Year 1/2 News

Learning Centre One

It’s hard to believe how quickly the term is flying by! The past few weeks have been filled with rich learning experiences, creative projects, and plenty of fun along the way. Our students have shown wonderful enthusiasm and growth, and it’s been fantastic to see their curiosity and confidence continue to shine in and out of the Learning Space. Enjoy the long weekend and see you all Wednesday!

Literacy: 

In literacy we have been focusing on building clear,detailed sentences. We are using the prompts Who? What? Where? When? To help Students expand their ideas and write full sentences with meaning. This approach is supported by colourful semantics, which helps students visually organise their sentence structure and sequence information in the right order. 

Math: 

In mathematics we have been focusing on developing the students' understanding of measurement, with a focus on mass and capacity. Students are learning to identify and compare mass of objects using everyday language. Including : Heavy/light, heavier/lighter, same mass.We have been exploring objects in the learning space to compare their mass and check our predictions using balancing scales. Students are learning to notice the attributes of mass and to explain their thinking.  We are also investigating capacity - how much a container can hold. Students are developing language to compare capacity : holds more, holds less. We have used a wide variety of containers and measuring tools to explore which holds more or less, make predictions, test them and discuss the results. 

Religion: 

We have been learning about Mary as a model of faith, love and trust in God. Students have  explored how Mary showed courage, kindness and a willingness to follow God’s call, and how we can look up to her as an example in our lives. We participated in a Godly Play session to help students reflect and wonder about key moments in Mary’s life. The Annunciation- when the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would be the mother of Jesus, and Mary responded with trust and faith. Students spent time wondering, sharing reflections and thinking about how we can show Mary's qualities such as kindness, care , courage and saying yes to God, in our daily lives.

Inquiry: 

In inquiry we are exploring science-exploring living things and what they need to survive. Students have been developing the ability to pose hypotheses, making observations. And recording their findings over time.To support our learning we planted seeds and are closely observing how they grow. Students have made predictions about what plants need to survive such as water, sunlight, air and soil and are now monitoring their growth to see if their hypotheses were correct. We are getting excited about our upcoming excursion to the Werribee Zoo. ( Wed 5th November). This experience will deepen our understanding of how animals meet their needs to stay alive, just as we have been exploring with plants. Students will have the opportunity to observe animals in their habitats.

Swimming

What a fantastic two-week swimming program our Year 1/2 students have experienced! Over the fortnight, students enthusiastically participated in a variety of activities designed to build their water confidence and strengthen their swimming skills. It’s been wonderful to watch their growth — from learning to float and kick with more control, to developing stronger strokes and a better understanding of water safety. The progress they’ve made in such a short time has been remarkable, and their excitement and perseverance have been a joy to see!

Zoo Reminder

Reminders:

• Playground Use After School: The playground is not open after school during pickup time. Please remind your child to head straight to you and avoid playing on the equipment. Your support is greatly appreciated.
• Running to pick up bay: Can you please remind your child at the end of the day that we don't run to the pick up bay. Multiple times other parents and children have almost been bowled over. Your support in this is appreciated.
• iPads: Students are expected to bring their iPads fully charged each day, as they are an essential tool for learning.
• Brain Food: Students have a brain food break at 10:00 AM. Please pack a healthy snack such as fruit or vegetables for this time.
• No Hat, No Play - Just a reminder that we are now entering hat season. All students will require a hat for play and if they don't have a hat, students will be asked to play in the shade.