Foundation Class 

MATHEMATICS IS EVERYWHERE!

During the past week, the Preps have been understanding that Maths is everywhere and playing with it can be fun. Making math fun is essential to engage students in learning the basics, allowing them to develop strong thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.

We had a discussion about what maths is, and pointing out all the ways we use maths in everyday life. The Preps are beginning to understand that we use maths all the time, sometimes without even realising it. We spoke about when our parents measure ingredients when baking, counting money for groceries, shapes and patterns everywhere, telling the time and cutting pieces of cake evenly are all examples of maths and it is EVERYWHERE!

We made ‘Mathemagician’ wands in our classroom topped off with some glitter and then took our wands on a nature walk within the school grounds.  We stopped at specific areas to have a conversation about maths. The students were lead on an exploration to identify common mathematical shapes, the number of objects, and the repetition of coloured objects just to name a few. They used their wands to help them count objects, to point out a pattern or some other maths area.

Below are some of the comments from the Prep students about where they could see maths in our nature walk.

1. ‘A circle’ (pointing to the centre of the Aboriginal flag).
2. There is number 1 (classroom door).
3. A window shape. That’s a square.
4. That looks like my lunchbox shape.
5. That’s a round rock, a wheel shape, that’s a circle.
6. I see 2 sticks, 1 bird, I can see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 trees.
7. The number 5. I am 5.

Helping the Prep students gain an understanding of early maths concepts in a fun way allows them to make sense of the world around them, interpret situations, and solve problems in everyday life, whether that's understanding time, sharing amounts with their peers, or counting in play.

A couple of friendly reminders…

Preps will have a rest day every Wednesday up until Labour Day (Monday March 13th)

Each year, every prep student is eligible for a free health assessment that may include a vision and hearing screen, and general developmental assessment. This service is provided free of charge and is not compulsory. Your child recently brought home a questionnaire regarding their health and development. If you wish for your child to participate in the School Nursing Program, please complete the questionnaire and return it to school no later than Tuesday 28 February.