Foundation

Foundation Cluster News

 It was wonderful to see all the enjoyment during Celebration of Learning last week; again well-done Foundations we are so proud of you. 

Reminder that it is a very busy term, keep an eye on those emails for consent forms and of course we are always here to assist. Welcome to Week 3.

Excursion to Wynn Vale Dam – Wednesday 28th October 

 On Wednesday 28th October we are going on an excursion to Wynn Vale Dam. Information and permission notes have been sent out via TASS. If you are interested in coming along, please email the front office by Friday 23rd October for ease of collating names. You must already be a registered volunteer. 

Pevan and Sarah Excursion 

 Pevan and Sarah concert on Thursday 12th November 2026 (Week 5). Foundation students will be travelling to STARplex Hewiston Theatre on the Golden Grove Lutheran Primary School buses.  Lunch and a play will be at Carisbrooke Park in Salisbury (pending weather is kind).  

Students will need to be at school at our normal time of 8:30am, we will depart at 9:30am and return by 2:30pm.   

What to bring:   

On the day your child needs to come in school uniform. They will also need a labelled small backpack or school bag that contains the following:  

• Drink bottle   
• Fruit/vegetable snack   
• Recess   
• Lunch   
• School hat  

Please sign the acknowledgement slip through Parent Lounge by 5th November 2025.  If you have questions, please contact us.  

Pupil Free Day 

Friday 13 November 

Swimming 

Week 4  

Monday 2 November – Friday 6 November 

More information will be provided. 

Hats  

A reminder that students need a school hat in Term 4. Please make sure it is labelled and kept in their school bag. 

Kimochis at Home 

We have 4 very special Kimochis that are going to come for a visit on the weekend - Brave Bug, Curious Cat, Kind Lovey Dove and Active Hugs. Students have designated weekends where they will bring home a small Bug, Cat, Lovey Dove or Hugs and a book with instructions of what they will need to do. They will take the Kimochi home on a Thursday/ Friday and bring it back on the Monday. Please make sure they are taken care of and don’t get drawn on or eaten by any family pets. If you do not have a printer at home, we are happy to print for you. Thank you. 

Week 2 Learning Program:   

Reader’s Workshop – Becoming avid readers 

Word Study – Sounds: Digraphs (pairs of letters that represent a single sound, such as sh, ch, and th) 

Sentence writing: forming sentences correctly and growing our writing muscles. 

Stupendous writing: Writing letters with the correct formation. 

Bookmaking – Spotlight session: Expert Books-Animals & Plants (Unit of Inquiry)   

Inquiry into Maths   

Measurement: sequencing, length, capacity & mass. 

Unit of Inquiry 

Sharing the Planet Central idea: People’s actions can impact animals and plants. 

Line of inquiry 1: External features of animals and plants in our environment 

Line of inquiry 2: Ways human activities impact animals and plants 

Line of inquiry 3: How we can help protect animals and plants 

Key concepts: Causation, Responsibility& Change 

Learner profile: Caring, Principled & Reflective 

Christian Studies:  

Christian Living  

Key Idea 3:Christians have responsibility in and for the world 

Library: 

Please look after our books so they are not damaged so that others can borrow them. It is important to note that no borrowing occurs if library books are not returned.  

Please return books and the library bag to class on Tuesday ready for Wednesday library day.  

Thank you all for your support and being avid readers with your children. 

Take Home Folders:   

Take Home folders need to come to school every day. Students will need these to take home notes and any craft they make during the day. New sounds and heart words will also be placed in this folder.   

Take Home Book Bags:   

Your child will bring home 2-4 books that have been their books for Readers Workshop in class to share with you at home. The take home book bag with the 4 books is to remain in the child’s take home folder so books can be updated/ changed when needed. 

Jolly Pouch (purple pouch): Please keep the pouch in your child’s take home folder!  

Your child will receive new sounds/actions in their Jolly Pouch; it is up to you whether you keep the paper in the pouch or find a safe place at home. We hope these resources are valuable for you to practice what we learn in class. When a new sound is introduced, a video will be posted on Toddle to support your child at home. 

Volunteers: We love having volunteers in the classroom. If you are interested in volunteering, there are a few tasks you will need to be able to help in the classroom.  

• Current Working With Children Check (WWCC)  
• Responding to Abuse, Harm and Neglect training (RRHAN-EC)  
• Valuing Safe Communities (VSC) training; and  

You can find the information here on the school website:  https://www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au/parents-community/employment-opportunities/  

School Calendar  

https://www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au/school-life/school-calendar/  

Please note: During teaching hours, we are unable to check emails.  

Blessings,   

Brianna and Tania 

Brianna Stanley:  stanley.brianna@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Tania Tenten:

 tenten.tania@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Excursion to Wynn Vale Dam – Wednesday 28th October 

On Wednesday 28th October we are going on an excursion to Wynn Vale Dam. Information and permission notes have been sent out via TASS. If you are interested in coming along, please email the office by this Friday the 23rd October and I will let you know if we require you. You must already be a registered volunteer. 

Sunscreen 

We will be putting sunscreen on before lunch this term. We use the Woolworths brand sunscreen. If your child needs to use a different sunscreen, please pack it in their bag. 

Toys from home 

Please leave toys from home at home as it can be challenging to prevent them from being lost or damaged at school. They can also be disruptive to our learning. Please also remind your children to not give toys from home to friends overnight for the same reason. 

Nuts in lunchboxes 

Please refrain from packing nuts in lunchboxes as we have children in our class with nut allergies. 

Assembly and Chapel 

Our class is now attending Assembly (Mondays 2:30pm) and Chapel (Fridays 8:50am). Both take place in the worship centre. I will let you know if your child is receiving an award in Monday’s Assembly so you can attend if you would like. 

Late pick up 

If ever you are running late to pick your child up, I will walk them to the ‘Kiss and Drop’ area (outside the front gates) after school. Leadership supervise this area. 

Hats 

Please ensure your child has a school hat in their bag as they will need to wear them at recess and lunchtime during Term 4. They can be purchased from the uniform shop. 

Toddle 

Please contact the front office if you are having any issues connecting to Toddle. We post important reminders, student learning, photos/videos and assessments on this platform. 

Library 

Students have been given a white Library bag. We visit the library weekly on Tuesdays. Foundation children can borrow two books and keep them for two weeks. I encourage you to read these books with your child weekly so that they can bring them back and have two new books every week to read. 

Blue Take Home Folder 

All students have now been given a blue take home folder. They are to come to school every day. In these folders you will find notes sent home as well as crafts students have made. From Monday next week I will be sending home a list of the sounds we have been learning so you can work on them with your child at home. 

Weekly timetable 

Learning program:  Week 3 

In Word Study, we will learn the ‘h’ letter sound. In bookmaking we will discuss imaginative and informative books and start writing an informative book. We will read the story ‘Pig the Pug’ by Aaron Blabey and practise retelling the story. 

In Maths, we revisit counting, subitising using ten frames, and number recognition. For Christian Studies, we will learn about how Jesus includes everyone by reading the Lost Sheep book “Zac the Taxman”. 

We begin our “Sharing the Planet” Unit of Inquiry. 

Central Idea: People’s actions can impact animals and plants 

We continue looking at external features of animals and plants in our environment. 

Mindfulness 

Every week, we will be learning a strategy we can use to keep our body calm. I encourage you to practise these strategies every week with your child at home. It has been wonderful to see the children use these strategies themselves without prompting from me. During Week 2 we have been learning Lion breaths. 

Lion breaths 

Start on all fours, sit back on your heels like a proud lion. 

Take a big breath in through your nose. 

As you breath out, open your mouth, stretch out your tongue and let out a big roar like a lion.

Blessings for a wonderful week, 

Ellen Zimmer 

zimmer.ellen@goldengrove.sa.edu.au