School News
Prep
We’ve had a wonderful start to Term 2 in Prep, with students settling in beautifully and showing great enthusiasm for their learning!
Last week, we took time to honour ANZAC Day through a range of meaningful activities. A highlight was reconnecting with our buddies, where we worked together to create a special ANZAC Day wreath. It was a lovely opportunity for students to reflect, collaborate, and strengthen these important connections.
On Tuesday, our Prep students participated in Cross Country, and we couldn’t be prouder of their efforts. Each child showed determination and resilience, giving their personal best and encouraging one another along the way. It was fantastic to see such positive attitudes and teamwork on display. It was great to see them wear their house colours with pride!
This term, we are also excited to introduce a range of new Investigations spaces to inspire curiosity and creativity. These include a zoo, animal rescue centre, 5 senses space, habitat space, seed growing area, weaving station, and a yarning circle (just to name a few!). The students have already shown great interest in exploring these spaces, and we look forward to seeing their learning grow.
The preps have been enjoying PMP! We have been practising our gross motor skills by jumping, balancing, throwing and moving our bodies. It is also a chance for students to get to know students from other prep classes!
We have started a new maths topic this term... addition! The students have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of using their problem-solving skills when working through addition problems. We have been using hands-on materials to help them to understand the concept of addition, and the students have been loving it! We will continue to teach them different strategies to solve addition problems throughout the term.
In writing, students have loved writing recounts. Here are some student samples where they have included the 'who, what and where' in their recount':
In reading, the students have been doing a wonderful job reading decodable books with their fluency friends! Please continue to assist your child in completing their homework through the week (reading their Word Warm Up) as well as reading the online decodable books, which can be accessed online via the QR code in their homework book.If you have misplaced this, please reach out to your classroom teacher for another copy.
We are very excited for the term ahead and all the opportunities it will bring for our prep learners!
Important reminders:
- From the 1st of May, hats are no longer required. We will be sending these home on Thursday for you to wash and keep safe at home until Term 4.
- We have begun the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Your child brought home a yellow/orange sheet with their login details last week. Instructions are on Compass to support you in accessing your child’s account and recording the books they read.
- Monday the 4th of May is our Cyber Safety Project Incursion.
Kindest regards,
The Prep Team
Laina Brebner, Kayla Hartrick and Emma Wright
Grade 1
Hello Grade 1 families and special people. We’ve had a wonderful start to Term 2, with students settling back into routines beautifully and showing great enthusiasm for their learning. It has been lovely to see them reconnect with friends, explore new ideas, and approach challenges with confidence.
This fortnight has also included some special community moments. Our Grade 1s proudly participated in the School Cross Country, showing determination, resilience and great encouragement of one another as they ran in their house colours.
We also spent time honouring ANZAC Day, working with our Prep buddies to create wreaths and reflect on the importance of remembrance and community.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to in the classroom.
In reading, students have been practising their decoding and encoding skills, and it is wonderful to see their progress and confidence in the new term. Following our success with the sounds we’ve been learning, our focuses for the first two weeks this term have been silent e patterns, the schwa sound, and suffixes such as ing, ed and ness, and students have enjoyed applying these patterns in their reading and writing.
In writing, we have our unit on procedures going swimmingly. Students have been learning how to give clear, step‑by‑step instructions using verbs and adverbs and have written procedures linked to real experiences such as brushing teeth or making toast. They have also explored how illustrations help readers follow instructions. Our letter‑writing space in investigations has been thriving, with students eagerly writing letters to each other and posting them in the communal letter box.
In maths, students have been learning about the features of 2D shapes, naming and describing shapes, identifying edges and corners, and finding examples in the classroom and daily life. Hands‑on activities such as shape hunts, sorting tasks and building shapes with paddle pop sticks have been a lot of fun. Students have also begun exploring 3D objects and their features.
The investigations topic for Term 2 is Sound Stories. Students have begun exploring what sound is, how it is made, and where we hear it in our everyday lives. They have enjoyed brainstorming ideas, watching short videos, and experimenting with different ways sound can be created using objects, instruments and their own bodies. They have begun to explore the new investigations spaces and their curiosity and engagement has been delightful. From the cafe, to the post office, to the music creation stations there is a lot of excitement and exploration going on.
In Wellbeing, students have been learning about our school value of Honesty, exploring what it means to be truthful, trustworthy and responsible. They have also created their own Catastrophe Scales, helping them understand that problems come in different sizes and require different responses. These early sessions have led to thoughtful discussions and supported students in building emotional awareness and positive relationships.
Reminders
- Homework: Reading with your child each night and practising the sounds and words with them, helps them be ready and confident for all the new sounds we’re learning!
- Communication folders: Please ensure your child’s take‑home folder is in their bag every day with their homework book so they can proudly show their completed homework and bring notices and important items home safely.
- Mother’s Day Stall – Tuesday 6 May
We hope your little learners have come home with lots of stories to share from another exciting fortnight in Grade 1. We are looking forward to all the wonderful learning still to come this term.
The Grade 1 Team
Mel Layton, Sally Newton, Tim Huntington and Rowena Blake
Grade 2
Welcome back to Term 2! It has been such a positive and settled start, and we are so proud of how smoothly all students have returned to school routines. They have come back ready to learn, showing enthusiasm, resilience and kindness in the classroom.
In phonics, we have been focusing on the digraphs “wh” and “ph”. Students have been practising recognising these sounds in words and applying them in their reading and writing.
In Reading and Writing, we have been exploring the features of procedural texts (texts that explain how to do something). Students are learning about structure, including titles, materials and steps. We are working towards students being able to independently write their own procedures on a topic they are an expert in—something to look forward to!
In Mathematics, we have been building our skills in telling and recording time, with a focus on reading the time to the quarter hour. Students are practising both on analogue clocks and digital clocks, including writing the time in words and digits.
In Inquiry, we have begun our learning about fresh produce. Students are exploring where different fruits and vegetables grow, as well as what produce is in season at different times of the year. It’s been wonderful to see their curiosity and connections to real-life experiences.
A big highlight has been our school Cross Country event. All Grade 2 students should be incredibly proud of themselves for completing the full school course for the very first time. Every student showed determination and a positive attitude, with everyone reaching the finish line and trying their personal best—an amazing achievement!
We are looking forward to another fantastic term of learning together, building towards our exciting excursion to Rayner's Orchard in week 8.
The Grade 2 Team
Allie Harrison, Sarah Margetts and Brendan Van Haaster
Grade 3 & 4
Welcome back to Term 2! The students have settled back into school fantastically, showing wonderful behaviour and attitudes, and completing lots of wonderful learning!
In reading, the students learned to identify different sentence types in a text, including simple, compound, complex sentences, and use evidence to support. They also learned about the three tiers of vocabulary and classified vocabulary into the correct tier. Students also learned how online text features help readers to navigate online texts.
In writing, the students began planning an information report on a country. They brainstormed different countries they were interested in researching and started to research facts. Students also learned the correct structure of an information report and to applied it to their own writing.
In maths, the students began a new topic on area and perimeter. Students measured shapes using a ruler and calculated the area and perimeter of each. They used grid squares to assist in finding the area and applied known addition strategies to calculate the perimeter.
In inquiry, the students investigated the national anthems and flags of Australia and its island neighbours. They also learned about the different climate zones in Australia and around the world.
In our wellbeing lessons, students explored what honesty looks like in our school by explaining the definition and sharing examples of honesty. They considered the perspectives of others and showed integrity in the decisions they make online.
Kind regards,
The 3/4 Team
Damien Smith, Daena Hailey, Brent Smith, Claire Cripps and Nick Pagliaro
Grade 5 & 6
What a fantastic first two weeks back we have had in Term 2! It has been wonderful to see students return so settled, positive and ready to learn, setting a great tone for the Term ahead.
On Tuesday, students had a fabulous time participating in our Cross Country, proudly running in their house colours and showing great determination and school spirit. We were also very proud of 5/6R for hosting a fantastic assembly on Friday, confidently presenting to our school community. Some of our Grade 6 students also enjoyed attending Lilydale High School’s Sports and Activities Day on Thursday 30th April, where they represented our school with enthusiasm.
Over the weekend, we recognised ANZAC Day on Saturday 25th April. Our school leaders respectfully represented our school by laying a wreath, while all students participated in meaningful classroom learning to deepen their understanding of this important day. Many students also worked with their Prep and Grade 1 buddies to create wreaths, showing respect and reflection.
In the classroom, students have continued to engage in a range of learning across all areas. In Reading, they have been building their comprehension skills by focusing on summarising and identifying key ideas in texts.
In Writing, students have been developing their information reports, with a focus on grammar and constructing more complex sentences.
In Maths, students have been exploring area, perimeter and space, applying their knowledge to a range of problem-solving tasks.
In Inquiry, students have continued their learning about Australia and our Asian neighbours, developing their understanding of different countries and perspectives.
In Spelling, students have been investigating word patterns, prefixes and suffixes to strengthen their vocabulary.
In Wellbeing, students have begun learning about cyber safety and respectful relationships, helping them to build positive and safe interactions both online and offline.
A few important reminders for the coming weeks:
- Grade 6 students are asked to please return their transition forms as soon as possible.
- From 1st May, hats are no longer required.
- We have also begun the Premier’s Reading Challenge, your child should have brought home a yellow/orange sheet with their login details. Instructions are attached to support you in accessing your child’s account and recording the books they read.
- Monday 4th May is our Cyber Safety Project Incursion.
We look forward to another great few weeks of learning ahead.
Kind regards,
The 5/6 Team
Llinos Poole, Erin Rennick, Hayley Peirce, Mykaela Oakley & Kylie Morrissey