Year 1 

Spotlight on Learning

Dear Families,

Week 8 has flown by and we are now heading to the end of the term. We have noticed that some students still struggle with completing tasks at school independently. Helping children become more independent is an important part of their growth and confidence.

Simple daily tasks, such as carrying their own school bag, tying their shoe laces, helping to pack their bag for the next day, and dressing themselves, can make a big difference. These small responsibilities encourage children to feel capable and proud of what they can do on their own. We understand that every family and culture has different routines, and we encourage you to support your child in ways that work best for you while gradually building these important life skills.

Warm regards,

The Jerusalem Community Team 

Important Reminders

1. Term 1 is a SunSmart term and 'No hat, no play', please ensure your child has their school hat everyday.
2. All students are expected to wear full St Thomas’ school uniform — either summer, or PE is fine, but it must be the official school uniform. 
3. Reading daily is a big factor in academic progression. Students should read everyday to a parent or family member to increase their word/sound knowledge.
4. Lunchboxes should include fruit or vegetables and lunch to fuel students for learning throughout the day.

This week:

Award winners: Awards are handed out to students who show exemplary school values of Safety, Respect and Learning each week during weekly community assembly. If your child receives an award, but is absent on Friday, they will receive their award during the next weekly assembly.

English phonics: This week in Reading, we have been learning the oa sound. This is a digraph that makes the long vowel sound /o/.

English writing: This week, we read I Am Australian Too by Mem Fox, a book that celebrates Australia’s multiculturalism and diverse heritage. Through the story, students learned about families from a variety of backgrounds, including refugees and migrants from countries such as England, Ireland, Vietnam, Somalia, and Lebanon. They explored the book’s central message of inclusivity, understanding that regardless of background or time of arrival, we are all Australians.

Throughout the week, students engaged with the story in multiple ways. Each day, they read a few pages of the book, discussed and reflected on the families and cultures mentioned, and learned facts about the different countries highlighted. In their writing, students recorded information about their own family backgrounds, including where their parents were born. These activities helped students connect personally with the themes of the story while practising reading, writing, and discussion skills.

At home: You can also watch the book on Youtube and discuss the themes in the story. Ask students questions about the book and reflect what they learnt from the story.

Mathematics: This week in mathematics, we continued our learning of convincing others, discussing why a numberline is better to show our thinking. 

We also started to use materials and bar models to partition numbers. We started off by using coloured counters and then moving on to representing the partioned numbers visually in our books. 

At home:  Partition a number into 2 parts. For example 10 can be partioned into 4 and 6. Draw a bar model to represent your thinking. 

Intergrated studies: This week, we learnt about Australian states and terroritories. We learnt that we live in Victoria and our capital city is Melbourne.

Religious education: This week, have begun unpacking the days of Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday. Our focus on Luke 19:28 to 40 - Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, sharing ways we continue to welcome Jesus.

Social and emotional learning: This week, we learned about the importance of Harmony day.  Students learnt about a variety of head wear from around the world and why each one was significant for different communities.

Last week in SEL:

AUSLAN: 

Students have started unit 2 of AUSLAN, they are learning about classroom instructions. These are the signs they learnt this week. 

Next week 

English phonics: Next week, we are learning to add the suffix -ing to the end of words.

English writing: Next we will continue reading "I'm Australian Too!" by Mem Fox.

Mathematics: Next week in maths, we will be moving on to shape. Learning about 2 and 3 dimensional shapes as well as names for shape types like polygons or quadrilaterals

Intergrated studies: Next week, we learning about Australian landmarks.

Religious education: We continue through Holy Week, learning about Passover and Holy Thursday Friday.

Social and emotional learning: Next week, we are learning about Personal and Cultural values.

Ways to engage with the newsletter:

• Read the weekly book with your child at home (there is often a read aloud on you tube). Talk about what the book's most important ideas are.

• Ask your child to retell the story using their own words.

• Talk about who the characters are, where the story is happening.

• Use the spelling words provided to make up sentences at home or simply a 5 word mini dictation.

• Take the idea around Mathematics and ask students to repeat an activity they did at school, with you.

Important Dates

• TERM 1 Key Dates
• Friday 27th of March - The Big Walk for Water
• Wednesday 1st of April - Year 1 Mass @ 9:30am

• Thursday 2 April - Holy Thursday — Last Day of Term 1

   

  TERM 2 Key Dates

• Tuesday 21 April — First Day for Students

Contact Us @ Jerusalem

jerusalem@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.auOR

The Jerusalem Team