PLC News

Professional Learning Community Foundation (Preps)

WOW! What a first term in Prep! Just like that, our Preps have now had over 30 days at school and already have so much to be proud of. They are now walking into the classroom and proudly waving goodbye to their grown-ups, unpacking their bags independently and are now confident in our classroom routines and expectations.

This term we have already learnt so much! In Reading we have learnt many letters and their sounds and have begun making and reading CVC (consonant – vowel – consonant) words. In Writing they have learnt how to write our name accurately, with a capital letter followed by lower case letters and have been having a ‘red hot go’ at writing simple sentences and sounding out words. We have been very busy in Numeracy, practising matching number names, numerals and quantities, counting accurately and learning about the days of the week.

In find motor activities (FMA) we have been busy making alphabet craft and tuning in on some important skills including using scissors to cut, painting with cotton tips and tracing our hands. Some of our creations have been pom pom parrots, dotty dinosaurs and beautiful butterflies.

A huge thank you to all of our Prep grown ups for assisting their little ones to be as successful as possible during their transition to school. The first term of Prep is certainly a big one for the students as they find their feet, so every little thing you do to assist them in developing independence and resilience makes a huge difference.

Wishing everyone a very Happy & Safe Easter. Enjoy the break and we can’t wait to see you in Term 2!

Professional Learning Community 1 (Grade 1 )

It’s hard to believe that there’s only two days left of school before the Easter holidays! It’s been an extremely busy term for our Grade 1 students’, and we couldn’t be prouder of the way they have kept up their stamina to finish off the term in extraordinarily strong fashion.

This week, in Reading, our focus has been on summarising texts in detail by remembering important facts including characters, settings, sudden shifts in fiction texts, as well as understanding and discussing information found in non-fiction texts.

In Writing, our students have been producing some magnificent persuasive pieces on the theme of the most important rule to follow to survive if the class were to be stranded on a deserted island. We’ve been super impressed with the arguments produced by our gifted writers, and we look forward to reading the final pieces later this week.

In Numeracy we have been concentrating on counting accurately by understanding and implementing strategies including friends of ten and doubles or near doubles of 1 or 2-digit numbers. To finish off the term, the students will be focussing on giving and receiving directions to find hidden Easter eggs!

We’d like to express our gratitude to all parents, carers and community for your unwavering support this term and we hope that you enjoy some well-earned time with family and friends during the Easter Holidays. Stay safe and we look forward to seeing the Grade 1 students pick up where they left off in Term 2!

PLC 1 Team

Professional Learning Community 2 (Grade 2 )

Wow! Can you believe we have nearly finished our first term of 2022?

In just 11 weeks our students have settled back into school beautifully - they have become accustomed to our classroom routines and are making wonderful progress in their learning.

In Reading, we have been learning to Infer - to make statements or decisions about characters, setting and storyline even though it is not explicitly written in the text. Students have had the opportunity to read some fantastic books during this time and it is wonderful to see their love of reading developing.

In Writing, we have been writing a letter to Mr Young persuading him to change or add a school rule. The creativity the students are showing is amazing, they are taking wonderful risks in their writing but most importantly they are proud of their finished pieces. I wonder if Mr Young will change our school uniform to only Bombers' merchandise like some students suggested...

In Numeracy, we have had a focus on Place Value - reading numbers and identifying how many Thousands, Hundreds, Tens and Ones the number has. If students would like to show off to their adults at home, they can write a four-digit number and explain all the different parts of the number. We are so proud of the persistence and growth mindset we are seeing in Numeracy - it's not about being the fastest, it's not about getting it right every time - it's about giving it a 'red hot go' everyday!

Just a quick reminder to parents as we head into the cold and wet seasons. Please ensure your child has a change of clothes in their bag - as much as we can remind them to stay clear of puddles and mud, accidents do happen. It would be great for your child to have some dry clothes they can change into just in case they slip over outside. Especially socks! And please ensure everything is named.

We hope all our students have a wonderful, safe and relaxing break over the school holidays!

Professional Learning Community 3 (Grades 3)

We made it to the end of term! Congratulations Grade 3 students on a fabulous start to the year. You have all worked so hard and we are so proud of you. Congratulations also on completing our school swimming at Shayne Reese last week. Everyone made improvements over the week and had a great time! Thank you to all of the parents who walked with us.

We have loved completing our PBL projects this term, using our new knowledge to write and research a topic of our own choice. This week in Numeracy, we have spent many happy hours learning strategies to measure length. In Literacy we have been working on inferring and writing a persuasive piece on heroes! We can’t wait until next term as we have many exciting things planned. Have a Safe and Happy Holiday and we will see you soon. Keep on reading and writing over the holidays, just for fun!

Professional Learning Community 4 (Grades 4)

Library

Students now visit the library every fortnight with their class. They are allowed to borrow four books at a time from a vast range of fiction and non-fiction books. These are perfect to use for home reading with some students reading large novels over a long period of time.

Planning Week

During the last week of every term our specialist timetable changes due to planning week. All teachers from each PLC have a day where they plan Literacy and Numeracy for the following term. Our day was Wednesday and we are excited to plan some purposeful lessons to engage our students ready for Term 2.

During the first half of the term some of our lessons will focus around our camp to Cave Hill Creek in Week 5. Some examples of this include writing planners which contain descriptive language about being in the bush. During the second half of the term our focus turns to our physical science topic of ‘Smooth Moves’ where students will investigate forces, friction and gravity. Students are always thrilled to see a trebuchet in action!

Parent/Teacher Interviews

Thank you to those parents who have booked a time through Compass for our interviews next term on Wednesday 27th April. It will be wonderful to catch up with families to discuss students and their learning goals and also to meet our PLC 4 families.

We’ve had a busy first term and we’re looking forward to recharging our batteries. We hope that all families have a fantastic holiday and that Easter bunny hops to your place!

Professional Learning Community 5 (Grades 5)

What a wonderful, jam-packed term this has been!

One of the main highlights definitely has to be our trip to Sovereign Hill to experience the life of a student in the 1850s. Grade 5s were split into three distinct social classes to give a realistic perspective as to what it would be like for children of that time under those circumstances. Our excursion involved all students having the opportunity to dress in clothing from the 1850s and take part in a two day role-play experience. To fully comprehend life back then, the pupils conducted themselves according to 1850s etiquette while using slate pencils, dip pens and ink in the classrooms. Boys were taught drawing and girls did sewing. Much of the work was learned by rote – “repetition is the only way to learn!” Children spent most of the school day sitting on very hard wooden seats or benches. This was definitely a wonderful experience, but most of the students agreed that we enjoy the way our school is run and nothing is better than Delacombe Primary School.

Have a great break everyone!