Stage 1 

 

Teaching & Learning

English

This term in English, students will embark on an enriching exploration of language and storytelling. They will delve into the world of authors and illustrators, discovering how connotation, imagery, and symbols are cleverly woven into stories. Through engaging texts like "The Book with No Pictures," "Why I Love Australia," "The March of the Ants," and "Lots," they'll explore how words and images can evoke a range of emotions and feelings in readers.

The focus for writing this term is informative texts. Students will have writing opportunities to compose their own informative text. We will begin by looking at the features of these non-fiction texts, before developing skills in note-taking to finally writing up their own piece of researched text on an animal.

In speaking and listening students will participate in vibrant class discussions centered around texts studied throughout the term. Our students will be engaged and challenged in a diverse range of literacy activities on a rotational basis. These activity sessions include dedicated reading guidance led by teachers. Students will continue learning new sounds and correspondence throughout the term and applying sounds in different letter patterns. 

Mathematics

This term, students will explore various mathematical concepts. They will learn about collections of ten and how to represent whole numbers on a line. Students will also recognize the structure of groups of ten in whole numbers and learn to form, regroup, and rename three-digit numbers. Additionally, they will work on counting and representing large sets of objects and using place value to partition and rename three-digit numbers. In non-spatial measure, students will focus on time, including naming and ordering months of the year, telling time to the half-hour, and describing duration using units of time. Students will focus on the following concepts in Term 2

• Weeks 2 - 4: Representing Whole Number, Time and Mass
• Weeks 5 - 7: Combing and Separating Quantities, Position
• Weeks 8 - 10: Forming Groups, 3D Spatial Structures

Students will be exploring the different concepts of mathematics through explicit instruction and hands on activities. Students will be assessed on concepts during the three-week cycle so teachers can accurately model and guide students at their appropriate level of growth. They will learn about different working mathematically process to communicate, understand, reason and problem solve when learning mathematics.

Geography 

This term, students will delve into the geography unit "People & Places," focusing on Australia's diverse landscapes and its position in the world. They will explore the varying scales of places within Australia, from personal to national levels. Additionally, students will investigate the connections people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, have with places both locally and globally. They will discuss factors affecting people's accessibility to places, including distance and the impact of technology. They will also acquire skills in processing and communicating geographical information using maps, graphs, spatial technologies, and visual representations. Fieldwork in local natural environments will enhance their learning experience. The key inquiry questions for this term include exploring the locations of places in Australia, understanding how people are connected to places, and identifying the factors influencing these connections.

Science & Technology

This term, students will explore the Living World, focusing on the characteristics of living organisms, their habitats, and the processes of growth and reproduction. The inquiry questions guiding their exploration include understanding how humans use plants and animals, and how instructions are recorded for others to follow. Through this unit, students will develop key skills in scientific inquiry, such as observation, questioning, and data collection, to effectively communicate and compare ideas. These ideas will link to our excursion to the Botanical Gardens excursions in Week 7.

PDHPE 

The PDHPE unit "How Can We Include Everyone?" focuses on developing inclusive practices and understanding among students. Throughout the unit, students will engage in activities aimed at recognising and describing qualities that enhance inclusive and respectful relationships. They will learn to develop caring and respectful relationships, including ways to include others to ensure they feel a sense of belonging. Through these explorations, students will deepen their understanding of inclusivity and respect, both in physical activities and in their interactions beyond the classroom. 

Our NRMA Science and Road Safety incursion in Week 2, helped students develop their understanding in making safe choices around the road and in the car. It tied in with National Road Safety Week (5 - 12 May 2024) and National Walk to School Day on Friday 10 May 2024. Our students really enjoyed the fun and engaging demonstration and learned a few safety strategies that they were able to take home.

Happy Walking everyone!

Creative and Performing Arts 

The study focus for Semester 1 in Music, Dance and Singing is 'Composing'. Students will learn, develop and use creative thinking skills, critical and design thinking techniques to explore and improvise within given structure. Students will be given opportunities to perform and reflect on their creative processes. 

In the Creative Arts, we include but are not limited to exposing the students:

• in Music, to multi-rhythms within classical, contemporary, popular and electronic music, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional and contemporary music, folk, jazz, blues and music for film, television, radio and multimedia.
• in Dance, to multi-styles of classical, contemporary and popular dance, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional and contemporary dance, modern dance, folk and traditional dance
• in Singing, to multi-vocals of Classical, contemporary and popular songs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional and contemporary songs, modern songs, cultural, folk (Spanish) and traditional songs.

Languages Other Than English 

In Term 2, Stage 1 students will explore the topic of transportation in Mandarin. They will learn about the three main transport categories, land, water and air. Through fun cross-curricular activities, students will learn to identify and name different modes of transportation in Mandarin. They will compare different modes of transport and express their favourite ways to travel verbally in Mandarin. Students will apply their knowledge of the topic to create sentences in Pinyin/Hanzi. They will also participate in the Dragon Boat Festival celebration in Week 8 as part of our school tradition.

Korean Bilingual 

This term, the Stage 1 Bilingual students are focusing on learning to read and write the Korean alphabet, alongside an integrated PDHPE Program. They are learning about how to stay safe while also improving their understanding of Korean.

Excursion 

The Invertebrate Safari Excursion at the Botanic Gardens will be an exciting and educational experience for students. They will have the opportunity to explore different habitats and discover the fascinating world of invertebrates. Activities such as investigating pond life, conducting a bug hunt, and learning about stick insects will provide hands-on learning experiences. The excursion will not only allow students to observe the external features of various invertebrates but also to understand their habitats and life cycles. The opportunity to model their own invertebrates with natural materials will further enhance their learning and engagement with the topic.