Focus Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What's happening?

Foundation

In Foundation this week we are focusing on /v/ and /y/. The letter ‘y’ is very special as it can be a consonant (at the start of a word e.g. yam) or a vowel (e.g. my, mummy). Remind your child that when we make the /v/ sound it tickles our bottom lip! Next week we move to learning the letters /j/ and /x/. Discuss with your child that ‘x’ has two parts to its pronunciation - the combination of the /k/ and /s/ sounds. X can also make gz in words like exam. We have continued learning and reviewing our Red Flag Words and we have added the words ‘are’ and ‘they’. Ask your child to show you how they can arm spell the words and write with the correct formation.

In writing, we continue to build our understanding of recounts. You may like to discuss with your child on Sunday night or Monday morning what you did on the weekend in preparation for their weekend recount. The students know we begin our recounts with an introduction (including a who, what and where). Then follow using time connectives (first, next then), finishing with a personal comment (it was fun/great/lovely). 

In our Inquiry topic ‘Healthy Habits’, students have learnt about balancing healthy eating with exercise and having a positive mindset. We are now collecting shoe boxes which will be made into bedrooms for the student's inquiry project. If your child would like to bring in any other materials to help build their room, they are more than welcome.

Throughout the term, we have been discussing the ‘ Zones of Regulation.’ This is an approach used to support the development of self-regulation in children. In the past weeks students have practised many coping strategies to support them when in the green, yellow, blue or red zone. Such as going for a walk, drawing a picture, taking 3 deep breaths, counting to 10 and talking to a grown up to name a few. 

Thank you for your continued support in corridor reading and classroom writing. Have a wonderful week ahead.

Grade 1

Our Year 1’s commenced their Weather reporting this Month and have shown accuracy with their reports and enthusiasm during presenting. The weather has definitely become a talking focus within the classrooms and we have been loving all of the questions that have come up following our reports or observations in weather changes! We are very excited for our Mad about Science incursion next Thursday 6th June. During their session, the children will get to participate in various hands-on weather themed experiments, including a look at how rain is made, how a tornado is formed and an opportunity to make a their own UV detector. To assist us with session planning, please ensure you have consented and paid via Compass by Tuesday 4th June. If your child will be unable to attend, or you have any questions surround this, please contact your child’s teacher.

In Literacy we have been looking at Procedure Writing, starting with making a fruit skewer. Students have written the title and list of materials for the Procedure and also sequenced images of each step. Their favourite part being the eating of the fruit. Last week, we created a whole class procedure about “How to give a Lama a Hair Cut” which proved a very entertaining read! This week, we have been working on our Rainbow Wind Cloud Procedural texts, you made have seen these flying in the wind, early this week!

Our sound focus, this week is the last sound from the Long Spelling Right After a Short Vowel Sound (LSRASVS) rule “dge” and Week 8 we will focus on the three sounds that the suffix “ed” makes when taking verbs into the past.

In Maths for the next 2 weeks, the students are learning about Time. We are focusing on duration of time and will move onto looking at the features of both analogue and digital clocks and reading o’clock times.

Grade 2

It’s hard to believe that we are over halfway through Term 2.

Our Grade 2 students have been really enjoying our poetry unit so far and have produced some wonderful acrostic poems! Over the next couple of weeks we will be exploring Diamante poetry. This type of poetry involves using nouns, verbs and adjectives.

During our ‘Syntax Project’ lessons, students have been learning how to enhance their writing by finishing sentences when given a sentence stem starting with before, after, if or when. 

As part of our ‘Word Study’, students are revising their understanding of the jobs of ‘Final Silent e’. The three jobs include making a vowel say its name, making c say /s/ and making g say /j/ and finally stopping words ending with illegal letters.

As part of our Core Knowledge/Inquiry unit ‘All Mixed Up’, students are exploring some guiding questions ‘how does temperature affect matter?’ and ‘how does heating and cooling matter affect how things are stored in containers?’. Students were very excited to conduct an experiment involving ice cream this week!

In Maths, we have begun our ‘Patterns and Algebra’ topic. Students have been investigating and creating a range of different ‘repeating’ and ‘growing’ patterns involving colours, shapes and numbers. Practise at home exploring number patterns increasing and decreasing by different numbers, will be very beneficial for students throughout this topic.

We have begun a new round of ‘Rotations’ this week which allows students and teachers from the four grades to mix and work together. Rotation activities include participating in team-based challenges, mindfulness and exploring different art forms.

Thank you for your support with homework: Regular reading aloud, sound pack practise and ‘Red Flag Word’ spelling. Optional extras: ‘Nessy Reading and Spelling’ and ‘Sunset Maths’ (Essential Assessment).

Grade 3

Core Knowledge: As part of our unit, ‘We Are One’, this fortnight we have explored indigenous art and symbols, as well as the journey of reconciliation with Australia's First Peoples, using a variety of texts including, ‘Sorry, Sorry’ and ‘Finding Our Heart’.

Writing: Students are independently writting an information report for assessment this week, demonstrating their understanding of purpose, structure, and planning. Their goal is to try to include a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences using different conjunctions to combine their facts, and include appropriate subheadings for their paragraphs. In our spelling lessons, we have been looking at the au/aw graphemes, ‘Red Flag’ words, consonant-le syllables (-tle, -ble, etc), the suffix -ish, and prefix dis-.

Maths: This fortnight we have been exploring mass, capacity and volume. Students have been using formal units to measure, compare and order different items, as well as converting between grams and kilograms, millilitres and litres. As always, opportunities to explore these concepts in everyday situations at home will be a great way to consolidate and build on your child’s knowledge.

Wellbeing: We are continuing our focus on problem solving this fortnight, as well as the ongoing development of our ‘Super Six’ values, social skills and the importance of kindness.

Homework reminders: Students should ask a grown-up to check their homework with them before submitting, and fix errors or make changes as needed. Record home reading every week in diary, get it signed by a grown up, and bring it to school every Friday.

Excursion: We are very excited about our museum excursion on Monday 17th June. Details have been posted on Compass and if you’d like to volunteer as a helper, please email your child’s teacher. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Grade 4

Since the last newsletter, lots of great learning has been happening in Grade 4. Our excursion to Healesville Sanctuary was a success and enjoyed by all so please check out the photos! Many thanks to our parent helpers who joined us for the day. The students are literally ‘watching grass grow’ as they continue to observe the changes in the growth of these within our classes. 

Literacy/Inquiry: The students have researched, planned, and composed some outstanding explanation texts on various life cycles of organisms. They have been very busy publishing  and creating posters to display their finished explanation writing. Students have also completed an explanation post-assessment write this week. This is another piece of writing that the students do to monitor growth in their understanding of the structure and language features of this text type.

The students are eagerly working in small groups preparing their scripts for our StarTime movie incursion which is next Monday 3rd June (4B & 4S) and Wednesday 5th June (4D & 4P). They are making a documentary about the life cycle of an organism and are collaborating to write their speaking parts which will be used to make this. There is plenty of speaking & listening practise, reading, writing as well as co-operative learning with this project. We look forward to creating some great documentaries next week and perhaps, inspiring some students to be future documentary makers!

Numeracy: We concluded our focus on multiplication after lots of hard work and great learning over the past four weeks. We are now moving on to some measurement concepts such as length and area for the next two weeks. Students will apply their multiplication skills to convert different units of measurement such as millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres. Activities involving measuring different units of length and calculating perimeter are examples of what students will be working on in Maths lessons. Applying multiplication to find the area of rectangular shapes will also be explored.

Homework: 

• Reading 5 x week. Students should be recording their reading in their diary and we ask if you could please sign these at the end of the week.
• NO VOCABULARY HOMEWORK THIS WEEK: student’s will be practising reading their scripts for the StarTime incursion.
• SplashLearn Maths tasks
• Multiplication fact practice.

Reminders:  

StarTime incursion - This is an ALL DAY excursion at school

Monday 3rd June - 4B & 4S

Wednesday 5th June - 4D & 4P

Grade 5

Writing

Over the past week, students have been developing there understanding of the structure of a response piece of writing. Students were provided with an art work called ‘Bushfire Dreaming’ by Gabriella Possum and have been developing their skills in using more descriptive detail when describing the picture to the reader and their ability to use emotive and evaluative when writing their own evaluation.

Reading

Over the past two weeks, we have continued on with our mentor text ‘Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence’. We have unpacked background information about the location and purpose of the fence by exploring information and maps and a place called Jigalong where our text takes place. Students have began following the story of Molly, Daisy and Gracie and the events that took place. Whilst reading the chapters of the text, students have been developing their vocabulary skills and ability to comprehend questions through both written comprehension and discussion based activities.

Inquiry

Last week in Inquiry, students explored the meaning behind Sorry Day. They explored what ‘Sorry Day’ stands for and ways in which people mark the day. Students also watched the ‘Sorry Speech’ that Kevin Rudd gave back in 2008 and reflected upon the words and reasoning behind it. This week students will begin their research project

researching either a well know Indigenous Australian that has impact in assisting indigenous cultures or choosing a particular day or week such as NAIDOC week and explaining the reasoning behind these occasions.

Maths

In Maths, students have been developing their skills in solving problems involving area and perimeter of shapes and are now working on developing their skills when looking at the volume and capacity of 3D objects.

Grade 6

Literacy 

Students have continued their work on information reports this week researching, planning and writing a text based on the protagonists from the film ‘Hidden Figures’. Students will also be completing their Information Report post-tests this week.

In Reading, we have continued working on our ‘Astronomy: Space Systems’ unit. This week students have considered the question ‘What are constellations?’. Students have learnt about the origins of constellations and why most are only visible at certain times of the year.

Mathematics 

In Mathematics, we will be completing our unit on Transformation and Location this week. Students will be revising their work in class before completing their post-tests on Friday. In week 8, students will commence our next concept on ‘Time’.

Interschool Sport

Students played their fourth round of interschool sport last week against St. Patrick's. Our fifth round will be on Friday 7th June away against Kingswood. Teams will be training during our Friday sport session this week.

Junior Mayor

A big congratulations to our team of Sanna S, Mackenzie S, Ben C and Lily M who took part in the City of Kingston Junior Mayor Competition last week. Students were required to write and present a speech based on the topic ‘If you could add to the vision of a child-friendly creative Kingston, what would your ideas be?’.

Term 2 Dates

Please check Compass and Focus for further information regarding Term 2 dates relating to Grade 6 students.