Prep 

Information and Reminders

Happy Holidays!

We can hardly believe this term has almost come to an end! It has been such a fun and exciting term, filled with lots of learning, growth and special moments. We are so proud of how much our Preps have developed in their confidence, skills and independence.

We hope you enjoy the upcoming holidays and have a chance to take a break from the usual routine, rest and recharge, and perhaps enjoy some fun adventures along the way. We look forward to seeing everyone next term for our last term of Prep!

Term 4 Planning Day today - Monday 14th September

Today is our Term 4 planning day for teachers, so students will be having all of their specialist classes today. This means that their usual specialist classes will not run throughout the rest of the week.

Please also note that we will not be visiting the library this Friday. However, students are still welcome to return any library books they have finished reading.

CBL Expo: Prep to Two, Pledge to Do! 

This Thursday, our Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students will be showcasing their learning about animals and the ways we can use our power to make a difference in protecting them. Parents and families are warmly invited to join us for this special afternoon.

Classrooms will be open from 2.50pm, and you are welcome to visit the other P–2 classrooms to discover all of the different animals our students have been learning about.

If you are able, please consider bringing a gold coin donation. All donations will go towards supporting Zoos Victoria and their important work protecting wildlife. We look forward to sharing our learning with you!

Curriculum

*Please remind your child to go to the toilet before they enter the classroom.

Phonics and reading 

We are learning about the digraph NK, as in pink. Digraphs are two letters that work together to make one sound. We will then complete another review of all the digraphs we have learnt so far.

Our learning focus will include reading words and short texts, spelling words containing these patterns, and writing simple sentences using our new spelling knowledge.

What can you do at home?

• Support your child to read the decodable book and/or UFLI text in their Reading Pocket. Try and aim to read every day, if you can.

• The 'Roll and Read' page is a great way to practise sounding out and blending words, especially for students who find reading sentences a little challenging.

•Review the letter names and sounds for all letters of the alphabet. When practising, say them like this: “A spells /a/.” Ask your child if they can show you the cued articulation for the sounds. 

•Learn the Heart Words (in red booklet).  New words were sent home last week. 

• Work through the optional UFLI pages. 

Sound / Letter cards to review:

Digraphs to review:

Optional UFLI Home Practice Pages:

Literature: reading responses and writing 

Our mentor text is The Great Dawn Choir. Students will explore the beautiful vocabulary used throughout the book, including identifying and using adjectives and verbs. They will listen for rhyming words, identify rhyming pairs and generate their own words that rhyme. Students will also explore the onomatopoeia used to represent the sounds of the birds and create their own ‘bird choir’ using imaginative bird sounds.

Students will continue to work towards our CBL Expo by learning about persuasive texts, with a particular focus on posters and how they can be used to influence others. They will explore the features of persuasive posters and consider the ways that they can encourage people to take action. Students will then create persuasive posters about how we can help protect animals, which will be displayed around the Prep classrooms.

All of our mentor text sessions will incorporate writing, giving students opportunities to practise their writing skills while responding to and building on their learning from the text. 

What can you do at home?

•Encourage your child to write about things they are interested in - a picture, a favourite animal, something they did that day or a story they have imagined. Encourage them to sound out words using the sounds they know and have a go at spelling independently.

•Help your child practise writing their name with a capital letter at the beginning and lowercase letters for the rest of their name.

Maths 

We will be reviewing our learning about addition and subtraction. Students will use familiar objects, such as animals and toys, to create and verbally share their own addition and subtraction stories. They will also revisit number lines and explore how they can be a helpful tool for solving addition and subtraction problems.

What can you do at home?

•Create number stories by using toys, animals or everyday objects to make simple addition and subtraction stories within 10 (or up to 20 if your child feels confident). Ask your child to act out the story, tell you what happened and work out the answer.

•Make a simple number line from 0–10 (or 0-20) and use it to solve addition and subtraction problems. Encourage your child to explain whether they need to count forwards or backwards and why.

CBL

We will be putting the final touches on our learning as we get ready for the CBL Expo! Prep A will be sharing their learning about Baw Baw Frogs, Prep B will be sharing their learning about Orange-bellied Parrots, and Prep C will be sharing their learning about Mountain Pygmy-possums. Students will be busy preparing their displays and getting ready to share what they have learned about these critically endangered Victorian animals and how we can use our power to help protect them.

Wellbeing

SWPBS

As we reach the end of the term, we know that our students can be feeling tired after a busy term of learning, growing and having fun. When we are tired, it can sometimes be harder to listen carefully, think about what is expected and make positive choices. Our SWPBS focus is:

Listen, Think, Choose – Show Me. Students will practise listening carefully to expectations, thinking about what they mean, and then choosing a kind, safe or learning behaviour. 

We will encourage students to show us their understanding through their actions and choices, helping everyone finish the term positively and successfully.

Cyber Safety

Students will explore ways to maintain a healthy balance when using technology. They will learn simple strategies to help them manage their technology use, recognise when they need a break, and make positive choices about when and how they use digital devices.