Year 1/2 News

We have had a fantastic start to Term 3, and it has been wonderful welcoming the children back after a refreshing holiday break. Students have settled back into classroom routines with confidence and enthusiasm, and it has been great to see them reconnect with their friends and engage so positively in their learning. We are looking forward to another exciting term filled with new challenges, discoveries, and opportunities to grow.  Below is a snapshot of what we have been working on together in the classroom.

🌱 Wellbeing

Student wellbeing continues to be at the heart of everything we do in 1/2 – The Reef. Over the past few weeks, we have been learning about stress—what it is, how it can make us feel, and healthy ways to cope with challenging emotions. Students have explored how to recognise the signs of stress in themselves and practised simple calming strategies such as taking deep breaths, talking to a trusted adult, taking a break, and using positive self-talk. It has been wonderful to see students developing their emotional awareness and building confidence in managing their feelings in positive and respectful ways, both inside and outside the classroom.

📚 Learning

Literacy

In Literacy, students have been developing their understanding of procedural writing by learning how to write clear instructions using sequencing words such as first, next, then, and finally. They have also been writing postcards, learning how to communicate experiences and ideas by using the correct structure, descriptive language, and complete sentences.

In Phonics, we have been learning the long /ea/, /y/ and/ey/ sound patterns to strengthen students' reading, spelling, and word recognition skills. Students have also been exploring the suffixes -ful and -less, helping them build vocabulary and understand how word meanings can change.

Through reading and writing activities, students have been applying their phonics knowledge and writing skills by creating meaningful texts, using sequencing words, action verbs, and descriptive language to communicate their ideas clearly and confidently.

🔢 Mathematics

In Mathematics, students have been exploring data, 3D shapes, and fractions through a range of hands-on and collaborative learning activities.

Students have been learning how to collect, sort, and interpret data by conducting simple surveys, creating picture graphs and tally charts, and discussing what the data tells us. They are developing their ability to ask and answer questions using the information they have collected.

Our learning has also focused on 3D shapes, where students have investigated the properties of common objects by identifying and describing their faces, edges, and vertices. Through practical activities, they have compared shapes and explained how they can roll, slide, or stack.

More recently, students have been exploring fractions, learning to recognise and create halves, quarters, and eighths. Using playdough, paper folding, string, and everyday objects, students have developed their understanding that fractions represent equal parts of a whole and have practised identifying and comparing different fractions.

🌏 Inquiry

This term, our Inquiry learning has focused on the importance of water and the many ways it supports life on Earth. Students have explored the water cycle, learning how water moves through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Through experiments, discussions, and hands-on activities, they have discovered how water is constantly recycled in nature.

Students have also investigated how we use water in our homes and communities, identifying the many ways water helps us in our everyday lives, from drinking and cooking to cleaning, growing food, and caring for plants and animals. As part of our inquiry, students have considered what would happen if there was no water, encouraging them to think about the importance of conserving this valuable resource. It has been wonderful to see students developing an appreciation for water and exploring practical ways we can all use it responsibly.