It has been a fantastic first term of school for our Prep students, and we can’t believe how well they have settled into the school routine.

In Mathematics, we have had a strong focus on number recognition, particularly developing the ability to instantly recognise numerals, amounts, and number names to 5. We have also been practising sorting objects into groups based on different properties, such as living and non-living, or blue and not blue.

During our phonological awareness sessions this term, we have learned the letters a, m, s, t, p, f, n, and i and the sounds they usually make. We have been learning to read these letters in CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant) words such as mat, map, sat, and nap. Students have been practising sounding out each letter and then blending the sounds together to read the word. We have also been learning “heart words” (I, and, the, a), which are words we cannot sound out and instead need to learn by heart.

In Writing, students have been learning the correct formation of the letters a, m, s, t, p, f, n, and i. They have also had a go at writing their first independent sentence, finishing the prompt: “I like…”

In Religion, our focus has been on Welcoming, guided by the question: How can we help others feel welcomed? We explored that welcoming means greeting someone in a polite and friendly way, helping them feel that they belong. We also discussed how the Catholic Church helps people feel welcomed and included.

In Wellbeing, students have been learning about different emotions, how to identify these feelings in their own bodies, and how to recognise how others might be feeling.

When we reflect on all of this learning, it is clear that the Preps have achieved so much in such a short time. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and can’t wait to continue exploring and discovering more in Term 2.

SMJ Horsham Newsletter

Ss Michael and John's Primary School Horsham - Caring, Learning, Growing: Every Child; Every Day -

Issue 4 · 23 Mar 2026

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