Foundation 

Communicating with the Foundation Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2023, and welcome your input: 

Holly Peters  Holly.Peters@education.vic.gov.au

Lisa Dam  Lisa.Dam@education.vic.gov.au

ENGLISH

At Upwey South Primary School we follow the InitiaLit Literacy Program which encompasses all of the literacy strands. InitiaLit is an evidence based whole class program which provides students with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. InitiaLit addresses the five key components of effective reading instruction – phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension strategies as well as spelling and handwriting. For further information regarding this program you can visit the following website:

https://multilit.com/parents/.  

Throughout our InitiaLit lessons over the past few weeks, students have been developing the skills of recognising rhyming words, clapping syllables in words, as well as learning the difference between a word, letter and a sentence. The students have been introduced to several letter characters including the letters m - Maggie Mouse, s - Sammy Seal, t - Tommy Tiger, a - Andy Ant, p - Poppy Princess and i - Iggy Insect with more to follow! Each letter sound has an action, ask your child for a demonstration! We have also been learning the link between the sound of the letter and the name of the letter and have been orally segmenting and blending phonemes. We have been completing fun and engaging activities all based around these letter sounds. 

In Writing, the students have learned how to write using the correct writing posture and are learning how to correctly form each letter learnt, using the correct starting points and pencil grip. They have been completing their handwriting as each letter is introduced and have been learning the correct formation of each letter. 

STORYBOOK LESSONS

Through the InitiaLit program we participate in Storybook Lessons which is an interactive method of reading a story. Storybook reading is an essential component of the InitiatLit program and is incorporated into our weekly lessons. The children love these sessions and they assist in the development of their oral language and literacy skills. When we read a story, we stop to ask questions to check the children’s understanding, which include literal questions drawn immediately from the text and also open ended questions which encourage them to reflect on the story. Through these lessons, children are exposed to a variety of language and vocabulary that they would not have necessarily heard before and we explicitly define the meaning of these words over several lessons. 

During the first session of a Storybook lesson, we look at the author, illustrator, title and front cover of the text. We make predictions about what the book may be about and then we read the story, pausing briefly to give definitions of unknown vocabulary. After the text we support the children in summarising the story by asking about what happened in the beginning, middle and end and ask key questions relating to the story. During the second session, we reread the story, asking a variety of literal and inferential questions. This encourages the children to build meaning from the story and to practice articulating ideas. We also revisit the meaning of the new vocabulary learnt in the previous lesson. In the third session we make connections and respond to the text in a fun and engaging way. 

READING DIARIES

Well done on completing the Reading Diaries each week. Please remember we would like to see the Diaries every Friday. The purpose behind these diaries is to encourage students to read each day - stories can be read by adults, with students joining in if they can. Parents can then note in the Reading Diary each book that has been read. There is also a section for the students to draw their favourite part of a story that was read during the week. We encourage you to read anything you like! 

 ‘There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island’ 

Walt Disney

CRAZY HAIR AND SOCK DAY

On Friday the 3rd of March we celebrated our Crazy Hair and Sock Day. The students really enjoyed seeing all the creative and crazy hairstyles and socks! 

BUDDIES

The Foundation students and their Grade 5 buddies have been busily getting to know one another. Each week we have our buddy sessions and we begin each session with a catch up, where the buddies get together and have a chance to discuss what they have been doing during the week and what they might be doing over the upcoming weekend. They are then provided an opportunity to share what they discussed with the whole group. Each week two grade 5 buddies volunteer to run the session. It usually starts with a story then followed by a craft that is completed collaboratively with the big and little buddies. The students love these sessions and look forward to getting together. 

WELCOME TO FOUNDATION PICNIC

As we near the end of Term 1, we would like to invite all of our Foundation families to a ‘Welcome to Foundation Picnic’. This will be a fantastic opportunity for us to come together to celebrate the successful start to the school year and will also provide everyone with a chance to meet and get to know other Foundation families. Our Foundation picnic will take place on Thursday 30th March and will commence at 5:00pm outside in the junior area/playground at the back of the Foundation classrooms.

We are also very excited to inform you that during the afternoon, we will be giving away a prize kindly donated to us by TheirCare (Out of School Hours Care). 

Further information for the afternoon will be sent out via a Compass post closer to the time. 

SPECIALIST TIMETABLE TERM ONE

Please see below for information regarding the days each grade has their Specialist classes. Due to events happening in the senior school our timetable has been altered - the times below apply to weeks 7, 8 and 9. 

PMP

In 2023 the Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) will be running on a weekly basis for the Foundation students. The purpose of this program is to grow the Fundamental Movement Skills of the students via working through different activities which require different movements. Justin Scicluna runs our PMP program.

  If there are any family members who would be willing to volunteer and assist with the PMP sessions, please email justin.scicluna@education.vic.gov.au. In order to assist with these sessions, you will require a current Working with Children Check (WWCC) and it must be presented to the office before commencing the session. If you do not have a WWCC and would like to obtain one, please visit the below link;

https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/individuals/applicants/how-to-apply-1

The PMP session times for weeks 7, 8 and 9 are as below;

Thursdays  

Foundation B: 11:00am-11:50pm

Foundation A: 11:50-12:40pm

We are looking forward to an exciting first term of learning! If you have any questions please contact us via email or in person. 

holly.peters@education.vic.gov.au

lisa.dam@education.vic.gov.au