Prep Celebration Newsletter

Reading

In Reading, students acquired a variety of skills and strategies that enhanced their reading proficiency. An essential focus was fostering a love for reading. Students engaged with a diverse selection of engaging mentor texts, exploring various genres, uncovering personal interests, and cultivating a lasting enthusiasm for reading.

Throughout the term, students gained knowledge about fundamental print components like letters, words, sentences, and punctuation. They also delved into techniques for navigating text, learning to read from left to right, top to bottom, and distinguishing between uppercase and lowercase letters.

Students took on the role of detectives, utilising clues provided by the author, such as the title and illustrations, along with their existing knowledge (schema), to accurately predict the content of the weekly mentor text before reading it.

Writing 

In writing, preps have practised the formation of letters. They have explored recounts, writing about an experience to express our ideas such as using the oral language area.  When writing about the experience or object preps have drawn a detailed picture, focusing on adding detail and using accurate colours. They have been encouraged to label the picture recording the phonemes (sounds) that they can hear at the beginning and end of words. The final phase is to use the labels and illustrations to write a simple sentence about the experience.

Maths 

In numeracy, preps have begun discovering the world of numbers. We have had discussions on the importance of numbers and different places we can find numbers beyond our classroom.  

This term we have looked at how to recognise collections instantly without counting, known as subitising. Through engaging activities and games, prep students have developed the ability to quickly identify the quantity of a small set of objects. They have also learned to recognise and write numbers, as well as understand their order and relationships. By building a strong foundation in number and subitising, prep students are developing essential skills that will support their mathematical understanding and problem-solving abilities. .

At the beginning of the term, Preps explored 2D shapes that include triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles.

Inquiry/Wellbeing 

In inquiry, we have investigated ourselves and our families. We have looked at our family origins and traditional family celebrations. We incorporated this into our Harmony Week display. Then focussing on our wellbeing and how to keep ourselves healthy and happy in everyday life. 

Performing Arts

During Performing Arts classes in Term One, Foundation students had a wonderful time when they explored the Performing Arts room - learning how to be safe in the space and working collaboratively with their new classmates. Preps enjoyed exploring songs and music through basic catchy tunes while playing various percussion instruments, they became more confident to share what they enjoy and why with their peers on the microphones.

PE

In Term 1 Prep PE classes, students focused on learning fundamental movement skills through play-based activities like running, jumping, throwing, and catching. They played basic games, while also developing social skills through teamwork and cooperation. The emphasis was on participation, enjoyment, and laying the foundation for a lifelong love of physical activity.

Visual Arts

This term students in Prep explored the Visual Arts room as they played with and investigated the tools of drawing and painting. Students were introduced to the elements of art – line, shape, and colour. They learned about the different types of lines as well as identifying primary colours as red, yellow and blue. Students made secondary colours - orange, green and purple when further exploring colour. They created 2D art works that are displayed for others to enjoy.

Japanese

This term in Japanese, the Prep students learned all about Japan including where it is, the flag and what kind of things are found in Japan. They made their own booklets to show interesting facts about Japan. The students also learned classroom routines and phrases such as how to do the roll in Japanese and how to say “thank you” and “goodbye”. Students participated in games and songs to build their vocabulary.