Grade 1

Welcome to our Grade One families,

We hope you all had a great break. We have enjoyed launching the year with our ‘Starting Right Program’. This involves activities to help the students settle in to the routines of school, build friendships and further develop their sense of self and social skills. 

IMPORTANT THINGS TO HAVE AT SCHOOL 

• A big smile!
• A sun smart hat (to be worn from September to April)
• A drink bottle containing water for use in class
• Library bag and Art Smock
• Large zip bag/satchel to store take home readers and spelling (provided) 
• Diary (these are checked regularly)
• Snack and lunch (nude food please – healthy with no packaging)
• Brain food- a piece of fruit or small container with fruit or vegetables to eat in the morning
• Labels on EVERYTHING!

BRAIN FOOD

A reminder that students are encouraged to bring along fruit or vegetables that will be eaten during the morning session (no nuts please)! Students will only have 5 minutes to eat their brain food so something small such as grapes, some carrot sticks or a couple of pieces of apple might be enough. We encourage natural and unprocessed food, as this assists with maintaining concentration during the day.

SUN SMART

Being a Sun Smart school, it is expected that all students wear a broad brimmed hat whilst outside. We ask that hats are clearly named so that they will be returned if lost. We also encourage students to leave their hat in their locker at school to avoid disappointment if accidently left at home. Students without a hat are required to play in a designated shaded area of the school.

SPECIALIST TIMETABLE – Term 1

SPECIALIST ACTIVITIES 

Students will need to wear shoes appropriate for running activities in their weekly P.E session. 

Please send a clearly named art smock and library bag to school as soon as possible (if you have not done this already). It would also be appreciated if you could please send your child to school with a large box of tissues for our classroom.

COMPASS 

We encourage you to regularly log onto COMPASS to make use of the number of functions that are available to you. These include - viewing attendance data for your child, event notifications, access to your child’s semester reports, regular reminders from the school and communication to and from your child’s teacher. Please make sure you have provided the office with your current email address. 

ATTENDANCE

If your child is absent from school, please mark their absence on COMPASS (with the appropriate reason), or notify the office on the day.

DIARIES

We encourage parents to support their children by reading with them regularly and returning their diaries signed and with the name of the book read written in the diary. The diaries will serve to assist the students in the development of their organisational skills, as a reading record and as a communication book with your child’s teacher. Students’ learning goals will be shared in the diaries during the term. Please check your child’s reader pouch daily for notes and other communication from school. It is recommended that these live in your child’s school bag except when they are being used, to ensure they are at school each day.

READING PROGRAM

Our Home Reading Program needs and thrives on parental support. We encourage you to listen to your children reading each night and ask questions to ensure deeper comprehension of texts. 

SMART SPELLING

Students will bring home their new words each week, after having had the spelling patterns and meanings explained during class. They are strongly encouraged to practice their spelling words at home during the week. You will find a list of activities to do at home in your child’s diary. On Fridays, students will be tested to ensure that they have become familiar with the spelling patterns and correct spelling of the words from their list. 

We look forward to getting to know you and your child this year. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any concerns or questions (big or small) that you may have. Email or phone are great ways to communicate with us at school. 

We are looking forward to having a fun and productive year! 

The Grade One Team: Ree, Raelee

Ree Rogan: maree.rogan@education.vic.gov.au

Raelee Wilding: raelee.wilding@education.vic.gov.au