Term 2

Week 7 - 8

LITERACY

In Literacy, we have been learning about procedural texts and how they are used to give clear instructions. We have explored the key features of procedures, including sequencing words, directional language, “bossy” verbs (imperatives), adverbs, and technical vocabulary. We have learned that procedural texts need to be written in a clear order so the reader can easily follow the steps. They have been writing different procedures and practising how to sort and match them to the correct type of text.

The focus sounds for the past two weeks were 'oo' for look, 'oo' for moon, 'ow' for cow, and 'ou' for cloud. We have also learnt the sight words 'herself' and 'people.'

MATHS

We have been learning about addition and subtraction and how these operations help us solve everyday number problems.

To build their understanding, we have used a range of hands-on materials and visual supports, including ten frames, counters, number lines, Unifix cubes, and number sentences. They have explored different strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems, including counting on and counting back to find the difference between numbers.

We have also practised representing number stories by drawing pictures and using materials to model addition and subtraction problems within 20.

In addition, we have been learning about fact families. We have created related addition and subtraction number sentences for numbers up to 20, helping students understand how these facts are connected.

CBL

In Challenge Based Learning, we explored the Arctic habitat and discovered what makes this environment unique. we learned about the features of the Arctic, including its climate, landscape, and the animals that live there. We also investigated what Arctic animals need to survive in such a cold environment. As part of our learning, students sorted a variety of animals and identified which ones belong in the Arctic habitat. To deepen their understanding, each student researched an Arctic animal and completed a fact file, sharing information about its appearance, habitat, diet, and adaptations that help it survive in the Arctic.

We then created a design plan for our animal habitat dioramas, using what we had learned about animals and their environments. We have now begun building our dioramas using a variety of materials and resources to showcase our understanding of animal habitats.

PERSONAL & SOCIAL / RRRR

In personal and social Learning, we explored how students words and actions can have a positive or negative impact on others through stories, class discussions, and sorting activities. Students identified helpful and hurtful behaviours and reflected on how their choices affect friendships. We learned about the importance of kindness, inclusion, making positive friendship choices and discussed how everyone makes mistakes. We practiced strategies for taking responsibility and making better choices in the future. We also explored the idea that everyone’s brain works differently and that we all learn in unique ways. Students developed an understanding of how we can support, respect, and learn from one another, helping to create a caring and inclusive classroom community.

In RRRR, we learned about body safety and personal boundaries. They discussed the different parts of the body and developed an understanding that some parts are private. This learning helps students recognise situations where they feel safe or unsafe and supports them in communicating their feelings and needs.

We also explored the difference between safe and unsafe secrets through stories and class discussions. They learned that while some secrets, such as surprises, can be fun and safe, other secrets that make them feel worried, uncomfortable, or unsafe should be shared with a trusted adult. This learning helps students understand the importance of seeking help and speaking up to keep themselves and others safe.

Week 5 - 6

LITERACY

In phonics, we have been learning about the silent ‘e’ at the end of words, as well as the suffixes -ing and -ed. We have explored base words such as jump and discussed how we change the word depending on tense adding -ing to show something happening now, and -ed to show something that has already happened. Students have also begun Level 6 sounds as a whole class focus. The first sounds introduced were oi (as in soil) and oy (as in toy). In addition, students have been focusing on the sight words 'day,' 'come,' and 'make' to build their reading fluency and confidence.

Comprehension has been a key focus in reading, with students using the five-finger retell strategy to identify the characters, setting, and the events in the beginning, middle, and end of a story. Retelling helps students understand what they read by supporting them to organise their ideas in a clear and logical order. It also strengthens their speaking and listening skills, encouraging them to become more confident readers and communicators. We encourage parents to support this learning by asking questions while reading home readers together.

In Writing, our animal fact file unit has now come to an end, and students have completed their final published fact files. They have done a wonderful job researching and presenting interesting information about Australian animals. We have now begun our new unit on procedure texts. Students have been learning about different types of procedures, including recipes, instructions, manuals, and directions. We have discussed the purpose of these texts and who the audience might be, helping students understand why clear instructions are important in everyday life.

Students have been identifying key features of procedure writing, such as numbered steps, action verbs, clear sequencing, and the use of pictures or diagrams to support understanding. We read and explored the text 'How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth', focusing on imperative (bossy) verbs such as scrub, wash, and splash, as well as adverbs like carefully, gently, and respectfully to add detail to instructions.

They have been practising sequencing by unjumbling sentences and placing them in the correct order to make instructions clear. They are also developing their sentence structure by using conjunctions such as 'because, but, so', and 'and' to extend their ideas. Students are focusing on correct use of capital letters and full stops to improve clarity. Overall, they are learning to write clear and well-sequenced instructions that are easy for the reader to follow.

MATHS

In Mathematics, students have been learning to tell time to the hour using both analogue and digital clocks. They have been exploring how to read an analogue clock by recognising when the minute hand is pointing to 12 and the hour hand is pointing to a number to show an “o’clock” time.

Students have also been practising matching analogue clock times to written digital “o’clock” times. This helps them build confidence in recognising and recalling time in different formats, supporting real-life situations such as knowing school start times, lunch times, and bedtime routines. They have been focusing on distinguishing between analogue and digital time by matching clocks that show the same time in different ways. We have been exploring important time vocabulary such as days of the week, weeks, months, and years, helping students understand how time is organised in their everyday lives.

Apart from time, students have also started learning addition within 20 using ten-frames. They are using counters to represent number stories, combine groups, and find totals. Students are also practising subitising numbers in ten-frames to recognise amounts quickly.

We have been focusing on solving addition problems and using the + and = symbols to write simple number sentences. Students are also exploring different ways to make 20 by breaking it into two parts.

CBL

The past two weeks in Challenge Based Learning, we have focused on the forest and desert habitats, exploring what animals need to survive in these environments and how their habitats support their needs.

Students investigated a forest animal and a desert animal, researching how they live, survive, and adapt to their surroundings. Through discussions, pictures, and sorting activities, students have been developing their understanding of how animals are similar and different, while building their research and observation skills.

PERSONAL & SOCIAL / RRRR

In personal and social learning, students have been exploring how families can be different in many ways while recognising that every family is important and special. Through class discussions and sharing activities, students described similarities and differences between families. These activities helped students appreciate the diversity of families and the important role families play in our lives.

Students also learned about National Sorry Day. Through stories, discussions, and active listening, they developed an understanding of why this day is important in Australia. Students learned that National Sorry Day is a time to acknowledge and remember the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations, and to reflect on the importance of kindness, respect, and reconciliation. These learning experiences encouraged students to consider different perspectives and show empathy and respect for others.

In RRRR (Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships), students have been learning that the opposite of violence is respect. Through discussions and role-play activities, they explored ways to play and work with others in a friendly, fair, and respectful manner. Students practised strategies for solving problems respectfully and reflected on how positive interactions help everyone feel safe, included, and valued.

Students have also been learning about consent and personal boundaries. Through role-play and classroom discussions, they practised how to seek, give, and refuse consent in everyday situations. Students demonstrated their understanding by using respectful language, listening to others' responses, and recognising that everyone has the right to make choices and say no. These lessons help students build positive relationships and show respect for themselves and others.

Week 3 - 4

LITERACY

In Literacy, students have been learning new phonics sounds ow, ew, and ue. Some example words we explored included yellow, bow, glow, show, stew, few, Tuesday, and barbecue. Students also practised reading and writing the new sight words “many” and “being.”

In Reading, students were introduced to a new comprehension strategy called Determining Importance. They learned that good readers think about the most important information in a text, rather than every single detail. Using non-fiction texts, students practised noticing repeated words and ideas, identifying key words, finding the main idea using the “What and So What” strategy. They learnt that 'what' stands for what the text is about and 'So what' is asking for the main idea ( what the author is saying about the topic). Students sorted information into important or interesting categories using a T-chart. They also began summarising texts by stopping after each section, identifying key details, and retelling the most important information in their own words.

In Writing, students continued working on their animal fact files, editing their writing using an editing checklist before publishing their final pieces. They also explored how to make their writing more detailed and engaging by adding describing words (adjectives) and conjunctions such as 'and' and 'because.'

Students also began using their Writer’s Notebook to brainstorm topics, chose an Australian animal, and recorded interesting facts to support future writing.

Animals of Oz Incursion

As part of our Writing and Challenge Based Learning focus on animal fact files this term, our Grade 1 students had an exciting visit from Animals of Oz in week 3. This hands-on incursion gave students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of animals while making real-life connections to their classroom learning.

Students were introduced to a variety of fascinating animals, including reptiles such as the Saltwater Crocodile, Python, and Lizard, as well as amphibians such as the Frog. They also learned about the unique Tawny Frogmouth and discovered that although it looks similar to an owl, it is actually a different type of bird.

Students were highly engaged as they listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and discovered many new and interesting facts about each animal. They also had the special opportunity to safely touch some of the animals, showing wonderful bravery, curiosity, and courage as they stepped outside their comfort zones. It was fantastic to see students making meaningful connections to their animal research while building confidence and a deeper appreciation for the amazing wildlife around us.

MATHS

In Mathematics, students have begun an exciting new unit on time. They have been learning about the days of the week, 24 hours in a day, and the daily pattern of morning, lunchtime, and night, while using time language such as today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Students also ordered the days of the week and identified that the weekend is Saturday and Sunday.

Using our 2026 calendar, students explored the 12 months of the year, named them in order, learned that each month has a different number of days, and practised reading dates using ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd). They also began understanding longer periods of time, learning the difference between a year, decade, and century through hands-on activities and real-life examples.

Most recently, students have been learning about analogue clocks, identifying the features of a clock and beginning to tell o’clock times by reading the hour hand. It has been wonderful to see students building confidence as they learn how time helps us organise our daily lives and important events.

CBL

Over the past two weeks in Challenge Based Learning, students have been exploring Australian and non-Australian animals and learning about where animals come from around the world. They discovered that animals such as the Kangaroo, Koala, Emu, Wombat, Echidna and Platypus are unique to Australia.

Students also continued to explore the grasslands habitat. They discovered that grasslands have wide open spaces, lots of grass, few trees, and are home to many different animals.

Students then worked independently or with a partner to research a grassland animal of their choice, including the Zebra, Giraffe, Elephant or Cheetah. They have begun creating their own animal fact files, researching interesting facts about their animal’s habitat, diet, and special features. It has been wonderful to see students showing curiosity, teamwork, and independence throughout this learning experience.

PERSONAL & SOCIAL / RRRR

In Personal and Social Learning, students enjoyed celebrating Mother’s Day by creating a special card or craft for someone important in their lives. As part of this learning, we explored the meaning of Mother's Day and discussed why it is celebrated. Students learned that Mother’s Day is a special time to show love, appreciation, and gratitude to the people who care for us, help us, and support us each day. We also spoke about how every family is unique, and that Mother’s Day can be a time to celebrate mums, grandmothers, aunties, carers, or any special person who plays an important role in our lives.

Through class discussions, students shared the different ways they show kindness, love, and appreciation to the important people in their families. They carefully created their cards and crafts with thought, creativity, and pride, thinking about what makes their special person so important to them. It was wonderful to see students showing gratitude, empathy, and care as they celebrated the people who help them grow, learn, and feel loved.

In RRRR (Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships), students have been developing their problem-solving and growth mindset skills.

As part of our learning, students explored different ways to solve everyday problems by reading a scenario, thinking of possible solutions, and sharing their ideas with the class. Students stood in hoops to show their suggestions, helping us see how many different solutions there can be. They then acted out their ideas, discussed the upsides and downsides of each choice, and reflected on which solution they thought would work best. Students learned that people may choose different solutions, and that is okay.

Students also continued building their growth mindset by learning to persist when something feels difficult. Through a fun “invisible obstacle course,” students listened carefully to step-by-step instructions, kept trying when tasks felt challenging, and practised positive self-talk such as “I can try again” and “Mistakes help me learn.”

It has been wonderful to see students showing resilience, confidence, and a willingness to keep going, even when learning feels challenging.

Invisible obstacle course

Mother's Day Crafts

Mother's Day cards

Week 1 - 2

LITERACY

For the past two weeks in phonics, students have been continuing to build their knowledge of letter sound patterns and high-frequency words. We have been learning the “ie” and “igh” sound patterns and practising how to read and use these sounds in words. Students have also been learning and reading the sight words were, out, oh, and these to help build their reading fluency, confidence, and automatic word recognition.

In Reading, students have been developing their comprehension skills by exploring author’s purpose and learning that authors write texts to inform, entertain, or persuade. They have been learning to identify the differences between fiction(made-up stories) and non-fiction (true facts and information) texts, while exploring the different text features found in each, such as characters, settings, headings, pictures, captions, maps, and diagrams. Students have discussed how these features help readers understand the author’s purpose and locate important information.

Students have been strengthening their comprehension skills by learning to ask and answer questions before, during, and after reading. Students have been making predictions by looking closely at book covers, sharing what they already know about a topic, and asking thoughtful questions about what they want to learn. During and after reading, they have practised finding answers directly in the text by answering literal questions and using text evidence to support their thinking. This learning is helping students become more curious, thoughtful, and confident readers who actively think about and make meaning from what they read.

To deepen their understanding, students have also been learning the difference between facts and opinions. Understanding that facts are true and can be proven, while opinions share someone’s thoughts or feelings. This learning has supported students in building the knowledge and skills needed as they begin researching and creating their animal fact files in writing.

In writing, students have begun an exciting Australian Animal Fact File unit. Students started by exploring fact and opinion. They then learned about animal survival features and special features that help animals stay alive, safe and healthy. Students focused on diet, habitat, and interesting facts.

They brainstormed what they already knew about animals such as koalas by drawing, labelling, and sharing facts. They then chose their own Australian animal to research and have been learning how to gather factual information by recalling prior knowledge, exploring new information, and recording important facts in their planning templates.

Students have now begun turning their research into their fact file drafts, writing factual sentences in their own words and revising their work to add more detail and clarity. Next week, students will continue the writing process by editing their writing for punctuation, spelling, and meaning before publishing their final good copy.

It has been wonderful to see students growing as curious researchers and informative writers while learning fascinating new facts about Australia’s unique animals.

NUMERACY

In Numeracy, students have been developing their understanding of two-digit numbers, with a particular focus on teen numbers and place value. Students have been learning that two-digit numbers are made up of tens and ones, helping them build a strong foundation for future addition and subtraction learning.

Throughout the week, students practised reading and writing two-digit numbers using both numerals (for example, 14) and number words (fourteen), and matched numerals to the correct number words. They also explored how the same number can be represented in different ways by connecting number symbols to their tens and ones parts.

Using base ten blocks, ten frames, and bundles of ten, students built, represented, and identified two-digit numbers, then matched these representations to the correct numerals and number words. This learning is helping students understand that numbers can be shown in many different ways and is building important number knowledge that will support them as they continue learning addition, subtraction, and problem-solving in maths.

Students have also been continuing to build their understanding of place value by learning how to partition two-digit numbers in different ways. Using base-ten blocks, students partitioned numbers into their tens and ones and represented their thinking using number bonds. They also challenged themselves to find different ways to make the same number, exploring alternative number combinations. This learning is helping students develop a deeper understanding of how numbers work and is building important skills that will support them with addition, problem-solving, and flexible mathematical thinking in the future.

They have been developing their number sense by learning how to find 'one more' and 'one less' than a two-digit number. Students practised identifying the number that comes just before and just after a given number, helping them build confidence with counting forwards and backwards.

LITERACY

NUMERACY

CBL

In Challenge Based Learning, the focus this term is discovery. Students have been exploring animal habitats and discovering how living things depend on their environment to survive. Throughout the term students will be learning to look closely at different habitats, identify their features, and sort animals into groups based on where they live.

Students have explored ocean habitats including features like water, seaweed, coral, rocks, and sand. They have explored different types of aquatic animals that live in water and the special features that help them survive, exploring their unique survival features and behaviours, including whether animals are diurnal (awake during the day) or nocturnal (awake during the night). This learning is helping students build a deeper understanding of how animals live, survive, and adapt to their habitats, while developing their research skills.

To extend their learning, students chose to work independently or with a partner to research an aquatic animal, selecting from a dolphin, jellyfish, shark, or clownfish, and began creating their own animal fact file.

PERSONAL & SOCIAL / RRRR

In Personal and Social Learning, students explored growth mindset and learnt that our brains grow when we keep trying, practise new skills, and learn from mistakes. Through class discussions and sharing their ideas, students explored the difference between a growth mindset (believing we can improve with effort) and a fixed mindset (believing we cannot improve and giving up when things feel hard).

Students also discussed how mistakes are an important part of learning and help our brains grow stronger. This learning is encouraging students to be resilient, take on challenges, and keep trying even when something feels difficult.

In RRRR, students have been exploring teamwork and problem-solving. Through class discussions and shared activities, students learned how working together, listening to others, sharing ideas, and helping one another can support a team to achieve a goal.

Students also explored different ways to solve everyday problems by thinking about possible actions and discussing the positive and negative outcomes of different choices. This learning is helping students build confidence in making thoughtful decisions, working collaboratively, and using strategies to solve problems both in and outside the classroom.

Growth Mindset

Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset

Mistakes help us learn

Growth Mindset

ANZAC DAY ASSEMBLY

On Friday the 24th of April, ACPS took part in a special ANZAC Day assembly to honour and remember the brave soldiers who served and sacrificed to protect our country. As ANZAC Day fell on Saturday, 25th of April, our school held a commemorative assembly on Friday, 24th of April.

In preparation for the assembly, students created a class wreath decorated with poppies, which are an important symbol of remembrance, respect, and gratitude for those who served in war. During the assembly, students proudly placed their wreath at the front and participated in a one-minute silence to quietly reflect and show respect for the soldiers who fought in the war.

It was a meaningful opportunity for students to learn the importance of remembrance, gratitude, and honouring those who have served our country.

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