Year 1, Term 4, 2024

Welcome to Term 4. We hope all students have enjoyed a relaxing break, and we are excited for the upcoming busy and eventful term in Year 4.

On Monday 2 December, the Year One students will be venturing to Werribee Zoo. In line with our unit of inquiry, Sharing the planet. The students will be immersed in exploring habitats, discovering the interdependence of natural systems and determine how the survival of living things are interconnected.

This term we are continuing to encourage the students to take independent action in response to their units of inquiry. Please encourage them to bring in any items related to our unit of inquiry on Fridays.

Units of Inquiry

Transdisciplinary Theme:

Sharing the planet

Central Idea:

Living things adapt for life in their environment

Lines of Inquiry:

change, connection and responsibility

classifying changes in living things
how humans' actions play a role
Influence of habitat on survival

beliefs and values through stories

Literacy

Reading

During our literacy sessions we will continue to work on developing the CAFÉ reading strategies (comprehension, accuracy, fluency and expanding vocabulary). Each week we will have a language, and conventions focus. In Term 4, these include:

Nouns and pronouns
Adjectives, verbs and adverbs
Homonyms/homophones/homographs
Suffixes and prefixes
Contractions

The students will continue to build reading stamina through: Read to Self, Read to Someone and Listen to Reading. Our Guided Reading books will be linked closely to our unit of inquiry, Sharing the planet.

Writing

This term the children will be exposed to a range of writing styles including persuasive texts, informative texts and narrative texts. They will be engaged in activities to expand their vocabulary and expressive language skills, through our focussed literacy groups and writing sessions. sentence starters and onomatopoeia within their writing.

Grammar

This term, the children will be encouraged to read their own work aloud to listen for grammatical correctness: checking use of capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks. They are encouraged to identify high frequency words which might not be spelt correctly. We will begin to explore dictionaries in the classroom to research the correct spelling and meaning of unknown words.

Speaking & Listening

This term the children will deliver an oral presentation to their classmates on an animal of their choice, using information they have learnt and researched during our unit of inquiry. It will be our final Learning Task for the year.

Spelling

We are continuing with the SMART spelling approach where the children can select six words from the given list plus two BOB Words. They are then required to practice these at home. We also reinforce these words by completing several spelling activities in class. On Friday there is dictation, where the children are asked to write two sentences which include other words (not from their list) that contain that same sound.

The children will transition to ‘Partner Testing’ whereby they are required to test one another on their specific words in readiness for Year 2.

Maths

Number

This will then lead onto multiplication where the students will be putting objects into set groups and working out the total using concrete materials and visual strategies.

They will also continue to consolidate their understanding of place value as well as worded problems involving addition and subtraction.

Algebra

This will then lead onto multiplication where the students will be putting objects into set groups and working out the total using concrete materials and visual strategies.

They will also continue to consolidate their understanding of place value as well as worded problems involving addition and subtraction.

This will then lead onto multiplication where the students will be putting objects into set groups and working out the total using concrete materials and visual strategies.

They will also continue to consolidate their understanding of place value as well as worded problems involving addition and subtraction.

Inclusive Approaches

The Resilience Project

The children are enjoying The Resilience Project program and are completing sessions on a weekly basis. We are continually talking about the three main focus areas: Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM).

Cyber Safety Project

This semester the students will be continuing with the ‘Cyber Safety Project’. The focus for the Cyber Safety Project is to provide a whole community approach focused on developing future skills, lifelong habits and self-regulation when using digital technologies for work and play. During this program the students will learn how to participate safety and responsibly in a digitally engaged world.

Resilience, Right and Respectful Relationship

As part of our Wellbeing Program in Year 1 we will begin the government mandated Resilience Rights & Respectful Relationships lessons. We will be focussing only on Topic 7.

Whole-school Focus on PYP Learner Profile

October – Inquirers

We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

November -Principled

We are fair, acting with integrity and honesty

We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

December- Knowledgeable

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Special Events in Year 1

Year 1 Swimming Program: Monday 21 October- Thursday 31 October
Whole School Melbourne Cup Day: Tuesday 5 November
Whole school Remembrance Day: Monday 11November
Whole school Pupil free day/Curriculum Day: Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November
Whole School Concert: Thursday 28 November

Werribee Zoo Excursion: Monday 2 December
Last Day of Term 4: Friday 20 December

The Year 1 Team

Ms Jenna Horler, Ms Kristy Smith, Ms Melinda Docker, Ms Melissa Ball and Ms Melissa Werry