We have had such a busy but wonderful start to Term 4 in the Prep/One classroom. We have settled back nicely into routine, sharing our holiday happenings, and reflecting on how much we have grown as learners since Term One. We have got lots of things to look forward to over the next couple of weeks, with our students excited for Market Day & Talent Quest. 

In literacy, we have extended our letter/sound understanding looking at two letters making one sounds – including /sh/, /ck/, /ch/ just to name a few! It has been fabulous to see the students’ independence and confidence to read and write words continue to grow! We completed our first two text units for the term, looking at ‘Where the Forest Meets the Sea’ and ‘Looking After Country with Fire’. The students have developed their understanding of sentence types including statements, questions, commands and exclamations and have been able to write their own using correct punctuation.

In numeracy, we are continuing to consolidate our understanding of number and counting patterns. The students were exposed to skip counting by twos, fives and tens and are enjoying applying this skill to quickly count collections. We have also been busy reviewing adding and subtracting numbers. Our daily maths fluency activities have enabled students to become proficient in adding numbers to 20, with many now being able to quickly recall the answer. It has been wonderful to see the growth in the students.

Our Inquiry focus for this term is ‘That’s My Hat’. We have been exploring different materials and their properties, working out which material would be good for different uses. Across the rest of the unit, students will engage in hands-on activities to sort and test the observable properties of a variety of different materials. They will then design and make their own party hat, taking into account the weather it might be worn in.

In Respectful Relationships, we have been exploring ‘Gender and Identity’, using some wonderful picture story books to support our learning. Students have participated in activities focused around gender identity assisting in developing an awareness of positive and negative gender norms, challenging negative gender norms and developing and appreciation of difference.
A busy, but productive start to Term 4 in Prep/One. We are looking forward to continuing all our learning successes over the rest of the year.

- Mrs Gray