Learning News 1/2

Years 1/2

In Religion, we have been learning about saints and the important roles they play in our Catholic faith. We have explored the life of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, learned about St. Joseph—our school’s namesake and a model of faith, care and hard work—and discovered the inspiring story of Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first and only saint. The students have enjoyed hearing the stories of these saints and discussing how we can follow their examples in our daily lives.

In Geography, our unit on connections to places began with learning about the different types of places—natural, constructed, and managed—and how people use and value them. We then started looking more closely at Barraba, learning about its history and connections. As part of this, we explored the Aboriginal history and culture of our area, including that the name Barraba means “camp by the riverbank.” The students have enjoyed making connections between the history of our town and its name.

In Mathematics, 1/2 have started learning about area—the amount of space a shape or surface covers. This topic links perfectly with our recent work on multiplication, as students are beginning to see how counting equal groups can help calculate area.

Ways to help your child with area at home:

• Use everyday items (placemats, books, boxes) and ask your child to compare which covers more space.
• Encourage your child to measure the surface of a table using objects such as playing cards or Lego bricks.
• Talk about area when gardening—compare the size of garden beds or pots.
• Use baking as an opportunity to discuss area, for example, comparing the size of different trays.
• Play “spot the biggest” around the house—have your child find the largest cushion, book, or rug and explain why.
• When outdoors, compare spaces—ask which patch of grass or section of playground they think has the greatest area and why.