Classroom News

Foundation News

Foundation Update

At TPS we have recently updated our school Behaviour Matrix, which outlines clear expectations across different areas of the school. These are linked to our school values of Respect, Resilience, Friendship, Excellence and Honesty. This update has given students a shared language to reflect on their actions and explain the choices they make each day.

Already, we have seen students engage in more thoughtful conversations about behaviour, leading to calmer transitions, stronger peer interactions, and greater confidence in taking responsibility. The matrix also helps staff acknowledge positive behaviour and provide consistent guidance when needed. Students have welcomed the introduction of our Community Circle at the end of the day and love giving their classmates “shout outs”. This enables students to acknowledge a classmate who has demonstrated an area of our Behaviour Matrix and award them a token. We have seen many students with big smiles on their faces as their receive these shout outs from their peers. Ask your child about the Behaviour Matrix—they may be able to share the expectations and how they use them at school.

Literacy Update

Students have continued to focus on common consonant digraphs including /sh/, /th/, /ch/ and /ng/. We have practiced our fluency of these sounds with quick reading passages, whilst also undertaking an increased amount of Buddy Ready, where students are able to gain support from their Buddy Reading partner. During Content knowledge, we have begun learning about different fables and how these stories have a moral or a lesson that they are trying to teach others. This week we focused on The Lion and the Mouse and how we can show and receive friendship in many different and sometimes unexpected ways. Whilst writing, students have enjoyed expanding their sentences to include the conjunctions because and but, whilst also introducing subordinating conjunctions before and after. Their writing independence has improved dramatically and we are so proud of the students being more willing to just “have a go”.

Numeracy Update

In Numeracy, students have been looking at the capacity of objects and comparing which object holds more and which holds less. We experimented with blocks and also headed out into the yard to play with sand and use this to compare object capacities. We have briefly introduced students to the concept of equal sharing, in particular between 2 and have enjoyed playing card games such as snap that require students to share cards equally. Over the next couple of weeks, we will focus on the place value of numbers to 100 and how they are made up of tens and ones. You can help by discussing with your child how numbers can be made up of parts and we can show this as tens and ones.

Skill in focus- Take home reading

Reading at home is one of the most powerful ways you can support your child’s learning. Just 10–15 minutes of shared reading each day helps children build fluency, strengthen comprehension, develop a love of books and increases their reading confidence. Reading with your child also gives them the chance to practise the skills they are learning at school, while enjoying valuable one-on-one time with you. When you talk about the story, ask questions (if you are stuck on what to ask, there are questions at the back of students take home books), and celebrate their effort, you are helping your child grow in confidence as a reader. Don’t forget to encourage your child to change their books over as part of their morning routine and write the names of the books they have read in their diary. Your support at home makes a real difference in their progress and sets them up for ongoing success.

Junior School News

Content Knowledge: Last week in Content Knowledge, Junior students learnt about the ‘wr’ and ‘mb’ phonemes, which can be tricky as they both have a silent letter, but we have been so impressed with their ability to hear, read and write the focus phonemes. Our Content Knowledge topic for this term is Ancient Greece. Students have learnt about Greek Myths and the message behind them as well as the twelve Greek gods. To show their comprehension, students have a cooperative conversation with another peer after reading a chapter from our reader and discuss two questions about the text collaboratively. 

Text Construction: In Text Construction, students have been focusing on unscrambling sentences in their handwriting block, whilst practising correct body posture, pencil grip and arm position. In Week 7, students wrote their very own Greek narratives and turned them into books! They planned their story for two days using our narrative graphic organiser, then wrote, edited and published descriptive stories. Many chose to write about the Greek gods and their incredible powers. 

Maths: In Maths, students completed a multiplication and division unit where we learnt a range of strategies to complete equations. We practiced grouping numbers for multiplication equations and sharing equally (teddy bear picnic) for division. If you would like to quiz them on their strategies, ask your child to show you 4 x 5 or 15 / 3. Students have also been learning about time. In Week 7, we focused on reading and writing o’clock, half past and quarter past/to times. This week, we will look at reading and understanding calendars and finding the difference between two dates.

House Sports: In House Sports students have been participating in Potato Olympics to earn points for their house. They decorated their potatoes and then completed a range of activities with them, such as long jump (down the slide) and shot put. However, in Week 7 the potatoes were looking quite weathered (and slimy), so instead we opted for bean bags and tennis balls to complete the events with and will continue this for the rest of the term.

Performing Arts: Junior students have been learning how to play the ukulele! They are learning about rhythm and tune and practicing their skills on the ukulele or with other instruments.