Foundation Term 1 Newsletter

Meet the teaching team

FA - Samantha Waugh (Learning Specialist & PLC Leader) & Chelsea Kubic (Thursday)

FB - Amy Gridley (M-W) & Renee King (W-F)

FC - Stephanie Stuart

Welcome to Term 1

The Foundation Team would like to welcome our newest members and families to Cheltenham East Primary School (CEPS)! We are delighted with the way the children have confidently and happily settled into their new school life. 

 Specialist Timetable

Important Dates

19/02: Foundation students do not attend

25/02: Foundation students do not attend

05/03: First Wednesday back at school for Foundation students

07/03: CEPS Community Picnic

10/03: Labour Day—Public Holiday

28/03: Superhero Day (Foundation only)

Parent Helpers

At CEPS we highly value working as a whole community and encourage the participation and involvement of our families. Our Foundation Team runs a reading program, which requires parents to read with the children, play literacy games with students and change their books on a daily basis. This is a very beneficial and effective reading program for the development of literacy skills. 

We will notify you via Sentral to offer opportunities to help with the reading program and details outlining suitable times. Please note, we wish Foundation students to settle into the routines of school before this program will commence. 

When helping with the children at CEPS, it is required that you wear a Working With Children’s Check (WWCC) displayed on a lanyard at all times. 

If you have not got a WWCC and wish to volunteer, application forms can be found online at: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au

Remember to sign in each day you volunteer at CEPS via the computer at the office. This is a mandatory requirement. You will also be required to sign out. 

Attendance

Our roles are legal documents, therefore we must be accountable for any absences. Please assist with this by informing the school through Sentral, email or phone call to record the absence. Late students need to be signed in at the office by a parent/caregiver and collect an orange pass to present to their teacher on arrival at their classroom. 

Teaching and Learning

English

Speaking & Listening 

This term the children will focus on developing their speaking and listening skills. There will be a strong emphasis on learning nursery rhymes and rhythmic songs which will assist the children to identify and listen for rhyme. The students will be encouraged to become active contributors to class discussions, sharing their thoughts and experiences appropriately in group situations and circle times. 

Writing

Term 1 is a time when students develop pre-writing skills. The students will practise tracing and writing their names. They will use discussion times to explain their thinking and portray their ideas through illustrations. As students begin to write, teachers will assist with letter formation and making links to letter sounds.

Reading

‘Concepts of Print’ is a major focus throughout Term 1. This encourages students to identify the difference between sentences, words and letters, reading direction (from left to right) and linking spoken words to written words. 

Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Skills are explicitly taught in our Reading program. The students will have fun participating in nursery rhymes, songs and games to develop their literacy skills. Focus skills for this term will be:

-Rhyme

-Syllables

-Sounds we can hear at the beginning, middle and end of words. 

Phonics will be taught daily, with a focus on the letters and their corresponding sounds. Students will be guided through systematic instruction to help them blend sounds and decode simple words. Instruction will be tailored to each child's individual needs, providing support where necessary and offering challenges to extend their learning.

Mathematics

This term our focus for Mathematics is: Number sense and counting 

Students will engage in play based activities to build confidence and knowledge on the following skills:

· Counting practise

· Building 10 in a variety of ways

· Arranging items in effective ways in order to count accurately

· Linking quantities with numerals

· Counting forwards and backwards

· Pronouncing ‘teen’ numbers accurately

· Numbers that come before and after

· Number formation

Humanities

Our compelling question for this term is: ‘Who is my family, what is my family story and how does it make me who I am?’       

The children will learn to appreciate how all families are different and family members have roles and responsibilities. Students will also become more aware of our uniqueness, diversity and achievements. Much focus will be directed towards the relationship between social and personal responsibilities.  

Wellbeing

CEPS VALUES

COURTESY    RESPECT    CO-OPERATION    RESPONSIBILITY 

The Foundation students will participate in the ‘CEPS Kids are Friendly Kids’, values based program. Each week children will have opportunities to explore our Term 1 School value, ‘Courtesy’. 

In the first few weeks of school, we have been very busy setting up our classroom routines and expectations with the students to help them understand how the school day works and how to behave in the classroom so that everyone feels confident and ready to learn. The children have been receiving pom poms for kind and helpful behaviours, based on the concept of ‘bucket filling’. These will be sent home soon and the students will transition to Class Dojo, to earn points for displaying the school values and classroom expectations.

Friday afternoon assembly awards will be given to children who have shown personal growth specific to the value’s skill. Parents will be informed if their child is receiving this very special award.

To further support the school values, CEPS follows a SWPBS framework, which we refer to as CEPS Positive Behaviours Support. This framework encourages acknowledging positive behaviours displayed by students within the school. 

Your child may receive a CEPS raffle ticket for displaying the school values? Award winners will be drawn and announced during assembly on Friday afternoons. 

Supporting learning from home

Starting Foundation can be a big adjustment for your child, and they will have busy days filled with new routines and lots of learning. It's important to balance their learning with plenty of rest and relaxation at home. Encourage quiet time, a healthy snack, and conversations about their day to help them unwind. 

We encourage you to read to your child daily for at least 10 minutes. Sharing a picture book at a calm, quiet time each day, is a wonderful way to bond and help your child develop a love for reading. This regular time together not only supports their literacy skills but also promotes relaxation. 

Your child's maroon reader bag will be sent home each day. This will contain a reader once we begin our Phonics program. Until then, we will be sending home English and Maths activities/games that you can do with your child at home. Please make sure that the reader bag comes to and from school each day.

Weekly Routines

Monday - Friday

Before School

At 8:55 am, students will hear the music signalling it's time to line up. We kindly ask that children have their school bags ready and wait at their class' designated dot. A warm and cheerful goodbye helps your child feel confident as they head into class for the day. We understand mornings can be busy, but please do your best to ensure your child arrives on time, as learning begins promptly at 9.00am. Thank you for supporting your child's smooth transition into the school day!

After School

At the end of the day, children will be walked out to the stage with their class group. Please meet your child at the stage for collection, and let the teacher know when you've picked them up. For children attending after-school care, a Team Kids staff member will meet them at the stage and escort them to their program. If you’re running late or unable to pick up your child by 3:30 pm, please call the office to let us know. 

Friday Assembly

Students will attend assembly on Friday afternoons at the outdoor stage. Please ensure that your child is collected from the stage promptly after the assembly finishes. 

Food

Please pack a recess snack, fruit break snack and lunch for your child each day. Fruit break must be a piece of fruit, yoghurt or cheese/crackers.  Water bottles are kept in the classroom for easy access and to encourage your child to hydrate regularly. 

Please avoid including products with nuts in lunchboxes in support of those students with allergies.

Communication

If you have any queries along the way, please feel free to contact us using our emails listed below or you can send a Class Dojo. If any more urgent concerns arise, please organise a time to meet with your child’s teacher.

PLC Leader: Samantha Waugh (samantha.waugh@education.vic.gov.au) 

Chelsea Kubic (chelsea.kubic@education.vic.gov.au)

Amy Gridley (amy.gridley@education.vic.gov.au)

Renee King (renee.king@education.vic.gov.au)

Stephanie Stuart (stephanie.stuart@education.vic.gov.au)

We use Sentral to communicate School and Foundation Information and Class Dojo to celebrate the children’s daily learning. We hope you have been enjoying the Dojo posts and photos from your teacher!