Year 1 Term 4 Newsletter

Welcome to Term 4

Welcome back to all our Year 1 students and their families! We hope you had a restful and fun-filled Term 3 break. It’s been wonderful hearing all about the exciting adventures and special moments the children experienced during the holidays.

Over the past two weeks, our students have taken part in our school swimming program. They approached each session with a positive attitude and showed outstanding behaviour throughout, consistently demonstrating our school values. 

This term, we say a fond farewell to Mrs Scott as she begins her family leave. We wish her all the very best and are eagerly awaiting the wonderful news of her twins’ arrival! A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Scott for her dedication and hard work with 1B – she will be greatly missed.

At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Mrs Uhe to 1B. We know she’ll do an amazing job and we’re excited to see all the fantastic things she and the class will achieve together this term.

Yvonne, Rosie and Sonia

Reminders

As we reach the end of the school year, we are placing a greater emphasis on fostering independence in our students—especially during arrival and dismissal times.

To support this goal and ensure a smoother flow of movement within the school, we kindly ask that all adults remain outside the building and wait in our designated meeting area. This helps reduce congestion in the corridors and allows students to move through the space more freely and safely.  We also encourage students to take responsibility by carrying their own school bags in and out of school each day.  We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work together to create a supportive and efficient environment for all our students. 

 Specialist Timetable

Important Dates

October

24/10: F-2 assembly

31/10: Whole school assembly

November

3/11: Curriculum Day - student free day

4/11: Melbourne Cup Day

14/11: F-2 assembly

20/11: Special Food Day

21/11: Colour Run

December 

05/12: F-2 assembly

15/12: Curriculum Day - student free day

16/12: Volunteers Thank You Morning Tea

18/12: Meet Your 2026 Teacher

18/12: Class Parties 

19/12: Final day 1:30pm dismissal. Whole school assembly 1.00pm

Date for End of Year Celebration Concert to be advised

Parent Helpers

At CEPS, we highly value working as a whole community and encourage the participation and involvement of our families. 

We also greatly appreciate parent helpers who assist with listening to students read in the afternoon. If you're available to help, please contact your child's teacher.

If you would like to help out in the vegetable garden, please also contact us. 

When helping with the children at CEPS, it is required that you wear a Working With Children’s Check (WWCC) displayed on a lanyard at all times. 

If you have not got a WWCC and wish to volunteer,  application forms can be found online at: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au.

Remember to sign in each day you volunteer at CEPS via the computer at the office. This is a mandatory requirement. You will also be required to sign out. 

Attendance

Our student attendance rolls are legal documents; therefore, we must be accountable for any absences. Please assist with this by informing the school through Sentral, email or phone call to record the absence. Late students need to be signed in at the office by a parent/caregiver and collect an orange pass to present to their teacher on arrival at their classroom. 

Teaching and Learning

English

Reading

This term, we will continue to participate in daily phonics sessions. Our phonics program is designed to reinforce and build upon students’ existing knowledge, introducing them to new sound representations such as /igh/, /ough, /ar/ and /oe/. These sessions aim to enhance their decoding skills and support their reading development.

During reading sessions, teachers will work closely with each child to develop proficiency in fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. Students will explore a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts, engaging in discussions to deepen their understanding and make connections to their own experiences.

Additionally, your child will be read to daily, with high-quality picture books used to model comprehension strategies such as sequencing and retelling. These activities support the development of critical thinking and help students articulate their thoughts about the texts they encounter.

High frequency word lists will be sent home at the end of:

Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. 

Please practice these words with your child. 

Writing

This term, our Year 1 students will continue to develop their writing skills through daily practice. They will be guided to form letters correctly, focusing on proper sizing and spacing, and to use appropriate punctuation such as uppercase letters and full stops. These foundational skills are essential for building confidence and fluency in writing.

Students will also be encouraged to expand their vocabulary and apply correct grammar in their writing. Our focus will be on composing personal recounts and narratives where students will learn about the structure and language features of these text types. They will explore how to organise their ideas coherently, use descriptive language, and sequence events logically.

Through modelled and shared writing activities, students will have opportunities to collaborate and receive feedback, enhancing their understanding of the writing process. These experiences aim to foster creativity and support students in expressing their thoughts effectively in written form.

Speaking and Listening

This term, our Year 1 students will enhance their speaking and listening skills through various engaging activities. They will be encouraged to actively participate in class discussions, sharing their thoughts and experiences respectfully during group activities and Yarning Circles.

Each child will also have the opportunity to take home our class bear and later share their adventures with the class. This activity supports the development of oral language skills, including sequencing events and expressing personal experiences. 

Mathematics

In each Maths lesson, students will continue to develop their understanding by using mathematical language relevant to the concepts being taught. This term, our focus areas include data, location, time, shape, addition and subtraction, and place value. Students will continue to take part in daily review sessions that reinforce previous learning and help consolidate key concepts. They will also collaborate with their peers to investigate mathematical problems and share different strategies for finding solutions—building both confidence and critical thinking skills. Students will continue to engage with Mathletics at school, and they are encouraged to log on at home and engage with the activities. We’re excited for another term of helping your child develop strong number sense and mathematical thinking through engaging, hands-on, and collaborative learning experiences.

Humanities

This term, our Humanities unit will focus on how places are organised. Students will investigate how different spaces within places serve various purposes and examine why certain activities are located in specific areas. To apply these concepts, students will design their own park, demonstrating how spaces can be used effectively.

Wellbeing

Students will continue working on the Respectful Relationships program which focuses on building and maintaining positive and safe relationships.  This term students will build upon their ability to transition to new environments and approach challenges with a positive attitude. Students will continue to work on building resilience and the ability to solve problems independently with their peers. They will be able to identify types of problems and seek the appropriate help. 

CEPS VALUES

COURTESY    RESPECT    CO-OPERATION    RESPONSIBILITY 

In addition, to engaging in Respectful Relationships lessons, we will discuss our CEPS Skill of the Week. These discussions will encourage the development of skills that promote our school values and the positive and personal growth of all students. 

In Year 1 we continue to give out weekly awards on a Friday afternoon assembly for students who have displayed the CEPS values.

Your child may receive a CEPS raffle ticket for displaying the expected positive behaviours! Award winners will be drawn and announced during assembly every second Friday afternoon. 

Supporting learning from home

Please ensure you listen to your child read for at least ten minutes each night, and take time to read to them as well. Ask lots of questions about the text to ensure your child is understanding what they are reading. Students will bring home one decodable reader and two free-choice books (or a chapter book). A home reading roster has been provided for each class, indicating the days your child will be changing their reader. We also encourage students to practice the high-frequency words sent home.  A Dojo message will be sent out when new words are sent home. Please also spend some time on Mathletics and Phonics Hero. 

Please continue to return library books on Wednesday. 

If you have any queries, please contact us via Class Dojo. If any more urgent concerns arise, please organise a time to meet with your teacher. 

 We use Sentral to communicate School and Year 1 Information. Class Dojo is used for communication between teachers and families and for posting pictures to celebrate classroom learning.