Foundation

Foundation Cluster News

Home Inquiry for Foundation that started in Term 1 of 2024

Jolly Sounds

Check out our YouTube channel and continue practicing the single sounds and diagraphs we have learnt. You can get them to write it any way you like for example with a water sprayer, playdough, shaving cream, write it in flour. Just as long as they are starting from the correct position and forming the sound correctly. Handwriting hero app is great to use to ensure formation is correct. Make sure the purple pouch is always in the Take home folder.

Heart Words

Keep practising these words at home with your children. We have sent home the next set of heart words, which we will be learning this term. Please work through these at your child’s own pace. There are a lot of words, which can be overwhelming so it may be a good idea to work through them bit by bit eg. Focus on 5-10 at time, until they have mastered them.

Jolly Words

These are words that can be sounded out and blended. The children say each sound in the word and then blend them together to read the word. We encourage them to chop the sounds on their hand and then blend them. They are to keep the card until they are comfortable with the words and blending accurately and then in the mornings they can swap for a new card. Once they have ticked off all the coloured dots in that colour card section then we will test them and move them to the next lot. Please keep these in their Jolly pouch always. 

Home Reading

On Fridays your child will bring 4 books (2 decodable and 2 interest) in their take home book bag to engage and share with you at home each week. We hope you enjoy sharing this experience with your child. Please keep their take home book bag in their take home folder.

YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLnfvRwv4dyqmDKu0nLh2Vw 

Home Inquiry for Foundation that started in Term 3 of 2024

Rest and play

Your children have been working extremely hard all day at school and we encourage you to let your child rest and play when they get home. Give them time to digest what they have learnt throughout the day before asking too many questions.

Wednesday Rest day for Term 3

The purpose of having rest days is to build up their learning stamina, as we consider a lot of the children would be used to having three days of kindy and this would look different to them having five days of Foundation learning. We often notice when they start full 5 days of learning there are a lot of high emotions and children feeling tired after 3 days of full learning, therefore would like to encourage you take this opportunity to allow your child to rest on each Wednesday as this will help them to slowly get used to being at school for five full days. This means they are to play and have some time with you cooking, creating or just doing something fun together. It is not a day where they do any work. Your child’s wellbeing means a lot to us and we want them to continue to have a smooth transition into Foundation. 

Word study (purple pouch)

Jolly phonics: In your child’s take home folder, there is a purple pouch with the Jolly Phonics focus sounds and actions. Students will receive 3 sounds each week on a piece of paper. Students need to be able to recognise and write them in order to recognise them in words. We have a YouTube channel where we have recorded the sounds and actions so please watch at home. Please keep purple pouch in their take home folder.

YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLnfvRwv4dyqmDKu0nLh2Vw

Learning program:  

Readers Workshop – Bigger books… Bigger Reading muscles…  

Word Study – Small groups:  

Blue and orange – er, ir, ur 

Purple – simple sentence writing  

Green – j z w Bookmaking – Spotlight: Author Study: Making our pictures playful like Philip Bunting  

Inquiry into Maths  

Measurement – an inquiry into measuring mass and using words to compare what is heavier and what is lighter. 

Who We Are 

Central Idea: Everyday, people learn more about themselves and others 

Line of inquiry 1: Ways to build and maintain relationships 

Line of inquiry 2: Ways people express and read feelings 

Line of inquiry 3: Developing ways to grow as learners 

Learner Profile: Caring, reflective 

Concepts: Change, responsibility  

Christian Studies: Christianity in the World  

Key Idea: Religious beliefs and ideas shape people’s thinking and actions 

Children identify and acknowledge that people think and live differently 

 Special Person’s Afternoon: Will be held on Friday 20 September (Week 9). 

Kimochis at home:  Please ensure they are taken care of and don’t get drawn on or eaten by any family pets. Your child will bring home Cat/Bug on Thursday or Friday and bring them back to school on the Monday.  If you do not have a printer at home, we are happy to print for you. Thank you! 

If your child has not yet had a chance to take Cat or Bug home, they will have a chance in Term 4. Mid-Year Foundations will have the opportunity next year. 

Keep smiling,   

Emma and Amy 

Emma Wachtel: wachtel.emma@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Amy Hughes: hughes.amy@goldengrove.sa.edu.au