Level 2: Connect
Looking ahead to Week 5 & 6
We're well and truly into the swing of things this term. The students had a fantastic time on their maths incursion last week, solving problems and exploring concepts such as weight, direction, symmetry and more.
Just a reminder that we’ll be starting assessments over the next few weeks, so it’s important that students are at school and arrive on time.
Thank you for your ongoing support!
National Simultaneous Storytime – Week 5
In Week 5, students will be using The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel as our mentor text as it is the official book for National Simultaneous Storytime 2025. On Wednesday 21 May at 12 pm, our school will join thousands of others across Australia to read the book together as part of this exciting national event.
Why Background Knowledge Matters for Reading
To really understand what they read, children need more than just the ability to sound out words. They need background knowledge, also known as schema. Schema is the information they already know about the world.
This knowledge helps children make sense of new ideas, connect with what they are reading and fill in details that are not always explained. It also helps build vocabulary and supports deeper thinking, such as making inferences and asking thoughtful questions.
In Week 6, students will begin building their schema about Uluru. They will explore its geology, cultural significance, ecological diversity and the importance of conservation and sustainability.
Core Literacy
Over the past two weeks, students have been building on their phonics knowledge with a focus on new spelling patterns and heart words.
Over the past two weeks, students have continued developing their phonics skills by exploring new spelling patterns and heart words.
In Week 3, they explored the "ey" digraph, which makes two different sounds — the long e sound (as in money and donkey) and the long a sound (as in they and obey).
In Week 4, students investigated the spelling pattern "wr", found in words like wrong and write.
Looking ahead in Core Literacy:
- Week 5: Students will be learning the /ui/ digraph (as in fruit), the prefix "ex-" (as in exit and explode), and the heart words: mountain, answer, and different.
- Week 6: Students will participate in a review week to consolidate their learning from the first five weeks of the term.
Maths
Next week, we will continue learning about arrays to represent and solve multiplication and sharing (division) problems in different ways. We will also explore fractions (halves, quarters and eighths) and turns/rotations.
Inquiry Focus: Echoes from the Past
Exploring First Nations History and Local Sites
In our Inquiry, students will take a step back in time to learn about the lives of the First Australians. We will explore significant First Nations sites (using pictures and video) and examine how these places reflect the spiritual and cultural connection to Country. Together, we will learn how to ask important questions about the past to better understand how people lived, the resources they used, and why certain places hold such deep meaning.
As part of this learning, we will examine the local Indigenous Resource Garden, to explore how this space connects to traditional knowledge and sustainable living practices. This will help students build respect for First Nations culture and deepen their understanding of how the past continues to shape our present.
LUNCH CLUBS AND PLAY
Please see this new exciting section of our newsletter, from Ms Van Etten and Mr Daley.
Warm regards,
Eileen Thompson, Kym Seccull, Anthony Klvac & Kylie Clarke