Year 1

Reading: During our start up program in Reading this term, the Grade 1 students discussed and identified the routines and expectations of our 

reading lessons. Our lessons focused on establishing expectations for independent reading, selecting Just Right Texts, participating in buddy reading opportunities, setting up and taking care of our classroom library and understanding and appreciating varied reading interests. We also established structures and routines for conferencing, teacher focus groups and learning centres. Then later in the term the Grade 1 students read, processed and comprehended a wide range of high quality mentor texts. Our lessons focused on explicitly teaching and practising letter-sound relationships (phonics and phonological awareness), strategies to assist in working out unknown words, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The comprehension strategies that were explicitly taught and practised 

independently by the students were Activating Prior Knowledge, Predicting and Re-telling.

Writing: During Writing in Term 1, the Grade 1 students familiarised themselves with the Writer’s Workshop routine. Students had the opportunity to conduct both teacher directed and personal choice writing using different materials from their classroom writing centres. Students set up and personalised their Writer’s

 Notebooks, which will be used throughout the year to support their idea development.

Students participated  in an introductory unit on narratives. This unit has supported students with developing their skills in narrative writing through the context of reimagined traditional tales e.g. The Three Little Pigs. Students have focused on elements such as planning and sequencing ideas, structuring sentences, using capital letters and full stops appropriately and simple revising/editing before publishing.

MATHS:

Grade 1 students are now familiar with the tools and equipment that they have been using to support their learning in mathematics sessions. 

Students are also familiar with the routines and expectations of our 

mathematics sessions, including how to work productively with a ‘maths mate’.

This term we have focused on telling time. 

Students have spent a short time revising days of the week, months of the year and calendars, before beginning to look at reading half past time and consolidating o’clock time on analogue clock faces. This focus will be ongoing throughout the year.

Following Time, Place value will be the main focus for the rest of the term. Students have been working towards recognising, reading, writing and modelling numbers to 100.

Furthermore, counting will be an ongoing focus throughout the year, students have been given counting goals which they are practising with a ‘maths mate’ using materials.

ART

We have had an excellent first term learning to use the beautiful new art room! It has been 

fantastic to see the Year 1s working so well together in familiarising themselves with the space, as well as a variety of art materials and techniques.

This term we have experimented with a range of materials to explore basic colour theory. We have learnt about the primary, secondary and tertiary colours, and why we categorise them as shown on the colour wheel. The Year 1s created their own unique pencil and marker drawings inspired by artist Alexander Calder’s use of the primary colours.

Following this, the students displayed great curiosity in mixing primary colours to create and name secondary and tertiary colours. We’ve had a lot of fun investigating what happens when you mix certain colours, using modelling clay, watercolour paints and acrylic paints to make colourful artworks! We will complete the term by looking at how we can play with light and colour, creating works of art with cellophane. Thank you for all of your enthusiasm and focused work this term Year 1s. I look forward to more exciting learning in Term 2!

LOTE

Thank you for a fantastic start to the year! In term one, the grade ones and twos learned basic language skills in the Chinese Mandarin 

language, including listening and speaking, recognising sounds and pronunciation. They learned about some Chinese cultures such as the Chinese New Year 

celebrations and 

traditions, like red envelopes, lanterns and fireworks. They also learned Chinese vocabulary and phrases about bodies. 

Throughout the term, the students were involved in various activities such as using chopsticks, and learned to sing Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in Chinese. They also explored stories of legend such as the race of the Chinese zodiac animals.

PE

Thank you to the grade 1&2 students for a fantastic start to the year. We covered many different components of Physical Education this term such as over arm and under arm throwing with accuracy and distance, catching balls from a range of sizes and feel and even one and two-handed strikes where we learned how to use cricket bats, hockey sticks, T-Ball equipment and tennis resources. Students were able to help learn off each other through many large and small group activities and could gain a great understanding on the correct techniques associated with these skills. Great work 1&2 cohorts!

SCIENCE 

 During Term 1, the Grade 1 students

 have been focusing on animals throughout this Biological Science 

strand of Science.  Students have been looking closely at the various features of animals and exploring the different coverings that animals have, and the different ways in which they move and eat.  Students have investigated some places that animals live, such as the land and water, and have identified some ways in which animal habitats can change due to natural and man-made influences.  Students’ learning has been through video, songs, matching and

 sorting activities, drawing diagrams, and through nature walks looking at what animals live in our school playgrounds!