InitaLit - Reading

In Initial Lit, our Preps have begun to learn letter sounds . Students have learnt the sound that each letter represents and its letter name. To help students remember these letters and sounds we were introduced to some new friends Andy Ant, Poppy Princess and Fifi Flamingo! They’ve loved learning the sounds and being able to identify them in spoken words and pictures.

In our StoryBook sessions, we've explored the books ‘A Surprise for Dingo’ and ‘Possum Goes to School’ . Through these stories, we've discussed the beginnings, middles, and ends. We've made connections beyond the texts and explored the meaning of vocabulary like howled, clambered, shuffled, rattle, crumble and sighed.

Students have used their sound knowledge to begin segmenting (sounding out) and blending CV (consonant vowel) and CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words. They’ve practised with words including am, it, sap, sat, mat, Sam, sip and map.

Maths:

In Math, the students are continuing to learn about the numbers 1-5 and the different ways they can be represented, such as numerals, collections of objects, and tens frames. We've been observing the students engage in various hands-on activities that help them better understand the value of each number. This week, we introduced number lines, which allowed us to show the students what a number line was and how they can use it to identify and display numbers 1-5. The Prep students have particularly enjoyed our cut and paste activities and number line craft.

Integrated:

During the past two weeks, we delved into the extreme emotions within the "Red Zone." Our focus was on recognising the body language associated with strong feelings such as anger, fear, and panic. Using characters from the story "Grumpy Monkey," students identified signs of anger like furrowed brows, tight lips, a clenched jaw, and bared teeth. They then made use of this awareness by drawing their own experiences of these emotions.

In our writing session, we continued to practise correctly forming our names. The Preppies practised capitalising the first letter of their names, followed by a sequence of lowercase letters. After tracing their names, they had a go at copying them on the dotted third lines.

Additionally, we completed a Writing Learning Task focusing on the formation of our Set 1 lowercase letters, 's,' 'a,' 't,' and 'm' on dotted thirds. To help with forming each letter students sang to themselves formation language instructions for each letter:

'm’: down, up, hop, hop, down, with an added flick at the end
's': backwards, forwards, backwards
't': start-up high, go down with a flick and a line through the middle
'a': around, up, down with a flick at the end

Buddies

Prep students eagerly met their year 5/6 buddies with bright smiles and nervous excitement, ready to embark on a journey of friendship and learning. Paired up for a Harmony Day activity, the older students took the younger ones under their wings, guiding them through the colorful world of diversity and inclusion. Together, they each decorated a hand with colours and drawing of things that are important and special to them. These hands were then displayed at the front gates of the school to welcome everyone in Harmony Day. Through teamwork and cooperation, they not only completed the activity but also forged bonds that would last throughout primary school, embodying the true spirit of Harmony Day.

Harmony Day

Harmony Day dawned with the whole school adorned in vibrant cultural dress, a kaleidoscope of colours weaving through the hallways. As the day unfolded, the entire school community gathered for a grand parade, each class proudly showcasing their unique heritage and traditions. From traditional attire to symbolic accessories, students beamed with pride, embracing their cultural identities. In the afternoon, the celebration continued with a feast of flavors from around the world, as families shared homemade delicacies, fostering a sense of unity through the universal language of food.

Thank you to all families who made delicious food for the event. It was wonderful to see the community come together whilst students loved trying new foods and enjoying a meal together.

Harmony Day served as a poignant reminder of the richness that comes from embracing diversity and fostering understanding among all.

Supporters of Grayling