Year One News 

Dear Year One Families, 

What a busy few weeks it has been. Between special events such as Book Week, Superhero Day, Stay and Play and practising for our upcoming Christmas Carols and Three-Way Presentations the Year One students have had a few jam packed weeks.

Reading

In Reading, the students have been revising the skill of inferring; the ability to figure out something the author has not directly told you. In order to infer what might be happening, students are encouraged to search for clues within the text or pictures and connect these to their prior knowledge. Students have explored using their inferring skills through the use of images, class read alouds and small passages read independently. 

Writing

In Writing, students have continued learning about narratives and what features are essential to making a narrative engaging. Over the past weeks, we have had a strong focus on introducing our stories using sizzling starts, ensuring students capture the reader's attention as soon as they pick up their work. The Year Ones have been encouraged to explore using a range of different story starters such as - describing the setting or weather, dialogue, onomatopoeia and using their five senses. We have seen some great improvement in the students' writing and their ability to use adjectives to paint a more vivid picture in the readers mind. 

Mathematics

In Mathematics, we have continued to work through our unit on Time. Year One students have been introduced to the features of a clock and how time looks different on analogue and digital clocks with a focus on o'clock and half past. 

Inquiry

In our Unit of Inquiry, students have been looking at their cultural background. They have been encouraged to create a wondering linking to our Central Idea and also to bring in an artefact to discuss to the class how it relates to them. Students have loved exploring this unit as it connects directly to them and their history. It has been interesting to see the different artefacts that have been brought into school and the smile on the students' faces when they get up in front of the class to share something that is special to them. 

Book Week

From Monday 8 November to Friday 12 November, Saltwater College celebrated a belated Book Week. During the week, classes worked on creating a text innovation, going through the writing process of drafting, editing, revising and publishing. On Friday 12 November, students were encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character or as something that followed the theme 'Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds'. It was great to see so many students get involved and dress up. 

Superhero Day

On Friday 19 November, Saltwater College participated in Superhero Day - a student-led initiative run by Caat Steeman in Year Three and Eef Steeman in Prep. This fundraiser is in memory of their brother, Boet, who passed away three years ago. Superhero Day occurs annually and aims to raise vital funds to support research to help babies just like Boet. All students were encouraged to dress up as a superhero for the day and bring in a gold coin donation to support the cause. 

Stay and Play

On Friday 19 November, the Year One students also participated in Stay and Play - an event that aims to help ready students for the Year Two Sleepover and future years camps. Students returned to school at 4:00pm where they were involved in a range of outdoor rotational activities. The activities included were; an obstacle course, tunnel ball, jumping sack race, fruit salad and an egg and spoon race. Students then had a yummy pizza dinner as a cohort before returning to their classrooms for a 6:30pm pick up. Feedback from the night included:

Emma 1D - Stay and Play was so exciting. The thing I enjoyed the most was how supportive everyone was. I loved that everyone was cheering each other on.

Krisha 1E - I had lots of fun during Stay and Play! My favourite activity was playing Fruit Salad with my friends. I also really enjoyed eating the pizza. 

Gabby P 1F - I had so much fun playing all the games such as the egg and spoon race and tunnel ball. I loved the pizza, my favourite part was eating my flavour cheese pizza. The Stay and Play was amazing!

Finn 1I - I had lots of fun and the best part of the night was the pizza!