Grade 1


TERM 4 2024

 

Welcome back to our final term for the year. We hope these past two weeks have provided many opportunities for families to go on new adventures, create wonderful memories and enjoy some well-earned rest.

We can’t believe the year has gone this quickly and we are about to embark on our last term together! As Grade 1 comes to a close and Grade 2 sits on the horizon, we are very keen to hit the ground running in Term 4 to consolidate and extend all of the AMAZING learning we have done this year. Here is an overview of what we’ll be doing.

 

LITERACY

In reading, we’ll be developing fluency and comprehension skills, such as looking for deeper meaning in texts through inferencing and enhancing expression by identifying punctuation. Understanding the role of different text features and images across a range of text types will also increase our students understanding.

In writing, we are revisiting several text types to connect our learning to real world applications. Students will create persuasive texts to convince audiences of their opinions (look out!), explore poetry through rhyme and revise letter writing skills in preparation for that all important end-of-year letter to the ‘Big Guy’! We look forward to consolidating our use of punctuation to show our ideas, as well as using images and text features to communicate ideas clearly.

In spelling, we’ll continue our spelling workshop model that explores phonetic, visual and morphemic strategies. Students have built a terrific vocabulary around our metalanguage to help identify and discuss spelling, such as phonemes, graphemes, digraphs, blends, homophones, base words, suffixes and prefixes.

 

MATHS

We are excited to share lots of new games and activities with our students that we were fortunate to learn through our Maths PD last term. We’ll revisit addition and subtraction, as we continue to develop a range of strategies to solve problems. Fractions and place value will continue to build and deepen students’ understanding of numbers. Estimating, location, shape, pattern, money, mass and capacity will round out our maths program for the year.

 

CBL – SCIENCE | MINIBEASTS

Minibeasts is a very popular topic with our Grade 1 students. We are looking forward to making lots of scientific discoveries about how they are classified, their features and adaptations, what they eat, where they live and how they survive.

We are really looking forward to having TWO incursions during this term. Holly’s Backyard Bees will be back to share all her buzzy business, as well as Wildlife: Minibeasts. They are sure to be a big hit with the kids!

 

HOMEWORK

Nightly reading continues to be a big focus for Grade One. Please keep setting aside a few minutes each day to listen to your child read and practise their reading strategies. It really helps to build their confidence!

We will continue sending home weekly spelling words for your child to practise. They are welcome to do this in any way that helps them to learn. Each week, we will provide activity suggestions to help keep students motivated.

‘Teaching on’ is a great way to consolidate learning. By sharing the maths games and activities they engage with at school, they strengthen their skills and build confidence in working with numbers and concepts. Each week, we will continue to suggest math games and activities to support this process.

 

SWIMMING

During Term 4 the Preps will participate in a swimming program that will run for 2 weeks. We will be seeking some Parent Helpers with this event.

 

 

We are looking forward to a great term to finish off the year. At any stage should you have any questions or information that will help us support your child please always make contact your child’s teacher via Compass or Class Dojo.

 

Kristin MacDonald, Nic Snelleksz & Mollie Taylor.