Stage 1

Stage 1 - 2023

Parent Information

Stage 1 - 2023, Term Two Welcome back to everyone! Hope you had a relaxing holiday.

What are we covering in Term 2? ENGLISH Students will participate in reading groups, reading levelled texts or decodable texts at their individual level. Teachers will be discussing the authors’ purpose of texts (to persuade, inform and entertain/imagine). Students will continue to use their “Home Reading Log”, where you will be required to enter the title of the book that they bring home from school and read. Other books from home may also be written on these sheets.

Teachers will also be focusing on vocabulary, comprehension and writing skills through our modelled reading texts. We will continue to introduce the students to a wide range of texts and will be completing comprehension and writing activities on them. We will be introducing new phonics and high frequency words. Our focus will be on learning to blend, looking at word families and learning spelling rules.

MATHEMATICS This term in mathematics we will be covering;

Year 1

· explore how shapes can be made by joining

(combining) and breaking apart (partitioning)

existing shapes

· classify shapes based on their attributes as

that shape (features of triangles, circles,

squares, rectangles, quadrilaterals, hexagons,

octagons, polygons)

· manipulate shapes and objects to halve them

in different ways. Sometimes, halves are

made up of more than one part

· create new shapes by adding or removing

sides and vertices (corners)

· explore how two-dimensional (2D) shapes

can be classified into different categories

according to their features

· create patterns with shapes that transform

(slide and reflections)

· make designs which have a line of symmetry.

· use balance to explore, prove, and check

equivalence and record this information

· identify different combinations of numbers that

bond to form up to 20

· identify the equals sign and its purpose

· Collect, organise and interpret data

· use data to describe events

· explore units that can be used to measure

· describe the lengths of objects

· explore the relationships between parts and a

whole when describing fractions.

Year 2

· explore how shapes can be made by joining (combining) and breaking apart (partitioning) existing shapes

· create new shapes by adding or removing sides and vertices (corners)

· recognise how two-dimensional (2D) shapes can be classified into different categories according to their features

· create linear patterns with shapes that transform (slide and reflection)

· make designs with symmetry from reflection · measure areas using uniform informal units

· recognise, sort, and describe the features of three-dimensional (3D) objects

· use concrete materials to model subdividing a whole length into both halves and quarters

· model sharing and grouping collections of objects to represent division.

· place objects on either side of an equal-arm balance to obtain a level balance and check equivalence

· record equivalence using concrete materials, correct vocabulary, drawings, and diagrams

· choose efficient addition and subtraction strategies to determine if a number sentence is equal.

· investigate topics of interest by choosing suitable questions and collecting relevant data

· select appropriate methods to display and interpret data

· use data to reason about possible outcomes in familiar activities.

· explore spatial concepts of transformation

· explore attributes of measurement through meaningful experiences

· create a fair measurement · use uniform units to count and measure.

HISTORY Semester 1 Terms 1 and 2

The Past in the Present

Learning About the Past - What aspects of the past can we see today and what do they tell us?

Preserving the Past - What remains of the past are important to the local community and why?

Changing Technology - How have changes in technology shaped our daily life.

SCIENCE

Push, Pull Forces of Energy Forces are at work in everything we do—we push to open doors, and pull to tie ropes. Gravity pulls on things to make them fall down or to keep them down. Scientists and engineers study forces to design better bridges and faster aeroplanes, and to reduce the forces that affect people in car accidents. The Push-pull unit is an ideal way to link science with literacy in the classroom. The unit provides the opportunity for students to explore pushes and pulls. Through investigations, students observe and gather evidence about how these forces act in air and water, and on the ground. Students identify the effect of the pull of gravity and learn that both air and water can ‘push’.

CAPA (Creative and Practical Arts)

Our Stage 1 focus this term will be music. We will be basing our learning on the text “ Where the Forest Meets the Sea”. We will look at the sounds we would hear in that environment and then create our own sounds and perform for the class.

OTHER INFORMATION

Messages for the teacher/parent concerns - If some information is required for the day, please write a note to the class teacher and forward it with your child. Otherwise, a message can be left at the office for the teacher. If you would like your child’s teacher to call you to discuss something, please arrange a time, outside school hours or in their RFF time. Miss Lane (Stage supervisor) heather.r.lane@det.nsw.edu.au or Mrs Krensel sharalynne.krensel@det.nsw.edu.au (Stage supervisor Friday) are also available to answer questions and concerns.

School Pack - Please pay for your child’s school pack as soon as possible. It has everything they require from pencils and glue sticks to whiteboard markers and books to do their schoolwork in. This equipment remains at school for school use. The school pack also includes K-6 incursions held throughout the year (stage-based incursions and excursions are an additional cost). For the first child it is $80, the second child $60, the third child $40 and for every child after that, it is free!

Crunch and Sip - Students participate in “Crunch and Sip” each day in the morning session. There is no set time for this, as it is scheduled at an appropriate time for the class. Students are only permitted to have fresh fruit or vegetables and/or water. The portions, however, need to be small so that they are consumed quickly and class disruptions are minimised. A very large apple can take a child a very long time to finish so, if possible, please cut the apple into quarters/eighths/or a slinky as this is more manageable for them to eat. It is best if it is kept in a separate container, not packed with recess and lunch.

School uniforms - Please label all items brought to school by your child. We ask that students not wear nail polish or jewellery to school (sleepers/studs and watches/Fitbits excluded) and that they adhere to the uniform as close as possible. This includes black shoes (no bright shoelaces please). Ribbons or bows in the hair should be school colours – navy, blue or white.

Extra equipment - Please provide your child with a labelled;

- paint shirt

- library bag

Donations of the following are also much appreciated.

- hand soap or hand sanitiser

- baby wipes (for cleaning desks after gluing/messy work)

- a box of tissues

Sport - We ask if students could wear joggers on the following day, so they are comfortable to participate in sport/exercise;

-       Sport for both Year 1 and Year 2 is on Wednesdays

Money Procedures - All money sent to school should be in a labelled envelope and handed in at the school office.

Library Day - Our school library is open every afternoon and every morning, with the exception of Tuesday. Books can be borrowed during this time as well as during class library times.

We encourage ALL students to be regular book borrowers. Class borrowing is on the following days;

TUESDAY                - S1S  and S1B

THURSDAY              - S1L, S1M, S1C and S1K

Absences - The Department of School Education requires a note to explain all absences. If your child is absent you will receive a SMS notifying you that your child has been marked absent and you can reply with reasons why. Alternatively, please send a note to school with your child upon returning to school. If your child is absent more than 2 days in a row, please consider obtaining a doctor’s certificate to explain the absence.

Facebook – For up to date information and to answer questions, please join “2023 Stage 1 Blackwell PS” on Facebook. You can also email the school -  blackwell-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au (your email will be forwarded to the person you wish to contact).

Please do not send teachers a “PM” (personal message) or invite teachers as ‘friends’ as teachers will not respond or decline invite due to the Department’s Code of Conduct.

Assemblies – Combined Assemblies are held in our hall from 2-3pm in weeks 3, 6 and 9 each term.  Merit and Virtue awards are handed out other weeks during class lines.

School Newsletter (“Blackwell Post”) –Please make sure your email details are up to date in the office. Please read front page and the Stage 1 information page!

We are looking forward to another great term on Stage 1.

Stage 1 Teachers