Year 1 and 2

Year 1 Teachers: Hsien Tran (Level Leader), George Samothrakitis, Zara Abrahams & Maddi Fletcher
Year 2 Teachers: Sarah Battle (Level Leader), Bronwyn Moore, Nerida Forster & Katia Lumley

Wominjeka. Welcome!

We have some exciting news to share with you.

Important Dates:

Tuesday 6th June - Mont De Lancey Excursion for 2BM and 2NF (Year Two's only)

Thursday 8th June - Mont De Lancey Excursion for 2SB and 2KL (Year Two's only)

Friday 9th June – Professional Practice Day (no students at school)

Monday 12th June – King’s Birthday Public Holiday (no students at school)

Monday 19th June - Final Term Two Assembly

Friday 23rd June – Final Day of Term – early finish at 2.30pm

Year One and Two Swimming Program

Swimming lessons were held last week at Nunawading Aquatic Centre. The children learnt many new skills in the pool with some students even practising their safety entry in the deep pool!

Towards the end of the program the children were asked to bring in some old clothes to wear in the pool. This was to simulate a real life situation for example, falling into the pool fully clothed. VPS students learnt to raise their hand and shout for help if they were in trouble in the water. Children also practised holding a pool noodle out to help a friend in trouble while they lie down on the side of the pool, throwing a kickboard out to another swimmer and then how to guide another person safely to the pool edge.

A big thank you goes out to all of our parent helpers who assisted us on the bus and with the big job of dressing and ensuring the right clothes were in the right bag. Your efforts were appreciated by the teaching staff and students.

Simultaneous Storytime

Last week we participated in Simultaneous Storytime. National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, school, pre-school, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

This year our Library Leaders read the story Speedy Sloth for us to enjoy. Students in Year One and Two enjoyed completing some fun follow up activities to the story.

Mont De Lancey

Next week Year Two students will be visiting Mont De Lancey which is a historical homestead located in Wandin North. 2NF and 2BM will attend on Tuesday and 2SB and 2KL visiting on Thursday.

On the excursion we will visit the museum, watch a Blacksmith at work, look through an old house and play some olden day games. We attend an olden day school on the premises with a very strict teacher!

Remember to dress up and pack a water bottle, snack and lunch are required too in a small backpack. The buses will depart VPS promptly at 9am so please arrive at school before 8:50am.

NAIDOC WEEK

NAIDOC WEEK is held in the school holidays from Sunday the 2nd to Sunday the 9th of July. NAIDOC originally started as a protest on Australia Day. It was known as the Day Of Mourning. From 1940 the Day Of Mourning was held as an annual event, held on the Sunday before Australia Day and its name was changed to Aboriginies Day. In 1955, Aboriginies Day was moved to the first Sunday in July and became a week to celebrate Aboriginal culture rather than a day of protest.

In 1956, the NADOC committee (National Aboriginies Day Observance Committee) was formed with major aboriginal organisations, church groups, state and federal governments to make the first Sunday in July a remembrance day for aboriginal people and their heritage. From the 1967 referendum, the Department Of Aboriginal Affairs was formed in 1972. In 1974 the NADOC committee agreed that the event should become a week long.

The name was changed to NAIDOC Week (National Aboriginies and Islanders Day Observance Committee) when NADOC expanded to include Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders. Each year a theme is chosen for NAIDOC Week to reflect the issues or events for these people. This year the theme is ‘For Our Elders.’

VPS students are celebrating Koorie and Torres Straight Islander culture and traditions at an assembly on the 19th of June with follow up activities occurring in the classrooms during this week.

What we are learning about this fortnight:

Reading

Year One: RWInc

Year Two: CAFÉ

Writing

Year One and Two - Informative Texts

Classroom Maths

Year One: Calendars

Year Two: Data and Graphing

Maths Groups

Year One- Number lines / Fractions / Addition

Inquiry