Welcome back to the new school term. This newsletter is to help keep you informed about the curriculum for the grade and the day-to-day activities of the grade.

This term the following teachers will be supporting learning in Kindergarten.

*Teachers work under the structure of an Enterprise Agreement that includes a number of entitlements. One of these is the engagement in Profession Planning Time (PPT) where they are released from class to carry out other professional responsibilities. Each full time teacher is entitled to the equivalent of 2 hours PPT each week, or a pro-rata there for part time teachers. Therefore, all students operate across the school week with at least two teachers engaging in the classroom program of learning.

This Curriculum Outline is designed to communicate what your child is learning so you can support them at home this term. At Good Samaritan, we believe that the partnership between you as parents and our teachers are the most important influences on your son’s or daughter’s education.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for setting and monitoring quality teaching, learning, assessment and school standards across NSW public, Catholic and independent schools. NESA also develops Kindergarten to Year 12 syllabuses for NSW schools. Syllabuses identify: the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes students are expected to develop at each stage; what students are expected to know and do; Learning across the curriculum areas: cross-curriculum priorities, general capabilities and other important learning for all students.

At Good Samaritan we have a K-6 Scope & Sequence of learning which supports the implementation of the NESA Syllabuses. Below, is an outline of the Key Learning Area content & skills being taught this term.

All students take part in Religious Education Programs. The school also provides other opportunities for students to express and deepen their Faith through school Masses, liturgies, prayer and in Christian service and witness within their school environment and the wider community. 

Religious Education follows a curriculum set and approved by the Bishop of the Diocese in conjunction with the Catholic Education Office.

This term in Religious Education, Kindergarten will learn about: 

• The Easter Season - This unit focuses on two Easter stories. The first tells of the women at the tomb (Lk 24:1-6) and the second of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples on the shore of Lake Tiberias (Jn 21:1-14). Students will hear about and respond to the Easter message of the Resurrection: Jesus is alive.
• Belonging to God’s people - This unit introduces the students to religious imagery, to the church building and its furnishings and to gestures used. The unit then introduces the celebration of Eucharist through a focus on key liturgical actions and objects used.

This term in English, Kindergarten will continue to be engaged in reading and writing lessons and move towards greater independence in using high frequency words within independent writing. This will involve

• learning to write sentences- guided and independent
• learning to read and write ‘High Frequency Words’
• engaging in meaningful speaking and listening activities.

• Send your child’s reading folder to school each day.
• Review High Frequency Words with your child - send their word box to school each Monday.
• Listen to your child read their reader book each night and ensure that all books are returned to school, in the folder, each day.
• Engage your child in authentic and meaningful conversations. Ensure they are looking at and listening to you as this happens.
• Correct, by modelling, any incorrect pronunciation and grammatical structures when speaking with your child.
• Review high frequency words (sent home in word box), daily.
• Engage in rhyming songs and games with your child. E.g. ‘hat and cat’, ‘tail and whale’ are rhyming words because they sound the same at the end.
• Draw your child’s attention to words that begin with the same initial sound. E.g. leg and lump.

This term in Mathematics, Kindergarten will learn about:

• Investigating triangles
• Ordinal numbers
• Length: long, short, tall
• Addition and Subtraction
• Halves and Wholes
• Making and repeating patterns
• Teen numbers
• Collecting and displaying data

• Counting forwards and backwards
• Counting forwards and backwards from numbers other than 1
• Counting using ordinal numbers 1st to 10th
• Identifying numbers before and after E.g. What number comes after/before 9?
• Board games, dice games, number games
• Using everyday mathematical language - numbers, forward, backward, in front, behind, beside, under, on top, counting, patterns, repeating, continuing, whole objects and halves
• Identifying numbers in the environment
• Ensure correct formation of numbers 1-10
• Matching quantities to numbers
• Ensuring that children are correctly articulating the teen number names
• Teen numbers are made up of one group of ten and some more eg 11 is one group of ten and one more

• Review the four basic shapes and their features - circle, square, triangle, rectangle
• Use the language of time - yesterday, today, tomorrow, days of the week, months of the year, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring

This term in History, Kindergarten will learn about:

Personal and Family Histories 

This will provide students with the opportunity to learn about their own history and that of their family. This may include sources and stories from a range of cultures and other parts of the world. Students build on their knowledge and understanding of how the past is different from the present.

This term in Science & Technology, Kindergarten will learn about:

Weather In Our World

• Observe the weather. 
• Investigate the effects that different types of weather have on themselves and their environment through observation, responding, recording, scientific inquiry and experimentation, that will allow students to question, predict and evaluate weather in their world.

• Discuss weather using appropriate scientific language.
• Explore extreme climatic conditions and its global effect.

This term in Creative Arts, Kindergarten will learn about:

Visual Arts / About Me...

In this unit, students will explore their own personal uniqueness and individuality in their making of artworks. They will recognise that other artists think about the uniqueness of people when they make portraits of them. Students will make self portraits developing their observational skills and considering the qualities and relationships between features and how these are represented in their picture making. Students will also experiment with a range of media and make individual and group works based on their experiences.

Students at Good Samaritan have Physical Education/Sport each week. All students will participate in the School Athletics Carnival in Week 5. 

This term in PDHPE, Kindergarten will focus on the unit:

May I Please...

In this unit, students will develop an understanding of respect and what respectful relationships look like and how it feels both in person and online. Students will develop an understanding of consent and will apply this understanding to everyday situations.

In PE students will spend time training and developing skills for the school Athletics Carnival. They will also participate in activities and games to improve general fitness and Gross Motor skills. 

Kindergarten will review the Zones of Regulations at the beginning of each day. This could also be used at home with your child.

• Reading books each night
• Reviewing High Frequency Words

Please support your child to be Ready to Learn each day by ensuring he/she has the following:

• Reading Folder and readers 
• Word Box for High Frequency Words on Monday
• Library bag and books (KB Monday, KG Wednesday)

CLASSROOM

Each class uses their co created behaviour matrix as a guide to help support and maintain a safe and positive classroom environment always linking in with our 3 school rules:

• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible. 

These rules are supported by the classroom correction sequence. The sequence is used as a visual reminder for students to support them in getting back on track with learning.

PLAYGROUND

This term our tokens that are handed out for positive behaviours on the playground will be collected in each classroom’s token boxes. This way the students will be able to see as a class what a great job they are doing.

As a school the students have unpacked, role played and practiced positive and respectful ways they can interact with each other on their playground with a set of Social Norms. 

 SOCIAL NORMS FOR OUR PLAYGROUND

Social norm #1: Meet and greet politely.

• Say greetings, introductions, and goodbyes.
• Politely offer and receive compliments.
• Be able to start and finish conversations.

Social norm #2: Take turns talking.

• Listen when others are speaking and look them in the eye.
• Wait if adults are talking. 
• Respond appropriately and at the right time.

Social norm #3: Pay attention to others.

• Stop what you’re doing so you can listen.
• Read people’s emotions through their body language and facial expressions.
• Change your behaviour to match what other people are doing, such as quieting down with the rest of the room.

Social norm #4: Think about others before acting.

• Ask for consent.
• Don’t cut in line.
• Wait your turn.
• Stand a comfortable distance away when talking. 

Social norm #5: Cooperate with others.

• Follow directions when you’re asked to.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Apologise when necessary.
• Be flexible and open to new ideas.

All students are expected to be neatly dressed in their school uniform or sports uniform each day. Classroom teachers will monitor the wearing of the uniform on a day-to-day basis and inappropriate dress will be brought to the attention of the student and, where necessary, parents. 

Students are expected to wear the correct Summer/Winter uniform including the correct footwear.

GOOD SAMARITAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL UNIFORM

Students are also expected to wear the correct Sports Uniform on sports days:

ALL ITEMS OF UNIFORM MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE CHILD’S NAME

Ongoing communication between school and home is essential. The school aims to work in partnership with the home and recognises that parents wish to be informed of any problems. Likewise, there is a need for parents to keep the school informed of any events that may impact on the life of their child at school.

Through this mutual communication we aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for your child.

1. If you have any educational/behaviour concerns about your child always contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Your child’s classroom teacher will always contact you if they have any concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. 
2. Grades and classes across the school are supported by Middle Leaders. You are welcome to contact the Middle Leader/s responsible for your child’s class/grade if you have continued concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. The Middle Leaders will also contact you when and if necessary.

Middle Leaders 2021

3. If the issue remains unresolved beyond the Middle Leader then please address your concern/s to the Assistant Principal or the Principal. 
4. Parents may contact teachers by email via the school office (info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au) but are asked to understand that a response may not be immediate and certainly cannot be expected beyond the regular hours of the school day or week. 

At Good Samaritan, we believe it is important to speak with parents either in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone when responding to emails that may be of a sensitive nature or, that may require a lengthy response. Therefore, the email response you receive may be of a generic nature. 

Parents are asked to understand that teachers primary responsibility throughout the school day is towards the students. Therefore, teachers are unable to engage in discussion when they are in direct supervision of students.

For any absence the school must receive notification of the reason for the absence within 7 days of the return to school. This applies for partial absences as well as whole day absences. Please supply the reason via Compass. In the event that a notification is not supplied the absence will be recorded as Unjustified/Unexplained.

Whole School Term 2 Dates:

Further information regarding events will be distributed closer to each of the dates.

APRIL:

22/04: School Photos

23/04: ANZAC Day Prayer

27/04: Diocesan Cross Country

MAY:

3/05-4/05: Principals’ Overnight Retreat

4/05: Kindergarten Parent Workshop

6/05: Mother’s Day Liturgy

7/05: Mother’s Day Stall

11/05-20/05: NAPLAN testing

17/05: Athletics Carnival 

21/05: PUPIL FREE DAY Students do not attend school on this day

22/05-23/05: Confirmation Weekend

23/05: Pentecost

24/05-28/05: Screens Down Week

26/05: National Sorry Day

CEDoW School Director Peter Hill visit to GSFM

31/05: Reconciliation Week

JUNE:

3/06: MABO Day

11/06 Term 2 PB4L Day (Mufti Day)

14/06: Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend

15/06: Sth Coast Netball Gala Day

18/06: Semester One Reports distributed to Parents

21/06-25/06: Parent Teacher Interview Week

25/06: Term 2 concludes

JULY:

20/07 Kindergarten Excursion -Symbio