Year 1

Dear Year 1 Families, 

A big welcome to our families for the 2025 academic year. We are looking forward to a fabulous year ahead and to ensure it runs smoothly, we have included a few things to help us start the year well.

Hats

As with government policies, it is a requirement for students to wear a hat when playing outside at recess and big play during Terms 1 and 4. Hats can be purchased at PSW if you do not have one. It is always helpful to have a spare hat in your child's bag at all times in case they need it, as we know some children do not enjoy having to stay in the Shelter Shed for all of their play times. 

We also highly encourage parents to clearly label everything (including lunch boxes, drink bottles, hats, jumpers etc) with your child’s name, so that we can return it to the correct person if it is misplaced. 

Allergies 

We have several children in Grade 1 who are allergic and anaphylactic to peanuts, prawns, eggs, dairy, cashews and chicken. Please be mindful if your child’s lunch contains these items and encourage them to remember to wash their hands after eating any of these food items. 

Parents and Literacy (PAL) Program

At Vermont Primary School, we value the important role parents play in supporting their child’s learning. Each year, we run the Parents and Literacy (PAL) Program to help families better understand how reading and writing are taught in the classroom and how they can provide support at home. Whether you want to support your child's literacy at home or assist as a parent helper in the classroom, this session will equip you with valuable insights and practical strategies.

During this session, we will:

-  Explain the methods we use to teach reading and writing and why we use them.

-  Provide insight into your child’s classroom reading and writing experiences.

-  Share practical strategies to help you support your child’s literacy development.

This year, our focus is on Foundation to Year 2, though parents of 4-year-old Kindergarten children and students in other year levels are also welcome.

Event Details:

📅 Date: Thursday, 27th February 2025

⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

📍 Location: Learning Centre, Vermont Primary School.

If you’d like to attend, please register your interest using the link below.https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=N7Ns2Ycaz0S2mzzsM0pMH6LALu7qwDtOoIth3C4RCERUQU9RQk9RUURLWUNDNVZXTzNDVTRNNzE5MC4u

Registrations close on Monday, 24th February 2025. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

John Hoskin on behalf of the VPS Literacy Professional Learning Team

Absences, Late Arrivals and Early Pick Ups

Please email your child’s teacher if you know of any days that your child will be away, arriving late or leaving early so we can notify the Office of their arrival or early departure. Your child must be signed in by an adult at the Office if arriving after 9am or leaving prior to 3.30pm. All absences need to be updated in Compass. 

Take Home Decodable Readers

Year 1 students have no set ‘homework’ to complete, however we highly recommend that they read every night to improve their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. 

The take home decodable readers are a very important partnership between home and school. They are changed every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and brought home for two nights. On the first night, we encourage parents to listen to their children read the story aloud. On the second night, we ask that you both read the story again and ask them questions about their book, to demonstrate their understanding of the events in the story. 

Your child will read aloud to their teacher throughout the term, to monitor, assess and develop strategies for the areas they need to focus on going forward. The readers which students take home are meant to be easier than what they read at school so they are able to continue enjoying reading at home. When reading easier texts, your child can focus on reading fluently so the story is easier to understand. Continue to read books your child enjoys, to foster their love of reading. 

 Tissues

As a level, we are promoting healthy hygiene habits and would appreciate all students bringing along a box of tissues to donate to their classroom. Your help to keep our classroom healthy and clean is greatly appreciated. A big thank you to all of the students who have already brought in a box.

Library Bags

Library bags are essential for students to borrow books from the library. These are separate from the blue reader cover folder and are required weekly on their scheduled library day. Please encourage your child to be responsible for their own library bag/book, by packing it on the day of their Library session occurs. 

Year 1 children will borrow a new book after returning their old book. 

The Library days for the Grade 1 classes are:

1CQ - Monday

1NL – Wednesday

1MF – Friday 

1NF – Friday

Art Smocks

Please check with your child if they currently have their art smock at school. The smock will protect your little artist's clothes from paint and other stains. 

If your child has grown over the holidays and a new one is needed, the Art teachers recommend buying one with a thicker plastic front and not cloth smocks as they often use water in Art classes and it will go through onto their uniform. 

Toys

In Year 1, your child is allowed to bring smaller sized toys to play with at school, however we have a few guidelines in place to ensure it is a positive experience. 

1. Toys must fit into school bags as there is no space in the hallways to store bigger toys. 
2. Students are responsible for their own belongings and they are not to come into the classroom. 
3. If possible, please put your child’s name on the toy and maybe take a photo of the item in case it is lost or broken. 
4. If the toy is lost or broken, we can only help so much. This is a chance for your child to be responsible for their toys and practise resilience if something goes wrong. 
5. Please do not allow your child to bring something precious or expensive to school for the same reasons above. 
6. No electronic toys please (this includes any toys requiring batteries or recharging, including smart watches). 

 Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent teacher interviews will be open for booking in Compass in the next few weeks. Please keep an eye out for an update from the Principals. 

Healthy lunches

Try planning a healthy lunch box for your child to start the school year. Talk to your child and discuss what they would be happy to have included. Involving children in the planning and preparing phases, gives them the opportunity to learn about healthy eating, and also gives them a chance to make autonomous decisions about what they will be eating during the day. 

Some tips to help get your children involved include:

• Talk to your children about what they would like to have in their lunchbox. Discuss healthier food choices and decide what will be in the lunchbox together.
• Write a shopping list together. Take your children shopping with you and let them choose foods from the shopping list.
• Encourage your children help prepare their lunchboxes. Older children may be able to prepare most of their lunch themselves, and younger children can help with making sandwiches or cutting up soft fruit. It is a good idea to prepare lunchboxes the evening before to allow children to participate.

Save the date!