Grade 1 & 2

As we wrap up our end-of-term activities, it has been fantastic to reflect on how well our Grade 1 and 2 students have settled into their classroom routines. Throughout the term, the children have grown in confidence, independently following their specialist timetable, bringing in homework, and returning library books each week.

We are especially proud of the responsibility they have shown and the independence they are developing across all areas of their learning. These positive habits have been a wonderful focus of our term, and it has been great to celebrate the progress made together.

Thank you for your continued support at home—it plays such an important role in helping our students build confidence, independence, and strong learning routines.

Literacy

Grade 2 students have had a fantastic Term 1, engaging enthusiastically in our literacy program and making strong progress across a range of areas. Through our structured InitiaLit lessons, students have developed their skills in spelling, comprehension, grammar and storybook activities.

Throughout the term, students have continued building their understanding of imaginative texts, creating their own engaging stories and sharing their ideas with confidence. We have also introduced persuasive texts, with students beginning to express their opinions and support them with simple reasons, as well as informative texts, where they have been learning to share facts and information clearly.

A key focus has been on using descriptive language, particularly adjectives, to add detail and interest to their writing. Students have also enjoyed using laptops to publish their work, following the writing process of drafting, editing and teacher conferencing. It has been wonderful to see their confidence and independence grow over the course of the term.

Grade 1 students have continued to build on the InitiaLit program they started in Prep. They are actively listening for sounds in words, identifying syllables, and expanding their bank of "tricky words" to improve their reading and writing fluency. In writing, they are mastering "Super Sentences"—ensuring each begins with a capital letter, ends with a full stop (or, as I am often reminded, a question mark or comma!), and most importantly, makes sense. Additionally, the students have been refining their handwriting by focusing on correct letter formation and starting points.

Maths

In Maths, Grade 2 students have been exploring units on measurement and data. Throughout this learning, students have been developing their understanding of measuring and comparing length, capacity and mass using informal and formal units. They have enjoyed engaging in hands-on activities, using a range of materials to estimate, measure and record their findings.

In our data unit, students have been learning to collect, organise and represent data in different ways, including simple tables, picture graphs and bar graphs. They have been working collaboratively to ask questions, gather information, and interpret their results, building their confidence in discussing what the data shows.

It has been wonderful to see students actively participating in investigations, sharing their thinking, and making real-world connections through both measurement and data activities.

Grade 1 Maths

This month the students have been working on understanding and developing their understanding of 10s friends and 20's families. They have used number lines for adding and subtracting and used their 10's friends to bridge numbers when adding and subtracting. Eg. 9 + 7 when bridging we take 1 from the 7 (leaving 6) and add it to the 9 making 10 and then add the 6 and get a total of 16. We also used the lots of counters to double numbers.

The Resilence Project

Grade 2 students have been focusing on developing mindfulness as part of their transition into the new school year. In recent lessons, students have been practising taking time to pause, notice their thoughts and feelings, and reflect on how their actions can impact others.

Through a range of calm and engaging activities, students have explored ways to be present in the moment, regulate their emotions, and respond thoughtfully in different situations. It has been wonderful to see students becoming more aware of their feelings and learning strategies to support their wellbeing, such as mindful breathing and quiet reflection.

Mindfulness is an important skill that supports both learning and relationships, and we encourage students to continue using these strategies to stay calm, focused and considerate towards their classmates, teachers and the wider community.

Grade 1 students have been learning to recognise and understand other people's points of view as they develop their empathy skills. We had a fun session laughing as we discussed the ways that laughter helps us feel good and there for helps us be positive. Then the students had to think about the things that they are grateful / thankful for, both at home and at school. Wow !. They were able to list so many things that they were grateful for - the most common thing that they came up with was 'their families'.