PREP NEWS

Literacy

This week in Literacy, we learnt the digraph tch and practised spelling using both the digraph ch and the trigraph tch. The students enjoyed sorting and identifying words with these sounds and even wrote some wonderfully creative stories that included ch and tch words!

We also discovered, after reading a story and chatting about our pets, that Rupert has a pet bird! The class was very excited, so we took the opportunity to write an email to Rupert’s mum, Sarah, to ask if it might be possible to meet Birdy! It was a fantastic real-life writing experience for our students.

We were also thrilled to hear about Allison’s recent trip to Japan and meet her new guinea pigs, Capybara and Fuzzy! Thank you, Allison, for sharing your adventures, the students were so eager to learn and loved hearing all about it.

In Writing, we explored persuasive texts and wrote letters to our wonderful Year 5/6C teacher, Kristen, who we discovered had “stolen” our classroom whiteboard markers! The students came up with very convincing reasons to persuade her to return them. We can’t wait to receive a reply from Kristen’s class and continue learning how to persuade through our writing.

Numeracy

In Numeracy, we began learning about division, using the concept of sharing to make it more meaningful for our Preps. Using the language of “sharing equally” helps students build early number sense, fairness, and problem-solving skills.

Families can support this at home by turning everyday moments into sharing opportunities, for example, “Let’s share these 10 grapes between 2 people,” or “Can you share these blocks so everyone has the same number?” Making sharing playful helps reinforce these important mathematical concepts naturally.

Inquiry

Our Inquiry unit has been buzzing with excitement! We were lucky to have our Year 5 buddies visit to help us research our imaginary animals, unique creatures made up of three different animals! Together, students explored books and online resources to learn about their animals’ diet, habitat, appearance, and fun facts. The collaboration between our Preps and their older buddies has been inspiring to see, as they work together to bring their imaginative creatures to life.

Connection & Wellbeing

As we move towards the end of the year, we’re placing a strong focus on connection and wellbeing. Building positive social relationships and taking time to play together helps strengthen our students’ sense of belonging and joy in learning. We’ve enjoyed taking advantage of the warmer weather with some fun outdoor activities, including improvisation games and a new favourite, Wizards and Knights! These moments are just as important as our academic learning, helping students develop teamwork, confidence, and empathy.

Happy Diwali!

We celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, which symbolises the triumph of light over darkness and kindness over negativity. The students learnt about how families around the world celebrate by lighting lamps (diyas), decorating their homes, and sharing sweets.

A big highlight was learning a Bollywood dance and performing it at assembly last Friday, the students absolutely loved it! A huge thank you to Mrs K for teaching us the moves and helping us celebrate this special cultural event with so much joy and colour.

Swimming

Thank you to families who have promptly returned swimming forms! Our swimming program will take place in Week 10 (Monday–Friday) and Week 11 (Monday–Wednesday) at PLC in Burwood. Sessions will occur during school hours, and the program fee includes bus transport to and from the venue.

Parents are not required to transport students or attend, however we warmly welcome any parent helpers who would like to come along and support the sessions. You’re welcome to meet us at PLC, or we can discuss the possibility of travelling with us on the bus (subject to seat availability).

Closer to the time, we’ll share more information about what to bring and how to make it a positive experience for all students.

Thank you once again for your continued support.

We’re so proud of how far our Preps have come this term and are looking forward to an exciting few final weeks together!

Warm regards,

The Prep Team