Year Levels - Year 1

 

Year 1 Newsletter – Term 1 2021

Dear Parents, we hope that you have had a restful and enjoyable break over the summer. Welcome back to a new and exciting school year – hopefully one very different to last year. This year will be filled with many new learning experiences and discoveries. The Year One teachers for 2021 are:

 
Important Dates / Upcoming Events

Thursday 25 February: Three-way Conferences

Friday 26 February: Curriculum Day 

Monday 8 March: Labour Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 16 March: School Photo Day

Wednesday 17 March: Twilight Sports (TBC)

Thursday 1 April: Last day of Term - 2.30pm (early dismissal at 2:30pm)


Library
All children will need a library bag. Regular borrowing from the library helps children to develop literacy skills and establishes the important skills of reading for information and pleasure. Please encourage your child to borrow regularly from the school library by discussing and sharing the books they bring home. Borrowing from the library will begin very soon.

Uniform
Please make sure your child has a hat for sun protection. Term 1 is ‘No Hat, play under shade’. Students without hats have to remain under the blue shade in the lunch breaks. sun protection. All students need to wear their full summer uniform, including plain BLACK school shoes/runners every day. Please note: students cannot wear leggings or tights with their summer dresses. Polo shirts and jumpers must have the school logo. Hats do not need to have a school logo – however, they must be navy, sun smart hats. Please remember to clearly label all your child’s jumpers and other belongings. 
 
Homework
Homework is an important part of your child’s learning. Homework complements classroom learning and encourages good study habits. It provides an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning. At Craigieburn South Primary School it is expected that all students complete homework. For Year One homework consists of daily home reading and a weekly homework sheet. Each night your child will bring home a home reader to read to an adult. Reading at home daily will help them with their learning. It is really important that your child sees this as a positive time to spend with you. Home readers need to be signed by parents and returned to school each day. Your child will also bring the homework sheet home each Thursday. Please let your child’s teacher know as soon as possible if you need any help for your child to get the work completed. Homework must returned to school by the following Tuesday.
 
Pick up and drop off
Please remember that pick up and drop off is at your child’s external classroom door. Due to current Covid restrictions, parents are not allowed in the classrooms and can only be on school grounds for a quick drop off and pick up. If you need to talk to your child’s teacher, please arrange a meeting via Compass, email or a phone call to the school. If your child is late (after 9.00am) it is important that they go to the office to get a late pass prior to coming into the classroom. 

Healthy Lunches
Eating a healthy lunch helps your child to focus on their learning. At Craigieburn South Primary, students eat their main lunch at 10.56am and have a snack at 1:40pm. Students are always encouraged to eat their sandwiches, fruit, vegetables and other healthy options first – as these are the foods that will help them to feel fuller for longer and will also help them to concentrate on their learning. Please try to ensure that your child’s lunchbox has lots of healthy options – with a limit on the sugary treats. We also encourage students to drink lots of water during the day – especially in these warmer months. Please ensure that your child has a named drink bottle full of water only each day so that they can drink when in class.  

Art
All students are required to have an art smock for art. This will protect their uniform when they are in the art room. An art smock can be any old shirt or top from home that is no longer needed. 
 
English
Reading and Viewing:
Students will be focusing on improving oral language and further developing reading routines. Students will be working on gaining reading strategies and developing their comprehension of texts read. They will learn about making predictions, retelling and sequencing of events and making connections throughout the term.

Writing:
Students will be focusing on expanding their THRASS knowledge with dedicated spelling lessons, followed up with games and activities. Dedicated handwriting lessons will be focusing on correct letter formation, placing letters correctly on the dotted thirds lines and using the correct pencil grip. Students will learn how to write simple sentences, using capital letters and full stops accurately. Students will build on their knowledge and understanding of writing short narrative texts. 

Speaking and Listening:
Students will learn how to improve their speaking skills, such as using appropriate voice projection, pace and volume. They will participate in class discussions and Show and Tell each week. At the start of term students are focussing on discussions about classroom rules and expectations. Oral language activities expand students’ vocabulary. Oral language is an integral part of every lesson. It is very important that students develop the skills and confidence to ask good questions and answer in full sentences.
 
Mathematics
Number and Algebra:
Students will learn to sequence numbers to and from 100 and what comes before and after them. They will be learning to identify numbers up to 100 and show these on a number line. Students will learn to recognise patterns on a 100s chart and skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s, as well as other patterns including shape and colour. 

Measurement and Geometry:

Students will learn about the length of time, such as hours, days, weeks and months. They will be learning about two-dimensional shapes, such as squares, triangles and circles and their features such as corners and sides. Students will learn familiar location words and how to use them to follow and give directions.


Statistics and Probability:

Students will learn how to read, create and interpret graphs. They will develop questions to ask their peers to create a graph. From this they will then have to interpret the graph, e.g., four friends like bananas and three friends like strawberries. Students will create a range of graphs, including picture and column graphs.

 
Integrated Curriculum

Our Integrated unit this term is ‘Caring for Ourselves’. Students will be looking at many aspects of health and wellbeing and how they should respond to specific situations. Students will be investigating the following questions- 

  • How can we be healthy, safe and inclusive? How does this change throughout our lives?
  • How do our thoughts, strengths and achievements make us feel?
  • Where can I get help when I need it?
 
Specialist Timetable
1A: Monday - Art & P.E. / Wednesday - Computer / Thursday - Italian & Science / Friday - Library 
1D: Monday - Computer & P.E. / Tuesday - Art / Wednesday - Science / Friday - Library
1H: Monday - Art, P.E. & Italian / Tuesday - Computer / Wednesday - Science / Friday  - Library
1L: Monday - Art & Italian / Tuesday - Computer / Thursday - P.E. & Science / Friday - Library
1P: Monday - Art, Computer & P.E. / Wednesday - Science / Friday - Library