Classroom News

1/2 JM

As we near the end of the school year,  the  1/2 students are to be commended for their efforts this semester. The Junior School has yet again been a hive of activity as students have applied their problem-solving skills to various learning experiences.

Across the curriculum, the Year 1/2s have been challenging themselves and developing their growth mindsets. Mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning, as by fixing them, we create new connections in the brain! We have been articulating our Learning Intentions for each lesson (what we will learn) and our Success Criteria (what we need to do to be successful) to give each other appropriate feedback. The focus on growth and progress has given students the confidence to take risks in their learning and see the value of ‘having a go’ without fearing failure.

In Mathematics, the students have explored various topics: Place Value, Multiplication, Division, Volume and Capacity. They have once again worked in mixed groupings to solve problems using multiple strategies, including ‘draw it’, ‘act it out, ‘make a list and ‘guess and check’. The students have been exploring how different mathematical topics interconnect, which means they can apply strategies to multiple scenarios!

In English, the students have been learning all about persuasive texts. They studied the book Hey, Little Ant! and wrote about whether the boy should squash the ant. In doing so, the students used emotive language and formulated reasons to support their arguments. We have again used the Colourful Semantics cards to structure our sentences, refining our grammar and punctuation.

In our integrated Inquiry and Religious Education unit, the Year 1/2s have been investigating the big question: ‘how do we tell the story of our school charism?’ In doing so, we have learnt all about the founder of our school: Nano Nagle! Did you know that Nano Nagle grew up in Ireland and founded the Presentation Sisters? Holy Family School is one of the schools that this order established! The students have gotten creative in presenting their learning by making puppet shows using the Puppet Pals app.

Where next for the Year 1/2s? We can’t wait to find out!

Serena Jordan-Munro

Year 1/2 Classroom Teacher