Year 1/2

Year 1/2 Cluster News 

Church and School Fete 

The School and Church Fete is this Sunday 19th October from 10:30am – 3pm. If you can make it, the fete is always a great day celebrating the partnership between our school and church. More info can be found here https://www.gglc.org.au/church/index.php/fete 

 Year 1 Sleepover Friday 24th October  

We are looking forward to the Year 1 Sleepover next week at school from 5pm on Friday to 8am on Saturday.  

We would like to have one more male volunteer to stay overnight and a few helpers to serve dinner and cleaning up to stay until about 7pm if possible. Please let your class teacher know if you have volunteer status and can assist. Thank you. 

Sharing and Home Inquiry 

In Week 3, Term 4, students will present a 5 minute (maximum) talk about a celebration in your family (for example, birth or naming of a child, Baptism, Diwali, Christmas or birthday). We ask for one photograph to be emailed to us. If there is more than one photograph, they need to be put into a PowerPoint presentation or similar format, or printed and put on a poster. 

The focus is how people celebrate events e.g. cultural or religious celebrations. 

Some questions to consider:  

What is the purpose of the celebration? 

What traditions/activities are part of the celebration? 

Who is involved in the celebration? 

Anything else you would like to share about the origins of the celebration. 

We also welcome family members to come in and talk to the class about a celebration. 

We look forward to hearing about the celebrations in our class community! 

Reading 

Decodable/interest/library books etc every night for 10-15 minutes.  

Weekly Timetable – 1/2 Classes 

Learning for Week 2 and 3 

Word Study (previously Jolly Spelling):  

Week 2 Revision 

Year 1 oy e.g. enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aodJQr-WJLk 

Year 2 si for /sh/ and /zh/ e.g. occasion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgPzeae4jkI  

Week 3  

Year 1 oi e.g. boiling https://youtu.be/Z-0wWdE-Ezg?si=7qxWe4O9sBbaDXgz  

Year 2 are e.g. square https://youtu.be/Jlq_TCgF-Dw?si=45LR6aTg-Ffib8Z1  

Grammar Focus  

Year 1: plural ‘es’ e.g. brushes, antonyms e.g. tall/short 

Year 2: contractions e.g. can not = can’t, prepositions e.g. over/under 

Writer’s Workshop: Students write scientific reports, which links to our Unit of Inquiry. 

Reader’s Workshop: Students make connections with texts e.g. The character learnt that friendship is more important than winning and I think that friendship is better than winning. 

Mathematics:  

Students will revisit strategies for addition and subtraction, using skip counting for Year 1s and money for Year 2s. 

Time:  

Year 1 focus is duration i.e. how long it takes to do different things like have breakfast, go on a drive to Melbourne using words such as days, weeks, months, years.  

https://youtu.be/SdpSgBj4Fog?si=dUBgUUxsFemtHWLh  

Year 2 focus is telling the time with  

o’clock https://youtu.be/xdR7s8mwyp8?si=32olTN1zNkqH3eRY  

quarter past https://youtu.be/XvrPpRMsQm4?si=hRI-_1SxVpY2qo9k  

half past https://youtu.be/9p_Ca_Yb0zQ?si=MkojY7eXkmQFGB_n 

quarter to https://youtu.be/HKZOGR1pz1I?si=E5aOUGAkF6KTJ_eY 

Unit of Inquiry: Where we are in place and time  

We begin this unit by looking at the mural in the courtyard and comparing it with what our community looks like now. 

Christian Studies:  

Christianity in the World: Religious beliefs and ideas shape people’s thinking and actions. 

What do people to do celebrate? How do celebrations bring people together? Students inquire into the similarities between a range of celebrations. 

Other Reminders 

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

• hats – these remain in the classroom for the term. 

• sunscreen is generally not applied at school during Terms 2 and 3. 

• Take Home Bags, which are also for Library borrowing. 

• a water bottle 

• a fruit snack 

• recess 

• lunch 

Items from home/Canteen money 

Students do not bring items from home unless this has been a discussion between parents and teachers.  

Students may bring one named ball to play with at break times, however, please ensure it is not a special item in case of loss or damage.  

We have also reminded students that the money they have for the canteen is for their own or sibling purchases and not to buy food for their friends. 

Shoelaces 

Please make sure your child can do up laces themselves if they have shoes with laces. Another option is shoes with Velcro until they learn this skill. 

Bag Tags 

It is useful for students to have a bag tag to identify their bag. Please only put one bag tag on and make sure it is not a special one that will be missed if it is lost as we are not able to monitor this. 

Lunch Boxes 

Please pack a substantial lunch rather than lots of recess snacks and put an ice pack in on hot days as the lunches remain in school bags outside. We also ask that you send in ‘nude food’ which does not include wrappers. 

Library Borrowing  

Both classes visit the Library on Tuesdays to borrow 2 books for 2 weeks. 

Take Home books 

Each week students take home 2-3 interest books to read at home. A letter has been sent home explaining the process. During the week, we listen to children who are reading decodable books and change these over. 

Toddle 

We post important information reminders, student learning, photos/videos and assessments on this platform. Please contact the office if you are not connected. 

Volunteers 

During the year we have excursions, a Year 1 Sleepover and a Year 2 Camp.  

If you are interested in volunteering, there a few things you must have up to date to be able to come along or to help in the classroom. Please do not volunteer unless you have these already. Contact the office if you have any questions. 

• 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/  

May God bless your week, 

Melanie Arnold and Ellen Zimmer 

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

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

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