Foundation Term 1 Newsletter

Meet the teaching team

FA - Amy Gridley (PLC Leader)

FB - Samantha Waugh (Mon-Wed & Acting Assistant Principal) & Renee King (Thurs-Fri)

FC - Sam Collins

Welcome to Term 1

The Foundation Team would like to welcome our newest members and families to Cheltenham East Primary School (CEPS)! We are delighted with the way the children have confidently and happily settled into their new school life. 

 Specialist Timetable

Important Dates

17/02: Whole School Photo Day

20/02: F-2 Assembly

23/02: Curriculum Day- No School

27/02: Welcome back to School Community Picnic 

27/02: PMP begins- 1 weekly session

09/03: Labour Day - Public Holiday

13/03: F-2 Assembly

19/03: Harmony Day

27/03: F-2 Assembly

01/04: Superhero Day and Team Work Incursion (Foundation only)

02/04: Last Day of Term 1 - 2:30pm finish

Parent Helpers

At CEPS, we highly value working as a whole community and encourage the participation and involvement of our families. Our Foundation Team runs a reading program, which requires parents to read with the children during the week. This is a very beneficial and effective reading program for the development of literacy skills. 

We will also be asking for helpers for our PMP (Perceptual Motor Program) session, beginning in week 5. These sessions will require 4 parent helpers per class.

We will notify you via Compass to offer opportunities to help with the reading program and PMP, and details outlining suitable times. 

When helping with the children at CEPS, it is required that you wear a Working With Children’s Check (WWCC) displayed on a lanyard at all times. 

If you have not got a WWCC and wish to volunteer, application forms can be found online at: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au

Remember to sign in each day you volunteer at CEPS via the computer at the office. This is a mandatory requirement. You will also be required to sign out. 

Attendance

Our roles are legal documents, therefore we must be accountable for any absences. Please assist with this by informing the school through Compass, email or phone call to record the absence. Late students need to be signed in at the office by a parent/caregiver and collect an orange pass to present to their teacher on arrival at their classroom. 

Teaching and Learning

English

Speaking & Listening 

This term, the children will focus on developing their speaking and listening skills. There will be a strong emphasis on Phonemic Awareness Skills, such as listening to the onset and rime in words and the beginning, middle and end sounds in words. The students will be encouraged to become active contributors to class discussions, sharing their thoughts and experiences appropriately in group situations and circle times. 

Writing

Term 1 is a time when students develop pre-writing skills. The students will practise tracing and writing their names. They will use discussion times to explain their thinking and portray their ideas through illustrations. As students begin to write, teachers will assist with letter formation and making links to letter sounds.

Reading

‘Concepts of Print' has been a focus for the beginning of the term. This encourages students to identify the difference between sentences, words and letters, reading direction (from left to right) and linking spoken words to written words. 

Phonics is taught daily, with a focus on the letters and their corresponding sounds. Students will be guided through systematic instruction to help them blend sounds and decode simple words. Instruction will be tailored to each child's individual needs, providing support where necessary and offering challenges to extend their learning.

Children will listen to, read and talk about a range of texts, including stories, poems and information texts. They will learn to understand what they read and hear by answering simple questions, making predictions, and talking about characters and events. Children will respond to texts by sharing their ideas through discussion, drawing and simple writing. Throughout the term, they will also build their vocabulary by learning and using new words from stories and everyday classroom conversations.

Mathematics 

This term, Foundation students will develop early mathematics skills through consistent and engaging learning routines. Each lesson includes daily review, giving children opportunities to revisit familiar concepts before exploring new ideas, building confidence, fluency, and understanding.

Students will investigate patterns, learning to recognise, describe, and continue simple repeating patterns. In measurement, the focus is on time, including ordering daily events and learning the days of the week.

In number and place value,students will work with numbers to 10, practising reading and writing numerals, counting collections, ordering numbers, and exploring “one more.” They will also develop their understanding of location, using positional language to describe where objects are.

Throughout the term, children consolidate their learning through purposeful tasks that reinforce key concepts, helping them build a strong foundation and enjoy mathematics through engaging, confidence-building activities.

Humanities

Our compelling question for this term is: ‘Who is my family, what is my family story, and how does it make me who I am?’       

The children will learn to appreciate how all families are different, and family members have roles and responsibilities. Students will also become more aware of our uniqueness, diversity and achievements.  They will inquire into family history and develop a much richer understanding of relationships, as well as build social and personal responsibilities.  

Wellbeing

CEPS VALUES

COURTESY RESPECT CO‑OPERATION RESPONSIBILITY

The Foundation students will participate in the ‘CEPS Kids are Friendly Kids’ values‑based program. Each week, children will have opportunities to explore our Term 1 school value, Courtesy.

We have already been busy establishing our classroom routines and expectations. This helps our students understand how the school day works and what positive learning behaviours look like, so everyone feels safe, confident, and ready to learn.

To further support student wellbeing, we are introducing the ‘Zones of Regulation’ program. This helps children learn to recognise their emotions, understand how their body feels, and develop strategies to help them stay calm, focused, and ready to learn.

During our Friday afternoon assemblies, awards to students who have shown personal growth linked to our weekly values focus will be presented. Parents will be notified if their child is receiving one of these special awards. Students may also receive a CEPS raffle ticket for demonstrating our school values. These tickets go into a fortnightly draw, with winners announced at Friday assemblies.

Supporting learning from home

Starting Foundation can be a big adjustment for your child, and they will have busy days filled with new routines and lots of learning. It's important to balance their learning with plenty of rest and relaxation at home. Encourage quiet time, a healthy snack, and conversations about their day to help them unwind. 

We encourage you to read to your child daily for at least 10 minutes. Sharing a picture book at a calm, quiet time each day, is a wonderful way to bond and help your child develop a love for reading. This regular time together not only supports their literacy skills but also promotes relaxation. 

Weekly Routines

Monday - Friday

Before School

At 8:55 am, students will hear the music signalling it's time to line up. We kindly ask that children have their school bags ready and wait at their class' designated dot. A warm and cheerful goodbye helps your child feel confident as they head into class for the day. We understand mornings can be busy, but please do your best to ensure your child arrives on time, as learning begins promptly at 9.00am. Thank you for supporting your child's smooth transition into the school day!

After School

At the end of the day, children will be collected from their coloured dots. Please ensure the classroom teacher has seen you before collecting your child. For children attending after-school care, a Team Kids staff member will meet them at the classroom and escort them to their program. If you’re running late or unable to pick up your child by 3:30 pm, please call the office to let us know. 

Friday Assembly

Students will attend assembly every second Friday at 3:00pm. After assembly, children will return to their classroom for collection to go home.

Food

Please pack a recess snack, fruit break snack and lunch for your child each day. Fruit break must be a piece of fruit, yoghurt or cheese/crackers.  Water bottles are kept in the classroom for easy access and to encourage your child to hydrate regularly. 

Please avoid including products with nuts in lunchboxes in support of those students with allergies.

Communication

You are welcome to contact your classroom teacher via email through Compass. Whilst families are navigating the transition to Compass, we are also still using Dojo for messages between parents and teachers at this stage. This is likely to be phased out at some stage this year. We are also still currently using Dojo to share learning updates from our classrooms.

With that said, you are always more than welcome to pop into the classroom before or after school if you have any queries or concerns. 

Whilst we endeavour to get back to you promptly, please understand that we are often unable to check these messages until after 3:30pm. If you need an important message to be passed on to your child, we ask that you communicate this via the office (e.g. to advise that your child will be collected early or by another family member). The office will then pass the message on to your child's classroom teacher.

Compass: Compass is the formal tool for communication regarding attendance, payments, excursions, camps, permission forms, school reports, etc.

Please use Compass to advise the school in a timely manner of all student absences.

Early Pick Up: If you need to pick up your child early, please collect them from the office area and be sure to sign them out. You will require an Early Leaver's Pass, provided by the office staff, before we are able to dismiss students. 

You can also keep up-to-date by using the school website and weekly newsletters:  http://www.cheltenhameast.vic.edu.au