Grade 1
Grade 1 Term 4 Curriculum Overview Newsletter
This Term Newsletter will provide you with information about your children’s upcoming teaching and learning experiences in the new term.
These Newsletters are provided to all parents across the school, so that everyone is aware of the great things happening at our school, even if you don’t have a child in this level. Of course, you may choose to read only those Newsletters affecting your children.
There is also plenty of additional information provided via Compass throughout the school year, so please make a point of touching base regularly.
General
This term we continue with 7 Grade 1 classes. The classroom teachers in Term 4 are Mrs Nyree Asmussen grade sharing with Mrs Michelle Da Silva (1AM), Mrs Milli Gardiner sharing with Ms Melissa Tinkler (1GT), Mrs Chelsea Bevan who will replace Ms Roxy Clarke-Hinch (1RC), Mr Blake Freeman (1BF), Mr Gregory Quirk (1GQ) Ms Allison Scrivener (1AS) and Mr Stephen Hargreaves (1SH) who is our Team Leader for 2020.
Welcome to the last term of 2020. The students will be returning to class after remote learning and quickly getting back into class routines and understanding expectations. We have thoroughly enjoyed observing children develop positive relationships and friendships over the year, even though there have been 2 blocks of remote learning.
When the students return next term, we will be conducting extensive assessments of their learning and academic development. At the end of Term 4, final student reports will be provided.
Students by now should have a good understanding of the different ways that they like to learn through completing a range of activities and be able to articulate some of their learning styles. Throughout the term we will continue to incorporate Play is The Way games and Community Circles to immerse students in team building and problem solving activities to encourage a safe, productive and harmonious community as the students prepare themselves for new class friends for next year.
Literacy
Term 4 will continue with our independent reading being the basis of our Reading block. Students will be able to choose their Just Right books to practise strategies that have been explicitly taught in daily mini lessons. They will also be working on their own personal reading goals. Each classroom has a stylish, student created classroom library for your children to select books of their choice for their learning.
An important part of the literacy success of your child is to be supported at home and this can be done through daily home reading. Reading aloud to your child can be one of your best parenting experiences! We hope that you and your child create many loving memories as you explore children's books together.
The reading patterns you establish at home influence your child’s ability to do well in school. One of our major goals this year in the Prep - 2 Department is to help your child grow further as a reader. You have a big role to play in achieving this. One of the ways for your children to grow as readers is for them to read daily. At Lara Lake Primary School, we are very proud of the progress that our children make with their Literacy learning. With the support that we as teachers give in the classroom and the support that you provide at home, each child progresses at their own rate and we celebrate each achievement that is made.
In writing the students will continue to explore different genres to build upon what they already know and to extend themselves. In the teaching of writing, it is important that students understand, the purpose of the text being written, the audience it is intended for and the language choices which shape the intended meanings for both purpose and audience. Students at Lara Lake PS, whether in Prep or in Grade 6, follow the same writing cycle to publish their writing for others to enjoy. We follow the Writers’ Workshop approach to the teaching of writing. You students will continue to use a Writer’s Notebook to collect their writing seed ideas in.
Numeracy
In Numeracy this term, the students will continue their work on counting and number sense, ordering numbers, counting forwards and backwards to 100 and looking at numbers before and after and ordering numbers. They will build on their understanding as to how to represent numbers with materials up to 100. They will work on adding and subtracting numbers using partitioning where the numbers are added as 10s and 1s. The students will continue to build on their understandings about time as part of school and home routines and also work with clocks to show their understanding of hour and half hour. They will use skip counting to count money as well as recognise the value of Australian coins. The students will use money to make the same value in different ways. There will also be a focus on the language of chance through chance games and use yes/no questions to create simple data displays.
Families can support at home by playing games involving counting and number facts, and providing opportunities for your child to access Mathletics.
Indonesian
This term in Indonesian, P-2 students will understand and follow instructions in Indonesian in order to participate in classroom routines, games, songs and simple activities where they will build upon their previous vocabulary related to numbers and colours.
Students will also learn how to describe their family, identify different types of fruits and express their preferences in short sentences.
They will apply their prior knowledge and comprehension skills, such as predicting and making connections to help them understand a story in Indonesian as well as learn about orang-utans and develop an awareness of why they are endangered.
Inquiry
The Integrated Inquiry unit this term is ‘Paddock to Plate'. Throughout this unit students will develop their understanding of where food comes from and how it arrives to our plate, how we package our food and our country's recycling habits and plastic usage. Term 4 will provide students with the chance to explore how plants and animals are grown for food, clothing and shelter, how we can live sustainably, how we package products and how we can limit our use of plastics. At the end of this unit students will get the opportunity to plan for and design a sustainable product and develop their understanding of sustainable practices which they will use to convince others of the importance of caring for our environment.
Science
This term the students will participate in some rotating Science activities. They will be engaging in hands on activities, exploring and discussing concepts related to the activities as they work with all teachers in the Grade 1 Team. Biological, Chemical, Environmental and Physical sciences are covered in this program.
Seesaw
The students will also be using Seesaw more frequently, a program that allows the students and the teacher to capture moments or examples of work. This work is catalogued and kept in a student folder to be used in a variety of ways including showing parents the work they have completed.
Extra-curricula
At this stage with Covid restrictions and the wellbeing of our children being our main priority, it is not possible for us to determine which extra curricula activities which would normally take place in Term 4 will be possible. We will keep you informed as we are notified as to what is permitted for us to be part of.
Reminders
Book Pouches/satchels
Please support your child to bring their Book Pouch and reading material to school each day.
Drink Bottles
Please ensure your child has a water bottle each day with their name clearly labeled. Shared drink taps are not permitted to be used.
Hats, Hats, Hats!
The weather remains warm and our No Hat No Play! Policy is in force. Please ensure your child brings their school hat to school each day to protect them from the harsh UV rays.
Label all Clothes and Belongings
Please ensure that all items belonging to your child are clearly labeled with their full name and grade.
Class donations
We would appreciate any donations of tissues, paper towel and hand sanitiser.
Attendance
Please contact via Compass, your child’s teacher to explain your child’s absence.
Regards
Stephen Hargreaves
Grade 1 Team Leader
Lara Lake Primary School
