Prep Term 4 Overview

Prep 2025 Term Four Overview

Welcome to Term 4

Thank you all for your wonderful support last term and for the way you continue to encourage your child’s learning. One of my favourite memories from Term 3 was seeing such an amazing turnout for our Inquiry Expo, where the students proudly presented their learning. There is something truly magical about watching children’s eyes light up as they share what they have created. For those who weren’t able to attend, please know that every child had the opportunity to present their work to a teacher, a senior buddy, or another visiting parent.

It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the final term of the year — your children are almost ready for Grade 1! This term, we’ll be focusing on strengthening the independence they’ve developed throughout the year and supporting their smooth transition into the wider school community.

As the weather warms up, please ensure your child arrives at school wearing sunscreen each morning. We don’t always have time to apply it at school. Don’t forget hats are also essential for outdoor play — if a child does not have their hat, they will need to remain in the shaded area, as spare hats are not available.

Some big events around the school happen in Term 4. The Junior classes will attend swimming lessons at Nunawading Aqualink Leisure centre from Wednesday, 5 November to Tuesday 18 November. There will be no swimming on Friday, 14 November, due to a school closure day and there is no swimming program on Monday 17 November. I will send further information on what your child will need and how the program is run, closer to the time. 

Thank you again for your continued support. It’s going to be a wonderful Term 4!

Important Dates:

OCTOBER

• 16 Thursday - Whole School P-6 Dance Curriculum Workshop

• 21 Tuesday - Prep Class Mass 10am

• 27 Monday - Prep Assembly

NOVEMBER 

• 3 Monday - School Closure Day

• 4 Tuesday - School Closure Day - Melbourne Cup

• 5-7 Wednesday - Friday - P-2 Swimming Program

• 10-13 Monday - Thursday - P-2 Swimming Program continues

• 14 Friday - School Closure Day (Teacher Professional Learning)

• 15 Saturday - St John’s School Fete

• 17 Monday - NO P-2 Swimming (students come in usual uniform)

• 18 Tuesday - Final P-2 Swimming Program

• 30 Sunday - Prep 2026 Welcome Mass - Prep 2025 parents please bring a plate for morning tea to welcome the new families in the Narthex

DECEMBER 

• 1 Monday - Whole School Week 1 Advent Liturgy

• 4 Thursday - Whole School Christmas Carols & Prep Nativity Concert 7-8pm

• 8 Monday - Whole School Week 2 Advent Liturgy

• 9 Tuesday - Whole School P-6 Mini Missions Market

• 12 Friday - Whole School Week 3 Advent Liturgy

• 15 Monday - Whole School Picnic Holiday Park

• 15 Monday - Whole School Thanksgiving Mass - St John’s Church - 6pm

• 16 Tuesday - Whole School Assembly & Last Day of Term 4 (free dress day) - Students finish early

Religious Education

This term in Religious Education, Prep students will begin to understand how we can care, share, show fairness and compassion in our daily lives, following the example of Jesus. We will explore the story of the Good Samaritan, helping students see what it means to be a disciple by showing kindness and helping others. Additionally, students will be introduced to the meaning of Advent in the Church, focusing on its symbols, colours and key objects such as the wreath and candles, to understand the difference between Advent as a season of preparation and Christmas as a celebration of Jesus birth.

Inquiry

In Inquiry, Prep students will focus on Design and Technology, exploring the question: “How can our design solutions encourage others to make better choices for our community and environment?” Students will be introduced to the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle, and learn how rubbish can impact the community and environment. They will begin following a design process to investigate ways food can be selected and prepared for healthy eating. Students will also explore different materials, learning about their characteristics and properties and consider which materials are environmentally friendly. They will then use this knowledge to design sustainable packaging that keeps food fresh, secure and safe to transport.

Literacy

Seeing students’ growth and confidence in reading and writing this term has been very rewarding. We will continue to support this through reading group rotations, which allow focused time with each student in small groups or 1:1 to work on their individual needs, practise reading goals such as segmenting and representing CCVC and CVCC words (e.g., consonant digraphs and blends like sh-o-p or b-e-s-t), retelling stories using “Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?”, and continuing to practise high-frequency words (heart words) for fluency, monitor understanding when reading, and use strategies to self-correct, helping them progress toward learning goals in preparation for next year. 

Students will practise handwriting using dotted thirds and the sky, grass, ground method, and construct sentences that include a noun and adjective to share ideas and add detail. Our literacy learning this term will explore a range of genres, including informative texts on Australian animals inspired by Wombat Stew, persuasive writing with Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and imaginative texts using The Gruffalo. Please continue to read and practise the weekly words with your child at home.

Mathematics

This term in Mathematics, Prep students will build on the concepts they have already learned by exploring various materials and through hands-on activities. As part of our focus on Data, we will use the Melbourne Cup as a visual and engaging way to practise counting, sorting and graphing. Students will also explore 

• location
• measurement
•  counting and 
• place value
• sequencing

They will connect new learning with prior knowledge to develop confidence and practical problem-solving skills.

Social & Emotional Learning

Implementing the Resilience Project program at St John’s this year has been a wonderful way for our Foundation students to begin their schooling journey, giving them the tools and support to understand their feelings and build positive relationships. This term, students will learn to notice and name their emotions and use simple strategies to help themselves in real time. Through fun videos, acting and picture story books, they’ll explore how body language and facial expressions can show how someone is feeling on the inside. We’ll also be practising empathy and kindness towards others, expressing gratitude for the things we have, and exploring what it means to feel calm and balanced through stories and movement activities.

STEM

Our focus in STEM this term is on materials and their properties. Students will explore how objects are made from different materials and investigate the unique properties of each, such as hardness, flexibility, texture and absorbency. Through hands-on experiments, students will explore the essential question “How do the properties of materials help us choose and combine them to make useful objects?” By the end of this unit, students will identify and classify materials, combine materials, design and evaluate objects, based on suitability of the materials used. 

Digital Technology

This term in Digital Technologies, students will begin to develop their confidence and independence when using computers and chromebooks. They will learn how to log on using their own details and explore a range of educational websites and games safely, getting ready to use them confidently in Grade 1. Students will also identify and explore different digital systems, including hardware and software components and recognise the devices they interact with at home and school — such as smartphones, laptops and programmable toys. They will practise naming and using these devices for a purpose, for example, using a touchpad to move the cursor on a laptop or using a keyboard to type simple details like their login.

Students will learn to name their personal information and understand why it’s important to protect it online. As part of our data unit, they will collect, explore and sort information, using pictures, symbols and diagrams to represent what they discover.

This term’s Inform & Empower live stream and activities will focus on screen time and agency. We will be exploring comfortable vs. uncomfortable feelings and learning strategies to help students navigate tricky or unsafe situations online. The usual parent information sheet will be uploaded via Seesaw in the coming weeks. Staying informed through these resources is powerful, as it supports you in guiding your child through an ever-changing digital world.

Specialist Timetable

As always, please reach out with either an email, chat before/ after school or phone call if you have any questions or concerns in regards to your child's learning. 

With faith and love,

Cara Woolley

Prep Teacher

cwoolley@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au