Around Foundation (Prep)

Writing

The Preps have now been at school for almost 50 days! It is amazing to see how much the children have progressed with their writing in a relatively short period of time. Many children are becoming aware of the letters and their sounds and are slowly beginning to use this knowledge in their writing. We are very proud of their efforts.

Maths

A major focus in Maths this term will be studying the number combinations that make ten, such as 6 and 4 or 9 and 1. At school, we refer to these combinations as ‘Friends of Ten’. A sound knowledge of this concept forms the basis for solving addition problems. The children will be exposed to addition in a range of forms, such as making number stories, recording findings, using number lines and hands on materials. 

Reader’s Workshop Sessions

We would like to thank everyone who has volunteered to assist with the Reader’s Workshop sessions. Please note, both classes would welcome more parent helpers. These sessions will begin on Wednesday 5 May and will run from 9.10am to 10.00am. 

Take Home Reading

All the Preps are making wonderful progress with their reading and at this time of the year, we begin to see many students making connections between their letter/sound knowledge, Magic Words and their reading. When reading a story aloud to the class, it is not uncommon to be interrupted by the calling out of, “In! I can see ‘in’!” or, “That’s one of our Golden words!”

Inquiry

Our major Inquiry topic for this term is Staying Alive. In this unit the children will learn about the many things they can do to stay healthy, how the body works and how we change as we get older. The children will also learn about their 5 senses and discover the important role they play in their daily lives.

Earlier this week we set up some ‘provocation’ tables. Put simply, provocation tables provoke questions, discussions and curiosity about a particular topic. Provocations can come in many forms, such as; photos, a picture, a book, items from nature or other objects. Our provocation tables included objects such as: toothpaste, a skeleton, a blanket, fruit and vegetables and a pair of runners. The children had fun walking around, observing and talking to each other about the various items. We then came together and recorded some of our wonderings, which we will explore throughout the term. The student’s questions and wonderings will also help to direct the course of this Inquiry unit.

Library

The Preps have been enjoying visiting the library each week and borrowing a special book to take home. Now that the children are familiar with the library, they can borrow two books. If your child finishes with their book early, they can bring it to school in their library bag and put it in their classroom tub. This way it will be ready and waiting for their next library visit.

Timetable

Our specialist timetable for this term is as follows:

Tuesday 

Art (PC and PV)

Italian (PV)

Thursday

Performing Arts (PC and PV)

P.E. (PC and PV)

Italian (PC)