Year 1/2

Year 1/2 Cluster News

Communication with Teachers  

Please contact us via email or phone. On Toddle, we can see there is a notification but we can’t access the messages. If your child is absent, has an appointment or you plan a holiday, please notify the teacher and the office@goldengrove.sa.edu.au   

 

Take Home Books 

Decodable and interest books are now being sent home in the clear plastic envelope. The note on Toddle explains the use of interest books.  

The Parent Note, which has comprehension questions, and Strategy Bookmark should also remain in the envelope. 

Your child will need the clear plastic envelope at school in order to take books home. Interest books can be changed any day. We will remind students on Mondays. 

Reading – We encourage approximately 10-15 minutes each night.  

Home Inquiry 

Year 1 and Year 2: What patterns can you find around your house? How could you describe these patterns? Take some photos and bring them in to share. 

 

Mental Computation ideas 

Fact families and part-part whole: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK3FKEZJKec 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G05AgnEGmgw  

 

 

Learning for Week 4:   

Literacy:  

Reader’s Workshop mini lessons: we will begin exploring strategies for reading non-fiction texts. 

 

Writer’s Workshop mini lessons: we will begin learning about how to write information books. 

 

Spelling  

Each week there is a focus ‘sound of the week’. Students are introduced to groups of words which use the spelling patterns and revise the alternative spellings of vowel sounds. 

 

The sound of the week is not intended to be a spelling list for you to teach your child at home. It is for you to be aware of what we are teaching at school and you are welcome to use the sound as a starting point for your child to share what they are learning. 

 

Week 5:  

Year 1: double letters ‘ss’ and ‘zz’ e.g. fuss, buzz 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G0G-CEVXis 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=036uprV52rE 

 

Year 2: ‘ph’ for /f/ e.g. phone, elephant 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohvKALNtPMk 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Keu6eiptc 

  

 

Grammar Focus 

Year 1 and Year 2: Verbs 

 

Mathematics: We will begin investigating repeating (Y1) and growing (Y2) patterns. 

 

Unit of Inquiry: Sharing the Planet 

Central Idea: People live in and interact with the natural world. 

Line of Inquiry 1: patterns in the natural world 

Line of Inquiry 2: the impact of people’s actions on living things (Year 1) 

Line of Inquiry 3: the impact of the natural world on our choices 

Line of Inquiry 4: how Indigenous Australians interact with the natural world 

 

Year 1 students make connections between the needs of all living things.  

Year 2 students look at the phases of the moon and star constellations. 

 

Christian Studies: Christian Beliefs 

Key Idea: Students explore and describe what it means to live in and care for the world (linked to Unit of Inquiry: Sharing the Planet). 

 

Students consider their responsibilities as caretakers of our world, including land, animals, each other and ourselves. 

 

Reminders 

Each day students need to bring the following. Please label everything.  

  • Take Home Bags which are also for Library borrowing. 
  • water bottles 
  • a fruit/veg snack 
  • recess 
  • lunch – ‘nude’ food (no wrappers), leave chocolates or lollies for home 
  • hats and sunscreen are not needed 

 

Volunteers 

During the year we have excursions, a Year 1 Sleepover and a Year 2 Camp. We are planning excursions this term. If you would like to put in an expression of interest, please ensure you are a registered volunteer. 

 

This involves having the following up to date: 

Working With Children Check (WWCC)  

Responding to Abuse, Harm and Neglect training (RRHAN-EC)  

Valuing Safe Communities (VSC) training 

https://www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au/parent-portal/volunteering/  

 

Library Borrowing  

The whole class goes to the library on Wednesdays (Year 1/2Z) and Thursdays (Year 1/2AK). A reminder that individual students can borrow books on other days during the week if they would like new books before the class borrowing day. 

 

 

May God bless your week, 

Melanie and Ellen  

 

Melanie Arnold arnold.melanie@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Tim Kriewaldt kriewaldt.tim@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

Ellen Zimmer zimmer.ellen@goldengrove.sa.edu.au