Curriculum News

English

Reading and Viewing

This term we will continue to work through our Little Learners Love Literacy (LLLL). We will be learning new phonemes (sounds) and the corresponding graphemes (letters), as well as learning about homophones.  As per the previous two terms, we will also continue to revise previous learnt phonemes/graphemes and their rules through daily reviews.  The students will continue to practise these reading skills through decodable books and passages in the classroom and their take home readers.  We will also continue to use Heggerty daily to increase and revise our phonological awareness, including syllables, rhyming and the manipulation of sounds. 

Writing

We have 2 writing focuses for the term. We will start with informative writing.  We will be learning about information reports, including their structure, features, and purpose. We will also explor how diagrams and labels help readers understand information more clearly. Our second writing focus for the term will be writing to entertain. It is useful for allowing children to practise a range of narrative techniques, as it helps with increasing their vocabulary, the sequencing of events, as well as continuing to develop their use of punctuation. 

The students will continue to focus on the correct structure of a sentence and will also learn how to structure a narrative.  We will explore different grammar and punctuation that can be found within a narrative i.e. adjectives, adverbs, quotation marks, exclamation marks.  The students will also participate in handwriting sessions, where they will focus on the correct formation and consistent sizing of their letters. 

Speaking and Listening

As well as opportunities for rich dialogue during whole class and small group discussions, we will be continuing with the formal oral language program this term (the Take Home Toy and the Mystery Box). Both of these take home tasks began in Week Six of Term One. Just a reminder - the Take Home Toy will be sent with a scrapbook to document the adventures of the toy for the week, while the Mystery Box will be sent home empty for the students to fill with one item that is special to them and they will be required to write clues regarding this toy, to share with the class. 

Mathematics

This term we will be continuing to use the Ochre Education resources, as well as supplementing them with hands-on rich learning tasks. 

The Year Ones will start the term focusing on measuring with informal units. They will be introduced to the language of shorter than, longer than, height and length. They will then move on to Pattern, both creating and adding onto an existing pattern.  They will explore repeating patterns, skip counting (in 2s, 5s, and 10s), and understanding growing and shrinking patterns. Next, they will be completing a unit on an introduction to multiplication and division without using the formal signs.  The focus is on developing a deep understanding of sharing, grouping, finding halves, and employing skip counting strategies. 

Religion 

Religious Education, we will explore the life of Jesus and his family tree, through stories from the Old Testament.  We will also explore the Feast of the Assumption and the significance of this important event in the life of Mary and the Catholic Church, while listening to stories about the life of Mary within the Bible.

Science

In Science this term, Year 1 students are investigating forces and how they affect the world around us. They are learning that forces are pushes and pulls that can make objects start or stop moving, change speed or direction, or even change shape. Through hands-on activities, students will explore the forces used to move everyday objects such as toys, doors and playground equipment. They will also investigate how sporting equipment is designed to create stronger pushes and pulls, and experiment with materials. These experiences encourage curiosity, prediction and scientific thinking. 

Humanities

In Humanities this term, Year 1 students are exploring the importance of water and the many ways it shapes our lives and environment. They are learning about rivers, lakes, beaches and oceans, including identifying major Australian and world rivers and locating freshwater and saltwater environments in Australia. Students will investigate the unique features of the Great Barrier Reef and compare how people use different water environments. They will also learn how to care for water responsibly and develop an understanding of the deep connections that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have with water, Country and Place. 

Wellbeing

In Wellbeing this term, Year 1 students are learning about positive coping strategies and how to manage their emotions in healthy ways. They are exploring a range of techniques that can help them respond to challenges, disappointment and big feelings, such as talking to a trusted adult, using calming strategies and seeking support from others. Students are also using a catastrophe scale to help them identify whether a problem is small, medium or big, supporting them to put situations into perspective and choose an appropriate response.