Prep News 

English

Reading 

Prep students will learn about the expectations for reading lessons during the first four weeks.  During this time, students will discuss and learn how good readers choose and care for books to help build and strengthen a motivation and passion for reading. Students will collaboratively develop a classroom library based on their interests and categorise books into sections. Students will learn about the expectations of take home reading and what to expect during our reading blocks, engaging in shared reading, read aloud, conferencing and buddy reading. Throughout the first term, students will focus on previewing texts and making predictions about what they think will happen in books.

Writing 

During the first twenty days of writing, students will engage in language and shared writing experiences, developing their oral language and understanding that writing is a method to communicate a message. They will begin a ‘Sounds Write’ program focusing on matching sounds to letters and forming 3 letter CVC words. Students will explore what good writes do and  learn about the structure of our writing lessons, writing expectations and the writing process through think, talk, sketch and write. Students will also learn about our writing centre and the different materials available, which they can use after completing literacy tasks and during developmental play.

Once the first twenty days are completed and the Prep students are familiar with the writing routine and expectations, we will engage in a retell/recount unit of work. During this unit, students will learn how to share a recount of an experience or story they have been read.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, prep students will be engaged in the 100 days of school routine. This will include keeping track of each school day until students have been at school for 100 days. Some ways of tracking the days include, using a 100 chart, counting icy pole sticks, marking a blank 100s frame, marking a calendar and counting unifix blocks.

Students will explore what good mathematicians do, understand the structure of the maths lesson and explore the materials on the maths trolley and how to use them to help them learn. Throughout the term, students will learn about pattern, shape and counting. With pattern, students will explore how to sort objects by different elements such as shape, colour or size, as well as learn how to make, copy, continue and explain which part of the pattern is repeated. With shape, students will identify simple shapes and sort them. With counting, students will learn how to count each object once, know that numbers are said in a particular order and practice counting forwards and backwards to and from 20.

Inquiry

Students will undertake learning centred around how to be a successful learner and the skills, routines and expectations needed. They will become familiar with the routines and will contribute to establishing a collaborative learning environment in which they will learn different strategies to assist with learning and support them to make positive choices.

Science

Welcome to all our Prep students! I am looking forward to seeing all the Preps in our weekly Science session.  This term Prep students will be focusing on the Biological Science strand.  Students will be looking at the needs of humans and animals and identifying that both humans and animals need food, water, shelter and sleep to survive. Students will learn what plants need in order to survive and will have the opportunity to observe growing their own seed.  Students will learn about their five senses – see, smell, hear, taste, touch – and will use them to explore familiar objects.  Throughout the term, students will be involved in many interesting activities, along with some hands-on experiments, which will provide them with a great introduction to Biological Science. This is an exciting term in Prep Science!

LOTE - Chinese

During Term 1 in Chinese, Prep will learn about Chinese New Year in first two weeks’ time and then make Chinese lanterns in the classroom. The topic for this term is Chinese Festivals and their food. Students will explored 4 main festivals in China and their related food in English and Chinese. Also they have good knowledge of Chinese zodiac especially 4 animal signs relate to their birth years. 

Art

It is an exciting time for our preps as they start their journey at school. This term in Art we will be focused on learning all about each other, creating a portrait and a book about ourselves to get to know one another. We will also be learning about colours; the primary colours red, yellow and blue and how to make other colours by mixing the primary colours together. It will be a fun time to learn about some great artists to help us with our artworks that we will be creating in the coming weeks.

P.E 

For Term One the prep students will begin their journey in Physical Education which will include the development of their fine and gross motor skills across a range of different activities. During this term our students will be introduced to the expectations of the different spaces that we will use during lessons, how to be respectful and safe in these spaces and how to engage in each lesson. We will play individual games and whole class games to begin to learn about the body and how it moves. The students will also learn how to control their movements and respond to different cues like music or teacher voice. The fundamental motor and movement skills will be consistently worked on which include running, jumping, hopping, skipping, leaping, and dodging. The aim at the conclusion of this term is that our students will be able to work with others in a team setting, follow rules and understand the expectations for Physical Education lessons. I am super excited to be working with a new cohort of students and can not wait to start our learning journey in Physical Education together.