Welcome to Room 5 Pre Primary

Welcome everyone to the Classroom Blog for Room 5 Pre-Primary for 2016. 

From Miss Baines

I would like to welcome all the students and parents to Pre-Primary, and a special welcome to all our new students and families. I look forward to working with the parents and getting to know your children better throughout the year.

It has been a busy start to the year and the students have done well adjusting to full time school, especially considering some of the extremely hot days we have been experiencing. To ensure your child gets the most out of each school day, please make sure they are getting plenty of sleep each night. Children this age still need between 10-12 hours of sleep to be able to function.

As mentioned at the Parent Information Evening, I am available by appointment on Wednesdays and before or after school most other days.


Parent Information Evening

Thank you to all the parents who came to the Parent Information Evening. The information that we discussed was included in the handbook that was given out. I have uploaded some of the slides from the PowerPoint that I used as there were ideas of things that parents could be doing at home.

If you were unable to attend the Parent Information Evening, the student handbook was sent home in your child's note folder. If you have any questions please feel free to come and see me.

As discussed at the parent evening, a laminated A4 copy of the Victorian Modern Cursive letter and number formation was sent home with your child. This is for you to keep at home to refer to and to allow your child to practise the correct number and letter formation.


School App

If you haven't already done so, download the Wattle Grove Primary School App. It allows you to notify the school if your child is absent, order from the canteen, keep up to date about coming events and receive the school newsletter.

The App is available for Apple as well as Android phones.

Canteen

The canteen operates on a Wednesday and Thursday. Orders can be placed online, via the School App, or by writing it on a lunch order bag, available from the classroom. Students can order for recess and lunch (if you are ordering using the lunch bags, you need to write recess and lunch orders on separate bags). Pre-Primary students are allowed to order icy poles, slushies and ice creams.

Library

Our Library day is every Monday afternoon. Students are allowed to borrow two books at a time. Students must have a library bag to be able to borrow books and books must be returned before they can take more books. Library bags and books need to be put in the Library box.

News Topics

The News Roster is now on the door outside the classroom. Please check the roster to see which day is your child's news day. I will update the Blog each Friday so that you know what the students need to talk about. The News Topic is also written on the notice board outside the classroom.

This week's News Topic is - My Favourite Toy. Students can bring in their favourite toy and tell the class about it.

Merit Award Winners

Congratulations to the Merit Award Winners, Isha, Amelia and Rylee. Keep up the great work!

On Entry Testing

I will be conducting the On Entry testing on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of Week 5. As the test needs to be one-on-one, I will be out of the classroom. The students will have a relief teacher on these days. I will discuss your child's results from the On Entry testing with you at the parent interviews on Tuesday of Week 10.

Aussie Day Dress Up

Thank you to all the students who dressed up in their Aussie clothes to raise money for the Yarloop bush fires. The children looked amazing and thanks to your generosity, we raised over $2000. Our School Motto is Give to Receive and I'm sure that the people of Yarloop will be very grateful.

Our Program

To make the transition from Kindergarten to Pre-Primary easier, we are currently revising some of the things taught in Kindergarten. We are revising the letter sounds, numbers 1-20 and the Kindergarten sight words. 

Whilst revising, we are also focusing on new concepts, such as letter and number formation, among other things.

If there are any areas that your child may need extra assistance, I will let you know so that we can work together to ensure that they have a strong foundation.

Thank you and Merry Christmas!!!

How the time has flown by! I can not believe this will be the last blog for 2013. I have been busy making sure all of the children's work is ready to go home and I came across the first sample of work the children completed in February on their first day of school. I am so proud of how far they have all come, academically, socially and emotionally. I am going to miss all of my students and thank them all for a wonderful year!

The children have continued to work hard this term. We have had swimming lessons, Edudance lessons, Graduation rehearsal, all on top of their day to day activities. The Pre-Primary students have also been attending Year One for short periods to ensure a smooth transition. The Pre-Primaries are ready to move on to Year One and I am sure they will enjoy the challenges and the responsibilities that go with moving up to the ‘big school’.

I would like to thank all the parents, grandparents and other family members for your support this year. You have all made me feel very welcome at Wattle Grove and I could not have asked for a nicer group of parents and students. The way that schools, teachers and parents work together creates a strong and cohesive environment for the students to grow and develop. 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holidays!

Miss Baines

Graduation

Just a reminder that the Kindergarten and Pre Primary Graduation will be held in the undercover area on Friday 13th December at 9.00am. A note was sent home regarding the costume for the Edudance concert. Students need to come to school dressed in their black shorts and brightly coloured t-shirt. Students should have their school uniform in their bag to change in to after the Graduation.

Class Party

There is a note on the board outside the classroom regarding our class party. Our class party will be held on Tuesday 17th December at 12.30pm. All students are encouraged to bring a plate of healthy food to share with their peers. Please write what your child will be bringing next to their name on the list, to avoid doubling up on the food. 

Buddy Class

Below are some photos of the activities we have been doing with our Buddy Class, Room 17, this term!

Practise, Practise, Practise!

As the holidays are the longest break, please ensure that your child continues to practice the skills  they have learnt this year.

· Read the words in their sight word folders.  Practice letter sounds and sounding out words.

· Keep a journal or diary once a week or after an event or an excursion. Remind them to begin a sentence with a capital letter and end with a full stop. Include a finger space between the words and sound out unknown words. Encourage your child to include adjectives to make their writing interesting.

· Counting, addition and subtraction, sharing a collection of objects evenly, comparing objects, arranging and sorting collections of objects.

· Talk to your child. Have a conversation, talk about events, retell stories, and ask questions about places you went, books you have read and movies you have seen.

· Retell stories you have read, including the beginning- when, who, where and what, the middle- problem and the ending – resolution. Discuss the characters.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Room 4 Update

Sadly, we are almost at the end of Pre Primary. 5 more weeks and we will all be on Christmas Holidays! This year has gone by so quickly, but I wanted to take the time to say how proud I am of the Room 4 students. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching your children and have loved watching them develop and improve throughout the year. 

We have hit the ground running this term and already so much has happened!

Edudance 

We started our Edudance lessons in Week 2. The children are really enjoying participating each week, learning the new steps for our dance. I know that you will all be very impressed when you watch our concert at the end of the year. I will let you know closer to the time what the children have to wear on the day. 

Swimming Lessons 

Swimming lessons were a huge success. This was the first time for the Pre Primaries and they are to be commended on their behaviour and the way they coped with the changes to our normal class routine. Well done to all the students who passed and for all those that tried their best! I know that the students had a fantastic time and can not wait until next year! 

Student Teacher 

As you have probably noticed, Miss Jovina Vidad has been running the class from Week 4. She will continue to do so until Week 6. Jovina is doing an amazing job with the children. The lessons she has planned have been fun and engaging. She has implemented some new behaviour management strategies and new reward systems for the children, which has motivated them. I know she will continue to do a fantastic job! 

Mini Beasts

This term our theme has been Mini Beasts. Here are some examples of the work we have been doing.

Computers

This term we have been teaching the children how to log on to the school computers, access the internet and type a document using Microsoft Word. The children are doing a great job! Here are some of the worm stories that they wrote and then typed.

Time is Flying!

Here we are at the end of another term. Only one term left of Pre Primary!

Assembly

Our Assembly was a huge success. Your children did amazingly on the day, singing, dancing and speaking with confidence. It has been so lovely to see their personality and ability develop as the year has progressed. As parents you must be very proud of your children, I know I am!

Sports Carnival

For parents with older children, you would have realised that the structure of the K/PP Sports Carnival changed this year. The reason we changed the structure was to accommodate the increase in numbers in the K/PP area. Again this day was a huge success. The  Tabloids allowed all children to be participating at  the same time whilst still having fun. The points earned by the K/PP Tabloids was added on to their faction score and a big congratulations to Purple faction for finishing first! Thank you to all the parents who came along to watch and cheer the children on doing the Tabloids, it makes the day even more fun!

Book Week

Book Week was another big event this term. It was so lovely to see the effort the children put into dressing up for the day. The children really enjoyed the parade. I know a few students were a bit shocked to see that I had gone green for the day :-)

Next Term...

Edudance

Edudance will begin in Week 2 and go all term. The cost of Edudance is $27.00 per student for the term and we need the permission slip back as soon as possible. Our Edudance lessons will be on a Monday, So please ensure your child comes to school in appropriate footwear. Edudance is so lots of fun and the children put on a concert for the parents in Week 10, so it is very important that all students participate.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming Lessons will be every day in Weeks 3 and 4. The cost of this is $40 per student and a permission slip will be sent home soon. I will give you more information closer to the time, but please ensure ALL of your child's belongings are clearly labelled with their name and room number as we generally end up with a lot of lost property at the end. 

Student Teacher

From Week 1 to Week 5 we will also have a Student Teacher in our classroom. Miss Jovina Vadid has already been working in our classroom on a Wednesday with Mrs Moulin, getting to know the children,. Next term, she will be in every day.

House Keeping

Just a reminder that students ARE NOT to play on the play equipment before and after school. We have had a few injuries lately because students are not being properly supervised. This is a Duty of Care issue and we would really appreciate your support in this matter.

School uniform. I have noticed a bit of a drop in the standards of the school uniform. Just a reminder that children should be wearing enclose shoes, either black or white in colour. They should be wearing only school t-shirts and jumpers with a logo. Hair ties and ribbons must be green or gold in colour. Also jewelry, tattoos, nail polish and hair accessories are not permitted. Please make sure you are sending your child to school dressed correctly.

I have noticed that many students are coming to school without their hat. Term 4 is "no hat, no play" so children will be asked to sit out at recess and lunch time and will not be allowed to participate in Physical Education if they do not have a hat. Please remind them to check their bag in the morning to make sure they have their hat.

I have also noticed that many students are not bringing their Library bag. Our Library day is Friday and children need to return books and have a bag in order to borrow new books.

Reading folders and news day. There is a roster on the notice board outside the classroom that tells you which day your child needs to bring in their reading folder. We only change home reading books once a week. The same day is your child's news day. A roster was sent home at the beginning of the term with a topic for each week. Please help your child prepare for News each week.

Academic Standards

The report that you will receive at the end of Term 4 on your child's achievement has changed. It now looks more like the Year 1 - 7 report. The children will still be assessed using the Australian Curriculum and School Standards. By this time in the year, your child should know the following things:

• All of the letter names and the sounds they make
• Identify syllables and rhyming words
• 75 Sitton sight words (please see me if you are not sure)
• How to write their first and last name with correct letter formation
• How to count forwards to 75 and backwards from 20
• Read, write and recognise numerals to 20

There are many more things that we will assess for the report, but this is just to give you an idea.

Please have safe and happy holidays and I look forward to seeing you all next term!

Term 3

Welcome back to another busy term! 

This term we have several things happening.

Week 5 

Parent Information Evening 

This was held in the BER room on Tuesday 20th August at 2.45pm. The topic for the session was Reading and what we as teachers do in the school and what you as parents can be doing at home. There was a lot of really good information and handouts. If you would like a copy of the handouts please drop in to the front office and they can provide them.

Book Week 

The theme this year is Read Across the Universe. Children are allowed to come to school dressed as their favourite book character on Thursday 22nd August. There will be a parade for the children who have dressed up and parents are welcome to come and watch.

Watch this space as I will add some photos of the children all dressed up. 

Room 4 Assembly 

Our assembly will be held on Friday 23rd August from 8.40am in the undercover area. Children need to come to school dressed in joggers, shorts, a rashie and a cap. Children need to be at school by 8.15am so that we can get down to the undercover area and get organised. It would be fantastic to see you all there as the children have been working very hard to learn their items.

Week 6 

Wattle Day 

Friday 30th August is Wattle Day. We will be doing some activities in class relating to Wattle Day and having discussions about where Wattle Grove Primary got it's name.

Week 7 

Sports Carnival 

On Wednesday 4th September from 12pm the Kindergarten and Pre-Primary students will be involved in some tabloid activities to earn points for their faction. We need some parent helpers on the day, so if you are available, please let your class teacher knows. All spectators are welcome and it would be great to have lots of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles there to cheer the children on.

The whole school sports carnival is on Friday 6th September. The Kindergarten and Pre Primary children will participate in running races on the day.

Please continue to check the blog as I will add photos and information throughout the term.

NAIDOC Week

Term 2

NAIDOC Week

Naidoc week from BelindaB83