Junior School News
Prep News
We have had some busy weeks of learning in Prep. The students have continued to demonstrate greater awareness with their understanding of phonics and have enjoyed engaging in activities that support their knowledge of letter names, sounds and sight words. It has been encouraging to see them take risks in their writing and use goals to support them, including attempting to use finger spaces, capital letters and full stops. They are becoming more confident to share their ideas during class discussions which has been a positive sign for their oral language development. In Maths, our focus has been consolidation of number recognition, friends of 5 and 10 and simple addition using concrete materials to assist them in solving problems. They welcomed opportunities to learn about the Easter journey and the importance of Jesus in Catholic tradition. A highlight last term was attending an incursion that focused on road safety which married well with our inquiry topic. I am so proud of the Preps. They welcomed a new student, Alex at the end of last term and have made him feel very supported in Prep J.
Year 1/2 News - Literacy & RE
Erica Cremer, 1/2 EC ecremer@olgcdeepdene.catholic.edu.au
Fiona Clifford, 1/2FC fclifford@olgcdeepdene.catholic.edu.au
The Year 1/2 students have been focusing on procedural texts in both reading and writing. The children learned to read and understand procedures, follow a clear sequence of steps, and even discussed how each step contributed to the final product.
This focus on procedural texts created an opportunity for students to connect theory with a wonderful hands-on experience which helped to solidify their understanding. Towards the end of last term, the children eagerly took part in the preparation of pancakes as part of Shrove Tuesday, following a step-by-step procedure to make and cook them. This allowed us to see first hand how important it is to follow instructions in the correct order.
Shrove Tuesday, is part of the Catholic calendar and marks the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Historically, Shrove Tuesday was a day of feasting before the period of fasting and reflection that comes with Lent. Pancakes were made to use up rich ingredients like eggs, butter, and milk, which were traditionally avoided during the fasting period of Lent.
It was exciting to see the students use these skills in a practical setting, understanding how they can apply this knowledge in the real world, whether they’re following a recipe, building something, or completing a task at home.
Our exploration of procedural texts has led to the students selecting their own topics for writing. They have chosen activities they are passionate about and written their own procedures, showing great creativity and enthusiasm. It has been wonderful to see them develop their writing skills and express their ideas clearly in a way that others can understand and follow. We can’t wait to see what other exciting procedural texts they will create as we continue our learning journey!