Junior School
你 好 (ni hao) Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 families,
What a wonderful week we have had celebrating Book Week - A Symphony of Stories! It has been an absolute delight to see our students sharing their love of books, stories and reading throughout the week.
We started the week with a special Buddies reading activity, where older students read a book to their younger buddies. It was such a lovely opportunity for connection and allowed students across all year levels to share their love of reading with one another.
Grade 1 and Grade 2 also enjoyed a virtual author workshop with the wonderful Freya Blackwood. It was fantastic to hear from an author and illustrator and learn more about the creative process behind bringing stories to life.
A definite highlight of the week has been our Mystery Read Aloud in the library each lunchtime! Junior students have loved gathering together to listen to and share some of the 2026 shortlisted Picture Story Books, including Derek, Dear Broccoli and A Frog’s First Song. A huge thank you to our Mystery Readers for volunteering their time - Gabby, Miss Emmett, Amanda, Cassie and David! Many students were excited about books and reading each lunchtime.
In Foundation, we have been reviewing the Floss Rule in phonics. We have been learning that when a word ends in /f/, /l/, /s/ or /z/ immediately after a short vowel sound (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/), we usually double the consonant. For example: off, huff, doll, will, miss, kiss, jazz, buzz. Why not practise at home? Ask your child to spell some of these words and see if they can explain why the final consonant is doubled.
We have also introduced three new digraphs this week: ch, sh and ng, as in chip, shop and ring. Ask your child to show you the sounds they have been learning!
We have continued to practise reading our High Frequency Words, which we also call Heart Words. Students are doing a fantastic job recognising and reading words such as was, does, little and some.
Our next step is learning to spell these words accurately so that we can use them independently in our writing. It would be wonderful if you could practise spelling these words at home, as well as continuing to read them. One strategy we use at school is ‘Tap It’ on our blending arm. For example: some → s, o, m, e, some
Students tap each letter name before saying the whole word. That’s 4 taps for ‘some’! Ask your child to show you how we do it at school.
In Maths, we have been exploring the concept of sharing using two strategies: groups and rows. Students have been practising ‘touch, move, count’ while verbally repeating “One for you, one for you.” We have learnt that when we share, each person must receive an equal or fair share. Students have been identifying equal and unequal shares and thinking carefully about how objects can be shared fairly. Can you practise at home by sharing 16 objects between 2 people and then between 4 people? Try using both groups and rows to represent your sharing.
And, of course, the best fun is always last! We ended our week with a bang with our exciting Book Day Parade! It was so much fun seeing everyone dressed up as their favourite book characters. We were blown away by the creativity and enthusiasm shown by our students and families.
A huge thank you to all of our parents, families and wider school community who came along to support our parade. It was wonderful to have so many people celebrating the joy of books and reading with us.
Finally, make sure you check out our whole-school display of favourite books in the foyer! What a fantastic week of stories, reading and connection! Have a fabulous weekend!
Reminders:
- Please refrain from bringing toys, personal belongings or other items from home to school, such as Pokémon cards, and little fidgets unless they have been specifically requested by a teacher. We have noticed an increase in students bringing items from home, and these can become a distraction during learning time. Our goal is to ensure that all students can remain focused, engaged and ready to achieve their best. As a reminder, items brought from home may be confiscated by the classroom teacher and will be safely kept until the end of the school day, when students can collect them. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a focused and positive learning environment for all students.
- Father Day Stall - Friday 4th September
- Please bring in a boxes of tissues for your class if you are willing and able
School uniform colours are navy blue and orange. Please ensure your child clothing is of these colours, including Jackets.
Pupil of the week:
2S: Ivaan P
For demonstrating a love of learning this week. You worked hard to include a range of persuasive techniques in your writing pieces. Great work Ivaan!
2G: Pari C
For demonstrating responsibility for your learning during Phonics by always following instructions and making sure your work looks beautiful. Great work, Pari!
2E: Oskar R
For displaying life-long learning and creativity when writing your persuasive text. It was wonderful to see you take on feedback to add more detail. Keep up the great work Oskar!
1B: Dawn C
For demonstrating perseverance within maths. During our division lessons, you applied what you learnt, and solved the challenging equations. Keep up the great work Dawn!
1C: Ollie D
For demonstrating accuracy and excellence in Maths this week when solving division and multiplication problems. Awesome work Ollie!!
FE: Queenie C
For demonstrating positive behaviours for learning by transitioning and preparing for learning quickly and quietly. You always help to tidy up. You are a wonderful role model for others. Well done!
FA: Jolie N
For demonstrating a positive attitude and enthusiasm towards learning. It was great to see the effort you put towards our class book. Well done!