Grade 1/2 Overview Term 1

Welcome back! We trust that everyone had a restful and relaxing holiday break and are feeling refreshed and ready for a busy year ahead.

 

This year we have 4 grade 2 classes, 4 grade 1 classes and one composite class. We welcome our new staff member to our team, Brooke Danaher working as a grade 2 teacher. Staff will continue to plan together to ensure that all students receive a guaranteed and viable curriculum in all classrooms. 

 

We have an exciting term ahead with Multicultural Day in week 7 and the Intensive Swimming Program in the last two weeks of the term. 

 

TRIBES

This term in Grades 1 and 2 we will focus on settling in, understanding the Tribes Agreements expressing our feelings using appropriate and effective language. The Tribes process is fundamental in helping students get to know one another and to reflect positive behaviour. Our Inquiry unit will focus on exploring emotions which links closely to our Tribes Agreements and building relationships.   

 

Students will have opportunities to: 

apply the Tribes Agreements to everyday work and play

get to know each other through games, community circles and role play

identify and describe emotions they experience in daily life through the use of the ‘Five Tribes’

understand how to manage personal behaviour and the effect it has on their own and other’s feelings

understand their role as digital citizens and the importance of using technology appropriately and safely, particularly as we roll out digital portfolios in our area (more information to follow)

setting ‘just right’ goals and seeing these through

showing a ‘growth mindset’ in all tasks, no matter if it is challenging and hard to achieve ‘yet’

reflecting on individual, peers and group work and to understand how to give feedback using the ‘glow and grow’ method

 

NUMERACY

Our main focus during term one in numeracy is to develop strategies to establish an understanding of counting and place value. Students will also study 2D / 3D shape, Data and Time throughout the term. To assist your child with counting and place value, we suggest practising skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s in the car or during some downtime. 

 

LITERACY

The main focus of writing will be using the ‘6+1 Traits of Writing focusing mostly on sentence fluency and conventions. We will introduce a range of genres to engage students to write what they feel passionate about. Students will also continue to explore punctuation such as how to use full stops, exclamation marks and question marks. They will be encouraged to use their ‘Have-a-go’ book to support their spelling, as well as classroom word walls, word lists and dictionaries.

 

SUN SMART

It has been really pleasing to see that the majority of our students are sun smart and are wearing approved

school hats that protect their faces, ears, necks and eyes. Students without sun protection are required to play

in the shade under the blue shade cloth, in the gazebo or between the Wallaby and Bilby buildings.

 

STAYING HEALTHY

Each morning students are able to eat a piece of fresh fruit or a vegetable during a short break. We also

encourage all students to bring along a clearly labelled water bottle every day. 

 

We look forward to getting to know everyone a little better during the ‘Meet the Teacher’ afternoon/evenings

that will be held later this month. 

 

1/2 Team 

Anne-Marie, Lisa, Gabby, Brooke, Linda, Joanna, Jess, Trang, Caitlin and Heather.