Whats been happening in the Junior Unit......

Our InitiaLit 1 students have been busy playing a range of engaging games and completing fun activities to help them remember their tricky words! From Banana Bingo to water words, rainbow words, chain words, and magnetic letters, these hands-on experiences have made learning tricky words exciting and interactive. Through play and repetition, students are building confidence in recognising and using these important words in their reading and writing. Ask your child about their favourite tricky word game!

InitiaLit 2 students have been learning about the power of the ‘bossy e’ and how it changes short vowel sounds into long ones. To help remember this important spelling rule, they have been singing a fun and engaging song that reinforces how ‘e’ at the end of a word can transform words like tap into tape and cut into cute! With actions and repetition, this catchy tune has made spelling more memorable and enjoyable for our young learners. Be sure to ask your child to sing it for you at home!

Writing This term, Grade 1/2 students have explored descriptive writing inspired by Under the Southern Cross by Frane Lessac. Through this rich and engaging text, students discovered how prepositional phrases help create vivid settings in informative writing.

Throughout the week, students brainstormed and planned their own descriptions of special places, using concept maps to organise their ideas. They carefully crafted descriptive sentences, incorporating noun groups and prepositional phrases to bring their chosen locations to life. To complete their work, students illustrated their writing using crayons and watercolours, ensuring their artwork reflected the mood and details of their descriptions.

The final pieces have been compiled into a beautiful class book, showcasing their creativity and growing writing skills. Check out Under the Southern Cross—1/2C class edition.

In Maths, Grade 1/2 students have been exploring patterns and skip counting through engaging activities, movement, and creative design. They identified repeating patterns in dance, exercise routines, and artwork, learning to describe the pattern unit and pattern rules. As part of their learning, students created pattern jellyfish, designing different repeating patterns on each tentacle. Through hands-on experiences like counting toes in a circle, using number lines, and creating their own patterns with shapes and numbers, students developed their understanding of how patterns work in everyday life. Skip counting activities using tally marks, number charts, and money problems helped reinforce number patterns, making learning both fun and meaningful!

Buddy Reading has been a fantastic way for students to build confidence, fluency, and comprehension by reading together with a partner in class. Taking turns as both reader and listener, students support each other by following along, discussing the story, and helping with tricky words. This strategy encourages active listening, cooperation, and a deeper understanding of texts, while also making reading a fun and social experience. The photos show the wonderful focus and teamwork as students engage with their books and grow as independent readers!

In our Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) lesson, students explored the importance of kindness and how small acts can make a big difference. After discussing different ways to show kindness, they wrote their own ideas on how to be kind to others and decorated kindness cacti as a creative reminder of their commitment to being caring and respectful classmates. This activity encouraged students to reflect on how they can make their classroom and community a more positive place through their words and actions. Their colourful kindness cacti now serve as a daily reminder that kindness grows when we share it!