Grade 1

Literacy Overview  

In Reading in term 4 there will be a strong focus on comprehension of fiction texts. When reading fiction texts the students will focus on understanding the characters, the importance of the setting, and identifying the problem/complication. The students will also learn how to summarize a fiction text.

In Writing the students will continue to focus on developing their understanding and writing of both fiction and nonfiction text. Word choice, writing conventions, sentence openers, using connectives and sentence grammar will continue to be an emphasis in writing lessons.

In Grammar students will revise how to use punctuation such as end of sentence punctuation, commas and capital letters.  They will also revise and extend what they have learnt about parts of speech including nouns, verbs and adjectives.  Students will continue to be encouraged to apply this understanding in their writing.

The students will have a variety of Speaking and Listening experiences which will include community circles, sharing work and taking part in discussions in paired, small group and whole class situations.  

In SMART Spelling students will explore numerous spelling rules and letter patterns and apply these to daily spelling tasks. 

Numeracy Overview  

This term we will be consolidating our knowledge of the basic operations by exploring the relationship between addition and subtraction as well as revising and extending our skills with multiplication and division. The students will also be extending their understanding of our skills-based Maths topics such as money, graphing and length with formal measurement. 

Inquiry Overview  

This term, our Inquiry focus will be ‘What’s Going on in the Garden?’. Students will explore the difference between living and nonliving things and will learn about the relationships between plants and animals in an ecosystem. We will be investigating minibeasts, their adaptations, external features and how they meet their basic needs, including food, water and shelter living alongside the plants in our garden.  

Reminders And Dates For Grade 1 Students  

• 25th October - Geelong Cup 
• 6th November - Pupil Free Day
• 27th November - 8th December - Swimming 

Reminders 

• Please ensure your child is bringing a labelled hat to school as all students are required to wear a hat while in the yard during Term 4 as part of our Sun Smart policy 
• ‘Package Free’ Lunchboxes: Thank you for supporting our school in our endeavor to reduce our environmental impact by ensuring students bring lunchboxes free of packaging. If students bring packaging to school, this will need to return home in their lunchboxes 

How Parents Can Support Their Grade 1 Child At Home This Term 

• Please ensure students are Reading to an adult for at least 15 minutes a day. Help test comprehension by asking them to retell the story, the main events and ask 'why?' questions.  Reading should be recorded in diaries, please.
• Please ensure students are completing spelling activities at least twice a week.
• Support your child to do the tasks set by their teacher in Mathletics. 20 - 30 minutes in total per week is an ideal target. 

Grade 1 Specialist Subjects Overview  

P.E  

For our Grade 1 students, Term 4 holds a hula hoop challenge that will put their agility and balance to the test. They will also be honing their throwing and catching skills, which are essential for various sports. As an important aspect of their physical development, they will participate in our comprehensive water safety program to ensure they are well-equipped for aquatic activities.

ART 

Students will be investigating printmaking by designing and creating their own mono-prints using foam plates. In the second half of the term students will be in engaging in the ‘Teaching Artistic Behaviour’ program. Here they will paint, draw, print, collage and construct their own art pieces. 

S.T.E.M  

Students will be out in the garden learning about companion planting. They will take part in planting and caring for pumpkin, sweet corn, climbing beans and tomatoes. Students will also investigate what makes healthy soil and how this impacts the food we grow. They will also continue to build their knowledge on the local environment and how to look after it. This will focus on the animals that live there including marine animals and how to be a responsible beach user. Grade Two students will also engage with a rock pool ramble down at the bluff as part of their learning.

MUSIC  

This term students in Grade 1 will be focussing on world music belonging to a range of cultural groups and will continue to develop their repertoire of songs and rhythms, experimenting with pitch, volume and tempo. They are learning about presenting and performing music and each class will be working together to learn and practice a 'Songtimes' song that celebrates the language of the Wadawurrang people.