Year 1 

Spotlight on Learning

Dear Families,

On the 20th of March we celebrated Harmony day by wearing a touch or more of Orange. Harmony Day is a special time when we celebrate how everyone belongs, no matter where they come from or what language they speak. In Week 9 we continued learning that our differences make our class stronger and more interesting. We talked about being kind, showing respect, and including others in our play and learning. Students may share their family backgrounds, traditions, or favourite foods, helping us learn more about each other. Harmony Day reminds us that we are all part of one community, and everyone is welcome.

Next week the Year 1s will be leading our community Mass on the 1st of April. Some students will be reading during the Mass and the readings will be sent home over the weekend so that they can practice. Parents are welcome to join us in church for this special service.

Warm regards,

The Jerusalem Community Team 

Important Reminders

1. Term 1 is a SunSmart term and 'No hat, no play', please ensure your child has their school hat everyday.
2. All students are expected to wear full St Thomas’ school uniform — either summer, or PE is fine, but it must be the official school uniform. 
3. Reading daily is a big factor in academic progression. Students should read everyday to a parent or family member to increase their word/sound knowledge.
4. Lunchboxes should include fruit or vegetables and lunch to fuel students for learning throughout the day.

This week:

Award winners: Awards are handed out to students who show exemplary school values of Safety, Respect and Learning each week during weekly community assembly. If your child receives an award, but is absent on Friday, they will receive their award during the next weekly assembly.

English phonics: This week in Reading, we have been learning thehow to add the ing to words. 

English writing: This week, we continued reading I Am Australian Too by Mem Fox, a book that celebrates Australia’s multiculturalism and diverse heritage.  We have discussed why people move to Australia and what makes Australia a great place to live. Students wrote a response to the text as shown below.

At home: You can also talk about why different families came to Australia. You can share personal stories about your own history and journey in Australia.

Mathematics: This week in mathematics, students learnt about geometry and different 2D shapes like polygons, quadrilateral, irregular and regular shapes.

At home:  You can play shapes scavenger hunt around the house. 

Intergrated studies: This week, we learnt about states and capital cities. Examining a map of Australia and discussing their locations.

Religious education: This week, we began exploring the important days of Holy Week, with a focus on The Last Supper. Students participated in a class reenactment, where they acted out the scene, shared bread, and gave thanks together. This helped them better understand the meaning of this special moment. We also had thoughtful discussions about why Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, reflecting on kindness, humility, and serving others.

Social and emotional learning: This week, students engaged in role plays about why they would feel proud during particular scenarios.

AUSLAN: 

Students are being assessed on Unit 2 learning. We are doing this by enaging in AUSLAN games and observations of learnt skills.

Next week 

English phonics: Next week, we are review this term sounds.

English writing: Next we will continue reading "My Two Blankets".

Mathematics: Next week in maths, we are going to continue learning about shapes. Sorting 2D shapes before moving on to learn about 3D shapes. 

Intergrated studies: Next week, we will be looking at the coast and regional areas of Australia.

Social emotional learning: Students will continue to talk about personal strengths and identify adjectives to describe themselves for example, kind.  

Religious education: We continue to examine Holy week, narrowing in on Good Friday and Stations of the Cross. We also get to experience a Mass during Holy Week.

Ways to engage with the newsletter:

• Read the weekly book with your child at home (there is often a read aloud on you tube). Talk about what the book's most important ideas are.

• Ask your child to retell the story using their own words.

• Talk about who the characters are, where the story is happening.

• Use the spelling words provided to make up sentences at home or simply a 5 word mini dictation.

• Take the idea around Mathematics and ask students to repeat an activity they did at school, with you.

Important Dates

         TERM 1 Key Dates

• Wednesday 1st of April - Year 1 Mass @ 9:30am

• Thursday 2 April - Holy Thursday — Last Day of Term 1

  TERM 2 Key Dates

• Tuesday 21 April — First Day for Students

Contact Us @ Jerusalem

jerusalem@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.auOR

The Jerusalem Team