Hamilton Public SchoolPrincipal: Teeny Blatchford P.O. Box 695Phone (02) 4969 3577 Hamilton 2303

Fax (02) 4961 5148 Email:hamilton-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Web : http://www.hamilton-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Term 1 2015 Class: KL Teacher: Mrs Pierrta Leung pierrta.leung@det.nsw.edu.au

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to Kindergarten. This year is going to be very busy, here are some things you can do to make it a happy and successful year for your child.

Getting ready for school each day- Please have your child help you pack their own bag each night/morning, this practice will make

it much easier for them when they have to do it themselves at school. - Ensure your child gets plenty of sleep and a good breakfast so they are fresh and ready to

learn. - Punctuality to school is very important as there are important messages announced at 9am. - Good attendance is necessary; too many days off will hinder your child’s learning.

Food at school- Don’t forget to send a healthy lunch & recess and water every day.- Please send an extra piece of fruit or vegetable for fruit break every day. Water only is allowed at fruit break, so please make sure they have water in their drink bottle not juice.- Please make sure your child can open their food packages independently.- Please talk to your child about sharing food; we do not encourage this at school. Please

remind your child that the things you pack for them in their lunchbox are just for them to eat and if someone asks to swap they need to say no. We are a PEANUT FREE SCHOOL.

- If you give your child money for the canteen, remind them that they are only allowed to buy for themselves not their friends.

Book Packs- In Kindergarten the book pack includes; red bag, display folder, glue sticks,

whiteboard markers, home reader record book, Sports Program, library bag, chair bag, school contribution, athletics carnival and Hunter Life Education. - Please pay at the office and the book pack will be given to the class teacher.

Jolly Phonics- We will start the Jolly Phonics program on Monday 2nd February;

five sounds a week and daily assessment.- Jolly Phonics is a wonderful program that has great success with helping

children learn the sounds the letters make so they can begin to hear sounds in words for both reading and writing.

- Your child’s red bag (in the book pack) should come home and be returned to school each day, inside is their Jolly Phonics folder and all sounds should be revised each night.

Home readers- Home Readers will begin Week 5, Term 1 and these too will come home in the red bag. Home

readers should be read together each night and returned every Monday, Wednesday and

Hamilton Public SchoolPrincipal: Teeny Blatchford P.O. Box 695Phone (02) 4969 3577 Hamilton 2303

Fax (02) 4961 5148 Email:hamilton-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Web : http://www.hamilton-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Friday. Please see the classroom teacher if your able to help change home readers on one of these mornings. (9-9:30am)

Uniform- All items of your child’s school uniform should be clearly labelled. These items are your child’s

responsibility and if they are misplaced they can be returned promptly if they are labelled.

Parent Helpers- We love parent helpers! A note will be sent home shortly to let you know when we will

need help in the classroom (and in our garden!). We spend the first few weeks settling in.

K Sport - Sport is every Friday at 9am. Please let us know if you can help.- Runners and coloured house shirt to be worn.- A note will be sent home shortly to let you know which house your child will be in.

PDHPE (Personal Development, Health & Physical Education)This program will be taught by Mr Garry Ison on Mondays.

LibraryThis program will be taught by Mrs Renae Wilks on Mondays. Borrowing will be on a weekly basis. You will receive a school library bag when you purchase your book pack.

SkoolBag App Please download your free SkoolBag App on your iphone or android to receive updates,reminders etc. Go into settings and set it to receive Kindergarten updates.

Hamilton Public School WebsitePlease return your yellow permission note ASAP, so your child or your child’s work can be placed on the website. The website is designed for you to view your child hard at work during school.

Hamilton Public SchoolPrincipal: Teeny Blatchford P.O. Box 695Phone (02) 4969 3577 Hamilton 2303

Fax (02) 4961 5148 Email:hamilton-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Web : http://www.hamilton-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Class Focus ResourcesLiteracy: Talking & Listening:

Small group and whole class discussions Songs / chants / nursery rhymes Follow directions/ Retells stories/Asks questions/ Expresses needs, likes

Writing: Handwriting (pre writing activities) writing own name Sentence writing (copying or independently writing) Develop fine motor skills in hands by (action songs, cutting, pasting, ripping, play dough, threading)

Reading: Jolly Phonics: a new sound Monday to Friday Word boxes/CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant) words: starting Week 3, maximum 10 words per week Tricky Words (sight words): starting week 6, maximum 2 words per week Guided and shared reading in class Independent reading of known books Home reading

Maths: - 1 to 10, Count back to 0- Numbers names to 10- Addition (addition to five and number facts)- Length & Mass (Long and short, Heavy and light)- Area & Capacity (Bigger, smaller, Full, empty, and half full)- Time (Day and night, Longer and shorter time)- Number patterns, Shape patterns- Graphing ages, Tallest, shortest- 3D objects and position (box & ball, above & below)- 2D shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, ovals)

HSIE (Human Society & It’s Environment)/History “Changes in our lives“- This unit provides opportunities for students to explore change over time and personal heritage.

Science & Technology “Weather in my world”- This unit provides opportunities for students to understand and use their senses, and how daily and seasonal changes in the environment affect them and other living things.

Creative and Performing Arts- Music: singing, actions, instruments, clapping to beat- Art/Craft: painting, cutting, pasting, crayons, folding, chipping, play dough- Drama: role play, Puppet Shows- Dance throughout the week

PDHPE - Sport on Friday (focused on Fundamental movement skills) - PDHPE with Mr Ison will focus on Safety, including water, bike, road, sun and school.

Library - Library with Mrs Wilks will focus on how the library works, book care and borrowing.

If possible, please send in:

- textas- box of tissues- Hand sanitizer/liquid soap

Kindergarten has their own garden to maintain. If possible, we would appreciate donations of punnets of annuals to brighten up our garden bed.