Term 3 Grade 1/2 Newsletter

Welcome to Term 3!

Welcome back! We trust you all had an enjoyable break with your loved ones and are feeling refreshed.

Important Dates:

Professor Bunsen Fun Chemistry Science Incursion (moving to later in the term)

Tuesday 3 August - School Athletics Day

Wednesday 18 August - AFL Inflatables

Tuesday 24th August (3:50pm-8:00pm) and 26th Thursday (3:50pm-5:00pm) - 3 Way Conferences

Friday 27th August - Book Week Parade 9:15am

Reader’s Workshop:

In Reader’s Workshop this term we will focus on Visualising and Predicting as comprehension strategies to help students become more active readers. We will continue to revise previous strategies. Students will follow the 'I do, we do and you do' model using their book boxes during independent time.

Writer’s Workshop:

In Writer’s Workshop this term we will continue to focus on the stages of planning, writing, revising and editing. Students will share their writing through the Author’s Chair. We will be going over the basics of writing such as punctuation and exploring the structure and features of Narrative Texts.

Speaking and Listening:

In Speaking & Listening, students will be learning how to ask good questions, project their voices by speaking clearly and further develop their listening skills.

Maths:

In Number, students will be focusing on money, multiplication and division. In our Non-Number sessions, we will focus on measuring the mass & capacity of objects, giving and following directions to familiar locations, coding and mapping.

Inquiry:

This term our topic is Chemical Science “All Mixed Up”

Our key understandings are:

Materials can be sorted and classified in many ways.
Materials have observable properties.
Materials can be used for a variety of purposes.
Everyday materials can be physically changed or combined.

Students will participate in two incursions - Professor Bunsen Chemical Science and Kitchen Chemistry Mad about Science.

Student Learning Diaries:

Student Learning Diaries from Term 2 will go home on Friday 30th July. There will be a ‘2 Stars and a Wish’ sheet which we would love for you to return to the classroom teacher. Students will be starting a new SLD book for Semester 2 (Term 3 and 4) so they do not need to return their Semester 1 book.

Reminders:

Homework:

Students in Grade 1 will continue to practise reading of their Magic Words for homework. Students in Grade 2 and those in Grade 1 that can read all their Magic words will continue to bring home weekly spelling words on a Monday. They will also be asked to read for 15 minutes each day, recording this in their Home Reading Journal. Please ensure that your child’s homework book is at school every Monday so their new words can be pasted in and their Reader Bag and Journal are at school daily.

A gentle reminder that your child is marked for their Homework on their school reports. Students reading logs will help determine their mark. Please help us make sure this is accurate by filling in this information. Please do not feel that you have to fill the comments sections on a daily basis, as long as we can see they are reading.

It has been great to hear of the number of students who are utilising Reading Eggs and Mathletics at home. Other homework ideas include Maths games that help with quick number facts.

Eg. Flip a deck of cards (one at a time) and add them together. First person to 50 wins. Alternatively, subtract the numbers from 50 and the winner is the first one to 0.

Don’t just teach kids how to count. Teach ’em what counts most. Kindness. Faith. Courage. Effort. Integrity. Gratitude. Politeness. Generosity.

– Karen Salmansohn

Grade 1 & 2 Teachers

Jessica O’Sullivan, Russell Smith, Karen Sharland and Sarah Bailey

Around Grade 5/6

Learning Collaboratively and Celebrating Success