Galilee Community

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 4! 

We hope all our Foundation families had a wonderful and relaxing break. It was so lovely to welcome our Foundation students back this week and hear all about their holidays.

We have had a wonderful start to our final term together, with lots of learning, laughter and fun. It is hard to believe we are already in our final term of Foundation! We have a very busy and exciting term ahead, with lots of special activities and events planned. Please make sure you continue to check your notifications regularly and take a look at the important dates listed below so you don’t miss anything. Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support throughout the year. 

Please note: As we get ready for the beginning of our Foundation Swimming Program, commencing in Week 6, we encourage families to practise having children dress and undress independently at home. This will help them feel confident and prepared for their swimming sessions, as teachers will not be able to assist students with getting changed before or after swimming.

Learning for the term ahead

Religious Education:

Next week in Religious Education, students will be learning about how God made each of us special, just like Carlo. We will explore why Carlo loved being close to Jesus in the church and learn about the tabernacle and special lamp. We will also have the opportunity to spend some quiet time with Jesus.

English:

In Term 4 Week 1, students will continue reading 'Come Together Again' by Isaiah Firebrace. Through this beautiful story, we will explore the importance of coming together, connection and celebrating the people and communities around us. We will have opportunities to talk about what makes us feel connected and how we can show kindness, respect and care toward

Mathematics:

Next week in Mathematics, students will continue exploring numbers using tens and ones. Students will use ten-frames to recognise and count groups of ten and explore how larger numbers can be made using tens and leftover ones. We will also use hands-on materials to group objects into bundles of ten, helping students develop their understanding of how numbers are organised and represented.

Inquiry: The Arts

Next week in Inquiry, students will be exploring how songs come from different places and can tell stories. We will sing along with an echo chorus and use our bodies and voices to become different characters from the Nativity story.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL):

Next week in SEL, students will be learning about trusted adults and who we can go to when we need help. We will explore how to ask for help when we have a problem or worry and learn that it is always okay to keep asking until we get the help we need.

Auslan:

Next week in Auslan, students will be learning the following signs:

Pet, dog, cat, fish, rabbit, bird.

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
• Monday 9th - Thursday 19th November - Foundation Swimming Program
• Friday 20th November - Excursion to Myuna Farm
• Monday 30th November - Athletic 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