Prep Term 3 Overview
Prep 2024 Term Three
‘Courage is found in unlikely places’
Welcome to Semester 2, Term 3
Term 3 promises to be filled with exciting learning opportunities and fun activities. Thank you to all Prep parents, guardians and families for your ongoing support during classroom activities, expositions and excursions. Your support with these events helps to make our school community vibrant and enriching for our students and staff.
Parent-Teacher Communication
We have several communication channels to keep you informed and engaged with your child's learning journey. First, there's Seesaw, where pictures of your child's amazing learning and work are uploaded. If you need me to resend the link, please let me know as family engagement is always welcomed.
Additionally, Our Parent/Teachers/Student Conferences will be this term in Week 2. This is a formal meeting to discuss your child's progress and learning goals.
You are also welcome to make an appointment to meet with me before or after school.
The school newsletter is a major source of information to stay up to date with everything that is happening around the school.
I am available via email between 8am and 5pm during the week at cwoolley@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.
I will regularly send the Junior Newsletter as an attachment via email, which provides relevant and important events or learning dates. Please note that this is not a substitute for the whole-school newsletter, so always refer to that first for important whole-school updates.
Drop Off Protocols
Just a friendly reminder to please have your child leave their bag at line-up upon arrival and wait downstairs until the music plays at 8:50am. Students may only come up to the classroom and bring their bags up from 8.50am onwards.
When students arrive from 8.30am, morning supervision is scheduled to ensure their safety and they may play outside. This helps me to prepare the classroom promptly and effectively for the day ahead. Please also encourage your child to proudly demonstrate their morning routine to you. As we enter Semester 2, it's crucial for our Preps to continue practising independence so they are ready for Year 1 and to take responsibility for their learning and belongings.
Important Dates for Prep
Tuesday, 23 July - Student Led Parent-Teacher Conferences
Friday, 2 August - FireFighter Visit (Session 1)
Friday, 9 August - 100 Days of Prep/ FireFighter Visit (Session 2)
Friday, 9 August - Parents Disco Bingo Fundraiser (7pm - 10:30 pm)
Monday, 12 August - School Closure Day (Staff Professional Development)
Tuesday, 13 August - Bullying ‘No Way’ Week
Friday, 16 August - Bullying ‘No Way’ Superhero Dress Up Day
Thursday, 15 August - Feast of the Assumption Mass (10 am - 11 am)
Monday, 19 August - Book Week ‘Reading is Magic’
Tuesday, 20 August - Book Week Character Parade
Monday, 26 August - Prep Assembly (2:50 - 3:20 pm)
Tuesday, 27 August - Prep Class Mass (10 am – 11 am)
Friday, 30 August - Fathers Day Breakfast (7 am - 8:45 am)
Friday, 30 August - Pyjama Day Dress Up
Monday, 2 September - P-2 Excursion Ripponlea House (Inquiry)
Friday, 13 September - St John’s Art Show
Monday, 16 September - STEM Week
Friday, 20 September - Last Day of Term 3 (1pm Finish)
English
Literacy begins each morning with our 10 minute Heggerty session. Heggerty helps students to be successful with phonemic awareness by developing their understanding of the relationship between letters and their sounds. This term, in Letters and Sounds we will be introducing the following new sounds and diagraphs; z, y, w, x, v, ar, k, ng, ay, and sh. Additionally, we will continue to segment and blend unfamiliar words to develop fluency when reading. Our reading group rotations will focus on strengthening comprehension skills and expanding vocabulary, through a variety of engaging texts and reading group rotation activities. This term, our texts will include a variety of non-fiction and factual materials. This is intended to align with our new inquiry unit and writing genre ‘Informational Texts’. Students will have the opportunity to research and include labels and facts in their reports. Handwriting practice will include daily warm-up activities to help students accurately form both lowercase and uppercase letters correctly when writing, as well as printing letters onto the dotted thirds.
Mathematics
In Semester 2, Prep students will have the opportunity to build on the foundations established in Semester 1. With adult support, they will be encouraged to apply their developing understanding and fluency to various learning tasks. In Number and Algebra, we will cover addition, subtraction, multiplication (sharing), and division (grouping). These units will provide supported scaffolding and mental strategies to assist students in solving mathematical tasks. In Measurement and Geometry, we will explore concepts like mass and capacity (heavier/lighter). Additionally, we will celebrate 100 Days of Prep with a whole week dedicated to the number 100.
Religious Education
In Religious Education this term, we will delve into the Bible, exploring both the Old and New Testaments and discover their differences. Our focus will include studying various families in the Bible, such as Jesus' family, known as the Holy Family. Students will have the chance to relate and respond to these stories, making connections to their own families, through creative projects using 2D and 3D materials. At the Junior level, we will emphasise the importance of prayer, and students will write their own family prayers. We are looking forward to uniting the community at the end of the term for a special Family Liturgy presentation.
Inquiry Learning
Our Inquiry topic this term, "Would you like to play?", is both fun and engaging. Aligned with the History curriculum, students will explore and draw conclusions about how changes in the world have shaped the ways we play and connect with each other. Students will start by reflecting on their own past and present, organising and comparing personal belongings and lifestyles. They will have the chance to hear stories from both familiar family members and Indigenous Elders. Additionally, we will be going on an excursion to Rippon Lea House, where students will compare the past and present in areas such as children's lives, games, technologies, fashions, and entertainment.
STEM & Digital Technology
This term, the Preps will focus on a physical science unit in STEM, defining and exploring the concepts of push and pull. They will investigate simple machines and toys that utilise these forces, tying this knowledge into our Inquiry unit. Additionally, the students will have the opportunity to design their own simple machines, applying their understanding of push and pull in a hands-on, creative project.
In Digitech, the Preps will have the opportunity to safely use the school Chromebooks. They will learn how to log in responsibly and understand basic conventions such as using the trackpad and keyboard. Additionally, they will be challenged in their thinking by collecting and analysing data in the form of symbols and text. At the end of the unit, they will create a picture chart to showcase their learning and newfound digital skills.
Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)
This term in Prep, we will continue to focus on social and emotional learning using the RRRR (Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationships) material. We will revisit and redefine our overarching theme for the year, "courage," and strengthen our understanding of emotional literacy. During Circle Time, students will have the opportunity to respond to realistic and relatable situations that are modelled for them, helping them develop practical skills and a deeper emotional understanding.
Specialist Timetable
This Semester, our Specialist timetable has been updated to allow for uninterrupted learning blocks in the morning. Students will continue to have Chinese on Tuesday, and Physical Education, Performing Arts and Visual Arts on Thursday. However, we will now run STEM, Digitech and a Mini Maths session on Wednesday and Junior Class Sport on Friday afternoon. Please ensure your child is wearing their sports uniform on Thursday and Friday. The Preps will continue to visit the Library on Tuesday.
Thank you to all Prep parents and guardians for your support and engagement throughout Semester 1. Fostering a supportive and caring community is at the heart of what we strive for at St. John's. Your involvement has been instrumental in helping our students flourish in their learning. I look forward to working with you all in the second half of the school year and continuing to strengthen our sense of community.
God bless,
Cara Woolley