The Learning Zone
Welcome back to another year of learning at St Joseph's. As we work together to support your child's learning, a great question that parents and carers can ask their child after school is what did you learn today? This is powerful, as it allows your child to focus on the learning that took place during the day and explain their understanding to you. A focus on their learning supports our 'Living Well, Learning Well Framework' and will assist them in seeing that they are growing in their learning. Learning is forever, if you are willing to learn and determined to learn, no one can stop you, so at St Joseph’s let's put MAXIMUM EFFORT into our learning.
Home Reading
St Joseph’s values, supports and encourages reading practices both at school and at home. Again this year, all classes will continue the structured home reading program. The aim of our home reading program is for children to enjoy reading and being read to, while practising some of the skills and strategies they have learnt at school.
Next Monday, each child will bring home a ‘reader’ (book) in a clear plastic wallet. Also contained in the wallet will be an information sheet containing useful information and strategies to help and guide you when reading with your child at home. A good procedure for home reading with younger students is for the adult to first read the book to their child, then read it together (point to each word as it is read). As children become familiar with sounds and sight words, they will begin to read independently to you. All students are encouraged to read every day and may change their reader as needed.
Thank you in advance for your assistance with facilitating reading at home.
Armidale Diocesan Mathematics Initiative (MaST)
Once again this year our whole school from K-6 are part of an Armidale Diocesan Mathematics Initiative known as the MaST Project. We would like to commend our teachers for their hard work and diligence to ensure this initiative enhances the learning experiences for their students. We are so lucky to have such dedicated professionals at St Joseph’s. Please see the information below to assist your child at home.
Maths At Home:
Kindergarten - Time
Initially, children will learn about time through using language such as yesterday, today and tomorrow and through comparing the time it takes to complete activities. I can clap my hands three times while you throw a ball in the air and catch it.
Record special events on a calendar and talk about how many days or weeks before the event.
Watch the short video below and discuss the days of the week.
Stage 1 - Time
Before a child can tell time, they need to understand the basics of what goes into telling time. Click on the link or follow the processes below to ensure your child has the foundational knowledge to read a clock:
- Practice Counting to 60: Before they can run, they have to walk. Similarly, before they can tell time, they have to know all their numbers up until 60, comfortably. Help them learn by having them read the numbers from a chart, write them, and recite them from memory.
- Practice Counting by Fives: Once your child has learned to count to 60, teach them to count to 60 by fives. Your child will have mastered this when they can recite and write from 0-60, from memory.
- Introduce Your Child to the Concept of Time: Start by introducing your child to the concepts of morning, noon, evening, and night time.
Then, ask your child when certain routine activities happen. (i.e. "When do we eat breakfast?" or "What do we do in the morning?").
Once your child can understand these divisions of the day, they're on track to understanding time! - Make a Model Clock Together: Pick up a paper plate, and enthusiastically tell your child "Today we're making our own clocks!" Keep an analog clock next to you, to use for reference.
Be sure to focus on the important markers (12, 3, 6, 9), as well as the Hour Hand and Minute Hand.
Connect Time to Their Daily Routine: As your child continues to learn about time, keep connecting time with their daily routines -- but now go more advanced. For example, ask them what time school ends. Then, ask them to show you the corresponding time on the model clock.
Try doing this a few times every day (with different examples).
Stage 2 - Whole Number
Here is a problem Stage 2 to get you thinking about number! Have fun!
There are 18 animals in a paddock - some are sheep and some are emus.
If you count all the legs you get 50.
How many sheep and how many emus are there in the paddock?
First person to give the correct answer to Mrs Lockwood or Miss Sampson receives a 'cool' prize!
Stage 3 - Time
Here is a problem of the week Stage 3 to get you thinking about Time. First person with the correct answers to Mr Patterson will receive a 'cool' prize!
Amelia left home at 7:35 am and arrived at school at 8:15 am. Her first class began at 8:45 am and finished at 9:35 am. Her next class started at 10:00 am and finished at 10:45 am.
a) How long did it take Amelia to get to school?
b) What was the total length of time for Amelia's two morning classes?
c) What was the length of her break between morning classes?
d) If Amelia arrived home at 4:00 pm, how long had she been away from home for the day?
"Coming together is the beginning, staying together is progress,
and working together is success". - Henry Ford
Have a great week of learning and fun!
Maree Holland & Greg O'Toole