Loch Primary School

Prep News

Prep/One Information Session

Dear Parents,

If you missed the Prep/One Information night here is what we covered, please come in and ask if you have any questions. Your child should have brought home a little information pack with articles for you to read and some laminated practise sheets for them to use with their whiteboard texta.

Literacy – Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

  • Explicit phonics – The Lips Program. We will be learning about the different speech sounds we use in English before we send readers home. In the meantime we have been sending home library books for you to read together to develop a joy of reading and to develop your child's listeningaand  comprehension skills. See the colourful guide sheet sent home with questions to ask if they have brought home a fiction or a non-fiction book.
  • Take home reading books will be decodable following sounds taught in class. There will be some high frequency sight words in these books too.
  • Handwriting is Sassoon Font – can download for free at home https://www.fontsmarket.com/font-download/sassoon-infant-std
  • High Frequency words will be sent home regularly for your child to learn to recognise by sight and then to be able to spell as the year progresses

Maths - Prep Maths covers everything! – lots of hands on activities

  • Number and Algebra – addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, place value (ones, tens, hundreds), patterns, using money.
  • Measurement and Geometry – weight, length, capacity, time (duration of time, clocks, calendars), 2D shape, 3D shape.
  • Statistics and Probability – data and graphing, posing yes/no questions, answering true/false questions, language of chance (certain, likely, unlikely, impossible).

Homework - Should be fun and not cause stress for you or your child, if your child is unwilling, leave it for another day.

  • Reading – every night if possible. Please note the title of the book in your child's diary each day you read. Use their diaries to also write in school, extra curricula and family events. Bring book bags and diaries daily.
  • High Frquency words – these will be sent home in a Ziploc bags in their book bags for recognition
  • Alphabet work (Capital and lowercase) – know the names of the letters, the main sound the letters make, how to from them correctly (if they form them incorrectly they will form habits that are VERY hard to break when they are required to learn joined handwriting).
  • Homework Books – We will be giving homework every fortnight. It will be in a grid format with options to choose from. This type of homework is designed to cover different life skills and talents, not just rote learning of skills. Tick them as many times as you do them, do as many or as little as you feel necessary. Write and draw responses in their homework books. Send books to school on the due date for us to share with the class and to receive new activities.

Compass - Vital – It’s how we communicate with the community

  • Notices and reminders are on compass
  • Forms for activities and payments can be made on Compass.
  • Assessments will be added as the year progresses for you to look at
  • Notifications about behaviours can be sent through compass, both positive and negative.
  • Reports will be on Compass too.

Play is the Way – Our social skills program – Personal and Social Capabilities Curriculum

  • Learning social skills though games – (3 mornings per week)
  • You will see the posters all around the school. (They were in your information packs too so stick them on the fridge for easy access)
  • We do lessons to go with the games to embed learning.

Investigations – Kathy Walker Learning Program-

  • 3 sessions per week with P/1/2 together
  • Problem solving skills
  • Social skills
  • All subject areas
  • Donations – soft wood/nails/tools, pipes, cardboard boxes, craft items, envelopes, used stamps, old machines and toys to tinker with (i.e. unscrew and look inside – nothing with a motherboard please)

Buddies Program

Prep students work with  Year 5/6 buddies and build positive relationships.

 

Open door policy –

  • PLEASE come and see me with any questions that you have
  • Teaching your child takes a team effort, if we are all on the same page things flow well!
  • It takes a village to raise a child!

Next Week

Next week in the Prep/One room we will be starting a new writing genre. Response writing, letters, cards, notes etc. We have set up a Post Office in anticipation and are expecting lots of “letters” to be written to each other. We will be continuing with our Lips sounds, alphabet recognition and hand writing. In Maths we are introducing 2D and 3D shapes – naming and describing them and finding examples in real life. Place value will continue to be a focus. We are discussing the calendar daily, assigning the day, date, and month and updating our daily schedule. Our play is the way game is Touch and Go. Our life raft is “Be brave to Progress” – all about class participation. We will revisit our Mojo videos, Growth Mindset and the power of “YET”.