Prep Report

What an awesome term in Prep! Our students have grown so much, both in confidence and in knowledge. We love seeing their smiles each and every day as they come in the door, despite all of the freezing cold and rain we have had! Check out some of our learning we have done in Term 2 below...

READING + WRITING

This term we have delved deeper into our learning of our letters and sounds. We have nearly explored every letter of the alphabet now...only a few left to go! We know what each of the letters look like, the sounds that they make and have begun to read and write using our new knowledge... /c/ /a/ /t/ = cat. 

We have also introduced a new Oxford Word program this term. In your child's red folder you will have noticed that they have a new display book with Coloured Words, Certificates, and Letter and Sound practise pages. The teachers will continue to assess your child's knowledge of their Oxford Words on a FRIDAY. In alternate weeks, we now have a mini prep assembly where we present certificates based on student achievement of each of the Coloured Words and their Letters and Sounds. Please continue to practise reading and writing your oxford words at home. 

Ideas to make learning your Oxford Words more fun...

• make 2x flashcards to play Memory 
• create puzzles by writing the words on a piece of paper and cutting up the individual letters to put back together
• put each word into a sentence, either verbally or written. For example: "the" "said" "can" "I"... The rabbit said, "I can jump!"
• As you read your take home readers, choose 1-2 words to find each night in your books

This term, we have also begun to learn some reading strategies that help us develop our reading fluency and comprehension. We have learnt to look at the picture cues, get our mouths ready by looking and listening to the first sound in an unknown word, and how to sound out unknown words. 

Our favourite experience was making Cloud Dough for the Letter Cc!

MATHS

During Term Two we have been busy making, naming and recording numbers to 10. We have developed our understanding of the numbers to 10 through fluency games and songs, as well as using concrete materials such as linking cubes and counters to model the numbers also. We have worked hard to improve our number fluency and we have participated in activities relating to; one more/one less, trusting the count, subitising and showing numbers in different ways. 

This term we have also learnt about Measurement. We can identify objects as 'long' or 'short' and we can discuss how 'light' or 'heavy' something is. We had a great time using the balance scales to measure the mass of various items and we looked at the difference between the length of two objects using Unifix blocks. 

In addition to our focus on counting and measurement, we have also taken part in lessons relating to Data collection. We asked simple yes/no questions and organised our answers into simple displays and graphs. Lastly we discussed our findings. 

Look how we used the Unifix to help us measure the length of different objects!

INQUIRY

As part of our Me, Myself, and I inquiry unit, we have focused on who can help us at home, at school, and in our community. We have learnt about ourselves, what we might want to be when we grow up, how to keep ourselves and our families safe, and who we can ask for help when we are lost, sick, or hurt. We have had many hands on and interactive experiences with different members of our local Roxburgh Park and Craigieburn communities: Police, Firefighters, RACV, Military, Doctors and Nurses, Dentists. 

SEL

As part of our Social and Emotional Learning this term, we have expanded on our knowledge of emotions, how to resolve conflicts and how to support our friends when they are upset, hurt, or do not know how to complete a task. It has been so wonderful to see each student using a growth mindset when they are learning a new skill. The preps are able to give each new activity a go, choosing not to give up as well as helping their friends during their independent work time. 

CANTEEN

The canteen is open for all year levels, however we highly encourage parents of prep students to be mindful about giving their child money to spend freely. We have noticed an increase in the amount of money students are bringing (sometimes $10 or $50 notes) as well as money getting lost as they like to play with it before spending it. We recommended either putting in a lunch order (this can be either a whole meal or just a snack) so that the food can be sent directly to the classroom at lunchtime. If you do send them with spare money please no more than a $2 coin. As part of our healthy eating learning we encourage families to also talk to their children about what types of foods they are buying at the canteen. There are many students who are buying 2 or 3 treat foods and eating these on top of what they had for lunch/recess snack. If you do have any questions regarding the canteen please talk with your child’s teacher for more information. 

REMINDERS

• School starts at 8:50am. Please arrive no later than 8:45am to allow your child to settle in before our day starts. 
• Red folders are to be taken to and from school every day. Please read at least 1 book a night and record this in their diaries. Please also practise your oxford words and letters and sounds using the display book in your red folders. Note: Diaries are checked and words are assessed on Fridays. New books are sent home on Mondays. 
• Please pack a healthy lunch and a bottle of water every day. Ensure your child has at least 1 piece of fruit and at least 1 vegetable in their lunch box and a meal such as a sandwich, pasta, wrap, fried rice, or savoury muffins. We encourage you to limit any packaged/processed foods as these do not fill up your child or give them the nutrients necessary for learning. 
• It is very cold, please ensure your child comes to school with a labelled coat everyday. If sending gloves, hats, or scarves please ensure these are labelled too.