Galilee Community

Dear Families,

What a wonderful Week 4 of learning in Foundation! This week, our students have been busy exploring new ideas, building their confidence and developing their skills across all learning areas. It has been lovely to see their enthusiasm, growing independence and willingness to give new things a go. We are so proud of their continued efforts and look forward to another exciting week of learning ahead!

Monday 2nd November - School Closure Day

Tuesday 3rd November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Please note: 

With our Foundation Swimming Program beginning in Week 6, we kindly encourage families to support their children in practising how to dress and undress themselves independently at home. This will help students build their confidence and feel prepared for their swimming lessons. Please keep in mind that teachers will be unable to assist students with changing before or after swimming, so developing these skills at home will be a wonderful help!

On Friday the 20th of November, students will be going on an excursion to Myuna Farm.

Please see the social story below for more information.

Learning for the term ahead

Religious Education:

Next week in Religious Education, students will be exploring how we can continue to follow in Jesus’ footsteps by showing kindness, love and care for others. Students will also learn about All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, reflecting on the lives of special people who have shown God's love and remembering those who have passed away.

English:

Next week, students will be exploring the beautiful picture storybook The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon. This heartwarming story follows a polar bear who sets off on an adventure to find a new home, meeting other animals along the way. Through this story, students will explore the characters, setting and important events, while learning about the importance of caring for animals and protecting our environment.

If you would like to read the book with your child, please follow the link below.

Mathematics:

Next week in Mathematics, students will be developing their counting skills by practising counting forwards to 100. Students will also explore counting forwards and backwards from different starting numbers within 100. Through a range of fun and engaging activities, students will build their confidence in recognising number sequences and understanding what numbers come before and after.

Inquiry: The Arts

Next week in Inquiry, students will be exploring Music and Media Arts as they create their very own market jingle! Students will work together to create a catchy song using singing and percussion instruments. They will also begin planning a short advertisement to promote their market, exploring how music and images can be used to capture an audience’s attention.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL):

Next week in SEL, students will be exploring Positive Gender Relations. Students will learn about the importance of treating everyone with kindness, fairness and respect. Through discussions and engaging activities, students will explore how we can celebrate our differences, include others and build positive friendships with everyone.

Auslan:

Next week in Auslan, students will be revising the signs they have learnt so far this term. Students will demonstrate that they can sign 3 colours, 3 pets and a farm animal.

What you can do at home

Reading together at home is one of the best ways to support your child’s learning. Enjoy our focus book together by reading it at home or listening to a read-aloud online (many are available on YouTube).

While reading, you could:

• Talk about the main events and important messages in the story.
• Encourage your child to retell the story in their own words.
• Discuss the characters, setting and what happens throughout the story.
• Look for words that begin with our focus sound/s.
• Encourage your child to think deeply about the story by asking questions such as:
  • Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?
  • I wonder why...
  • What makes you think that?
  • Can you show me where it says...?
  • What do you think will happen next?
  • That didn't make sense to me. Let's read it again.

✏️ Supporting Learning at Home

You can also support your child's learning through everyday activities and routines. Some simple ideas include:

• Practise correct letter formation and handwriting.
• Bring our Mathematics learning into everyday life by looking for opportunities to talk about maths during your daily routines.
• Count everyday objects, such as toys, fruit, stairs or cars.
• Look for numbers on houses, letterboxes, clocks and number plates.
• Talk about shapes you notice around your home or neighbourhood.
• Compare quantities, for example, "Who has more grapes?" or "Which pile has fewer?"
• Use maths language such as more, less, bigger, smaller, before, after, next to, behind and between.
• Get your child involved in cooking by asking them to count, measure or estimate ingredients.
• Play simple board games or card games that involve counting, matching or recognising numbers.
• Practise number stories using everyday objects. For example, "There were 8 strawberries. We ate 3. How many are left?"
• Ask questions while shopping, such as "Can you find 5 apples?" or "Which item costs more?"
• Notice patterns on clothing, wrapping paper, tiles or fences and encourage your child to continue or create the pattern.

Important Classroom Reminders:

• Fidget Toys

  We kindly ask that students do not bring fidget toys to school unless their use is a planned adjustment in consultation with Allied Health Professionals. Students who bring fidget toys without an approved adjustment will be asked to place them in their school bag for the remainder of the day to take home. We appreciate your support in encouraging your child to leave fidget toys at home.

• Spare clothes/change of clothes

  Please pack spare clothes with a pair of socks and underwear to be placed in the front zip pocket of your child's school bag in case of a toileting accident or when they get muddy during recess and play time. 

• Please ensure that you are labelling all your child's belongings.

Important Dates to Remember:

• Monday 2nd November - School Closure Day
• Tuesday 3rd November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
• Wednesday 4th November - Semper Dental Van visit
• Thursday 5th November - Semper Dental Van visit
• Monday 9th - Thursday 19th November - Foundation Swimming Program
• Friday 20th November - Excursion to Myuna Farm
• Monday 30th November - Athletics Day at Casey Fields
• Tuesday 1st December - School Christmas Carols
• Friday 11th December - Last day of formal classes

Enjoy your weekend,

The Galilee Team

Contact us @ Galilee

galilee@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au  (all teachers) or