term 1 newsletter - hfmw.catholic.edu.au newsletter... · compliment our inquiry unit. for example...
TRANSCRIPT
Junior LEVEL –
Term 1
Newsletter
NEWSLETTER
Dear Parents, We are very enthusiastic about the year ahead. A new school year is always an exciting time, filled with new experiences, learning and growth. We welcome back our familiar faces and extend a warm welcome to our new students and their families. We have spent these past two weeks getting to know the children in our class, setting up our class expectations and building our classroom culture. Within our classrooms, we have spent time setting up our prayer space, revisiting the School Vision and our Holy Family School Expectations. At the beginning of the term a Student Personal Information Exchange Proforma was sent home with all students. We ask if you could please take the time to fill in this sheet and send it back to your child’s class teacher. We will use this information to help your child on their learning journey and it gives us further insight into the little personalities of your children. A strong partnership between home and school is essential and consistent communication is necessary. We encourage all families to become involved in the Junior Level. Throughout the year there will be many opportunities for families to participate such as parent helpers, liturgical celebrations, school assemblies, excursions and learning celebrations. Parent Helpers have started this week and we thank all parents who have been able to assist in the classroom. If you are still interested in joining your child’s class for the two hour Literacy Block, please speak to your child’s classroom teacher. Each term you will receive a Junior Level newsletter that contains information about the curriculum undertaken during the term. Remember we are always available to discuss any concerns that you may have about your child. The key to a successful partnership is good communication. Sometimes we are hard to catch, especially in the morning when it is hectic. It is often best to send a note so we can ring you during the day for a chat or make any appointment time. Alternatively you can make contact via email. We are going to have fun in Year 1/2 while encouraging
resilience and independence. Every time we do something for
a child that they can do for themselves we rob them of an
opportunity to grow and learn (a hard one to remember when
they are running late for school in the morning etc….)
However we will work together and keep the lines of
communication open to ensure a happy and successful year
for all.
Many Thanks,
Alison Dickson, Laura Adcock, Sharyn Govic & Kirsty Hawkins
Our learning this term
In Religion, we will be investigating ‘How can I live like
Jesus during Lent’? Students will be reflecting on what our
School Prayer, School Vision, the Catholic Social Teaching
Principles and the Bible says about how we should treat
others. They will understand that Lent is a time we try our best
to be the best person we can be, by praying and focusing on
those in need.
In Inquiry, we will be looking into the question ‘How do I
learn best?’ Students will be investigating how people learn
and the things that good learners do. They will understand
that learning is ongoing and a growth mindset helps to be a
good learner. Teaching students about ‘Growth Mindset’ can
help them become better learners, become more persistent
and resilient.
In Reading and Viewing, students will engage with a variety
of texts for enjoyment and will be participating in various
strategies to improve their ability to decode and comprehend
the texts that they read. We will be using mentor texts that
compliment our Inquiry Unit. For example ‘The Day the
Crayons Quit’, ‘The Girl who never made mistakes’, ‘What to
do with an idea’ and ‘What do you do with a Problem’.
Students will be investigating some of the strategies that
Good Readers do, for example: predicting what the story will
be about, retelling the story in their own words and making
connections with the text – how is this text similar to my life,
another text and the world?
In Writing, students will be involved in writing recounts and
descriptions. A recount is a framework which retells events
as they happened in time order. A recount may be written in
the form of a newspaper report, diary, letter, journal, or
eyewitness account. The purpose of a description is to
describe features of a particular person, place or thing in
such a way that a picture is formed in the reader’s mind.
Students will be setting up their Writer’s Notebook which is a
place where they gather the seeds (ideas) for their writing.
In Mathematics, we will explore the following concepts:
skip counting by 2’s, 3’s, 5’s and 10’s using number
lines, 100 grid and songs
describe, continue and create number patterns
reading, writing and modelling numbers (Year 1
students working with numbers to 100 and Year 2
students working with numbers to 999)
ordering numbers from smallest to highest
identifying odd and even numbers
days of the week, months of the year and seasons
reading calendars and timetables
TERM 1 Issue 1 Date: February 2018
Brain Food (Crunch and Munch):
At Holy Family we encourage healthy
eating habits for the students. Each class
in Level Three will have a Brain Food
daily. The time of the Brain Food will be at
the discretion of the classroom teacher.
Students are allowed to bring any fresh
fruit or vegetables, as well as cheese.
No Muesli bars or nuts allowed.
Please note that the fruit and vegetables
must not be processed as the emphasis
is on fresh, healthy produce. It is
beneficial to your child to have the fruit or
vegetables prepared (cut up) to enable
them to finish eating in the short time
available for Brain Food. Please ensure
brain food is in a small container or snap
lock bag as it makes it easier to manage
on their tables while they are working.
Drink Bottles:
We encourage students to have a water
bottle in class so they can maintain
hydration (important for optimum brain
function). Bottles may only contain water
– no cordial or juices.
Toys:
We ask that families talk to their
child/children about the importance of not
bringing in toys to play with during play
and lunch time. Unfortunately items can
be lost or damaged and is best left at
home.
Library Bags:
Please ensure your child brings their
library bag and library book to school on
their designated day.
Hi, my name is Miss Adcock and I
teach 1/2A. This will be my fourth year
teaching in 1/2 and it is always so
much fun! My favourite thing to do is
go to the beach and I'm always trying
to travel to as many places as
possible! My favourite subject is
Literacy because I love to transport
myself to other places through reading
and create those places myself
through writing. I'm looking forward to
learning lots of new and fun things
together this year in 1/2!
Email: [email protected]
l Hi, my name is Miss Dickson. I teach
1/2D and I am also the Junior Level
Leader. I am excited about joining the
1/2 team after spending the last 6
years in the Middle Level. My favourite
subject is Mathematics and I endeavor
to pass my love of Mathematics to all
children and have them see
themselves as successful
mathematicians. I love catching up
with family and friends and spending
time with my two Labradors Riley and
Bailey. I am looking forward to all the
adventures we will have together this
year in 1/2. Email:
Hi my name is Miss Hawkins, and I
teach 1/2H. This is my second year in
the 1/2 level. I have previously taught
Prep and grade 5/6 at Holy Family. I
enjoy teaching all areas of the
curriculum, however my passion is
Literacy! I absolutely love to read
anything and everything, and I hope to
pass this on to my students. Other
than reading I also enjoy travelling,
being with friends and family, fitness
and spending time with my beautiful
dog, Hudson. I am looking forward to a
great year together and getting to
know you all! Email:
Hi I am a new teacher to Holy Family
School, but actually was a student here
when I was in grade five and six! (Quite a
while ago now!) ‘Teaching’ is a privilege
and it is what I love to do. My recent
teaching has been at Holy Saviour
Vermont South, where I have been
teaching composite grade 3/4. I have also
taught in various capacities at all grade
levels, including specialist areas like
digital technologies, physical education
and performing arts. I have three children
(all teenagers) and a menagerie of
animals at home. My favourite thing to do
is travel and spend time with family and
friends. I enjoy caravanning and
scrapbooking. I am looking forward to a
positive year filled with learning for both
myself and the students. Email:
Miss Laura Adcock
Miss Alison Dickson
Miss Kirsty Hawkins
Mrs Sharyn Govic
Important Dates
February:
13th – Shrove Tuesday Pancakes
14th – Ash Wednesday
16th - Year 1/2G Class Mass 9.15am
16th – Twilight School Sports
23rd – Year 1/2A Class Mass 9.15am
March:
2nd – Year 1/2D Class Mass 9.15am
4th – Family Mass 10.30am
9th – School Closure Day
12th – Labour Day Public Holiday
13th – 21st School Book Fair
14th – School Photos
16th – Year 1/2H Class Mass 9.15am
27th – Parent / Teacher / Student
Interviews
28th - Parent / Teacher / Student
Interviews
29th – Term 1 Concludes at 1.30pm
April:
16th – Term 2 Begins
24th – School Closure Day
25th – ANZAC Day
Home Reading: As reading is an essential lifelong skill, particular attention is given to reading as a major component of the homework. We also aim to encourage a love of books and reading. The habit of reading every night is vital to support students in developing their reading skills. Therefore, we expect all students to set aside the specified time of 10 – 15 minutes each night for their reading. To help with this, Reading Log Books will be used to monitor the frequency of reading, the types of books read to communicate with parents issues regarding the take home reader. It is an expectation that both the title of the book and pages read will be recorded in their Reading Log Book. When parents read with their children, they open the door to a big,
exciting world and help develop a love of stories, poems etc. When
children become readers, their world is forever wider and richer.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of parents reading
to their children as well as having your children read to you.
Here are some Home Reading Tips:
• Read aloud to your child: books, newspaper and magazine
articles, the back of the cereal box, labels on cans, or directions. •
Discuss the different purposes for reading e.g. for pleasure, to find
information
• Read poems aloud together to explore rhythm and repeated
sounds in language.
• Point to the words on the page when you read. Move your finger
from left to right.
• Listen to your child read favourite stories to you every day.
• Go to the library together and explore books.
• Have books, magazines, and papers around the house, and let
your child see that you like to read, too.
• Encourage older children to read to younger children.
• Talk about and discuss what they read. Ask questions like ‘Who
were the characters in the text? What happened? Why do you
think..? What do you think will happen next? What makes you think
that? Did you like this text? Why/Why not? It is great when parents
share their own thoughts about the book and it becomes a
discussion that students gain a deeper understanding as there is a
sharing of thought, perspectives and ideas.
Students in grades 1/2 will have started to bring home a nightly take
home book. Students are expected to change their own reader and
will be guided by the teacher. This helps to develop independence
and responsibility for their own reading. It is an expectation that
students read each week night with a member of their family. The
take home books should be at an easy level for your child as the
emphasis is on developing a love of reading, fluency and phrasing
and the meaning of the text. The texts read in class will be at an
instructional level to continue to develop your child’s skills. Reading can be a combination of students reading aloud to their parents, reading independently, listening to reading by parents or audio books, reading to younger siblings and reading together as a family.
Take Home Bags: The Junior Level will also have Take Home Bags which will
provide students with experiences in Religious Education,
Numeracy and Literacy. They are intended to provide students an
opportunity to interact with their family in solving problems,
developing strategies, playing games and communicating their
numeracy and literacy skills, thinking and understanding.
SPECIALIST TIMETABLE
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Art
1/2H: 9 – 10am
1/2A: 10 – 11am 1/2G: 11.30 – 12.30 1/2D: 12.30 – 1.30
Italian
1/2H: 11.30 – 12.10 1/2D: 12.10 – 12.50 1/2G: 12.50 – 1.30
1/2A: 2.20 – 3pm
P.E
1/2G: 11.30 – 12.10 1/2H: 12.10 – 12.50 1/2A: 12.50 -1.30
1/2D: 2.20 – 3pm All Year 1/2 Classes have Sport: 2.30 – 3.10pm
Library
1/2A: 11.30 – 12.10 1/2G: 12.10 – 12.50 1/2D: 12.50 – 1.30
1/2H: 12.10 – 12.50
Music
1/2G: 12.10 – 12.50 1/2D: 11.30 – 12.10 1/2A: 12.10 – 12.50 1/2H: 12.50 – 1.30