Prep News
Dear Prep Families,
It has been an eventful week in Prep.
Our learning began with Job Day, organised by the Year Six leaders. This event was linked to the ‘taking action’ phase of their recent unit of inquiry into education around the world. Our wonderful Prep students came dressed up as what they wanted to be when they grow up and brought a gold coin donation for the charity UNICEF. The students demonstrated creativity through their choice of costumes, and celebrated their future careers and growth to this point. This also supported students in making connections with themselves, relating to theirs and others growth this year as they continue to explore the Central Idea 'Living things may grow, change and develop over time'. In Writing, the students explored the mentor text ‘When I grow up’ written by Andrew Daddo. They used this text and discussions in class as stimulus for their writing. The students were able to share reasons for why they want to pursue their chosen occupation in the future.
The students have also enjoyed engaging in the ‘going further’ stage of the Inquiry Cycle by observing living things as they grow and change in their classrooms, watching a range of short Non-fiction documentaries on life cycles and different ecosystems. The children shared what they saw, thought and wondered about in a variety of ways. These rich discussions supported their critical and creative thinking and expanded their vocabulary.
In Reading, the students have continued researching using Non-fiction texts and summarising the main idea/s. They have recorded the important information and have begun to make models and diagrams that illustrate their knowledge. The students have shared their learning they have compared and contrasted different life cycles and considered how living things grow, change and develop. The students are looking forward to presenting some of these findings with their families at our upcoming three-way conferences on the 6th December. If you have not done so already, please ensure that you make a booking via XUNO with your classroom teacher.
In Maths, students were exposed to the concept of Mass through the mentor text 'Who Sank The Boat'. They hefted objects and investigated using balance scales to compare objects in their environment. Students took their learning outside made predictions about which boat would float and which would sink. The children used mathematical language such as ‘heavier’ and ‘lighter,’ ‘weighs more’ and ‘weighs less’ to discuss and record their reasoning.
The students continue to build upon their understandings of Place Value by partitioning numbers and exploring this concept through the use of place value charts and manipulatives.
This week we have another exciting event to look forward to this week with the Prep to Year Two ‘Mini Olympics’ occurring from 12pm-2.30pm on Wednesday the 23rd of November.
We would like to remind all families to ensure that your child brings their school hat to school each day. When playing outside, the children must wear their hat or they need to stay in the shade. If your child has sunscreen this should be applied prior to school and reapplied during the day at school. Thank you for you helping the students stay safe from the sun.
Thank you for your continued support.
Go well,
2022 Prep Team