Year 1/2 Term 1 Overview

Yr 1/2 Term 1 Overview

Welcome to the beginning of the 2024 school year at St John's. It has been wonderful to see all the smiling faces of the children as they returned to school after the summer break. We are all looking forward to a productive and enjoyable year together!

This year our 1/2 teaching team consists of Clorinda Maio, Anna Hendy and Nicole Webb. Our wonderful LSOs are Kim Hartick (1/2A) and Connie Pearse (1/2B). Please remember that hats and sunscreen are to be worn in Term 1 and there is a strict ‘No Hat No Play’ policy for all students in the school. 

Religious Education

In Religious Education the students will begin the year by examining examples of courage in the bible as part of our 2024 theme of Courage. We will share the story of David and Goliath and reflect on times when we too have had to show courage and reflect on the individuality of courage. The students will examine their own examples of courage and connect these with examples from scripture. We will look at situations that call for personal courage and what it means to be courageous in our everyday lives. We will examine scripture through shared readings and Godly play.

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. 

Inquiry

Our Unit this term for Inquiry is called ‘ Be courageous’ and asks the question 

“How does connection to special places help us show courage?” Students will explore natural landmarks within Victoria and the features used to describe these places. 

We will review Natural, Constructed and Managed places within Victoria and the importance that connections to these places have on our lives and wellbeing. 

Students will also identify actions we need to take to respect and care for our natural places and resources.

Mathematics

To begin the school year, we have been individually testing the children on their mathematical skills in order to guide our teaching and monitor their progress throughout the year. 

In Number and Algebra, we will be focusing on Counting and Place value which includes reading, writing, ordering, making and modelling numbers. 

We will then focus on the Measurement of Time looking at calendars, including days, weeks, months and seasons. We will be reading the time on analogue clocks including half past and quarter times, using the language of ‘past’ and ‘to’. 

We will then focus on addition and explore the relationship between addition and subtraction.

This year, the Junior Teachers are engaging in a project ‘Teaching for Impact in Mathematics’, refining our teaching skills in order to enable our students to be active participants in Maths lessons to improve fluency of Maths skills and to become independent problem solvers.

Literacy 

Students will read, explore and write a range of text types including recounts, procedures and descriptive writing. 

Students will learn the features of descriptive text types and plan, draft and write their own texts to describe different natural places and special landmarks. Students will continue to develop their decoding skills and literal and inferential comprehension skills by reading and viewing a variety of stories and texts in whole class reading lessons and small focus groups. 

Social & Emotional Learning

Students will begin the term learning about St John's School Wide Positive Behaviour Matrix. We will begin exploring safety within our school and positive behaviours that keep ourselves and others safe. We will learn about internet safety as part of Safer Internet Day and the actions we need to take to protect ourselves online. During the term we will continue to unpack the Positive Behaviour Matrix and the behaviours it promotes in different locations of our school such as Play, Learning and Transition spaces and the Toilets. Students will also participate in a weekly circle time where they will be given the opportunity to share their feelings and have teacher-led discussions to support their wellbeing.

Home Learning

At St John’s School we believe that home learning should be encouraged as it assists students by complementing and reinforcing school learning, fosters lifelong learning and promotes organisational and independent learning skills. Home learning will start in the coming weeks with nightly reading and spelling practice. Mathletics will be assigned later in the term also.

Specialists

Please see the timetable below for specialist lessons. 

1/2A Clorinda Maio

1/2B Anna Hendy, Nicole Webb

IMPORTANT DATES

• Wednesday, 14 February - Ash Wednesday Mass - 10am
• Thursday, 15 February - Parent Curriculum Information Evening - 7pm
• Monday, 19 February - School Photos
• Tuesday, 20 February - 1/2B Class Mass 10am
• Monday, 4 March - Whole School Twilight Sports 4.45pm
• Tuesday, 12 March - 1/2A Class Mass 10am
• Thursday, 28 March - Last day of Term 1 - Finish at 1.00pm

We can be reached via email or leave a message at the office and we will endeavour to respond in a timely manner, between 8am and 5pm on weekdays.

Kind regards,

1/2A - Anna Hendy - ahendy@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au (Monday & Tuesday)

1/2A - Nicole Webb - nwebb@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au (Wednesday-Friday)

1/2B - Clorinda Maio - cmaio@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au