation for using devices at school.

Photo Snippets from Year 6