Foundation: Connect

Term 2

Literacy

During our Core Literacy sessions, students have been learning and practising the phonemes 'wh', 'ng', and 'nk', and will soon begin exploring 'ck'. We have been learning that 'ng' and 'nk' can be found in a variety of word patterns, including ang, ing, ong, ung and ank, ink, onk, unk. Students are becoming more confident reading and spelling words such as sing, ring, song, bank, pink, and trunk. We have also explored 'wh' as in whistle, wheel, and whale, and will be introducing 'ck' as in duck, clock, and stick. These phonemes and word patterns are regularly incorporated into our dictation sentences and reading fluency activities to help strengthen students' decoding, spelling, and reading confidence.

In Writing, students have loved becoming their own authors and creating imaginative narratives. They carefully planned their ideas by mapping out at least two characters, a setting, and a problem for their story. Students then worked through the planning process before writing their narratives, focusing on including a clear beginning, middle, and end. It has been wonderful to see their creativity shine through, and they should be very proud of the effort, persistence, and enthusiasm they have shown throughout the writing process. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and growth as young writers and illustrators.

New Heart Words:

Review Heart Words:

Maths

In Maths, students are consolidating their understanding of addition and subtraction through hands-on activities and problem solving. They are continuing to build confidence with number facts and applying their skills in different contexts. Alongside this, students are also learning about sharing and what it means for a share to be fair. Through practical tasks and discussion, they are beginning to understand equal groups and how items can be distributed fairly between people.

Additionally, it is important for students to understand that numbers can be made in many different ways. For example, the number 7 can be created using different combinations such as 3 + 4, 5 + 2, or 6 + 1. Students are developing their understanding that numbers can be broken apart and put back together in flexible ways, strengthening their overall number sense and confidence.

Well-being

Brain breaks

Brain breaks are an important part of our learning day as they help students reset, refocus, and stay engaged in their learning. Short movement and game-based breaks give students time to rest their brains, release energy, and return to tasks with improved concentration and readiness to learn. We enjoy a variety of brain breaks in the classroom, including favourites such as Paper, Scissors, Rock, Islands, say the word to the beat, and dance breaks. These activities are fun, inclusive, and help support well-being while also building positive classroom energy and focus for learning.

Students are continuing to focus on building positive friendships within their Foundation cohort. We are encouraging them to play with their Foundation friends during breaks, which helps strengthen connections, build confidence, and support a strong sense of belonging in the classroom and playground. A reminder that sticks play is a no at SEPS.

Students are being reminded of the importance of using manners consistently in their interactions with peers, such as saying please and thank you, taking turns, and speaking kindly. They are doing a beautiful job of remembering them more frequently with each other which is lovely. These social skills are an important part of developing respectful relationships and creating a caring and inclusive classroom community.

Kind regards,

Alex Whittle (0A) and Kate Clark (0B)

Foundation Team