Prep

English

Reading

In Reading this term, the Prep students explored the theme of the farm through a range of rich fiction and non-fiction texts. Students learned about farm life, animals, and farming practices by engaging with stories, informative texts, and hands-on experiences. As part of this unit, students also visited Animal Land, which brought their learning to life and allowed them to make deeper connections to the texts they had been reading.

Throughout the term, students investigated the features of both fiction and non-fiction texts. They explored characters, settings and imaginative events in farm-themed stories such as Bella lost her moo, Fergus’s Secret,Little Goat’s Coat ,as well as facts and important information in non-fiction texts about farms and animals. Students applied comprehension strategies such as predicting, connecting, visualising, sequencing and retelling to understand and discuss the texts they listened to, viewed or read.

Students continued to develop their reading skills by learning and practising high-frequency words and CVC words. These words supported students to read with confidence and to use additional strategies—such as using initial sounds or looking closely at pictures—to decode new or challenging words. Students engaged with these skills through phonics lessons, independent reading  and small-group activities.

Writing 

In Writing, the Prep students continued their work on writing about a recount of an experience that has happened, utilising the elements of who, what, when and where. The students also learned how to write a narrative, with a focus on retelling narratives that they have been exposed to during reading. They used these skills to develop and write their own narratives, including a beginning, middle and end.Students also practiced decoding a sentence as a shared writing experience and then students wrote their own decodable sentence. For example: The bug can jump up on the log. 

Mathematics

This term in mathematics, the students learnt that addition means combining two or more groups of objects or numbers.They used strategies such as counting  teddies or unifix, and drawing pictures to show the addition problem.Students learnt to  take away some objects from a group to model subtraction and then record this by drawing it. Students also learnt about the concept of  Capacity, which involved comparing objects that were heavier and lighter. In addition, students learned how to create data and interpret the data.They asked yes or no questions to make their own graphs and completed pictographs on various subjects. 

Inquiry

This term prep students complete an inquiry unit called ‘My Place’. Through creative and critical thinking, students discovered that people care for places that are important to them. Through questioning and exploring the students answered questions such as: What makes a place special? And how can we look after our classroom/bedroom/home? The students explored places that are special to them, and discussed how they can take care of those places and why we should take care of them.

Science 

During term 4, the Prep students have been exploring materials and their observable properties.  Students have identified and sorted a variety of objects and materials based on one or more of their properties, such as a book is smooth and flat, a texta is light and small, and a chair is rough and heavy.  Students carried out experiments to investigate the effects of water and sun on different materials to help them decide which material would be best for a rainy day, such as waterproof materials, and which materials offer shade for a sunny day, such as thick cotton materials.  Students have investigated materials found around the school, such as brick, wood and metal and have investigated why certain materials are used for certain purposes, such as bricks are used for buildings as they are strong. 

Well done, Prep students, on a wonderful first year of Science!

Fantastic work and efforts Preps!

LOTE 

During Auslan Term 4, the Grade Preps focused on the following topics:

People, Sports, Mealtimes, Time, Occupations, Seasons, Handshapes #2, Storytelling and Celebrations. In the final lesson they saw interviews with Deaf people discussing their deafness, family, early life (Deaf Culture) etc and also revisited games and lessons that the students enjoyed through the term.

Other core elements of Auslan, such as Constructed Action (mime) and Depicting Signs (representing people, animals and vehicles), Handshapes, Fingerspelling and Facial Expression, were taught and modelled, showing how they are essential parts of Auslan communication.

This final term for the year built on previous skills and extended student communication in Auslan. Learning a language requires immersion, repetition, sequential learning where topics build on each other to expand the learner’s knowledge, confidence, and comfort with the new language. With young Primary School students, fun activities practising new learning was a priority, as their interest in the Auslan language developed. Songs and poems supported the activities and learning. Well done Grade Preps on a wonderful year of learning Auslan! 

Art

What a great final term we have had in Prep Art. This term, the Preps explored the element of texture in their artworks. They combined this element with the other elements we have explored during the year. They also made mixed media artworks using a combination of different materials. These creations focused on using and refining a range of skills which have been covered in previous terms. Art activities involved lots of experimentation, discussion and play as we explored wonderful creative possibilities. It has been a joy to watch the growth and development in the knowledge and skills of the Preps. The creativity they have displayed has been amazing and truly inspiring. Thank you Preps, for a wonderful year in Art!

P.E

This term our Prep students finished the year by building on their fundamental motor skills. They took part in lots of fun games and activities that helped them practise dodging, throwing and kicking. It was great to see their confidence grow as they used these skills in different situations and worked together during each lesson. The students showed enthusiasm, energy and a real love of being active. I am so proud of how much they have progressed throughout their first year of PE and I cannot wait to see them continue to grow next year. Well done, Preps!

Music

This term prep students learnt to play a beat in time using body percussion and instruments. They listened to different styles of music such as jazz, pop and

and classical including talking about their favourite genres. Grade Prep Students used body movements (crouching and standing tall with arms up high) to identify when pitch was high or low. They sang various songs such as ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, ‘Count on Me’ by Bruno Mars, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’. Students matched the pitch in these songs with their singing voices. They also clapped, sang and played the rhythms that they heard.