Foundation

On the first day back our Foundation students enjoyed writing and decorating a postcard recounting their holiday adventures. This week we are reviewing the short vowel sounds of ‘e’ and ‘i’, as well as reading and writing the Red Flag Words - the, to, was. Our new Inquiry topic this Term is “Healthy Me”. We have lots of fun things planned for this term including ‘Breakfast at School’ in Week 3 and a visit from Market Fresh in Week 4. Please inform your child’s class teacher if there are any food allergies we need to be aware of.

Look out for our Term 2 newsletter that went home yesterday with important dates for this Term. Our Maths newsletter went home earlier this week, please note that some students have moved groups. Your child’s Maths teacher is listed in the newsletter. We are currently working on Place Value.

We will be continuing our Corridor Reading for this term and would love it if we could have helpers daily for each class. If you can help please add your name to the roster located in the breezeway, or the exterior door for FN.

A reminder to return reading satchels, readers and soundpacks each day. Books are changed once a week. Please ensure your child has read each book at least twice and filled in their reading log.

Hats are no longer needed for outside play from Monday, and as the days get colder you may like to pack a warmer coat (navy) for outside play. Please ensure it is clearly named.

Looking forward to a fantastic term!

Grade 1

Welcome back to Term 2 in Grade 1! We hope you all had a safe and happy holidays! We are looking forward to another wonderful term of learning.

In English, we will continue to work on a variety of Grammar and Punctuation topics, build our Phonological and Phonemic Awareness with weekly Word Study and Red Flag Word lessons, and will be looking at Rhyming and Poetry, as well as Procedural Texts and formal Handwriting sessions in Writing.

In Maths Groups we will begin the term by revisiting the topic of Place Value. During this unit the children will work on building their knowledge of numbers to 100 and beyond, by modelling, writing and comparing two digit numbers according, using the language of ‘tens and ones’. For example, the number 42, is made up of 4 groups of tens and 2 ones. You can help with this at home by encouraging your child to practise skip counting by 10’s and having them read and explain the Place Value of two-digit numbers that you spot when out and about!

Our Inquiry topic for the term will be 'Weather'. During this unit the children will explore the changes in weather throughout the term as we transition from Autumn into Winter and participate in a range of fun weather-related experiments.

Just a reminder that we will start parent reading in Week 2. If you would like to help out, please sign your name onto the roster outside your child’s classroom. Please ensure you have had your Working With Children’s Check checked by the office prior to volunteering.

Grade 2

It was great to welcome our Grade 2 students back to school this week looking refreshed and full of enthusiasm.

This fortnight, students are investigating procedural texts and their features, with a focus on purpose, sequencing and effective use of imperative (“bossy”) verbs. Students are also learning to apply their knowledge from our ‘Syntax Project’ lessons to expand their sentences using appropriate adverbs. As part of our ‘Word Study’, we are consolidating students’ knowledge around the three sounds of the suffix --ed and its meaning.

In Maths, students are exploring different types of subtraction problems and developing efficient strategies for solving. Practise at home is always beneficial, from ‘quick facts’ games using dice and playing cards, to explaining which strategy was used to solve a problem.

As part of our wellbeing program this term, we begin with goal setting and then continue to focus on social skills, emotional literacy and regulation, and gratitude.

Thank you for your support with homework: Regular reading aloud and ‘Red Flag Word’ spelling.

Optional extras: ‘Nessy Reading and Spelling’ and ‘Sunset/Jetpack Maths’ (Essential Assessment).

Grade 3

The students have made a tremendous start to Term 2 after a well-earned holiday break.

Reading: We have started the Term practising the reading comprehension skill of monitoring and clarifying. When reading, the students recognised when they do not understand what they are reading, explained what is making them confused and clarified their understanding by re-reading slowly, figuring out what would make sense and checking a reference or asking for help. Our mentor text this week is Respect. The story welcomes and introduces our students to important elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and shows what respect looks like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Writing: The students wrote a recount on their favourite memories from the Term 1 holidays. Next week, we will begin exploring and constructing information reports. In our grammar lessons this week, we have practised expanding sentences using ‘adverbs of manner’.

Maths: We have commenced the concept ‘Subtraction’ this week where the students will be learning about fact families and inverse operations as well as a variety of mental and written strategies to subtract efficiently.

Inquiry: This Term our inquiry unit is called ‘We Are One’ where we will be answering the big questions: Who lived in Australia first and how do we know? What was life like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of the Europeans? How did First Nations Australians live sustainable lives? How does The Dreaming help First Nations Australians make sense of their world?

Wellbeing: Our learning intention this week is about managing stress. The students looked at the meaning of stress, identified the things that can cause stress for people and themselves and what they can look like in their bodies as well as listed coping strategies they can use when they experience stress.

Grade 4

Welcome back to Term 2. We hope all Grade 4 families had a relaxing break over Easter and that students are refreshed and ready to go.

We have a fantastic term of learning ahead of us and we want to continue to build upon the great work that our Grade 4 students did in Term 1. Our cohort will continue with our weekly forums on a Monday. It is a time when we all meet together to give out our G.O.A.T. trophy to our Values Award recipient, celebrate our successes, share birthday wishes, reminders and chat about our week ahead.

Literacy: Our reading and writing is based around ANZAC Day this week. Students have accessed a range of materials to find out about the history of our ANZACs’ such as BTN videos, fact files and reading of our mentor text, ‘ANZAC Biscuits’. Lots of wonderful discussions were had in our classes with students sharing their own personal stories of family members who have served in the Australian Armed Forces.

Numeracy: We have now commenced our new Maths concept of Multiplication. We strongly encourage students to learn and practice their multiplication facts at home this term and throughout the year. Please check COMPASS for information & some online websites that can be used to learn and build automatic recall of multiplication facts.

Inquiry: Students have been constructing a paragraph about what ANZAC Day means to them. They have discussed and explained why we celebrate ANZAC Day, who we are remembering, and what we do to commemorate it. The students will continue to work towards completing and sharing these in their own grades.

Reminders: Students should continue to read at least 5 times a week at home & record their reading in their diaries. Books can be borrowed from the Grade 4 Hub or students may read their own personal books at home too. Word Study homework will continue this term. This can be completed on SeeSaw or alternatively, a hard copy can be given to students to complete & paste into their homework book. Hats are still worn by all students until April 28th.

Grade 5

The Grade 5's have made a fantastic start to Term 2 and we are looking forward to seeing all the amazing things they achieve.

Inquiry: This term, our students will be exploring our 'Closing the Gap' inquiry topic. During this unit, students will be learning about the relationship between Australian Colonial history and Indigenous Australian history. This week, students will be considering what they already know about this topic and think about what they would like to learn, as well as engaging with Indigenous Australian art and stories.

Writing: Student have returned to learning about how to plan and construct powerful persuasive pieces. This week, they'll be revising the DAFOREST techniques and learn how to construct a paragraph using the PEEL structure.

Maths: In Maths, students have revised how to compare and order fractions efficiently and will be working towards simplifying fractions and finding equivalent fractions. Reading Comprehension: Finding word meaning using contextual clues has been our main focus for reading comprehension this week. Students learned how to connect their prior knowledge with clues found within a text to build meaning for unfamiliar words.

Grade 6

English

Students have begun work on their information report writing unit this week. The children have been asked to plan and write a description of an animal as the basis for an information report.

In Grammar, students have been working on generating compound sentences using coordinating conjunctions.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, we have begun work on our chance and probability unit. Students have been learning about theoretical probability, experimental probability, equally likely events and conducting basic experiments.

Inquiry

The Grade 6 classes have commenced their new inquiry topic on space. Students have completed a range of mini research tasks on the solar system, galaxies and the universe. Grades have also commenced reading their class novel “We Dream of Space”.

Interschool Sport

Our first interschool sport fixture for Term 2 will be on Friday 19th May at home against Mentone.

Resilience, Rights & Respectful Relationships Program – Term 2

Commencing in Week 2 of this term, Grade 6 students will participate in the ‘Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships’ program with a focus on ‘Gender and Identity’. Respectful Relationships education is a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from Foundation to Year 12. It aims to embed a culture of respect and equality across the entire school community.

Information about the program was sent to parents via Compass in the last week of Term

1. A parent information evening was held on Wednesday night via WebEx.

Year 7 Transition 2024

This term, we begin the Year 7 transition process. The first requirement from families is to fill in the Year 6 to Year 7 Placement Pack that was sent home this week. These forms must be returned by Friday 12th May. Families will be notified of student placements on Wednesday 19th July.

Please ensure you read the instructions carefully when completing the forms.

If you have any questions, please contact the Year 7 transition coordinators (Mrs Byrne & Ms Crute).

Focus Newsletter

Together We Achieve

Issue 6 · 27 Apr 2023

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