Grade 1 Community News

Hello Grade 1 Families,

We are now well into Term 3 and are excited to share the wonderful learning your children have been doing over the past couple of weeks!

InitiaLit

In Week 5, we have been learning the new rules for the digraphs ‘aw’ (as in claw) and ‘au’ (as in autumn), as well as the Floss Rule, which is a doubling rule for the letters f, l, and s. 

The Floss Rule says: 

If the word is short 

And the vowel is short, 

Double the end,

And don’t get caught!

In Week 6, we will be reviewing the Floss Rule and learning the new rule for ‘ck’ at the end of words. The ‘ck’ rule says: 

If the word is short,

And the vowel is short, 

Use ‘c’ and ‘k’,

And don’t get caught! 

For more practice, have your child look for ‘aw’ and ‘au’ words in their books as you are reading to or with them, as well as words that follow the Floss Rule or end with ‘ck’. You could even challenge them to write a sentence using as many of these words as possible.

Maths                        

In Week 5, students have been working on identifying halves and quarters and describing the shaded part using the sentence stem: "The shape is showing 1 out of 2 equal parts" or "The shape is showing 1 out of 4 equal parts." Students also began learning how to add two-digit numbers plus two-digit numbers vertically (using sticks) without any regrouping. In addition, they have continued exploring how to find the area of a 2D shape, and have started estimating the area before finding it.

In Week 6, students will be working on the split strategy for subtraction, which involves breaking apart numbers to subtract more efficiently. 

They will also be learning how to describe the duration of events by finding the difference between the start and finish times. For example, if you started your homework at 6 o’clock and finished at half past six, you could work out that it took you 30 minutes.

Knowledge Building

We have continued our adventures with our friend Rattenborough, exploring new topics such as saltwater habitats and animals, as well as habitat destruction and endangered species. Students have been learning what publishing means and the different ways that writing can be shared with others.

Students were introduced to a publishing checklist to help guide them through the process of creating their own published piece. We have been practising each step of the publishing process, starting with a rough draft, then moving on to revising and editing, and finally creating a final published piece. Students have been applying these skills to their informative writing about saltwater habitats, ensuring their work is clear, accurate, and engaging.

In Week 6, students have also completed their own diorama for Animals and Habitats, showcasing their creativity and deep understanding of the topic. It was amazing to see how well they retained information from our lessons. 

Storybook 

We have been reading the book "Dugong Magic" by Deborah Kelly. Students have been practicing retelling the story in their own words to their peers (you can ask them to retell it at home, too!) 

Below are three new vocabulary words we came across in the book.

Students have used the information they learned from the book to create their informative piece of writing about dugongs. They applied the symbols they have been learning in our Knowledge Building unit, such as habitat, appearance, diet, and movement, to organise their ideas and present information.  

As part of this work, students also created their own dugong collages, bringing the animal to life through art while reinforcing what they had learned about its features and environment.

Respectful Relationships 

We have been learning about the Blue Zone. The Blue Zone is when you are in a low state of alertness. You might feel tired, sick, sad, or bored. Your body may move slowly, and it can be harder to concentrate or join in activities.

We discussed why it’s important to learn about the Blue Zone, as it helps us to self-regulate. Students practised:

• Identifying their body speed when in the Blue Zone

• Recognising how to change their body so they can move from the Blue Zone to the Green Zone

• Describing how they feel when in the Blue Zone

Students completed an activity using a body outline, labelling what their body parts do when they are in the Blue Zone. This encouraged them to reflect on their own experiences and think about strategies for moving into the Green Zone.

Story Champs

In Weeks 5 and 6, we have been focusing on Phase 1 of Story Champs, where students write a retell based on their oral storytelling. We have revised the Story Grammar icons and actions to support their understanding and read the Story Champ text of the week together. Students have paired up to orally retell the story using the icons. During guided writing sessions, students have practiced retelling parts of the story, such as character, setting, problem, feelings, actions, and solution, in full sentences. The teacher modelled these sentences before students wrote their rough drafts. This helps students develop their ability to organise stories in correct sequence and use complete sentences to clearly express their ideas.

Book Week Celebration at TRPS 

As part of our Book Week celebrations this year on Friday, August 22nd, Grade 1 students have co-authored a book using the writing prompt: “The Day the Grade 1 Crayons Booked an Adventure”. Each grade level contributed one part of the story, and the final book will be displayed in our school library for everyone to enjoy reading.

You might like to ask your child which part of the story their class helped to write.They are very proud of their contribution!

It was an amazing day filled with fun, as the kids proudly showed off their own creative costumes and enthusiastically participated in a range of Book Week activities.

Reminders:

Please scan the QR code to view the Tricky Words video at 4:49 (pause the video) to practice all the tricky words we have learnt up until now. A little practice each day can make a big difference! 

Upcoming Events in Grade 1:

• Fairy Tale Fiasco Incursion — Monday, September 1st and Tuesday, September 2nd. Please ensure that you have checked Compass to confirm payment of the $20 incursion fee and have given permission for your child to attend.

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