PREP NEWS
THE WEEK THAT WAS WEEK 8!
Literacy
Each week our students are introduced to two new sounds. This week we have enjoyed moving onto our Stage 2 sounds and meeting our two new characters from the Little Learners Love Literacy Program – Daisy the dog which helps us remember the /d/ sound and Gabby the goat helps us remember the /g/ sound. We wonder if students can find objects and things around them that begin with the /d/ and /g/ sound. We have been learning about vowel sounds as we have now learnt three vowels /a/ /i/ /o/.
This week students have been enjoying exploring Reading Eggs in the classroom and have had the guidance of our IT leaders in Year 6 who have displayed compassion and patience in supporting our young learners how to navigate technology. Thank you Eddy, Bradley, Mani and Tyler for your support with our Preps!
Numeracy
Students have been exploring finger perceptions related to numeracy. They have been learning about how we can use our fingers to help us in different situations and strategies in maths. These skills are essential for numeracy development, particularly in early childhood education, for several reasons:
1. Counting: Young children often use their fingers as a tangible representation of numbers. Being able to distinguish between fingers helps them count accurately. For example, they need to understand that each finger represents a unique quantity, and they can manipulate their fingers to correspond with the numbers they are counting.
2. One-to-One Correspondence: Finger perception skills aid in developing the concept of one-to-one correspondence, which is crucial for understanding the cardinal principle of counting. Each object being counted (or each finger) should be matched with one and only one number word in the counting sequence. Being able to distinguish between fingers helps children ensure they are assigning each finger a unique number.
4. Understanding Numerical Relationships: Finger perception skills contribute to understanding numerical relationships, such as addition and subtraction. Visualising and manipulating fingers help children grasp concepts like adding one more or taking away one, which are building blocks for arithmetic operations.
5. Symbolic Representation: As children progress in numeracy, they move from concrete manipulatives like fingers to symbolic representations such as numerals. Finger perception skills lay the groundwork for understanding the symbolic representation of numbers. Through finger counting, children begin to associate abstract symbols with concrete quantities.
6. Spatial Reasoning: Finger perception also involves spatial reasoning, as children must understand the spatial arrangement of their fingers and their relationships to each other. This spatial awareness is crucial for understanding numerical concepts and relationships in mathematics.
Overall, finger perception skills play a significant role in numeracy development by providing a tangible and intuitive way for children to engage with and understand numerical concepts. They serve as a bridge between concrete experiences and abstract mathematical ideas, facilitating a deeper understanding of numbers and arithmetic operations.
Harmony Day Celebrations
It has been a joyous week of celebrating Everybody belongs. We have used this celebration as an opportunity to not only celebrate our cultures but also practise our Speaking & Listening skills with sharing unique things about ourselves and our families. We have discovered different flags, foods, dances and unique tourist attractions from different cultures throughout the week. We had so much fun with the whole school learning Bollywood dancing with Mrs Krishnan (Year 1 Teacher) - we wonder if any students can remember the dance and share it with their family!
Library and canteen
A friendly reminder Prep library day is Monday – therefore please remember to pack your child’s library books for Monday to return in their reader pouch.
Canteen takes place on Fridays - subject to parent volunteer availability to run canteen. We encourage students to bring no more than $3.00. A friendly reminder of regular snacks and lunch is still required on Fridays.
There is Classroom Cuisine for lunch orders available to order online.
Homework
There is no homework for Week 8 and 9 - as we will send home an Easter holiday pack for students to have a go at over the holidays. This will include a mix of activities to help consolidate learning from Term 1.
Reminders
Last week of Term next week. We cannot believe it either! It has been such a fun filled term that time has flown by! A friendly reminder Week 9 is a 4 day week, with Thursday being the last day of Term 1, with a 2pm assembly and 2:30pm finish.
Hats - a friendly reminder that students are required to have their hats for any outdoor education or play. Thank you for helping your child build independence by remembering to pack their hat.
Shoes - please consider footwear choices as students who are unable to tie their shoelaces all falling in the playground - as they are yet to learn how to tie their own shoe laces - We value the safety of students, therefore ask you to consider alternative footwear if your child is still practising tying their shoelaces such as velcro shoes. We otherwise highly recommend teaching your child to practise tying their shoelaces. Click below for a friendly video for guidance.