Grade 1 and 2

Over the past six weeks, lots of learning has been happening here at Andersons Creek Primary School this term. Our Grade 1 and 2 students have been showing their Personal Best each and every day and a commitment to their learning. 

Literacy

In Writing, our Grade 1 and 2 students have been focusing on letter sounds and combinations such as digraphs and blends. This important skill helps children understand how different letters can represent different sounds. We have also been introducing key terminology such as "vowel," "syllable," "phoneme," "grapheme," and "digraph," which are essential as students continue to decode and spell words. In addition to phonics work, students have been practicing tricky words and using them in context through sentence-building and writing short narratives. This helps improve their writing skills and understanding of how words fit together in sentences.

In Reading, students have shared a variety of texts to help build vocabulary and to further develop critical thinking. As students reflect on the themes of the books and make connections to their own lives, they gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. By engaging with texts, students can develop their comprehension abilities, which help them better understand both the main ideas, practice new vocabulary, and articulate their thoughts. This process not only strengthens their writing abilities but also deepens their understanding of the texts they engage with.

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child develop their literacy skills!

Numeracy

Our Grade 2 students are continuing to learn about place value. They have enjoyed playing dice games to roll the biggest number (deciding which place they should put their number in each time they roll), making base ten block caterpillars to display their knowledge of 3 or 4 digit numbers and building base ten towers, keeping track of the numbers that they are making. Through these hands on activities they are strengthening their knowledge of the place value system. For our warmups we have continued to focus on skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s and being about to skip count forwards and backwards from any number.

Grade 5 Buddies

The Grade 1 students have been thoroughly enjoying their "My Place" Inquiry topic project. They have been working hard on creating a mural that showcases various scenes from Warrandyte, including local street scenes, parks, playgrounds, shops, and the broader city and environmental landscapes. Through the use of a variety of mixed media and Google Earth, they have brought these scenes to life in a colorful and imaginative way. Additionally, the students have been collaborating closely with their Grade 5 buddies, sharing ideas and communicating their creative concepts throughout the project.

We are so proud of their enthusiasm and teamwork in bringing this vision to life!

Resilience Project

Grade 1Z enjoyed participating in the recent Resilience Project activities. The grade 1 students have been having a great time learning about kindness, empathy, and how our actions can make a difference in the lives of others. Here are some of the key takeaways from our recent lessons: Our actions can make a difference to others, and helping benefits both the giver and the receiver. Kindness is a strength and a positive quality in both ourselves and others. We can identify ways to be kind and help others in our daily lives. Performing kind actions makes us feel happy and good inside. 

We also discussed what all superheroes have in common: they help others in need. We all have the ability to be superheroes by recognizing when others need help and showing empathy. As part of this lesson, the students had the chance to imagine themselves as superheroes with special helpful superpowers. The students designed their own olourful superhero costume that they would wear under their school clothes and described their unique superpowers. Our helpful superpower was……. kindness! 

                                Important Dates

                                                Tuesday 25th March - School Photos

                                             Saturday 29th March - Warrandyte Festival

                                     Friday 4th April - THRIVE Day and Last Day of Term 1

                                                                                 Term 2

                                                   Tuesday 22nd April - School Starts Back

                                          Friday 25th April - ANZAC Day Public Holiday

                       21 May 2025 at 12pm (AEST) - National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) 

             We hope you all enjoy the long weekend filled with fun, laughter, and restful                                moments.