Prep

"Lent is a time for renewing our hearts through prayer, fasting, and giving to others."

With the Lenten season starting on Wednesday, our class is focusing on the spirit of giving by raising funds for Caritas. We are currently welcoming any coin donations to help make a difference. Every little bit counts!

Shrove Tuesday 

This week, our Prep students observed Shrove Tuesday, a special day marking the final preparations before the season of Lent begins. In the Catholic tradition, Shrove Tuesday, often called "Pancake Tuesday", is a time to "shrive" (seek forgiveness) and clear our hearts for the journey toward Easter. Historically, it was also the day families used up rich ingredients like eggs, sugar, and butter before the Lenten fast. This tradition of "cleaning out the pantry" is what gave us the delicious custom of making pancakes! 

On Tuesday, we discussed the significance of this day on the Catholic calendar. Afterwards, we made pancake batter. Once the batter was whisked, we cooked the pancakes and served them with jam or butter, or enjoyed them plain. It was a wonderful morning of learning, cooperation, and, of course, tasty pancakes. We now look forward to entering the reflective season of Lent together as a school.

Inquiry 

In our recent Inquiry and Wellbeing sessions, students have been exploring how to determine when they can solve a problem independently and when it’s time to seek support. Developing these Help-Seeking Strategies are vital to building independence and confidence in the classroom.

During our discussions, the students shared ideas about different strategies they can use to seek help and feel supported in class.

• Working it out ourselves: We practiced identifying tasks we can try on our own first—like checking the board for instructions or trying a different colored pencil if one breaks.
• Asking a friend: Sometimes, a classmate is the best person to help! Students suggested asking a friend for a reminder on a step they might have missed.

• Asking an adult: When we identify "big" problems or don't know how to continue a task, seeking help from an adult is the most effective way to move forward.

   

Our Classroom Strategy: The Traffic Light System

To help students communicate their needs when completing learning tasks, we have introduced the Traffic Light System. This visual tool allows students to signal if they require support without needing to stop their work:

• 🟢 Green: "I am okay!" I understand the task and can work independently.
• 🟡 Orange: "I need some assistance." I’m giving it a go, but I might need a hint or a quick check-in soon.
• 🔴 Red: "I don’t know what to do." I’m stuck and need an adult to help me find the next step.

By using these colours, students are learning to "stop and think" about their own learning, helping us create a classroom where everyone feels supported and empowered to succeed.

Mathematics 

Over the past fortnight, we have been exploring our first Mathematics unit on patterns. Students have been learning to identify the unit of repeat (for example, stick–pom pom–stick–pom pom) and have confidently practised copying and creating both two-part and three-part patterns. It has been wonderful to see them begin to explain their thinking and describe what comes next in a pattern.

We begin each Maths lesson with dedicated number practice. During this time, students have been strengthening their counting skills by counting forwards and backwards to 10 and 20. This daily repetition is helping to build fluency and confidence with number sequences.

We look forward to continuing to build on these important early numeracy skills in the coming weeks.

Kind Regards, 

Miss Melanie & Miss Georgia