Spotlight on Learning

Dear Families,

What a wonderful week of learning we have had in Foundation! Our classroom has been filled with busy minds, curious questions and lots of opportunities to learn, play and grow together. As we head into the second half of the term, we are looking forward to another exciting week filled with new learning, creativity and fun. We are so proud of the way our students continue to show our school values of Safety, Respect and Learning each day!

📚 Book Week Reminder – Monday 24th August

A reminder that Book Week is coming up on Monday 24th August! Students are encouraged to dress as their favourite book character for our special Book Week celebrations. 📖✨

Families are warmly invited to join us for our Book Week Parade on the basketball court at 9:00am. We can't wait to see all of the wonderful book characters come to life!

Learning for the week ahead

Religious Education:

Next week in Religious Education, students will explore how we can experience God's love through the caring relationships we have with our families, friends and school community. They will learn that showing kindness, compassion and respect to others is one way we can share God's love each day. Through stories, discussions and activities, students will reflect on how their words and actions can help others feel valued, included and loved. 

English:

Next week in English, we will be reading 'Zog' by Julia Donaldson. It is a story about a young dragon who is learning how to be a dragon. Zog tries his best, even when he makes mistakes, and learns new skills each year. With help from a kind friend, he keeps trying and never gives up. We will use this story to talk about perseverance, learning from mistakes, asking for help, and always trying our best. 

If you would like to read the story with your child, please follow the link below.

Mathematics:

In Mathematics, students will be learning about sharing and grouping. Students will practise sharing collections into different-sized groups and making equal groups of two and three. We will use hands-on activities to help us explore how objects can be grouped and shared.

Integrated Curriculum: 

This term, our Integrated learning will focus on The Arts.

Next week in Inquiry, students will continue exploring Zog through dance and music. In dance, they will experiment with fast and slow movements, smooth and sudden actions, and different levels to represent Zog's learning journey from clumsy crash landings to confident flying. In music, students will sing a simple repeated song, explore how pitch can change to show Zog's progress, and respond to visual conducting cues as they perform together. 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL):

Next week in SEL, students will explore positive gender relationships by learning that everyone should be treated with kindness, fairness and respect. They will discuss how all people can enjoy different interests, games and activities, regardless of gender, and how including others helps create a safe, welcoming and respectful classroom. 

Auslan:

Next week in Auslan, we are learning the signs: 

My family 

Mum 

Dad 

Sister 

Brother 

half-Sister 

Step- brother 

What you can do at home

• Reading together at home is one of the best ways to support your child's learning. Enjoy this week's focus book by reading it together or listening to a read-aloud online (many can be found on YouTube).
• While reading, you could:
• Discuss the main events and important messages in the story.
• Ask your child to retell the story in their own words.
• Talk about the characters, the setting and what happens throughout the book.
• Look for words that begin with our focus sound/s.
• Encourage your child to think deeply 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.
• You can also support your child's learning by:
• Practising correct letter formation and handwriting.
• Bringing our Mathematics learning into everyday life.
• Look for other opportunities to talk about maths during your daily routines. Example of this could be:
  • Count everyday objects, such as toys, fruit, stairs or cars.
  • Look for numbers on houses, letterboxes, clocks and number plates.
  • Talk about shapes you can see around your home or neighbourhood.
  • Compare quantities, such as "Who has more grapes?" or "Which pile has fewer?"
  • Use maths language like more, less, bigger, smaller, before, after, next to, behind and between.
  • Involve your child in cooking, 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 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 24th August - Book Week Dress Up Day and Parade
• Friday 4th September - Father's Day Morning: 8:25am - 9:30am
• Thursday 17th September - Last Day of Term 3
• Monday 5th October - First Day of Term 4

Enjoy your weekend,

The Galilee Team

Contact us @ Galilee

galilee@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au  (all teachers) or