Grade 1 and 2 News

Key Dates & Reminders: 

• Homework Expectations: We ask that families do their best to read 4 nights each week and fill in the yellow reading diary on those days. Students may read somewhere between 5 - 20 minutes. Home reading is not designed to be a difficult task and at times the readers may even seem easy which is absolutely fine. Students may bring the same books for a number of days and this is to support them to develop their fluency and expression. Library books can be used for parents to read to their child and discuss asking questions such as: Who was in the book? What happened in the story? Was there a problem that needed solving? 
• Talk Homework: Each fortnight students will bring home their talk homework. This is designed to be an oral language activity which supports students to think about and plan their ideas before writing. We encourage families to engage in a discussion with their child about the topic each fortnight and your child can be supported to record some key ideas on the back of the slip to support them to complete their piece of writing on the Thursday.
• Hats and Drink Bottles: Please ensure that your child has their hat and drink bottle at school with them each day. Having a drink bottle readily available in the classroom - helps to minimise disruption to learning time.
• Friday 1st March: Whole-School Performance - Our students have been busy preparing for a whole school performance. Next Friday, students will perform a short item with a grade 3/4 buddy class. Parents and family are welcome to attend this performance it will take place at 9am, in the Hub. 
• Parent Reading Helpers: We will start parent reading helpers in term 2 and will send out an expression of interest for this close to the time. We begin this once we have finished establishing our rules and routines in the classroom. Thank you to those parents who have indicated they will be keen to help us with morning reading in the classroom.

What we have been up to...

Mathematics

In Mathematics students have been learning to measure length. This has looked like students measuring lots of different items to find their length using informal units such as string. Students have also had the task of comparing length, identifying things which are longer or shorter than another.

'Me in a Bag'

Students did an excellent job presenting to the class their 'Me in a Bag'. It was a great activity which allowed students to share things about themselves which we might not otherwise find out and was great way to build our knowledge of each other in the classroom. Thank you to our families for their support with this activity!

Learning in Week 5 and 6

Reading, Writing and Spelling: During Reading sessions we will be looking at the books 'Miss Kraken' and 'Your School is the Best!'. Students will complete activities such as making connections between themselves and the story and they will also practice 'chunking words'.

Our focus sounds are 'a as in day' and 'e as in tree' and heart words will include: say, day and play and then seen, tree and please.

As part of Writing lessons students will continue to look at writing recounts and developing their knowledge of simple sentences making sure to include a who, what doing in each sentence. In week 6 we will begin a focus on narrative writing. 

Mathematics: In Mathematics students will be exploring the idea of time duration - focusing on how long a minute/second might be and how long different types of activities take to complete. They will also begin to explore the idea of calendars and the order of days/months.

Topic: Over the next fortnight students will explore the concept of belonging in their class and within the wider school community. They will complete activities to support them to learn more about each other and to work collaboratively.

Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships (R.R.R.R.): During Respectful Relationships lessons classes will focus on acts of Friendship.