Spotlight on Learning

Dear Families,

Another fantastic week has flown by in Foundation! Students have been busy exploring new learning, building on their skills, and challenging themselves to do their very best. It has been wonderful to see their confidence continue to grow as they work together, celebrate their achievements, and enjoy learning each day.

Learning for the week ahead

Religious Education:

In Religious Education, students will learn about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and why she is an important person in our faith. They will discover how Mary showed her love and trust in God and learn that she is with God in Heaven. Students will also explore how they can follow Mary's example by showing love, kindness, and care for others in their everyday lives.

English:

In English, we will be reading 'The Smeds and the Smoos' by Julia Donaldson. It is a fun story about two families who are very different. The Smeds are red and the Smoos are blue, and they are told not to be friends. When a young Smed and a young Smoo become friends and go on an adventure together, their families learn that kindness, friendship and love are more important than differences. We will use this story to talk about accepting others, celebrating our differences, and treating everyone with respect.

If you would like to read the story with your child, please follow the link below.

Mathematics:

In Mathematics, students students will explore grouping and sharing through hands-on activities. They will practise making equal groups, sharing collections fairly, and using everyday objects to build their understanding of these important early maths concepts.

Integrated Curriculum: 

This term, our Integrated learning will focus on The Arts.

Next week, students will explore how colours, sounds, and rhythms can express different feelings and moods. Through Media Arts and Music, they will investigate how "warm" and "cool" colours create meaning, photograph objects to communicate emotions, and work together to create and perform simple rhythms that match different moods.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL):

In SEL, students will explore their own strengths and recognise the strengths of others. They will also practise using gentle hands and kind actions, learning how these help create a safe, caring, and respectful classroom community.

Auslan:

Next week in Auslan, students will practice the following signs:

Close the door

Close the book

Play guitar

How do you sign?

I forgot the sign

Do you have?

I don't have?

What you can do at home

• Reading together at home is one of the best ways to support your child's learning. Enjoy this week's focus book by reading it together or listening to a read-aloud online (many can be found on YouTube).
• While reading, you could:
• Discuss the main events and important messages in the story.
• Ask your child to retell the story in their own words.
• Talk about the characters, the setting and what happens throughout the book.
• Look for words that begin with our focus sound/s.
• Encourage your child to think deeply by asking questions such as:
  • Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?
  • I wonder why...
  • What makes you think that?
  • Can you show me where it says...?
  • What do you think will happen next?
  • That didn't make sense to me. Let's read it again.
• You can also support your child's learning by:
• Practising correct letter formation and handwriting.
• Bringing our Mathematics learning into everyday life.
• Look for other opportunities to talk about maths during your daily routines. Example of this could be:
  • Count everyday objects, such as toys, fruit, stairs or cars.
  • Look for numbers on houses, letterboxes, clocks and number plates.
  • Talk about shapes you can see around your home or neighbourhood.
  • Compare quantities, such as "Who has more grapes?" or "Which pile has fewer?"
  • Use maths language like more, less, bigger, smaller, before, after, next to, behind and between.
  • Involve your child in cooking, asking them to count, measure or estimate ingredients.
  • Play simple board games or card games that involve counting, matching or recognising numbers.
  • Practise number stories using everyday objects, for example, "There were 8 strawberries. We ate 3. How many are left?"
  • Ask questions while shopping, such as "Can you find 5 apples?" or "Which item costs more?"
  • Notice patterns on clothing, wrapping paper, tiles or fences and encourage your child to continue the pattern.

Important Reminders:

• Fidget Toys

  We kindly ask that students do not bring fidget toys to school unless their use is a planned adjustment in consultation with Allied Health Professionals. Students who bring fidget toys without an approved adjustment will be asked to place them in their school bag for the remainder of the day to take home. We appreciate your support in encouraging your child to leave fidget toys at home.

• Tuesday 11th August - Make up Photo Day: for students who were absent 
• Monday 24th August - Book week dress up day and Parade

• Thursday 17th September - Last day of Term 3
• Monday 5th October - First day of Term 4

You may have noticed the beautiful new garden bed beside the Bethlehem Building.

A semicircle of murnong, also known as yam daisies, is beginning to grow. Murnong is an Indigenous plant that is native to our local area on Bunurong and Boon Wurrung Country. The FIRE Carrier Team will continue adding seeds and caring for the garden. As a school community, we will be able to watch these important plants grow and develop over time.Planting species that belong naturally in our local environment is one way we can care for and help heal Country. The plants we are beginning with grew across this area for thousands of years before European settlement.

Students are encouraged to participate in the Premier's Reading Challenge.

Stickers with usernames and passwords have been placed on the back of the Little Learners Love Literacy tag on your child’s reader pouch. A bookmark containing a QR code linking directly to the challenge website has also been placed inside your child’s reader pouch.

The Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge concludes on Friday, 4 September 2026. Students must complete their reading and have all of their books logged online before this date to finish the challenge.

Alternatively, families can access the website using the link below:

• Please ensure that you are labelling your child's belongings.

• Can we please ask for a pair of socks and underwear to be placed in the front zip pocket of your child's school bag in case of a toileting accident.

Enjoy your weekend,

The Galilee Team

Contact Us @ Galilee

galilee@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au  (all teachers) or