1/2 Classes

Mathematics : Additive Thinking

Our 1/2's are currently learning about additive thinking (how we can add or subtract numbers). Some of the strategies we've been learning about include:

• Counting on and counting back. This can be done using fingers, number lines or hundreds charts. Some students will be able to make big 'jumps' by counting back and forth by tens or hundreds, whereas some students will still be 'jumping' by ones.
• Counting all. Students can use materials like counters, blocks or MAB to make two different numbers and then count the total.
• Split strategy. Students can break a number up into its parts to make it easier to add them together.

Here's a video of a fun warm up that we use to practise our addition and subtraction skills that you might want to try at home.

Literacy

Our main focus for the last two weeks has been the "silent e", "magic e" or "split digraph". Students have learnt how to read and write words with the following graphemes (spelling patterns):

• a_e (cape, make, late)
• e_e (Pete, complete, athlete)
• i_e (like, pile, kite)
• o_e (wrote, poke, mole)
• u_e (cute, flute, fume)

Here's a video we've used in class to explain the power of the Magic E:

Sustainability

This term we are focusing on sustainability and trying to reduce our environmental footprint. We're looking at ways we can reduce, reuse, repair and recycle at school, so we'd love for you to be having those conversations at home too.

Here is a lovely story we watched demonstrating the importance of being sustainable.

We've been lucky enough to organise a visit from Bunnings later in the term so they can help us to renew our garden and install a new compost bin. Keep your fingers crossed that we get good weather on the day!