Term 2 Curriculum Newsletters
Prep
After embracing what it means to “Be Like KEFAR” in Term 1, our Preps have enthusiastically begun Term 2 and jumped straight back into being safe and responsible learners after a well-earned break.
Literacy (Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening)
In Literacy, we will build on our learning from last term as we learn to write sentences using familiar sounds. Through daily written and oral practise, students will develop their sound knowledge, letter formation and understanding of sentence structure. They will learn to use capital letters at the start of a sentence, finger spaces between words and full stops and question marks at the end of sentences. Through modelled dictation and independent writing, students will write simple sentences that include a noun and a verb. Later in the term, we will learn to expand our sentences by including the "when" and the "where". Handwriting will be practised daily on Sky, Grass and Ground dotted thirds to help with correct sizing and direction.
Students will read short decodable texts and will continue to expand their sound knowledge through daily practice of building, writing and reading simple words with two and three sounds. They will do this by breaking the words into individual sounds and then blending the sounds back together to read and write the word. We will also read a range of rich picture books together and build our comprehension skills through class discussions.
Mathematics
This term in Mathematics, we are learning to count collections and write the corresponding numeral. Students are building confidence in their ability to identify numbers to 10 and beyond and understand the value of these numbers. To advance this understanding, students are comparing collections using words such as ‘more’ and 'less’, ‘same as/equal’. We are also learning to read and solve number stories and represent the solutions using concrete materials. Additionally, we are learning about addition and subtraction and the symbols within an equation that help us read and solve these problems. Students will expand on their knowledge of different measurement areas such as height, length, mass and time and learn how to use the correct vocabulary to measure and compare these units.
As part of our daily routine, we track and count how many days we have been at school and link the Days of the Week to familiar recurring events.
Inquiry - “KEFAR and Me” and The Resilience Project
This term, our Inquiry unit of study is “KEFAR and Me”. We will focus on personal and family history, our significant life events and special places our families like to visit. We will also look at what it means to be a part of a community. The Resilience Project further immerses us with strategies for recognising and managing our emotions.
Independence
We have already seen fantastic growth in students building their independence. Some ways you can further assist with this is to continue encouraging them to pack their own school bags and check that they have tools necessary for the school day, such as a drink bottle, a fully charged iPad, headphones and their library book (on relevant days). Our goal is for students to walk into the classroom independently and confidently by bringing in their own bag and waving goodbye to you at the door.
Thank you for your support,
The Prep Team
Grade 1
In Term 2 Literacy, students will continue to build on their sound and spelling knowledge in the daily Sounds Write phonics program. During Sounds Write, students complete a range of activities to reinforce multiple spellings that can represent a given sound. Throughout the term, we will read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts related to our Inquiry topic “Then and Now”, including a range of Dreaming stories. We will have a particular focus on the comprehension strategies of answering questions, inferring, making connections and summarising. Students will continue to participate in daily partner reading where they have the opportunity to improve their accuracy and fluency by reading aloud to a peer. In Writing, students will continue to learn about and apply different sentence structures correctly including asking questions and expanding simple sentences. They will edit sentences to ensure that they are complete sentences and contain correct punctuation including capital letters, full stops or question marks. As part of our morphology study, students will learn about different suffixes (e.g. how ‘ing’ or ‘ed’ change the tense of a word). We will continue to work towards using a range of conjunctions in our writing and sequencing ideas correctly when writing retells using first, next, then and finally.
In Numeracy, the students will develop their ability to use a range of strategies when solving addition and subtraction equations including counting forwards and backwards on a numberline and bridging 10 using 10s frames. They will also develop fluency when solving and recalling addition and subtraction fact families within 10 e.g. 7+3=10, 3+7=10, 10-3=7 and 10-7=3. Students will learn how to measure and compare lengths using informal units such as paddle pop sticks, counters and blocks. They will also learn how to choose suitable questions and collect data using tally marks, and create picture graphs from a tally. Students will continue to have the opportunity to practise and consolidate their understanding of all concepts through participating in the Daily Review.
During our inquiry topic “Then and Now”, students will learn about their own history and that of their family, including stories from different cultures and other parts of the world. As participants in their own history, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of how the past is different from the present. They will also learn about continuity and change in family life by comparing the present with the past.
Each week we will continue our work with the Resilience Project focussing on gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. Students will continue to work through strategies that promote friendship, develop calming strategies and assist with problem solving skills.
Grade 2/3
Term 2 – Learning and Growing Together!
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Welcome to an exciting new term! We are looking forward to a busy and engaging few months ahead, full of wonderful learning experiences for our Grade 2/3 students. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening across our curriculum:
Literacy
This term, our literacy focus is on narrative reading and writing. Students will explore the key features of narratives, including character development, setting descriptions, and story structure. They will use these skills to plan, draft, edit, and publish their own imaginative stories.
We are also undertaking a novel study on Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Through this much-loved classic, students will develop deeper comprehension skills, such as identifying themes, making inferences, and understanding character relationships. Discussions and activities linked to the novel will enhance both their reading and writing abilities.
Our cohort continues to build strong reading and spelling foundations using the Sounds-Write program. This structured approach helps students master important phonics knowledge and apply it confidently in their independent reading and writing tasks.
Inquiry
Our Inquiry unit this term is "Melbourne's History".Students will investigate significant events, people, and iconic landmarks, learning about their original purposes and how these landmarks have changed over time. An important part of our learning will also involve deepening our understanding of Indigenous history and culture, exploring the rich stories and contributions of the First Nations peoples to Melbourne’s past and present.
Numeracy
This term our Daily Review will reinforce a wide range of mathematical concepts—everything from place value and addition/subtraction strategies to patterning and basic problem-solving—to ensure students build solid, automatic recall. We’ll be placing a greater focus on multiplication and related division facts, using hands-on activities like arrays, skip-counting games and fact-family challenges to boost fluency. In our measurement unit, students will learn to measure, compare and order length, mass and capacity, utilising rulers, balances and graduated containers to make meaningful real-world connections. Finally, we’ll continue practising how to read and interpret time on both analogue and digital clocks, including understanding durations and elapsed time in everyday contexts.
Homework
Home Reading: Please continue supporting your child’s daily reading routine at home
Times Table Practice: We encourage students to spend 5-10 minutes practising their tables facts.
Thank you for your continued support in making this term a successful and enriching one for all students. We are excited to see their growth, creativity, and curiosity shine!
Warm regards,
The Grade 2/3 Teaching Team
Grade 4/5
Welcome back to Term 2! We hope everyone had a restful break with plenty of time to recoup for another term of learning. We are continuing to apply our best efforts to our learning this term, and beginning some exciting new topics!
Literacy
We have so far enjoyed our class text: Leo and Ralph, about a lonely boy named Leo and his alien friend Ralph. The Grade 4/5s have enjoyed the opportunity to respond to and discuss themes in the text such as friendship and loneliness. Students are beginning their own narrative stories by innovating new characters and settings into the familiar story of Leo and Ralph. Students continue expanding their vocabulary and look forward to creating an informational text about the Gold Rush later during the Term.
Numeracy
This term in Maths, students will continue to expand and build upon what they have learned in Term 1. Topics students will learn about include fractions, constructing 3D shapes, and applying efficient mental strategies for solving division and multiplication problems. Their continued practice of daily review keeps the information they learned in Term 1 fresh in their minds!
Inquiry
Inquiry in Term 2 focuses on the history of Australia. Specifically, how the Gold Rush event of the 1850s shaped Australia into the country we know today. Students will learn about immigration, life on the gold fields, the Eureka Stockade, and how the Gold Rush impacted various groups of people in Australia. Our unit will culminate in a thrilling visit to Sovereign Hill, and a diorama project to showcase our learning. Students continue to learn about managing mental health and relationships through our Resilience Project and Respectful Relationships programs.
Grade 6
Welcome to an exciting term two, where our theme work and literacy unit will be closely related.
In Reading this second term, both grades will read through the Sonya Hartnett novel, ‘The Silver Donkey.’ The novel is set in France during World War 1 and it tells the story of a soldier, blinded by the war, who is found by a little girl named Coco, and her older sister Marcelle. In return for their kindness, the soldier tells the sisters marvellous tales, each story connected to the keepsake he carries in his pocket: a perfect, tiny silver donkey. The students will analyse the story, look for key words and find out the true meaning of the ‘Silver Donkey.’ The second half of the term will involve doing research in creating an ‘Information Report’ on the first world war.
While in Writing, the students will be focusing on informative pieces. During this time, we will be focusing on note taking skills and using abbreviations during the process. These notes will then be used in writing pieces and an essay at the end of the term based on the first world war. We will also be keeping timelines to record many important moments in Australia’s history.
In Mathematics this term, the students will continue to work on the ‘Ochre Education, Shaping Minds and the Maths Hero, high impact maths lesson,’ programs. Here we will undertake daily reviews of the concepts introduced and also touch on future concepts. The areas that we will cover this term include fractions & mixed numbers, perimeter, measuring angles using a protractor, interpreting & constructing graphs and interpreting timetables.
Our inquiry unit for this term looks at ‘Australian History,’ dating back to the year 1900. Some of the topics that we will cover include the Federation of Australia, immigration and its huge impact on this new nation. The students will also investigate both World War One and the Vietnam War and look in depth at the impact recent colonisation has had on the indigenous population.