Year 1
Classroom News – A Few Weeks in Review
It’s hard to believe how much we’ve packed into the past few weeks! Between swimming, Book Week, travelling the world (without leaving the classroom), and even some very sweet maths lessons, the students have been busy, engaged and learning so much.
Swimming
Our time at the pool was a highlight. The students were like little fish, and they showed such incredible focus as they practised strokes, floating and water safety. The instructors were impressed with how much progress they made in both confidence and skill. Beyond the pool, they also learnt about how these safety lessons apply to other swimming areas, which is an important life skill for every Australian child.
Book Week
Book Week was a colourful celebration of imagination and stories. It was wonderful to see the students dressed up as their favourite characters — our parade was full of princesses, animals and Harry Potters. We read several books together, including These Long-Loved Things from the CBCA shortlist. This story inspired us to reflect on our own lives and the students created collages of their most special memories. These beautiful pieces of work are proudly displayed just outside the classroom — if you’re passing by, take a moment to stop and admire them!
Literacy
In phonics, we’ve been working hard on Level 6 sounds, revising what we know and applying it to longer, multisyllabic words. The students are becoming much more confident at blending consonant sounds quickly so they can decode with greater fluency. Writing words and sentences with our phonics codes has been another big focus. The r-controlled vowels have given us a challenge (those sneaky letters that change the sound when ‘r’ comes along), but the students are learning to store these patterns in long-term memory, so they become second nature.
Knowledge Building
Our knowledge lessons have taken us on a world tour of habitats. With our trusty guide, Rattenborough, we’ve ventured into the icy Arctic tundra and ocean, explored the grassy East African savanna, crossed the red sands of the Simpson Desert, and wandered through the leafy temperate deciduous forests. Along the way, we’ve discovered how animals and plants adapt to their environments in fascinating ways. We also had an online visit from Craig at Ecolinc, who helped us dive deep into the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. The students were captivated by how reef animals survive and thrive. All of this learning is now feeding into our writing, as we begin collecting facts and opinions and organising them into pieces of writing.
Maths
Sharing has been the name of the game in maths. We’ve used counters (sometimes cleverly disguised as germs, dog bones, lollies, or fruit) to explore equal groups and remainders. A class favourite was using chocolate to investigate arrays — a hands-on (and delicious) way to see maths in action. A big thank you to Nate, Elliot and James D for generously supplying the chocolate that made the lesson extra special. The excitement (and perhaps a little bit of sugar energy) made for some very enthusiastic learners!
Wellbeing
We’ve been finishing our Keys to Communication unit with a focus on redo’s. Everyone makes mistakes in communication — saying something the wrong way, acting out of frustration or forgetting to listen. What matters most is how we handle it afterwards. Students have learnt the three simple but powerful steps: catch the mistake, own it and have a redo. Through role-play and class discussions, they’ve been able to practise these skills in a safe and supportive way.
All in all, it has been a jam-packed few weeks full of fun, learning, and growth. We’re looking forward to building on this momentum as we head into the rest of the term.
