Level Newsletters

Grade 1 News

📅 Important Dates & Reminders

All important dates and events are available on our Compass Calendar. Please check the calendar regularly to stay up to date.

Upcoming Dates and Key Information

🏊 Swimming Program- Every Thursday (Weeks 1–5)

 

Production Dates

• Tuesday 2nd September

• Wednesday 3rd September

 

Library

Please refer to the timetable below for your child’s library day. Ensure your child brings their library bag each week so they can borrow books.

 

Take-Home Folders

Please remember to send your child’s take-home folder to school every day.

Homework

For homework in Grade 1 the expectation is that students will read their take-home book to an adult each day. Every student will receive a new book from their classroom on a Monday. Students will need to return their previous book before receiving a new book. 

 

Here are some optional activities: 

Click Here 

Learning in Action

Literacy

Term 3 will be an exciting term full of learning. Below is an overview of our Literacy focus areas.

Literature

Students will explore our Sustainability Stories unit, which focuses on the following learning outcomes:

  • Discuss characters, settings, events and images
  • Make connections between texts and personal experiences
  • Develop understanding of both literal and inferred meanings
  • Compare how visual and audio elements contribute to meaning in texts
Word Work

Our Word Work program strengthens students’ letter-sound knowledge, supporting their ability to read and spell increasingly complex words. This term, students will explore:

  • Compound words
  • -ing
  • VCe words (e.g. bike, bake, flute, here, hope)
  • Multisyllabic short vowel words
  • -ed
  • ‘ai’ and ‘ay’
Sentence-Level Writing

Students will deepen their understanding of sentence structure and practise writing a range of sentence types for different purposes. Focus areas include:

  • Identifying and defining common nouns and pronouns
  • Combining two short sentences (e.g. Tim went to the park. Beth went to the park. → Tim and Beth went to the park.)
  • Identifying and using adverbs to expand simple sentences
  • Recognising and writing the four sentence types: statements, questions, commands and exclamations
Handwriting

Students have now learnt all letters of the alphabet. This term, they will revise each letter multiple times to improve letter formation and overall handwriting quality.

Knowledge-Rich Units

This term, students will engage in two Knowledge-Rich units.

Taking Care of the Earth

In this unit, students will learn the importance of being environmentally responsible. They will explore the three Rs of conservation: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Students will develop an understanding of Earth’s natural resources and how human actions impact the environment. Topics will include:

  • Land, water, and air pollution
  • The water cycle
  • How rubbish is managed from creation to landfill
  • Recycling and composting processes

Each lesson includes practical examples of how students can help care for the Earth.

Ancient Egypt

Students will begin by locating Egypt on a world map and identifying it as a country in northeast Africa. They will explore how Egypt’s location and the Nile River contributed to its development. Students will learn about:

  • Pharaohs and daily life in Ancient Egypt
  • The construction and purpose of the pyramids
  • The process and significance of mummification
  • Gods and goddesses such as Ra and Anubis
  • The writing system of hieroglyphics, including an opportunity to write their names using Egyptian symbols
  • Historical figures including Tutankhamun and Hatshepsut

This unit will help students understand how Ancient Egyptians lived, communicated and believed.

Mathematics

We have an engaging term of Maths learning planned, with a focus on building both conceptual understanding and practical application.

Measurement (Time and Duration)

Students will learn to sequence events throughout the day and across longer timeframes such as weeks, months, and years. They will also compare and order familiar activities based on how long they take.

 

Patterns

Students will investigate repeating and growing patterns using colours, shapes and numbers. They will practise skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s to identify, continue and create number patterns.

Sharing and Grouping

In this unit, students will explore equal sharing and grouping. They will:

  • Share collections equally
  • Make groups of 2, 5 and 10
  • Use skip counting to find totals
  • Work with arrays
  • Solve problems using grouping and sharing strategies

Wellbeing

Wellbeing this term will be taught through the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program. Students will explore the following topics:

Positive Coping

Students will reflect on their emotional responses and learn to express their feelings in ways that show awareness of others. They will practise strategies for managing emotions such as fear, frustration and anger, and discuss taking responsibility for their actions.

Gender Identity

Students will explore aspects of their identity including likes, dislikes and strengths. They will be supported to recognise and challenge negative gender norms and develop an appreciation for individual differences.

 

 

From the Grade 1 teachers, 

Ms Holmes, Miss Albanese, Mrs Reynolds and Mrs Ryan

 

Updates from around the school

Green Team News

Under the guidance of Mrs Stokol and Mrs Alexander, the Green Team met for the first time this week, and what a meeting it was! Across Years 3 to 5, we had nearly 50 excited and passionate students eager to do their part for the environment.

Whether it’s helping to keep the school free of rubbish, caring for and developing the gardens, or educating our community about sustainability, there was a real buzz in the air as students shared ideas and signed up for various roles.

A new initiative launched this term is the collection of 10c containers. Thanks to the special lunch day last term, we raised $21, a fantastic start! We’re now working to collect eligible containers daily to reduce landfill waste and turn recyclables into funds that will be reinvested into future Green Team projects.

Participation in the Green Team is inclusive and open to all. It’s not too late for your child to get involved; we’d love to have them on board!

 

 

Green Team Newsletter #2

The enthusiastic Green Team members from Years 3 to 6 continue to meet with Mrs Alexander and Mrs Stokol each Wednesday lunchtime. Meetings begin with a check-in on how the yard cleaning roster is going. Students report which areas are the cleanest, which need more attention, and share ideas for improvement.

Sustainability remains a key focus. Whether it’s managing waste, maintaining garden spaces, or spreading awareness, students have shown impressive initiative and creativity.

Our 10c container collection is going strong! We've raised over $30 in just a few weeks. Green Team members manage the collection bin outside the canteen on lunch order days, and also visit classrooms weekly to gather containers from specially labelled tubs. By collecting these items daily, we are preventing waste from going to landfill and turning it into cash to support our environmental efforts.

Be sure to check out the Sustainability Display in the gym over the coming weeks to see what we’ve been up to!

Did you know? You can support the Green Team by nominating Lysterfield Primary School (LPS) as your donation partner through Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme.

Download the app or visit:🔗 Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme | Learn How To Donate

 

    

 

It’s planting season, and what’s better than free plants? 

 

Help the Green Team — and Earn Free Plants!

Did you know that the Knox Environment Society (KES) offers free native plants as prizes through their Nature Discovery Passport program?

By playing an interactive game and collecting stamps at local reserves, participants can earn plant prizes, and what better way to use those plants than by donating them to our school for the Green Team to grow and maintain?

Explore one of the many beautiful reserves in Knox on the weekend, learn about your local ecology, collect stamps, and claim your prize. It’s a fun way to get outside, support the environment, and contribute to our school’s sustainability efforts.

And who says the fun is just for the kids? Families are welcome to join in too!

 

To learn more, visit:

🔗 Nature Discovery Passport – Knox Environment Society

🔗 Knox Environment Society Home Page

 

Thank you — every little bit helps!

 

Mrs Stokol and Mrs Alexander