Foundation News
Dear Foundation Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to Week 9 of Term 2!
It is not long now until the term wraps up and Winter holidays are here. We have been so impressed to see how far students have come this semester and thank everyone for their contribution to a very successful 2026. Here is an overview of what we have been learning in the last few weeks of term.
Within our English (phonics) lessons, students have been growing more confident with the routines of our English block. We’ve been revisiting previously learned sounds and practising handwriting with lowercase letters daily. Recently, we introduced the sounds /f/, /l/, /ff/, /ll/ /ss/ /j/ /v/ /w/ and /x/. Using these, students have been forming words such as spill, van and huff. They’ve been working on identifying the individual sounds in words and blending them to read the whole word. In addition, students have been learning to recognise and use high-frequency words the, is, a, all and no. Students have been writing dictated sentences as well as writing more independent sentences that are inspired by picture prompts. We encourage students to sound out unfamiliar words and make plausible attempts at spelling, helping them to build confidence and independence as writers.
In Literature, students have been enjoying Backyard Magic and exploring Tilly's imaginative adventures in her backyard. The text has supported the development of comprehension skills while inspiring students to use creativity in their own writing.
In Mathematics, students have been learning about additive thinking. They have been exploring ways to break numbers apart and put them back together, using part-part-whole relationships and number bonds to solve addition and subtraction problems. Students have been developing a range of strategies to support them, including using concrete materials, number tracks, fingers and mental strategies.
Further, students have been learning about patterns that have two repeating units (AB e.g red and blue) and ones with three repeating units (ABC e.g red, blue and green, and AABB (e.g blue, blue, red, red). They have engaged in a range of hands-on activities where they have been asked to finish a pattern, and have even created their own.
In Humanities, we finished our Five Senses unit through an exciting incursion presented by Mad About Science. This provided students with an interactive and enriching experience to deepen their understanding of their senses. The program sparked curiosity and reinforced key concepts in a fun and memorable way.
Our current Humanities Unit incorporates Reconciliation Week as students explore the rich cultures, histories and connections to Country of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Students learned about the significance of a Welcome to Country following a visit from Bunurong Elders, Lakeisha Clayton and James Brown. Learners have been investigating the deep connection First Nations Australians have with Country and our shared responsibility to care for the land. With a local focus, students have also explored aspects of Bunurong language and culture, including the meaning of Wimba (white wallaby) and the significance of the traditional Bunurong symbols reflected in our school logo. Further, we have learned about the Kulin Nation’s Dreaming of Bunjil the Eagle.
Important reminders:
Classroom dismissal: Please collect your child from the classroom. Please also ensure that anyone you are arranging to pick up your child from school is added to the Emergency Contact List.
Promoting student independence: It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through the school year! Over the next few months, we’ll be focusing on building students’ independence and confidence in their everyday school routines.
To support this, we kindly ask that children carry their own school bag into the classroom each morning and unpack it themselves. This will help prepare them for our exciting Term 4 school excursion, where students will be expected to manage and carry their own belongings.
We also encourage you to practise simple self-help skills at home, such as putting on and taking off jackets independently. These everyday tasks help children develop confidence, responsibility and resilience as they continue to grow and learn.
Lost property: As there have been a lot of lost property items including jackets, please ensure that all of your child’s belongings are named. This will help for the lost property item to be returned.
Home work requirements: Your child is to practise reading their reader each night after school. This reader is changed weekly. Please ensure that you record the title of the book in your child’s diary and include how many nights of reading as this will be marked against your child’s report. If this is not recorded anywhere in the student diary, reports will show that your child’s home reading ‘needs attention’ on student reports. Please note that you also have access to digital online readers on Little Learner’s Love Literacy.
Important dates:
Last day of Term 2: Friday the 26th of June with a 1:35pm dismissal
First day of Term 3: Monday the 13th of July
Thank you for your continued support in your child’s learning journey. We are so proud of the progress all Foundation students are making this term.
Kind regards,
The Foundation Team.