Year 1/2

Year 1/2 Cluster News

The students have settled quickly into their new classrooms and we are well into the learning this term. 

 

Family Photo 

If you have not sent in a family photo this year, we would love to have one. This can be printed or emailed to the class teacher. Students from our class and others love looking at the display! 

 

Oral Sharing 

Please help your child to prepare a short 1-2 minute talk to share in the next few weeks. The topic is to recount a festival or special event that has happened in your child’s life that they can remember e.g. a cultural festival, a concert, a special friend or relative visiting.  

Your child might create a presentation of up to 4 photos e.g. a PowerPoint OR bring a photo album OR email ONE photo or video to the class teacher. Your child can bring a notebook with some dot points (notes) but no paragraphs of writing to read. 

An information sheet will be sent home and posted on Toddle with a specific day for your child to share. 

 

Request 

Small clear plastic containers e.g. strawberry/cherry tomato punnets and small biscuit boxes .e.g. Arnott’s Shapes are needed for an Art activity this term please. 

Take Home Books 

Please bring these to school on Mondays in the clear plastic envelope for changing. On other days the clear plastic envelope can remain at home. Students are encouraged to borrow 4 books a week. 

 

Reading – We encourage approximately 10-15 minutes each night.  

 

Home Inquiry 

Y1: Investigate push and pull around your house. What can you find that works by pushing or pulling? This could be toys, kitchen tools, hardware tools, etc. 

 

Y2: Investigate sound around your house. What is the purpose of the sound? How does it travel to your ears? Is it loud or soft? Why? e.g. the microwave beeping when it is finished. 

 

Mathematic learning ideas 

Year 1 Duration of time https://youtu.be/SdpSgBj4Fog?si=pZ8Sb_nqoJRqfKXe  

 Year 2 Fractions https://youtu.be/vC9mOGuNOU4?si=yxeW5NB5Qt40ht3A 

 

Learning for Week 3:   

Literacy:  

In Writer’s Workshop mini lessons, students explore characters in stories and create their own characters. 

 

In Reader’s Workshop mini lessons, we will continue a character study of Melanie Watt’s Scaredy Squirrel. Here is one of the books read by the author: https://youtu.be/mYuWUs1roks?si=R7Cd_vvfcP38gWXX  

 

Spelling  

Each week there is a focus ‘sound of the week’. Students are introduced to groups of words which use spelling patterns and revise the alternative spellings of vowel sounds. 

 

The sound of the week is not intended to be a spelling list for you to teach your child at home. It is for you to be aware of what we are teaching at school, and you are welcome to use the sound as a starting point for your child to share what they are learning. 

 

Year 1 ‘ay’ and ‘ai’ for /ai/ sound 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGrIyCT7nK0   

 

Year 2 er , ir, ur  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uVVJXbc870  

 

Grammar Focus 

Year 1: nouns 

Year 2: proofreading 

 

Mathematics: Year 1s will continue inquiring into time durations (seconds, minutes, hours), and year 2s into fractions (halves, quarters and eighths). 

 

Unit of Inquiry: How the World Works 

Central Idea: Design and science involve an understanding of properties and processes. 

Line of Inquiry 1: how scientists work 

Line of Inquiry 2: the process of designing 

Line of Inquiry 3: designing solutions to problems 

 

Students experiment with push and pull (Year 1) and sound and materials (Year 2). 

 

Christian Studies: Christian Beliefs 

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

 

Students will explore significant events in Jesus’ life. This will link with the oral sharing where students talk about a significant event in their lives. 

 

Reminders 

Each day students need to bring the following. Please label everything.  

Take Home Bags which are also for Library borrowing. 

water bottles 

a fruit/veg snack 

recess 

lunch – ‘nude’ food (no wrappers), leave chocolates or lollies for home 

Cancer Council recommends hats and sunscreen when the UV rating is 3 or above. 

 

Volunteers 

During the year we have excursions, a Year 1 Sleepover and a Year 2 Camp. We are planning excursions this term. If you would like to put in an expression of interest, please ensure you are a registered volunteer. 

 

This involves having the following up to date: 

Working With Children Check (WWCC)  

Responding to Abuse, Harm and Neglect training (RRHAN-EC)  

Valuing Safe Communities (VSC) training 

https://www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au/parent-portal/volunteering/  

 

Library Borrowing  

The whole class goes to the library on Wednesdays (Year 1/2Z) and Thursdays (Year 1/2AK). A reminder that individual students can borrow books on other days during the week if they would like new books before the class borrowing day. 

 

 

May God bless your week, 

Melanie and Ellen  

 

Melanie Arnold arnold.melanie@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Tim Kriewaldt kriewaldt.tim@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Ellen Zimmer zimmer.ellen@goldengrove.sa.edu.au