Prep

Reading 

In Reading this week, the children have been learning to recognise and write the digraph ng, as in ring, sing, and wing. They have been practising how the letters n and g work together to make a single sound at the end of many words. Students have enjoyed identifying the ng sound in books, pictures, and classroom vocabulary, and are building confidence in writing it within their own words and sentences.

We have also introduced the long ā sound and linked it to the letters ay. Students are learning that when a and y sit together at the end of a word, they often make the ā sound, like in day, play, and tray. Through a range of reading and spelling activities, the children are working on recognising this pattern, segmenting and blending ay words, and using them in their writing.

To support consolidation, we have reviewed previously learned digraphs including oo, wh, th, and ay. Students continue to practise reading and spelling these sounds in real and nonsense words to strengthen automatic recall. We have also been working with our tricky words, which require students to remember the whole word because they cannot simply sound them out. The children are showing great progress and are applying their growing phonics knowledge with increasing confidence.

Writing 

In Writing, students have been learning to listen carefully to the sounds in words and write the matching letters. Students have also been using Colourful Semantics to help them build sentences by identifying who, what doing, and where in a picture. Together, we have been practising writing sentences with a capital letter at the start, finger spaces between words, and a full stop at the end.

Maths 

In Maths this week, students have been learning to describe positions, give directions, identify ordinal positions, and explore place value using tens and ones.

Our focus has been on using mathematical language such as in front, behind, next to, left, right, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd to describe position, order, and movement. Students explored these concepts through a variety of hands-on activities, songs, and classroom challenges. They practised describing the location of everyday objects using two location words, sequencing items in order, and giving or following verbal directions to move through obstacle courses. One fun challenge even involved helping “Mr Salim” find his lost yard duty vest by following a set of directional instructions!

Students also investigated place value by counting in tens and making numbers using tens and ones with ten-frames. Through engaging games such as ten-frame bingo and roll-and-fill, they practised representing two-digit numbers and understanding that each full ten-frame represents ten. Students were able to explore different ways to combine tens and ones to make numbers and explain their thinking clearly.

These activities have helped students build a strong understanding of spatial awareness, ordering, and place value, while also developing confidence in using clear mathematical language to describe positions, give directions, and explain their reasoning. It has been wonderful to see them apply these skills in both games and problem-solving tasks, demonstrating creativity, collaboration, and a growing confidence in Maths.

SEL and other 

This term, students have been exploring the idea of *special places* and what makes them meaningful. They have identified and described places that are special to them — from their backyard to our school grounds — and learned that we learn and play on Bunurong land. Through drawing, writing, and discussion, students have reflected on how these places make them feel and why they are important.

In our wellbeing and inquiry learning, students have been practising the rules of fair play and what it means to be friendly and kind to everyone. They have discussed how it feels when someone is mean, and how friendly words and actions help keep everyone safe and included. We have also been learning about the celebration of *Diwali*, exploring its cultural significance through stories, art, and symbols such as flags, food, and traditional clothing. Students are developing an understanding of respect, fairness, and belonging — both in our community and in the wider world.