Foundation

Foundation Cluster News

Home Inquiry 

Rest and Play

It has been an exciting yet big start to the year. Your children have been working extremely hard all day at school building friendships, learning about our school community and everyday routine. With such full on days we encourage you to let your child rest and play when they get home. Some children may want to talk straight after school or some may need some alone time to process the day. Please be mindful of this. We encourage you to talk about the positives in the day and we have some talk points.

What went well today?

What games did you play at recess?

What was something that made you laugh?

What game did you learn in Sport?

Tell me something that you did well?

Jolly sounds

Check out our YouTube channel. Every week a new set of sounds will be put up to share with your children at home or even show you how we teach them the sound and action. In their purple pouch is the sound and action sheet to practise. You can get them to write it any way you like for example with a water sprayer, playdough, shaving cream, write it in flour. Just as long as they are starting from the correct position and forming the sound correctly. Handwriting hero app is great to use to ensure formation is correct.

Fine motor

Having finger and hand strength is really important and so any further practise at home would be amazing. This can include playdough, Lego, pegging clothes on the washing line, sewing or threading just to name a few. We do a lot of cutting in class and further practise of this will help build up the confidence at school too. This includes cutting straight or curvy lines while also moving the page around so they don’t cut their fingers. 

Week 4 learning program: 

Readers Workshop – Readers read the world around them 

Word Study – sounds: p, i, n                      

 Heart words: was, to, are

Bookmaking – What is a book?, list books

Term 1 Word Study structure: During our Word Study learning time, students are introduced to a letter, the sound the letter makes and its Jolly Phonics action. We practice letter formation, SA print style, with an emphasis on letters being form from top to bottom (please see handout in Jolly Pouch using Handwriting Heroes). We look at 3 letters per week and by the end of Term 1, have covered all 26 letters of the alphabet. As your children learn more sounds, they will begin to sound out and write simple cvc words (consonant-vowel-consonant) eg. sat, pin, hut.

Inquiry into Maths 

Number 1-10

How We Express Ourselves Central idea:  Through play and the arts, we express our feelings, ideas and new understandings.  

Line of inquiry 1: Play using the arts

Line of inquiry 2: Communicating through play

Line of inquiry 3: Play provides opportunity to discover, create, investigate and explore

Key concepts: perspective and form

Learner profile: Communicators, thinkers and risk takers

Christian Studies: Christian Beliefs

Key Idea: The person and work of Jesus the Christ is central to Christianity

Children identify stories about Jesus and discuss what Jesus said and did 

Toddle:

Information has been sent out by Admin for families to join Toddle. We post important information reminders, student learning, photos/videos and assessments on this platform.

Take home folders: Please make sure take home folders come to school every day. Students will need these for notes to be sent home, take home craft they make during the day and new sounds will be placed in this folder. 

Jolly Pouch (purple pouch): Please keep the pouch in your child’s take home folder! On Friday, your child will receive their Jolly Pouch in their take home folder. In the pouch, is the first 3 sounds and actions we have learnt this week as well as information about Kimochi and how to form letters correctly. Each Friday, your child will receive the next 3 sounds/actions in their Jolly Pouch. It is up to you whether you keep the paper in the pouch or find a safe place at home. We hope these resources are valuable for you to practise what we learn in class. Each Friday afternoon, a video will be posted on our YouTube channel, please subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbAyQloLFifan6LR4xfIFFA

Change of clothes: Please make sure your child has a change of shorts/pants and underwear in their school bag incase of any accidents. Thank you!

Family photo: We would love a family photo to put on our family wall in the classroom for children to look at when they miss their family during the day. Please either send a hard copy photo in or email one to us and we can print it off. 

Foundation Bible Presentation: There has been a change of date for our Foundation presentation of Bibles. This will now be Friday 7th March Week 6. If you would like to join us, Chapel begins at 8:50am in the Worship Centre.

School Calendar: https://www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au/calendar/ 

Keep smiling,   

Emma and Amy 

Emma Wachtel: wachtel.emma@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Amy Hughes: hughes.amy@goldengrove.sa.edu.au