foundation 2024

 Hello Foundation Families,

Welcome back to Wattle Park Primary for Term 2! We hope you had an enjoyable holiday break and are ready for a new and exciting term of learning.

This term we continue to focus on organisation and getting along well with others. We encourage each child to unpack their own bag and organise themselves for the school day. This includes changing their own take-home book and putting away their lunchbox and other personal belongings.

Please continue to refer to the WPPS newsletter and website to keep up to date with upcoming events and information. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher.

We thank you for your continued support.

Catherine Churchward and Robyn Heeps

April

• Friday 19th April: School Nurse visiting

• Thursday 25th April: Anzac Day Public Holiday. 6am dawn ceremony at WPPS

• Friday 26th April: Uniform Shop open 8.30am. Assembly 9.15am.

May

• Thursday 2nd May: F-2 Talent Show

• Friday 3rd May: Assembly 9.15am

• Friday 9th May: Mothers Day and Special Friends Stall

• Friday 17th May: Assembly 9.15am

• Friday 24th May: Assembly 9.15am

• Friday 31st May: Assembly 9.15am

June

• Thursday 6th June: Whole School Photo

• Friday 7th June: Assembly 9.15am

• Monday 10th June: King's Birthday Public Holiday

• Wednesday 12th June: CARP Productions 'Mirror Mirror' (more details to come)

• Friday 16th June: Assembly 9.15am

• Friday 21st June: Assembly CANCELLED

• Friday 28th June: LAST DAY of Term 2. Assembly 9.15am. Early finish 2.30pm

English

This term Foundation students will consolidate their alphabet knowledge and continue to develop their knowledge that texts are made up of words and groups of words that make meaning. The children will be involved in reading sessions that focus on developing their ability to use a variety of strategies to help them become a skilled reader. Small guided reading focus groups will be introduced as part of the Foundation reading program. During this time the students will have the opportunity to discuss unknown words, be introduced to strategies to help improve their reading and be involved in discussions about the books they have read.

The Foundation students will continue to complete writing tasks aligned with our Spelling program. They will continue to learn the difference between a letter, word, and sentence with the appropriate punctuation needed to create a sentence. As the children become more confident they will begin to take risks in their writing and be willing to 'have a go' before asking for assistance. Students will be encouraged to apply letter/sound relationships, sound out unknown words and write learnt sight words. Correct letter formation, pencil grip, and posture will continue to be a focus.

How to support your child at home: 

• reading daily with your child

• noticing details in the pictures and talking about these will help your child to

understand what the story is about and to anticipate words in the text

• continue to encourage your child to write for authentic purposes. They can write

cards, shopping lists, invitations, labels, and recounts of special events.

• support your child to write by assisting them with sounding out the words, rather than

spelling the words for them

• encourage them to draw pictures and then label the picture and/or write about what

they have drawn

• model writing practice. Ensure your child sees you writing for particular purposes to

show them that there is a need to learn how to write

• talking about stories that happen in your own family's life. Telling stories orally helps to

support the structure of stories in written form

• encourage their fine motor development by providing opportunities to complete

threading, coloring in, play-doh, craft, and cut and paste activities.

Mathematics

This term Foundation students are continuing to work on an understanding numbers to 20. They will be matching the number name, numeral and collection of objects, and reasoning with number sequences. Students will develop fluency counting forwards and backwards in meaningful contexts, including stories and rhymes. We will begin looking at whole-part-whole relationships of numbers, using lots of hands-on activities and manipulatives, in readiness for addition strategies and skills. Students will also be exploring 3D shapes and using direct and indirect comparisons to decide which is longer, heavier or holds more while using language associated with measurement attributes.

How to support your child at home:

• including your child in everyday mathematical situations e.g. counting objects in a

shopping bag, getting the right number of cutlery to set the table etc.

• whenever your child is practising maths in a real-life scenario such as counting their

toys or helping to make a cook, encourage them to talk about the strategies and skills

they are using.

• encourage your child to represent a range of numbers in lots of different ways. They

can use toys, food items, or even outdoor materials

• when you or your child see a number in your environment, e.g. on a sign, ask your child

to identify that number would be one less or one more

• talk about the days of the week and also the months of the year. Talking about events

that you have on particular days or times of the year will help your child to begin to

understand the concept of time

• identifying simple 2D and 3D shapes around your home and the environment

Integrated Studies

This term we will be investigating the topic of fairy tales which will be interwoven within our English program. Students will learn about the elements of fairy tales that distinguish them from other types of fiction. They will learn that fairy tales have elements of character, plot, and setting that are found in other types of fiction, and gain an understanding of the “lessons and morals” in fairy tales. By becoming familiar with particular fairy tales, students will be able to add these tales to their repertoire of stories that they are able to retell orally. Reading these fairy tales will help Foundation students develop a strong foundation for the understanding of other fictional stories in later years.

Students will also be investigating the properties and uses of different materials as part of our 'What's it Made of?' Chemical Sciences unit. They will develop skills of observing, describing, comparing and communicating as they explore what things are made of in the school environment and properties of the materials used to make them.