Waniora Public School

Caring Sharing Daring

Telephone02 4284 3318

Emailwaniora-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Stage 1

Stage 1 classes

Curriculum overview

The children will be involved in activities covering the key learning areas of English, Maths, Physical Education, Health and Personal Development, Science, Human society and its enviornment, Creative and Practical Arts. Technology is included in all learning areas where appropriate. Staff will continue to implement the new Australian curriculum this year. 

Class activities

Fitness: Fundamental movement skills, games and sports.

Library: Library lessons are held each week. Students are able to borrow. Children must have a library bag to borrow books from the library.

Scripture: Thursday afternoons (Anglican, Catholic and Ethics)

Release from Face to Face (RFF)

Whole School Assembly:  Parents are welcome to attend.

Reading

Reading involves modelled reading with big books, picture books, guided and independent reading as well as shared reading activities.

During Home Reading your child will bring home books that are at their independent level, books that they will have success with. These books will be changed daily and closely monitored by the class teacher. Please record comments in the journal and use this as a communication book for the class teacher.

You can support your child by reading the text first and showing them how to point to each word. Your child can then copy, pointing to each word as they read. Encourage them to look at the illustrations to assist with meaning as well as the initial sound of an unknown word. Praise all attempts and reinforcing when they have read accurately. Ask your child some questions at the end of the reading to get them to recall the events of the story.

Get Reading Right

Get Reading Right is a Phonics program that is built around Synthetic Phonics: Synthesising (blending) sounds to make words.

  • It’s quick, we do a group of sounds and start reading and spelling right away
  • It’s thorough, all 44 sounds of the English language are taught
  • It’s explicit, no guessing games for your child
  • It’s systematic, grows in complexity as your child develops
  • It’s consistent, always the same message about how to read and spell unknown words Kindergarten to Year 2
  • It’s efficient, teach both reading and spelling at the same time. This means there will be an increased rate of transfer of the skills between reading, writing and spelling.

Writing

Children are encouraged to write often paying attention to spacing, use known words and sounds. Parents can help by providing their children with many experiences in every day life. This gives children a wealth of things to talk and write about. Giving children practical writing tasks such as making a shopping list or writing a letter or email to a family member makes it a meaningful authentic task.

Mathematics

Maths involves the manipulation of materials to improve concepts and language of number, spatial awareness and measurement. We will use games and activities aimed at teaching children efficient number strategies within ability based groups.

Volunteers

Parents and grandparents are most welcome to help in the classroom, canteen or with excursions. Volunteer helpers for the classroom will commence once classes have settled into their new routines. 

Developing independence

It is important that we work together to encourage your children to develop independence. Try to resist doing everything for your child. Give them some responsibilities and encourage them to do things such as dressing themselves and putting things into their bag. You will probably need to give them some assistance at first, but gradually they can be encouraged to take responsibility.

Please label all of your child's belongings. School bags also need name tags.

Our class rules

  1. hands, feet and objects to yourself
  2. work quietly and on task
  3. follow teacher instructions
  4. be polite.

Awards and discipline

Two orange certificates are given each Wednesday in assembly. All children will get a turn at receiving these. They are awarded for special achievements in the classroom. The yellow behaviour certificates are awarded for good behaviour in the classroom. The students collect all orange and yellow awards, which can accumulate to receive further school awards (refer to the school discipline policy). At the class level the children are given lots of encouragement and praise to always try their best.

Notifications form is sent home if a child is having difficulty following school rules. This is to let you know that your child has been disciplined at school and that this incident has been recorded on the school data-base. It is expected that parents discuss the incident and encourage their child to follow the rules and reinforce the code of behaviour.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is a school wide initiative linking our school values to student behavior, where children receive ‘Wani Winner’ tokens for positive behaviour in the playground. When they reach 30 ‘Wani Winners’, they receive a PBL award at the whole school assembly. Last year it was implemented into the classroom and is represented by dojo’s or classroom winners chart.