Week 10 Term 1
Good afternoon parents,
I hope you all had a well-earned Easter break. I think it came at a perfect time, for us all to rest, recoup and re-energize for the remainder of the term.
CLASSROOM
Thank you for your assistance with the costumes for the Holy Week presentation, the students looked great and did a wonderful job of portraying the Resurrection of Jesus. It was great to see so many of you there to support the children.
ENGLISH
We have begun our study of narratives; in particular, identifying the structure, purpose and language features found within them. This week and into next week, we are going to apply this knowledge of different language types to write creative and detailed descriptions of settings and characters (preparing to write the orientation of a narrative). A series of new words lists will be displayed around the class to encourage the children to extend their vocabulary when writing. The children are also going to be challenged to find new exciting WOW words at home to contribute to our WOW Wall, the trickier the better!
Retelling in Class
As most of you know I have recently completed a new Reading test on the students, and one component of this test requires the students to give a retell of what they have read. It was interesting to see that many students at all levels found this component difficult. Therefore I have decided to incorporate a retell session on Friday each week to improve the results in this area. This week we will begin reading the novel 'The Twits' by Roald Dahl as a class, this will be used during our writing
and retell sessions.
Integrating History and Literacy
As part of our study of narratives and the First Australians, the students are currently working on devising their own Dreamtime stories. The students have been encouraged to follow the structure of a narrative in their planning, as well as, incorporate relevant research such as tribe names to the region they have written about, indigenous words or language for characters and items used within the story. They will present this as a story map using an iPad app called 'Strip Designer'. I am looking forward to seeing the final products, especially after reading the story ideas over the weekend.
SCIENCE
Our pet tadpoles (froglets) are still going! I am really impressed with our ability to keep most of them alive (unfortunately one has passed away). This week we will be freshening up the tank and renewing some of the surroundings. This week in Science, we will be learning about symbiosis and how living and non-living organisms rely on one another to maintain a balanced ecosystem. Our little tadpoles, will be used again as a feature, alongside videos and games to reinforce this new concept.
ASSESSMENTS
In week 11, the students will have assessments in Science, History and Numeracy to test their knowledge of what has been taught. The students will be encouraged this week to take their books home to study. In class, we will highlight what they need to know in the assessments to prepare them for each one. If your child is absent next week, we will catch them up next term after the holidays.
HOMEWORK
This week the students are continuing to use their Spelling Words from week 9 and the same reading log from last week (as there will be spare spaces to complete from last week).
1. Spelling - Look, Say Cover, Write, Check & at least 2 spelling activities (from the activity grid) a week.
2. Reading - 10 minutes each night and complete small section of Reading Log.
3. Mental Maths - Think Mentals,
NOTICES
Parent Teacher Interviews - Week 9/10
Thank you to those who met with us last week to discuss your child's progress, it was great to be able to discuss each child in depth and identify their individual needs. I look forward to meeting with the last few parents over the next couple of days.
Year 1 Prayer Assembly
There will be a prayer assembly this Friday, however merits will still be distributed. You will hear from us very soon if your child has been selected.
Parent Help Roster
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have generously given up their time to assist in the classroom so far. Starting next term, we will remove parent help in the middle session, to avoid confusion. If you are able to help on a Monday - Thursday in the morning, we would be greatly appreciative. A new calendar/roster for next term will be put up for you add your names to.
Enjoy the rest of the week.
Many thanks,
Sandy Ricciardone & Adrian Torrese
I hope you all had a well-earned Easter break. I think it came at a perfect time, for us all to rest, recoup and re-energize for the remainder of the term.
CLASSROOM
Thank you for your assistance with the costumes for the Holy Week presentation, the students looked great and did a wonderful job of portraying the Resurrection of Jesus. It was great to see so many of you there to support the children.
ENGLISH
We have begun our study of narratives; in particular, identifying the structure, purpose and language features found within them. This week and into next week, we are going to apply this knowledge of different language types to write creative and detailed descriptions of settings and characters (preparing to write the orientation of a narrative). A series of new words lists will be displayed around the class to encourage the children to extend their vocabulary when writing. The children are also going to be challenged to find new exciting WOW words at home to contribute to our WOW Wall, the trickier the better!
Retelling in Class
As most of you know I have recently completed a new Reading test on the students, and one component of this test requires the students to give a retell of what they have read. It was interesting to see that many students at all levels found this component difficult. Therefore I have decided to incorporate a retell session on Friday each week to improve the results in this area. This week we will begin reading the novel 'The Twits' by Roald Dahl as a class, this will be used during our writing
and retell sessions.
Integrating History and Literacy
As part of our study of narratives and the First Australians, the students are currently working on devising their own Dreamtime stories. The students have been encouraged to follow the structure of a narrative in their planning, as well as, incorporate relevant research such as tribe names to the region they have written about, indigenous words or language for characters and items used within the story. They will present this as a story map using an iPad app called 'Strip Designer'. I am looking forward to seeing the final products, especially after reading the story ideas over the weekend.
SCIENCEOur pet tadpoles (froglets) are still going! I am really impressed with our ability to keep most of them alive (unfortunately one has passed away). This week we will be freshening up the tank and renewing some of the surroundings. This week in Science, we will be learning about symbiosis and how living and non-living organisms rely on one another to maintain a balanced ecosystem. Our little tadpoles, will be used again as a feature, alongside videos and games to reinforce this new concept.
ASSESSMENTS
In week 11, the students will have assessments in Science, History and Numeracy to test their knowledge of what has been taught. The students will be encouraged this week to take their books home to study. In class, we will highlight what they need to know in the assessments to prepare them for each one. If your child is absent next week, we will catch them up next term after the holidays.
HOMEWORK
This week the students are continuing to use their Spelling Words from week 9 and the same reading log from last week (as there will be spare spaces to complete from last week).
1. Spelling - Look, Say Cover, Write, Check & at least 2 spelling activities (from the activity grid) a week.
2. Reading - 10 minutes each night and complete small section of Reading Log.
3. Mental Maths - Think Mentals,
NOTICES
Parent Teacher Interviews - Week 9/10
Thank you to those who met with us last week to discuss your child's progress, it was great to be able to discuss each child in depth and identify their individual needs. I look forward to meeting with the last few parents over the next couple of days.
Year 1 Prayer Assembly
There will be a prayer assembly this Friday, however merits will still be distributed. You will hear from us very soon if your child has been selected.
Parent Help Roster
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have generously given up their time to assist in the classroom so far. Starting next term, we will remove parent help in the middle session, to avoid confusion. If you are able to help on a Monday - Thursday in the morning, we would be greatly appreciative. A new calendar/roster for next term will be put up for you add your names to.
Enjoy the rest of the week.
Many thanks,
Sandy Ricciardone & Adrian Torrese
