Grade 1 Community News
Wow - It’s hard to believe we’re already in Week 10, with only one week left until the holidays—this term has just zipped past because of all the amazing learning and fun experiences we’ve shared!
On Wednesday of Week 9, the rest of the Grade 1 classes went on their trip to Scienceworks. They had a great time exploring the museum and learning about all the fun science exhibits. It was a really fun day for everyone!
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming our Grade 1 families into the classrooms for our Open Morning. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the students’ learning and the joyful atmosphere in our classrooms. Thank you to everyone who joined us — we truly enjoyed having you here! Here are some highlights of what we did together.
InitiaLit and Vocabulary
This week in InitiaLit, students have been learning about the split digraphs a_e as in cake and i_e, as in kite. These are sometimes called the "bossy e" because the silent 'e' at the end changes the vowel sound! Students also learnt three new tricky words: before, after, and these. The children are working hard to read and spell these tricky words with accuracy.
Next week, we will continue to review the split digraphs a_e and i_e, and introduce the split digraph o_e, as in hope. We will also be learning new tricky words: work, baby, and children.
This week in Vocabulary, we read a story called Isabella’s Bed by Alison Lester. In the story, the children stay at their grandmother’s house and sleep on a bed that takes them on a magical adventure in their dreams. We talked about the story and learned some new words: delicate, surging, silently, drift, and skimming. At the end of the week, students did a fun writing task where they imagined their own magical bed and wrote about where it would take them and what they might see. It was a great week of learning and using our imaginations!
In Week 11, students will read and discuss Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat by Stephen Michael King to explore new vocabulary in context. This beautifully illustrated story is about Milli, a quiet shoemaker who always follows the rules. When two fun and creative visitors—Jack and his dancing cat—arrive, they help Milli discover her own creativity and the joy of expressing herself. Through this story, students will learn and apply new vocabulary words of bustle, trudge, wander, exchange, and brave.
Maths
This week in maths, we’ve been focusing on “Total Problems”—word problems that ask students to find the total by using addition. Students have been practicing how to read word problems carefully, identify key information, and write the corresponding addition equation. For example, if a problem says, “Sarah has 4 apples and her friend gives her 3 more,” students learn to write 4 + 3 = 7 and understand that 7 is the total.
We’ve also continued to explore 3D shapes like rectangular prisms and cylinders. Students have been learning to identify the number and types of faces these shapes have, helping them understand the properties that make each shape unique.
How you can help at home: Encourage your child to practice total problems by using everyday situations—like adding up snacks, toys, or steps walked—to find the total. You can also support their learning about 3D shapes by exploring and naming shapes such as rectangular prisms and cylinders around the house, using building blocks or household items.
Knowledge Building
During our study of Ancient Egypt we looked at Pharaohs and different people in Ancient Egyptian times, like doctors, scribes and entertainers. We had fun acting out these roles in class! We also learned about the pyramids and why they were built. One of the most interesting things was learning about mummies and how the Ancient Egyptians made them. We even learned how to write our names using hieroglyphics, the writing used in Ancient Egypt.
Respectful Relationships
In Respectful Relationships, we’ve been learning about how to recognise and respect the ways we are similar and different, and how to play fairly and kindly with others. Through games and discussions, students explored the importance of including everyone, taking turns, and understanding different feelings that can come up when playing.
We also talked about using our strengths—like patience, fairness, and kindness—to help us wait our turn, make fair decisions, and be a good friend. It’s been wonderful to see students building their social skills and showing respect for each other in positive, practical ways.
Reminders
Please support your child in reviewing the Tricky Words learned throughout the week. The goal is to help your child build confidence in reading and spelling these high-frequency words through regular practice at home.
Please follow the link or scan the QR code for the Tarneit Rise Tricky Words Video. Ensure that you stop the video at (3:38) for Tricky Words we are up to.
A little practice each day can make a big difference!
Upcoming Events in Grade 1
Last Day of Term 2 - Friday 4th July: School will finish at 2.30pm on this day
First Day of Term 3 - Monday 21st July
Parent Teacher Interviews - Thursday 24th July
Pupil Free Day - Monday 28th July
PLC 1