Prep Term 3 Overview

Prep 2023 Term Three

Welcome to Term 3

Welcome back, I hope you all had a relaxing break. The children were all very excited to greet their friends back at school and share their holiday stories. We have created a map of Australia and plotted the places we have collectively visited. We are reading ‘Possum Magic’ by Mem Fox as an introduction to our studies into Australia. We also enjoyed NAIDOC celebrations with a special smoking ceremony to honour our First Nations Elders. 

Religious Education

Our focus for Term 3 is God’s Creations. We will be exploring scripture stories which show love and care for the environment to inspire us to take action in our local community. We will learn about Pope Francis’ message to ‘Care for our Common Home’ - Laudato Si and discuss how it is everybody's responsibility to take care of the Earth. We will practice being Stewards of Creation in our own community and identify ways we can care for our environment and its creatures. 

Mathematics

In Mathematics we will continue to strengthen our use of EMC3- Exploring Mathematical Challenges as we develop and implement rich learning experiences for all students. 

Our topics will include:

• Time - students will describe duration using months, weeks, days and hours. We will be telling the time on analogue and digital clocks using the language of 'o’clock.’ The 4 seasons and the weather will also be explored.
• Addition and Subtraction - we will use concrete materials and visuals to solve addition and subtraction problems. The children will continue to consolidate their understanding of number facts and the use of counting on and counting back.
• Division - we will use concrete materials to share into equal groups and focus on key terms such as shared between, equal and fair share.  
• 2D and 3D Shapes - we will explore two- and three-dimensional shapes and 3D objects. Students will recognise, classify and sort shapes and objects according to their features.
• Length - we will investigate length by comparing, estimating and measuring length using informal units. 

Literacy

In Reading, we will continue to work on decoding and discussing what we have read with a focus in reading groups on the following reading strategies:

• Decoding using letter/sound knowledge 
• Decoding using sentence structure and meaning
• Decoding larger words in chunks/syllables
• Reading with fluency and attention to punctuation
• Re-Reading when an error has been made

In Writing, our focus this term will be on recounts and information texts. Students have had the opportunity to retell their own experiences from their holidays in writing and Show and Tell. Rich literature will be explored, the children will respond orally and in written form to the fiction and non-fiction books we read. 

Later in the term the students will use non-fiction texts to write factual pieces about some of the amazing landforms within Australia. We will be learning about using adjectives to describe and to add extra detail to our writing. Handwriting will continue to be a focus as students are taught the correct starting point and direction of handwritten letters.

Inquiry

“Where in the world is Australia, and what makes it so special?”

This term during our Inquiry learning we will be exploring the geography of Australia. Students will explore Australia’s location in the world and then delve deeper into the amazing landmarks, both natural and man made, that make Australia such a unique and amazing place to live. Students will get to learn more about some of the places we have in our wide country and have the opportunity to research one of these landforms and write a factual report about it.

Home Learning

• Daily reading and recording in reading records. 
• Smart Spelling: Words of the Week
• Mathletics - Tasks will be set in Mathletics relating to classroom topics to consolidate learning

Specialist Subjects

Students will have specialist classes each week on Tuesday and Thursday (please see timetable below). Each Wednesday we will have STEM, Digitech and Class Sport Rotations. Students will stay with their class group and rotate through the different activities. Mrs Read will teach STEM, Mr Boyd will teach Digitech and Mrs Webb will practice our class performance during class sport time. 

• Sports uniform is to be worn on Tuesday and Wednesday
• We will visit the Library every Friday and borrow different books for Home Read

Prep A Specialist Timetable

TERM 3 - Important Dates

JULY

• 17 Monday          - Prep Excursion to CERES                                                                                                               - Whole School Assembly, 2.50pm
• 18 Tuesday          - SAC Meeting, 7.00pm
• 25 Tuesday          - P- 2 Swimming Commences
• 29 Saturday          - ST JOHN'S TRIVIA NIGHT - Major Fundraising Event

AUGUST

• 4 Friday                - Final Day of Swimming P-2
• 8 Tuesday            - Parent/Teacher/Student Led Conferences
• 9 Wednesday     - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY 
• 28 Monday         - MACSSIS Surveys open

SEPTEMBER

• 6 Wednesday    - Whole School Production - Karalyka Theatre Ringwood
• 15 Friday            - Last Day of Term - 1.00pm finish

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch, 

Kind regards, 

Nicole Webb

nwebb@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au