Grade 1/2

As we move towards the final weeks of Term One, it has been wonderful to reflect on a busy and rewarding start to the year. A highlight for many students was our Polwarth Sports Day, where it was fantastic to see teamwork, encouragement, and students trying their very best. We are now looking forward to our upcoming House Sports Day at Birregurra Recreation Reserve and another day of fun and friendly competition. 

We are also looking forward to celebrating Cultural Diversity Week next week, including wearing a splash of orange to recognise and celebrate diversity. In addition, we look forward to National Ride to School Day this Friday, which encourages students to choose active ways to start their day.

In Literacy, students have been engaging in our Sounds-Write program, and we have seen strong growth in reading fluency, with students becoming more confident and expressive readers. In handwriting, students have focused on forming and practising clockwise letters. Through our text-based learning, we explored the mentor text Ask Aunty: Seasons, where students developed their understanding of non-fiction narratives, built vocabulary, and learned to use pronouns in their writing. They also created seasonal diagrams linked to First Nations perspectives.

We are now exploring Aesop’s Fables, where students are listening to and discussing traditional stories and poems. They are learning to retell fables, identify the beginning, middle, and end, and explain the moral or message. Students are also expanding their vocabulary and strengthening their writing by adding detail through adjectives and prepositional phrases.

In Mathematics, students have completed a unit on place value, working with two- and three-digit numbers using hands-on materials. They have practised grouping, partitioning, comparing, and identifying the value of digits, as well as using number lines and hundred charts to solve problems. We are now beginning our addition and subtraction unit, where students are building confidence with number facts and learning strategies such as number lines, jump strategies, partitioning, and compensation.

In Inquiry, we have continued to build strong classroom routines and clear expectations to support learning across all areas. We have also enjoyed recognising special events such as Clean Up Australia Day and St Patrick’s Day, and we are looking forward to celebrating Easter together.

As part of our Respectful Relationships learning, students have been introduced to the Zones of Regulation. This has supported them in developing a greater understanding of their emotions and strategies to manage how they are feeling throughout the day.

It has been a fantastic term of learning and growth, and we are proud of the effort students are demonstrating across all areas. We look forward to another great term ahead.

- Miss Lowe