2024 Term 4 Class Overviews

Prep Term 1 Overview

Prep 2024 Term One     

Welcome to the beginning of the school year in 2024 at St John’s. It has been such a pleasure seeing the Preps transition so positively into the St John’s learning environment. I am looking forward to continuing to develop a close and supportive rapport and relationship with each and every student and their families. 

As you are aware, the Prep teaching team consists of myself, Cara Woolley and our wonderful Learning Support Officer, Melissa Dominguez Gallardo. We are here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Please encourage your child to wear their hat everyday and ensure they have sunscreen on prior to school, in Term 1. 

Religious Education & Inquiry Learning

As we welcome our Preps into religious education, it has been a priority to introduce them to the significance of our daily ‘Prayer Time’. Through gentle instruction and guidance we will encourage them to participate thoughtfully and wholeheartedly, using this as a time to set positive intentions for the day through faith and love. In preparation for the beginning of Lent the students will learn about the meaning of Ash Wednesday and towards the end of the term, the students will delve deeper into the special events surrounding Holy Week in the lead up to Easter. 

 

Our overarching theme in 2024 for Religious Education and Inquiry is ‘Courage’. Students will have the opportunity to encounter and reflect on various scriptures from the Bible, for example the story of David and Goliath and participate in ‘Godly Play’. Students' learning will be facilitated to identify relatable times when they too have had to show courage like ‘David’, and that sometimes the act of courage can look different for different people. 

 

This discussion ties in nicely with our Inquiry topic ‘Be Courageous’ and asks the question ‘How does connection to special places help us show courage?’ Students will be investigating nature landmarks within Victoria and the features used to describe these places. We will review Natural, Constructed and Managed places within Victoria and the importance connections that these places have in our lives and on our wellbeing. Students will also be able to identify actions we need to take, to respect and care for the environment and its natural resources.

Literacy 

This term in Literacy students will be setting up important routines that will run 

throughout the entire year and assist them in developing their literacy learning. Every Monday students will be writing a ‘Weekend Recount’ modeled by the teaching method ‘Colorful Semantics.’ This method asks students to use color blocks to prompt the inclusion of important elements in their Recount writing, for example the brown box in the sentence translates to ‘when’ the recount took place and the ‘orange’ translates to ‘who was there’. They will also begin to use their ‘Handwriting’ books and learn the ‘Crocodile Snap’ which will assist them in holding their pencil correctly. Students will begin to develop their letter recognition and the phonological sound each letter makes, while also being exposed to a range of text types and the different features of a book.

Mathematics

This year, the Junior Teachers will be engaging in a project ‘Teaching for Impact in Mathematics’, refining our teaching skills to enable our students to be active participants in Maths lessons, to improve fluency of Maths skills and encourage students to become independent problem solvers who can verbalise their thinking processes. Each student has been individually assessed on their number identification, fluency and quantity discrimination. These results inform our teaching and allow us to monitor student progression throughout the year. 

In Term 1, students will be focusing on Patterns and Location, for example following a short sequence of instructions and creating a repetitive sequence of objects. Our focus in Measurement, will be Time and connecting the days of the week to familiar events and actions. The Counting and Place Value unit will allow students to develop an understanding of the concepts of number and numeral, counting, ordering, adding and sharing, using small sets of concrete objects. 

Social & Emotional Learning 

In Social and Emotional Learning, SEL, Students will have regular opportunities to use the Prep ‘Feelings Chart’ and participate in a weekly ‘Circle Time,’ where they can share their feelings and have teacher facilitated discussions to support their overall wellbeing and emotional learning. The Preps have begun the school year developing their own classroom and school wide expectations, which is aligned to the St John’s School Wide Positive Behaviour Matrix. Students have enjoyed being rewarded with a Class Dojo when seen displaying a positive behavior or action. As an educator, I will always endeavor to demonstrate and role play expected behaviors to my students and provide positive praise when I see them use these behaviors inside and outside the classroom. 

Safer Internet Day is also an important event in our calendar this term, and we will be using the Government E-Safety resource ‘Swoosh, Glide, Rule Number 5’ to help students understand how they can protect themselves online. 

Physical Education

This term students will focus on the fundamental skills of throwing and catching, as well as participate in a variety of games with a focus on good sportsmanship and teamwork. Students will be involved in practicing for the school Twilight Sports on Monday, 6 March. 

Home Learning

Home Readers and Reading Record Communication Booklets will go home in student reader bags on 12 February. Students will also be encouraged to practice their Magic Words. Please reach out if you would like me to provide further resources for your child at home.

Important Dates

  • Wednesday, 14 February - Ash Wednesday Mass - 10am
  • Thursday, 15 February - Parent Curriculum Information Evening - 7pm
  • Sunday, 18 February - Founders Day Mass
  • Monday, 19 February - School Photos
  • Thursday, 22 February - Prep Welcome Dinner - 6pm - 7.30pm
  • Wednesday, 6 March - Preps First Wednesday at School
  • Monday, 4 March - Whole School Twilight Sports 4.45pm
  • Tuesday, 19 March - Prep Class Mass - 10:00am
  • Thursday, 28 March - Last day of Term 1 - Finish at 1.00pm

Kind regards, 

 

Prep - Miss Woolley.

cwoolley@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

Introducing Jeau the Therapy Dog

Hi my name is Audra, I’m Jack Munro’s mum. My son Jack has just started at St Johns in prep this year and we are new to the school community. Jack is loving St John's Primary School and we have our furry friend, Jeau, to thank, for helping create a smooth transition for him. Jeau isn’t just an ordinary pup. He is specially trained by Guide Dogs Victoria to support Jack everyday at home and school with his special needs. He provides Jack with emotional support and touch therapy. He even gets to come to Jack’s after school activities and therapy sessions. Jeau is very friendly and loves being around people, especially kids! He loves pats but please respect our boundaries and always ask if it’s ok as sometimes he is working and needs to listen to me, if Jack needs his help. Thank you for welcoming us into your community we are very grateful that Jeau can be part of our journey at the school too.