Prep News 

Dear Prep families,

The Preps have had their first 5-day week of school this week and have shown that they can be balanced as they continue to settle into the school routines. 

This week, students have been inquirers by sharing their wonderings as we prepare to start our first Unit of Inquiry. These wonderings will assist teachers to plan lessons based on students' interests and curiosities. We can’t wait for students to begin exploring the Transdisciplinary Theme, ‘Who We Are’. Students have continued learning about the learner profile attributes, such as ‘principled’ and ‘caring’, in preparation to create our class essential agreements.

Reading

Students have started participating in Guided Reading sessions with their classroom teacher. These sessions allow students to focus on more specific reading goals within a small group. Students have revised the good reader strategies, getting your mouth ready to make the first sound and using the pictures to help us decode words. A new strategy of sliding your finger under the word has been introduced which helps students to look at each word as they read. Students are encouraged to read the take-home readers from their satchel each night and practise these reading strategies. 

Writing

The Preps have built on their knowledge of recounts as they continue to be risk-takers to write about what they did on the weekend. Students are encouraged to think about the 5Ws (who, what, where, when and why) to add more detail. The Preps have participated in a language experience before completing one of the special writing book sentences. Students went outside to the playground or basketball court with their class to explore different objects they can go on and use the language 'I am on the slide’, ‘I am on the hop-scotch. This helped students to complete the special sentence ‘I am on the ___’. Students are encouraged to practise reading and writing the sentences from our special writing book at home.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students have continued to explore numbers as we count 100 days of school. After reading the mentor text, ‘12 ways to get to 11’, students explored the different ways they can make numbers using a variety of hands-on materials. Students have also been using their knowledge of counting forwards and backwards to help them work out the number before and after a given number. The Preps have been learning the days of the week by remembering the order and discussing what happens on each day.  

Students will begin using iPads in class next week. iPads must be configured to the Saltwater system and brought to school fully charged. To download any school applications please use the self-service app. You will need to click on the self-service application, find the application you would like and then click ‘install’. Students are encouraged to pack headphones as this will reduce the noise in the classroom while using iPads.  

We would like to thank all Prep families for your valued and continued support.

Kind regards,

The Prep Team.

Reminders:

• Hats are to be worn during outdoor play in Term 1 and 4. Please pack your child’s hat in their bag and label it with their name.  
• iPads must be configured to the Saltwater system and brought to school fully charged. 
• All children are to bring their reading satchels with them to school every day.
• The Preps now attend the assembly, with Timetable A on Tuesday and Timetable B on Wednesday. Please ensure students are dropped off before 8:30am so that assembly can run smoothly.