Prep

Dear Prep families, 

Welcome back to Term 3! Tomorrow is 100 Days of Prep, and it is such an exciting milestone for them and you. We are looking forward to celebrating with different activities throughout the day. I am very proud of every Prep student! 

Maths 

Addition is the Maths focus. The students have been representing addition number stories through drawing, using materials such as objects and ten frames. They learned to identify the part, part and whole in a pictorial representation and then count the collection and record the total. Our next focus will be subtraction. 

Literacy 

The Preps are writing simple, dictated sentences containing familiar, tricky words and CVC words. We practice counting the words in the sentence, identify the tricky words and apply letter-sound knowledge to spell and write simple words. 

This week, the students have started paired/partner reading. During paired/partner reading, two students read the same passage aloud to each other. With the paired reading strategy, two students read together to improve their reading fluency. This method involves one student reading aloud while the other listens and provides support as needed. The roles are then reversed, with each student taking turns as the reader and the listener.

Why use paired reading? 

• It helps students work together.
• It encourages cooperation and supports peer-assisted learning. The presence of a peer can reduce anxiety and build confidence.
• Hearing a peer read fluently serves as a model for expression, intonation, and pacing. 
• Reading with a partner makes the reading experience more engaging and interactive. Students are actively involved in the reading process.

Education in Faith 

During Education in Faith, the Prep students listened to the story The Rainbow Fish. They discussed the meaning of the word sharing and reflected on times when they had shared with others. Together, we explored the feelings that come with sharing.

The students were then introduced to the following Bible verse:

Luke 3:11 – “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

In response, the Preps created a collage to show the meaning of this verse and the concept of sharing. They decorated two T-shirts, keeping one for themselves and giving one to someone else.

We then listened to the story of Anatercia and her family from Mozambique and how Caritas shared their resources with them. The students extended their collage by drawing food items and placing some of the table food into a basket to be shared with others.