Foundation News
Differentiated Learning in Foundation
Teaching from point of need and differentiating tasks in all areas of the curriculum, are extremely important practices at St Raphael's, starting in Foundation. We understand and respect that each and every child is different, and children learn at different rates. Using assessment to find a starting point, setting goals, tracking student achievements and measuring personal growth are things we do every day. We aim to teach with rigour.
So how does this translate to the everyday teaching of reading?
Here is a snapshot of how all of the above is put into practice during reading:
Reading commences with the children in Foundation coming together. They sing a rhyme (related to our focus letter/sound) and then enjoy listening to a shared book. Whilst reading, teachers model concepts about print, they ask different types of questions, children share their understandings of the text, and evaluative comments are made. All this takes approximately 10 minutes.
Students then view our reading task board where they note the group they are in and the 2 rotational tasks they will be completing. Each reading session, some children work independently, (completing differentiated tasks based on their level of skill), while others work with a teacher in their guided reading group. Each child meets with their guided reading teacher twice a week. When doing guided reading, students read books and practise word work based on their levelled text. Here are a few examples of the type of differentiated tasks that children have completed:
Practising writing their first name
sequencing letters in common words
Sequencing letters in spelling focus words
Identifying the first sound and matching letter in pictures/words
Sequencing letters in focus words with a visual support
Completing a cloze adding missing common words.
Sequencing events in our shared text.
Practising 'onset & rime'
Word building
Onset and rime
Practising writing their first name
sequencing letters in common words
Sequencing letters in spelling focus words
Identifying the first sound and matching letter in pictures/words
Sequencing letters in focus words with a visual support
Completing a cloze adding missing common words.
Sequencing events in our shared text.
Practising 'onset & rime'
Word building
Onset and rime
After 2 ten minute rotations, the children all come together as a whole group once again. It is at this time selected students share strategies they practised to help them with their reading, as exemplars for others to follow.
During planning, teachers review data and discuss anecdotal observations made, based on the children's reading throughout the week. From here teachers plan future goals and reading lessons. This is a deliberate and cyclical process that takes place from the beginning to end of the year.
Religion
As part of their Religious Education, Foundation students learnt the way in which Jesus teaches us about God's love, care and protection. As part of prayer, students sang a song about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. God is like a good shepherd: He knows us, leads us, protects us, and keeps us from harm!
Enjoy!
Maths
As part of Maths, students in Foundation have been learning about 2-dimensional shapes. They have had opportunities to find, create, build, make and classify shapes according to their properties. Children learnt different vocabulary relating to shapes such as sides, corners, and angles and are aware these do not change irrespective of orientation. They also learnt about quadrilaterals and had fun locating these in our learning space.
Recently, Foundation students went for a walk around the school and identified common 2D shapes. They noticed there were a lot of geometric shapes such as squares and rectangles. This sparked up a lot of conversation and it was interesting listening to students justify reasons explaining why this is the case.
Making shape patterns
Finding shapes that have the same poperties
Classifying shapes
Making patterns by drawing shapes.
Making shape patterns
Finding shapes that have the same poperties
Classifying shapes
Making patterns by drawing shapes.
Term 2 Parent Helpers
If you have your WWCC and would like to help in our learning space during our Literacy block next term, please click on the attachment, complete the form & email it to your child's homeroom teacher by the end of this week. Rosters will be finalised by the end of this term. All volunteers will be notified prior to the end of Term One. Grazie!
Week 8,9 & 10 Timetable
Open each attachment to find out what is happening in the next 3 weeks.
Week 8,9 & 10 Learning Intentions
Open the attachment to find out what students will be learning in weeks 8-10.
Important Information
Recently we have been receiving quite a few emails about lost property. If a Foundation student loses an article of clothing or a personal item in the learning space, it is put in our Foundation lost property box. This is cleared daily and items that are named are given to children at the end of each day. Several children in Foundation are currently missing jumpers, jackets and hats. We ask all Foundation parents to check the name on their child's jacket, jumper & hat and return items that may not belong to them.
Parents are welcome to look in the general lost property box located opposite the office, if their child has lost belongings.
Please note, in future, we will no longer respond to emails regarding lost property.
Grazie.
Important Dates
St Patrick's Day- Wednesday 17th March
Harmony Day Lunch-Wednesday 17th March
Parent Teacher Zoom Interviews- Monday 22nd March Students Finish 1pm
Parent Teacher Zoom Interviews- Monday 22nd March1:30pm- 6:30pm
Harmony Day "Everyone Belongs!"- Monday 23rd March
School Open Day- Thursday 25th March 9:30-10:30am and12 noon-1pm
Earth Hour-Saturday 28th March
Last Day of Term 1-Thursday 1st April, students finish at 1pm
Good Friday-Friday 2nd April
Term 2 Commences-Monday 19th April
Staff Contacts
Lorraine Uzunovski (FL) uzul@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au
Linda Pham (FP) lpham@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au
Please note, we will respond to emails Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8am- 5pm