Prep | Year 1 News

Music

The Year 1 boys have been preparing in their String classes for the Parent Concert to be held next week which will be the culmination of all their work this year learning either the violin or cello. This involvement has developed their Self- management, Cooperation and Music Literacy skills. In Classroom Music we have continued to develop the accuracy of their singing, using Solfa to understand changing pitch and rhythms through a range of Christmas carols for the Community Christmas Service. The boys have also focused on iPad skills, through experimenting on Garageband with different instruments and composing original musical ideas and beats.

Literacy

Within Literature Studies, we have been focusing on the comprehension skill of inferring. Inferring involves using the information in the text that we have in order to understand information we may not have access to or know. The boys have been attempting to deepen their understanding of the characters and plots of their texts by asking ‘I wonder’ questions, gathering evidence from what they already know in the text and their prior understanding, then using the evidence to come up with a logical conclusion.

UOI

Transdisciplinary Theme: Where We Are in Place and Time

Central Idea: Technological innovations and advances can reflect the needs of different generations.

Concepts and Lines of Inquiry:

• Change – Technological innovations have changed over time.
• Reflection – Sources tell us how things have changed
• Causation – The needs of people influence innovation and innovation influences people.

Students have inquired into how technologies from the past have been adapted and improved over time. The boys have been looking into timelines and researching the history of technology including various types of transport (cars and bikes) and communication (phones and computers). Year One will continue their investigation into the past by exploring toys and games. It is encouraged to speak with your child about what games, toys or clothing were used in the past and how modern technologies have been adapted and improved over time.

Maths

Over the next two weeks students will be revising and applying their knowledge of fractions when we inquire into Time. Students will be learning how to tell the time to half past and quarter to and quarter past the hour on an analogue clock. We will also inquire into the duration of time and the different notations of time including digital, analogue and written form. Please involve your son when organising schedules or making plans at home in order to support him putting this essential life skill into practice. A good way to start is to make a timetable together at home including regular events such as mealtimes and bedtime.

Swimming

This term Year 1 practised their swimming skills. Students have improved on swimming with forward motion, floating on their backs, treading water, kicking using their legs and breathing under water. It was pleasing to see students improve in their self-management skills as well, by collecting their own belongings and putting on their swimming caps and goggles independently. It was an enjoyable experience where students learned life skills. We encourage all boys to practise in swimming lessons outside of school.

Mandarin

Year 1 students have been learning about a subject specific unit “My School Community”. We identified the key places of our school and discussed the reasons why they are important and what we can do at those places.

Students have been developing their Communication Skills by learning about days of the week in Mandarin and discussing the language patterns they could find in the list of the words. They also learned about the school place and school activity vocabularies and followed the word order “days of the week, subject, verb and object” to write about their school timetable and introduce it in Chinese speaking.

Students also have been developing their Research Skills by inquiring into places in the local communities, other parts of Australia and other parts of the world and using the online dictionary to seek the extra Chinese words they needed in the research.

Term 4 Reminders & Requests

• Monday 28th November – Christmas Service – Starting time: 5pm- Boys will need to wear their School uniform. Everyone is welcome!
• Friday 2nd December – Last day of school.