Foundation News
Foundation News
Even though our term has started off in uncertain times, learning continues at St Raphael's. During Week One, students slipped back into routine and excitedly investigated in newly set areas. Some of these areas include a Fire Station, a Police Station, a Pizza/Pasta Restaurant, a Leisure Centre, a Hospital, a Post Office, a Bank, a Garage, a Library, an Airport as well as sensory and Maths areas. We invite you to peruse through the photos to get a glimpse of how and where students have chosen to investigate.
This term, our Inquiry focus is "What Makes a Community?". During Writing, students identified communities to which they belong and outlined the role of different members in each community. Here is an example of a piece of writing:
During Maths this week, students will be learning about 'teen' numbers. It is extremely important the other 2 digit numbers (20-99) have been learned before teen numbers are introduced to children. Many children can recite teen numbers in a counting sequence however are unaware of what teen numbers actually represent and how they are read from right to left eg:
Handy Hints at Home
Sequence to Introduce the Teen Numbers:
1.Begin with those based on the number names:19, 18,17,16,14
2. Continue those based on ordinal number:15,13
3. Finish with those with no teen to indicate 1 ten :12,11
4. Draw out the 'teeeen' sound to give emphasis to the meaning of teen to signify 1 ten and to provide a means of distinguishing it from the 't' sound which means tens. In this way, children will be far less likely to confuse numbers such as fourteen and forty.
This week during Remote Learning and possibly when we return to school, students will be using an empty place value, pop sticks and a die to make, name and understand teen numbers.
Place value and the base-10 structure of the number system provide the foundation for the computational algorithms as well as for the numbers ten and greater.
This term,children in Foundation have started writing on lined paper. Initially, children will be encouraged to write on the 'solid line' and it is not expected that letters are written perfectly correct. As explicit teaching is delivered and students are given the opportunity to practise writing individual letters correctly in their handwriting book, it will be expected taught letters are written correctly in the children's daily writing, and lower and uppercase letters are written in the correct context.
This week during Remote Learning, the children will be practising how to write the upper and lowercase letters 'L' and 'T'. We have included an instructional video to support parents and the children, and urge students to view this before they practise these letters.
Please note, we have not included parent helpers in this week's timetable. As soon as we return to school and it is announced that parents may enter the building, parent helpers will recommence. We are still looking for parents to assist during PMP (Perceptual Motor Program) every Friday afternoon. if you have attended a Parent Induction session and are able to help, please email your child's homeroom teacher. We thank you in advance.
Remaining Parent Teacher Interviews-TBA
Whole School Assembly-TBA
Return to School-TBA
9:00-9:30am-Daily Homeroom Zoom Meeting.
9:30-9:45- Daily Focus Student Catch up.
11:00-11:30- Guided Reading Zoom Meeting Red Possums, Red Dingoes (Mon & Wed)
11:30-12noon- Guided Reading Zoom Meeting Blue Possums, Blue Dingoes (Mon & Wed).
11:00-11:30- Guided Reading Zoom Meeting Red Crocodiles, Red Kangaroos (Tues & Thurs).
11:30-12noon- Guided Reading Zoom Meeting Blue Crocodiles, Blue Kangaroos (Tues & Thurs).
1:00-1:30-Daily Foundation Support Zoom Meeting
2:00-2:30pm - Maths Clinic Zoom (Monday-Thursday)
Linda Pham (FP) lpham@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au
Lorraine Uzunovski (FL) uzul@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au
Please note, we will respond to emails Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8am- 5pm.