Grade 1 News
Good afternoon Grade 1 Families,
Welcome back to Term 3! We hope everyone had a safe, relaxing and enjoyable term break. It has been wonderful to see the students return to school with enthusiasm, ready to learn and reconnect with their classmates.
This term promises to be another exciting one, filled with engaging learning experiences and opportunities for students to continue developing their knowledge and skills across all learning areas.
Classroom Snapshot
English
This term, students have learnt the graphemes /le/, /-y/ and /--y/ before revising previously taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences. Our focus is on applying phonics knowledge to read and spell unfamiliar words with confidence. This term we have introduced reading fluency games in our classrooms. It is a fun way of working in groups with peers and building reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension.
In Literature, students have begun exploring Telling Stories Wrong, where they compare traditional fairy tales with fractured fairy tales and learn how authors innovate stories by changing characters, settings and events.
Maths
This term, students began learning about 2D and 3D shapes. They explored a variety of 2D shapes and their properties, learning to identify shapes by the number of sides and vertices they have. Students also developed their mathematical vocabulary by using terms such as side, vertex/corner, polygon, regular polygon and irregular polygon.
Students then investigated 3D objects found in their everyday environment. They learnt to distinguish between 2D and 3D shapes by exploring whether objects can roll, stack or slide. They also learnt the names of common 3D objects and identified examples of these in their surroundings, helping them make real-world connections to their learning.
Humanities
This term, students have been learning about a variety of habitats, including the rainforest, savanna/grassland, Arctic tundra, freshwater and saltwater habitats, and how animals adapt to survive in these different environments. They explored the basic needs of animals, food, water and shelter, and discovered how different habitats support these needs. To consolidate their learning, students created a poster about their favourite animal, explaining its habitat and the adaptations that help it survive.
SEL
This term, students have been learning to identify and describe personal coping strategies that help them manage their emotions. They have explored a range of calming strategies and discussed when and how these can be used during challenging or stressful situations.
Students have reflected on the strategies that work best for them and identified their top three calming strategies, which are displayed on their tables as a visual reminder. Throughout the term, they will continue to practise using these strategies independently to regulate their emotions and support their learning and wellbeing in the classroom.
Students have also been learning about stress by exploring what it is, how it can make our bodies and minds feel, and some common causes of stress. They have discussed healthy ways to cope with stressful situations and are developing an understanding that everyone experiences stress differently and that there are positive strategies they can use to manage it.
Library
Students are continuing to enjoy their Library sessions, please ensure they bring their reader satchel and borrowed books on their designated library day to ensure they can continue to explore and borrow new books.
Updates
Thank you to all the parents who took the time to attend the Parent-Teacher Interviews and Student Support Group (SSG) meetings, or who have an upcoming SSG meeting scheduled. We greatly appreciate your time, support and partnership in your child's learning. It has been wonderful to connect with our families, celebrate students' achievements and discuss the next steps in their learning journey.
Reminders
● Please label all items of school uniform to ensure a quick return if they are lost
● Please continue to encourage your child to complete their homework each night. This includes reading for 10–15 minutes and/or practising their High Frequency Words (HFWs) and recording this in their diary. It has been wonderful to see our students making steady progress and moving up the reading ladder week by week. Thank you for your ongoing support with reading and learning at home!
● Please send all fruit snacks in an individual container separate to the lunchbox, this is to allow it to be placed on the students' desks throughout the day without taking up too much room.
● Hats are no longer a requirement for outdoor play
- Swimming is approaching, if you would like your child to attend, please fill in the form on Compass.
Have a great weekend,
The Grade One Team.