Prep Term 4 Overview
Prep 2024 Term Four
Welcome to Semester 2, Term 4
We’re excited to begin the final term of the year with our Preps! There was so much to celebrate in Term 3, including the student-led conferences, the Olympics, 100 Days of Prep, Book Week, Family Liturgy, and our excursion to Ripponlea Estate. This term will be filled with fun learning experiences as we continue building on everything we’ve achieved so far. It’s an exciting time as the children continue to grow in confidence and independence, and we look forward to a wonderful term together!
Term 4 Transition - Getting ready for Grade 1
As our Prep students prepare for their transition to Grade 1, we’ll be focusing on helping them develop greater independence and confidence with their daily routines. At St. John’s, the morning transition and prayer time will look a little different in Grades 1-6, as students take more responsibility for settling into the day and their sacred space. If your child arrives at school after 8:50 am, I respectfully ask that they wait outside the door until prayer is over to ensure that the space remains calm and uninterrupted. Throughout Term 4, Melissa and I will support the Preps in building these important skills, so they feel ready and confident for the new challenges and routines that come with Grade 1. We encourage parents to say goodbye at the bottom of the steps, as this helps students develop their independence in the morning routine. Of course, parents are always welcome to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns about this.
Reminder: In Term 4, students are to wear their summer uniform, apply sunscreen for school and wear their hat during outside play. Please ensure your child continues to wear their sports uniform on Thursday and Friday for Specialist Rotations.
Important Dates
Tuesday, 22 October - Prep Class Mass (10 - 11 am)
Wednesday, 23 October - P-2 Excursion Myuna Farm
Friday, 25 October - Student Disco (6 - 8 pm)
Monday, 28 October - Prep Assembly (2:50 - 3:20 pm)
Monday, 4 November - School Closure Day
Tuesday, 5 November - Public Holiday - Melbourne Cup
Friday, 15 November - School Closure Day (Staff Professional Learning Day)
Saturday, 16 November - St John’s School Fete
Tuesday, 19 November - Friday, 29 November - P-2 Swimming Program
Monday, 2 December - Whole School Advent Liturgy
Sunday, 8 December - Prep 2025 Welcome Mass (9:45 - 10:45 am)
Thursday, 12 December - Carols on the Green (6 - 7 pm)
Monday, 16 December - Whole School Picnic at Halliday Park (11 - 1 pm)
Tuesday, 17 December - Last Day of Term 4 & Final Assembly (2 - 3 pm)
Literacy
During Term 3, I’ve been so impressed with the growth in students’ reading and decoding abilities. In Term 4, we’ll continue to build on this progress by focusing on new and previously learned digraphs, including ar, ng, ay, sh, ck, ea, ch, and er, during our spelling and phonics lessons.
In Reading, small group instruction will be provided during reading rotations, focusing on individualised key skills to support your child’s literacy development. This includes retelling stories, recognizing high-frequency words in texts, and continuing to practise segmenting and spelling tricky consonant-vowel-consonant words like shop or best. Additionally, the students will be encouraged with monitoring their understanding while reading and using strategies to self-correct when necessary, helping them to develop strong comprehension and fluency skills.
In Writing this term, persuasive and narrative text types will be taught for using the correct structure, content and vocabulary. We will also revisit and review information texts in connection with our Inquiry unit, using non-fiction texts to explore where our food comes from. Additionally, students will write recounts about their weekends and reflect on their year in Prep.
Mathematics
In Term 4, the Preps will have explicit teaching in the final Number and Algebra unit, focusing on representing numbers, using symbols, recognising numerals and objects, as well as practising counting and naming numbers. They will also explore place value, along with measurement concepts such as mass and capacity, learning to compare objects by heavier/lighter and longer/shorter. There will be time to review these concepts to ensure that they are retained in students’ long-term memory. Measurement and location, will be a topic of focus including describing position and movement, and further develop counting skills by practising forward and backward counting from any number within the range of 0-30. To conclude the term, we will introduce Statistics, where students will learn about data collection, representation, and interpretation, building on the knowledge they’ve already gained through Digitech.
Inquiry & Religious Education
Our big question for Inquiry this term is: How can understanding the origin of our resources help us use them better and protect the environment? We will explore the difference between needs and wants, focusing on essentials like food, shelter, and water. Students will learn how plants and animals are grown to provide for these basic needs. We are also excited about our upcoming excursion to Myuna Farm, where students will enjoy a range of fun activities including a Farm Show, meeting Nursery Animals, attending Farm School, and learning about Produce Gardening. This will be a fantastic way to kickstart our inquiry unit, sparking curiosity and deepening their understanding of how we use and care for the resources around us.
In Religion, we will explore the difference between wants and needs through Bible scripture. Students will engage with stories that show how God and Jesus provided for people’s needs, using new thinking routines to deepen their understanding. Towards the end of the term, we will explore the significance of Advent and how we can prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ, while also getting ready for our Nativity performance.
STEM & Digital Technology
This term in STEM, the students will explore chemical science by investigating the properties of food and how they can change. They'll learn about different processes like melting, cooking, and drying, and how these changes can sometimes be reversed, like melting chocolate back into a solid, or irreversible, like cooking an egg. Through hands-on activities, the children will discover how heat, cooling, and other factors affect food, helping them understand the concepts of reversible and irreversible changes in a fun and interactive way.
In Digitech, students will focus on understanding the difference between digital and non-digital items. They will practise using various computer functions, such as using the keyboard, moving the cursor, saving their work and will continue to learn to log in and out independently. Additionally, students will explore how digital systems assist in everyday life and apply safe practices for online learning.
Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)
It's an exciting time, as we will be re-introducing our behaviour matrix and child-friendly flow chart, co-created with staff and experts, to help guide students in making positive choices. These tools will empower children to build resilience, understand their rights, and foster respectful relationships, setting a strong foundation for their personal development throughout the term.
Specialist Timetable
Students will continue to have Chinese on a Tuesday, and Physical Education, Performing Arts and Visual Arts on a Thursday. Specialist Rotations include; STEM, Digitech and a Mini Maths session on Wednesday and Junior Class Sport on Friday afternoon. The Preps will continue to visit the Library on Tuesday.
As we approach the last term of Prep, I want to express my excitement for this highly developmental time in your child's learning journey. It has been a pleasure to witness their growth and achievements throughout 2024, and I am incredibly proud of each of them. As we prepare for the transition into 2025, I am certain that they will carry their newfound skills and confidence with them. Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to making this final term a memorable one for our Preps!
With faith and love,
Cara Woolley
cwoolley@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au