Foundation

Foundation Cluster News

It has been wonderful to welcome everyone back to Term 3 last week. 

Miss Stanley is back from her amazing holiday on Monday and it is 100 days at school celebration on Tuesday.   

Please see below note about dressing up for this day. 

Kimochis at Home: no Kimochis over the holiday break 

We have 4 very special Kimochis that are going to come for a visit on the weekend - Brave Bug, Curious Cat, Kind Lovey Dove and Active Hugs. Students have designated weekends where they will bring home a small Bug, Cat, Lovey Dove or Hugs and a book with instructions of what they will need to do. They will take the Kimochi home on a Thursday/ Friday and bring it back on the Monday. Please make sure they are taken care of and don’t get drawn on or eaten by any family pets. If you do not have a printer at home, we are happy to print for you. Thank you. 

Week 9 Learning Program:   

 Reader’s Workshop – Building our bigger reading muscles   

 Word Study – Sounds: long and short vowels & digraphs 

 Bookmaking – Spotlight session: We make our books look stupendous.    

Inquiry into Maths   

Partitioning -  being able to explore how numbers are made up and the different ways we can make numbers (e.g. 10 is the same as 5 and 5, 6 and 4 etc)  

Unit of Inquiry 

Who We Are Central idea: Our identity helps us to understand our and others’ similarities, differences and emotions. 

Line of inquiry 1: What makes me ‘me’ and how I am the same as, and different to others.  

Line of inquiry 2: Emotions affect our behaviour, interactions and relationships.  

Line of inquiry 3: We can show understanding and respect in our relationships.  

Key concepts: Causation & Responsibility 

Learner profile: Communicators, Open-minded, Caring, Principled 

 Christian Studies:  

Christian Living  

Key Idea 1: Religious beliefs and ideas shape peoples thinking and actions. 

 Library: 

Please look after our books so they are not damaged so that others can borrow them. It is important to note that no borrowing occurs if library books are not returned. Please return books and the library bag to class on Tuesday ready for Wednesday library day. Thank you all for your support and being avid readers with your children. 

Take Home Folders:   

Take Home folders need to come to school every day. Students will need these to take home notes and any craft they make during the day. New sounds will also be placed in this folder from next week onwards.   

Jolly Pouch (purple pouch): Please keep the pouch in your child’s take home folder!  

Your child will receive new sounds/actions in their Jolly Pouch; it is up to you whether you keep the paper in the pouch or find a safe place at home. We hope these resources are valuable for you to practice what we learn in class. When a new sound is introduced, a video will be posted on Toddle to support your child at home. 

Hats: Students generally won’t need to wear a hat in Term 2 and Term 3 unless the UV index is 3 or above. These can be kept in the front pouch of their school bag, so they don’t get lost during this time. 

Gumboots: During the colder months as the weather gets wetter and muddier students must wear gumboots in the nature play at break times. If your child enjoys playing in nature play, please send gumboots labelled with their name to school. These are kept in plastic bags on the children’s bag hooks by our classroom or on the shoe racks if muddy.    

Pick Up Information:  

To assist the children and teachers with end of the day procedures, we would like to know your child’s pick-up details. There is a poster inside the classroom door with pick up options. Please fill this out at your earliest convenience. We are then able to reassure your child at the end of the day. If your plans change on any given day, please ring through to the School Office and they will inform us via the ‘message’ tray of the changes, or tell us in the morning at drop off.   

Volunteers: We love having volunteers in the classroom. If you are interested in volunteering, there are a few tasks you will need to be able to help in the classroom.  

• Current Working With Children Check (WWCC)  
• Responding to Abuse, Harm and Neglect training (RRHAN-EC)  
• Valuing Safe Communities (VSC) training; and  

You can find the information here on the school website:  https://www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au/parents-community/employment-opportunities/  

School Calendar  

https://www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au/school-life/school-calendar/  

Please note: During teaching hours, we are unable to check emails.  

Blessings,   

Brianna and Tania 

Brianna Stanley:  stanley.brianna@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Tania Tenten:

 tenten.tania@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Welcome to Foundation Zimmer! 

It has been wonderful getting to know your children better over the last few days. I am excited to see them grow in confidence in the coming weeks as they get used to school. We are taking time in these first two weeks to learn and practise our school routines and get to know one another through play activities which will set us up for a great rest of the year.  

Mid-Year Foundation welcome afternoon tea – Friday 31st July 

We invite you to join us in the café from 2:30-3:00pm in the Church café for afternoon tea to welcome you to our school community. 

School Photo Day 

School photo day is Tuesday 4th of August. Please contact the front office if you have not received information about this.  

Library 

Students have been given a white Library bag. We visit the library weekly on Tuesdays. Foundation children can borrow two books and keep them for two weeks. I encourage you to read these books with your child weekly so that they can bring them back and have two new books every week to read. 

Assembly and Chapel 

We will not be attending Assembly and Chapel for the first few weeks to give the students time to become comfortable with being at school before attending these events. I will let you know in the coming weeks, when our first time attending will be. 

Family photo for classroom 

I would love to create a display of family photos in our classroom. Please send a photo through to my email address and I will print it off. If your child shares their time between two homes, please feel free to send in two items for display. 

Wednesday Rest Day 

The optional rest days are designed to support children as they build the stamina needed for full-time schooling. Many children are transitioning from attending kindergarten three days a week to five full days in Foundation, and this adjustment can be physically and emotionally demanding. 

During the first few weeks, it is common for children to feel very tired or experience heightened emotions as they adapt to their new routine. To support this transition, we encourage families to consider giving their child a rest day each Wednesday during the first five weeks of Term 1. This gradual approach helps children adjust to the demands of full-time learning at a pace that supports their wellbeing. 

A rest day is intended to be a chance for your child to recharge through play, relaxation, or spending quality time with family. It is not expected to be a day for completing schoolwork. 

Your child's wellbeing is our priority, and we believe this gentle transition will help them settle confidently and successfully into Foundation life. 

Toddle 

An invite to join Toddle was emailed out during the holidays, and a copy of the invite has been sent home with students in their blue take home folder. We post important reminders, student learning, photos/videos and assessments on this platform. Please turn on your notifications so that you receive this important information. 

If you require assistance in logging on to Toddle, please reach out to the staff in the School Office. 

Blue Take Home Folder 

All students have now been given a blue take home folder. They are to come to school every day. In these folders, you will find notes sent home, craft students have made, and later in the term, sounds we have been learning that you can practise with them. 

Nature Play 

We are lucky to have a wonderful nature play area at our school. As it can be wet and muddy during Winter, we ask that if your children are wanting to play in this area at recess and lunchtime that they come to school with gumboots. 

Weekly timetable 

Learning program:  Week 2 

Our focus for Week 2 will be continuing to build confidence with our class routines and getting to know one another.  

Mindfulness 

Every week, we will be learning a strategy we can use to keep our body calm. I encourage you to practise these strategies every week with your child at home. During Week 1 we have been practising our butterfly breathing.  

Butterfly breathing 

Imagine being a beautiful butterfly. 

Breathe in through your nose and raise your arms like butterfly wings. 

Bring your wings down as you breathe out through your nose. 

Blessings for a wonderful week, 

Ellen Zimmer 

zimmer.ellen@goldengrove.sa.edu.au