Class Party

Thank you to all the families for bringing in the treats for our class party. 

We have leftover juices, cakes and muffins which we will be able to share on Thursday. 

If I don't see you on Thursday, have a wonderful Christmas holiday and see you all next year. 

Assembly Item Christmas Theme

Week Nine

It is hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of Term Four! We have five teaching days left with our Kindy children. In the last two weeks of school, we have lots to look forward to. In literacy, we will be continuing to revise and consolidate letter sounds, syllables, rhyme, sight words and CVC words. During our numeracy sessions, we will be counting forward and backwards to 20, partitioning numbers and focusing on days of the week. 

Please see below for some important dates.

Dance Party

A permission slip has gone home regarding the dance parties. Thank you to the families that have returned the note promptly. Blue Group dance party is on Monday 16 December 10-11am. Children can wear party clothes and stay in their outfits for the whole school day. 

Class Party

We will be having our class party after the dance party. It will be an exciting day! Could you please bring a SMALL plate of food to school in the morning on Monday 16 December. There will be a list on our board to ensure a variety of wonderful treats!

Reports

Reports are due to go home on Wednesday 18 December. 

Week Eight

The weeks are flying past quickly and the end is fast approaching. We only have another three weeks together, before everyone ‘graduates’ from Kindy into Pre-Primary! What an amazing year and what amazing children we have had the pleasure to teach.

Literacy

During the last few weeks of Kindy we will be building on our knowledge of sight words and three letter words (cvc) and using them independently when writing short sentences and reading simple texts. e.g. Sam can hop and run. The pig will go in the mud.

Numeracy

We are learning to partition numbers into small collections using concrete materials up to 6. Partitioning refers to how numbers can be split into parts. It allows students to see the relationship between a number and its component parts. For e.g. a six can be made into one and five or two and four or three and three. This leads to making connections to addition and subtraction.

Dance classes continue and the students are getting very good at the various dances they are learning. The Presentation Dance Parties will be conducted at school on Monday 16 December for Blue Group. Parents will be invited to participate in the dancing with their children. We are looking forward to all families joining their children for this special end of year celebration.

Week Five

We have had a busy year learning the sounds of all letters (uppercase and lowercase). We have learnt 20 golden words and are learning CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. The children have been listening carefully and identifying the initial, middle and end sound. We have also been busy counting, subitising and using new mathematical language. We are so proud of what they are achieving in literacy and numeracy!

Literacy

We will be reviewing our sounds, golden words and CVC words.

Speaking and listening continue to be a focus. We are enjoying listening to the celebrations that you have in your homes.

Numeracy

We are reviewing numbers 1 to 19. We will continue to identify missing numbers and count on from different starting points.

During week 5, we will be making patterns with fruit. When we have created our pattern we will be having a picnic under the trees (weather permitting). We would appreciate it if you could please share one piece of fruit with our class (the brighter the better!). These we will be washed and cut in the morning ready for our numeracy activities.

Dancing

Dancing resumes Monday afternoon and will continue until the end of the term.

Blue Group Assembly

Our assembly item will be held on Thursday morning during week 7. We have begun rehearsals with Room 4. Each child will have a speaking part. A note will go home outlining what your child will be saying, to practise at home. As it is a Christmas Theme, we ask that on the day your child wears Christmas colours and a Santa Hat (if you have one).

Week Four

Thank you to parents for supporting your child with their Celebrations retell task at school last week. The students did a great job drawing a picture of their family celebration, and writing about what was happening in the picture.  It is so wonderful to see students listening carefully to words and writing down the sounds they hear. It was lovely to see such a variety of family events, including fireworks shows, Easter, Diwali, birthday’s, Christmas and Chinese New Year. If any parents would like to come in and talk any special family traditions with the class this term, you would be most welcome.

Literacy

We have reached the end of the alphabet! This week we are learning about the letter Q. Q as in quilt, queen and quick. We will be learning that Q and U stick together like glue, meaning the letter q is always followed by a letter u, and together they make the qu sound.

Your continued support with revising letter sounds and sight words at home will support your child to learn and apply this knowledge as we apply this knowledge to reading and writing.

Numeracy

Our number of the week is number 19.

On Wednesdays students have been learning about the concept of heavy and light. This includes hefting with our bodies to feel the difference in weight of objects. An important skill is for students to use language to describe their observations, e.g. the rockmelon is heavier than the banana.

Health

This term our focus is on Protective Behaviours. So far this term we have explored the concept of public (e.g. restaurant, shops) and private places (e.g. our bedroom, toilet at school) and are beginning to talk about how our body feels when we feel scared or unsafe. 

Have a wonderful week.

Fun with Science

We used our wiggly fingers to help the magic happen!

Week Three

What a successful and enjoyable day was had by everyone at the Student School Fete last Wednesday. Thank you to the parents who volunteered to help take the children around to visit all the amazing stalls and spend their money. They all went home happy and content with a lot of great goodies they had purchased!

Reminder

This week students will be taking part in a whole class activity where they will share/ state one event that their family celebrates together. In preparation, please name and discuss how your family celebrates this special event with your child.

Literacy

The focus letter sound for week 3 is the letter Zz as in zebra starts with z, z, z and zip starts with z, z, z. What other words can your child think of that start with the letter Zz? 

We will also be focusing on the sight word 'will'. 

In the coming weeks teachers will be assessing many of the concepts taught this year, this includes sight words, initial letter sounds and upper and lowercase letter recognition, rhyming, syllables, blending and segmenting 3 letter words. The students have also started practising using sight words and sounding out to write simple, short sentences e.g. I will sit on the mat. The children have done an amazing job at learning so many difficult concepts and we are super proud of their efforts.

Numeracy

This week we will be focusing on using concrete materials to partition numbers up to 6 (addition). We are also learning to copy, continue and create simple alternating patterns. Patterns can be made from many materials found around the house, i.e. fork/ spoon / fork / spoon / fork. 

STEM

We love exploring and learning new things in Kindy and enjoy learning about living and non living things.

This week we will be discovering how to make fizzy Wizard’s brew and designing spider webs that can hold a spider without breaking. Learning is so much fun!

Summer is on the way

Our school has a no hat no play policy. As the weather is warming up, please ensure your child has a hat each day that is clearly labelled with their name. Please also check that the hat that has gone home is your child's. Some hats and jackets have gone missing the past few weeks. 

We would like to extend our appreciation to all parents for their on-going support and involvement in their child’s learning and school activities. 

Thank you.

  

Week Two

What an exciting start to the term we are having.  There are lots of special events happening. Please take care to read all student notes and the class board each day to ensure you stay informed.

Student Fete – Wednesday 23^rd of October

The students attended a Student Fete spruiking assembly last week, where we heard about the games and items that will be for sale at the class stalls this week. We were excited to hear about the “Adopt a Pet” soft animal store and the “Decorate a Cupcake” stall. Most items will cost $1 or less. Please remember to send money in coins, in a named zip-lock bag or purse. Maximum of $10 per child.

Room 1 is selling bags of playdough at our stall. A big thank-you to all parents who have donated ingredients and their time to colour, scent, glitter and package our playdough. 

Blue Group students are invited to come in and attend the Student Fete. Parents need to bring students to school via the front office to the classroom at 12.50pm. When you arrive at the classroom please sign in your child and then return at 2.30pm to sign out and collect your child. Parents are not permitted to stay for the fete.

Dancing Lessons

Dancing Lessons are underway and we have enjoyed learning the steps to some fun routines. We look forward to showing off our moves at the end of year Dance Party.

Literacy

This week we are learning the sound Yy as in yellow and yo-yo. Our new sight word is to, as in… I go to daycare. We have been applying our letter sound and sight word knowledge to read simple sentences and texts.

A focus for Term 4 is blending and segmenting CVC words. CVC words are three letter words that comprise of a consonant, a vowel and another consonant, e.g. pig, man, zip.

Blending: This skill involves blending sounds together to pronounce a word e.g. s  u  n … sun

Segmenting: This skill involves listening carefully to the word and identifying the sounds that you can hear e.g. sun … s  u  n

Numeracy

We continue to work with teen numbers. This week we will be learning about the number 17. We continue to develop our counting skills by practising one-to-one correspondence (touching each object as we count) and learning that the arrangement does not affect the count.

HASS (History and Social Sciences)

This term we are learning about family celebrations. In week 3, we will be asking students to name a special event that their family celebrates and tell us how they celebrate it. Special events could include religious festivals, family reunions, birthdays, community events etc. Please speak with your child about a family event to support them to complete this in Week 3.

Thank you for your support with our learning program.

Fun with our parachute!

Whiteboard Drawings - Learning to draw people

Week One

Welcome back to all Kindergarten children and families. We hope you have all had a wonderful break and are looking forward to another exciting term.

Literacy

Our letter for this week is the ‘X x’ phonic sound. We will be exploring words that have this sound. For example, we can hear the sound Xx at the end of fox and box.

We are continuing to review our sight words and are beginning to identify and blend the sounds in CVC (consonant – vowel – consonant) words.

We enjoy shared and guided reading in the classroom, and we will continue to integrate reading into all learning areas.

Numeracy

This week we are reviewing numbers 1 to 15. Our focus number is 16. We will continue to identify missing numbers and count on from different starting points.

Dancing

Blue Group will be dancing on a Monday afternoon this term. We are looking forward to starting this program as soon as school returns. If you have not paid and would like your child to attend the lessons, the office will be available for payment on Monday morning. 

Student Fete

The Student Fete is held during week 2 on Wednesday 23 October. It begins at 1pm. Blue Group are welcome to attend and on the day are required to sign in your children at the office. Parents do not attend unless you have been assigned/volunteered for parent help. Week 1 will be busy for Kindergarten as we prepare the Playdough for our stall.

Health

During our health lessons this term we will be focusing on Protective Behaviours. The overarching theme is ‘Everyone has the right to feel safe at all times’. We will be learning about body parts, private/public spaces, feeling safe and unsafe, early warning signs, safety networks and asking for help.

Blue Group Assembly

Our assembly item will be held on Thursday morning during week 7. More details to follow soon.

Week Ten

It is hard to believe that it is already week 10 of Term 3! It has been an extremely busy term and all our children have worked really hard. We are enjoying seeing all the progress they are making in all areas of learning.

Literacy

In our last week of term, we will be reviewing the sounds Nn, Bb, Ee, Ll, Pp, Ww, Jj and Vv. We are also beginning to identify the sound at the end of the word. Sight words covered this year include, I, am, a, can, Mum, look, at, it, Dad, is, in, go, the, see, we, like and here. Please return your child’s key tags so that they can be updated and returned to you next term.

Numeracy

We will be reviewing the numbers 1-15. Counting forwards and backwards 1-10 continue to be a focus.

Learning Journey Afternoon

A reminder that our Learning Journey afternoon at Wattle Grove Primary School has been placed on our calendar. For Blue Group children this will be held on Monday 23 September from 2.00 - 3.30pm. Parents are invited into our classroom to view scrapbooks and portfolios. We will also have science projects to explore and a literacy and numeracy activity to complete together.

School Fete

The second important date is our school fete. This will be held on Wednesday 23 October. Blue Group are invited to attend and will be required to be signed in and out of the office for the afternoon only. As this is not a Blue Group day, it is not compulsory to attend. Room 1 will be selling playdough this year. Blue Group children will be involved in setting up the stall prior to the event. To ensure adequate supervision on the day of the fete, there will be a list on our board for you to indicate which children will be joining us. 

Finally, thank you to those that have returned dance permission slips and money. Dance lessons begin first day back next term. We return to school on Monday 14 October.

Important Dates

In the recent newsletter, a Learning Journey afternoon at Wattle Grove Primary School has been placed on our calendar. For Blue Group children this will be held on Monday 23 September from 2.00 - 3.30pm. Parents are invited into our classroom to view scrapbooks and portfolios. We will also have two science projects to explore and a literacy and numeracy activity to complete together. There will be a family list on our board on Wednesday to indicate if you are able to attend. 

The second important date is our school fete. This will be held on Wednesday 23 October (Term 4). Blue Group are invited to attend and will be required to be signed in and out of the office for the afternoon only. As this is not a Blue Group day, it is not compulsory to attend. As previously mentioned, Room 1 will be selling playdough this year. Blue Group children will be involved in setting up the stall prior to the event. To ensure adequate supervision on the day of the fete, there will be another list on our board to indicate which children will be joining us. 

Finally, thank you to those that have returned dance permission slips and money. Dance lessons begin first day back next term. 

Week Nine

It has been another wonderful week in Kindy. We have continued to explore our Term 3 theme of Commotion in the Ocean. 

We are now starting to learn about the end sound in words. For example, the end sound in cat is t. This is a tricky concept, with students needing to listen carefully to the sounds in the word. This skill can be practised at home using short three letter words, e.g. cat, man, log. Extending and accentuating the last sound will support your child to hear it – e.g. muggggg, mannnnn.

We have now completed our Favourite Book Project, and books have been returned home. Thank you for supporting your child with this project. The students have loved sharing their book with the class and choosing their favourite character.

Literacy

We will be learning the sound Vv... as in van and velcro. 

Our new sight word will be here... as in Here is a book... or ... I am over here. 

Please continue to revise sounds and sight words with your child each day. Regular practise supports your child to retain these concepts.

Phonics sounds learnt so far this term: Nn, Bb, Ee, Ll, Pp, Jj, Ww

Sight words learnt so far this term:  is, in, go, the, see, we, like

Numeracy

We are continuing to work with teen numbers.  We are learning about the number 15.

We continue to practise the skills of counting (forwards, backwards, from a different starting point and with real life objects). We are developing students understanding of the numberline by playing missing number and number sequencing puzzles and games.

Science

Next week in Science, we will work together to plan and construct our own ocean. We include sand, water, stones, shells and sea creatures. The students are starting to ask more questions about the ocean and we have been enjoying finding the answers to questions together.

Week Eight

It was been an extremely busy week in Kindergarten! Wattle Day, Sport Events and more Science Experiments!

Literacy

Our letter for this week is the ‘J j’ phonic sound. We are focusing on the short initial sound only as in ‘jellyfish’ and ‘juice’. We are continuing to explore syllables, rhyme and sight words. Please remember to pack the brain cards so that we can review sounds and add new sounds.

We will be returning your child’s favourite book at the end of next week. Thank you for allowing us to keep the book in class and use them for activities. We have also enjoyed sharing the stories during our mat sessions.

Numeracy

This week we are learning about the number 14. We will also be linking ordinal numbers to our experience participating in the Sport Days. For example, Ms Roberts came 1^st in the running race or Mrs Kealley came 3^rd in the running race.

School Fete

If you have older children attending Wattle Grove Primary School, you may have started to hear about the school fete. This is held in week two of term four. Room 1 will be selling playdough on the day. Over the next coming weeks, we will begin to seek donations. Every donation received will help our stall to be a huge success! More information to follow soon.

Finally, we are really proud of all of our Kindergarten children. They worked hard to learn all of our tabloid games and listened carefully when we ventured out onto the oval during running practice. It has been a busy term learning about this big event. We really enjoyed seeing Blue and Red Kindy Groups participate, even if it was not their scheduled school day.