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

This newsletter highlights all the necessary Term 1 information for your child. 

We will also be conducting Parent/Teacher conferences throughout Week 8. During these interviews we will discuss how your child has settled into school, give feedback on the Best Start assessment and answer any questions you may have.

Please book your interview time through Compass under Parent Student Teacher Conference. These  will be held in the Kindergarten classrooms or a phone conference.

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 thereof 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. The syllabus also specifies 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 be engaging in the following units:

The Good Samaritan: Students will listen, view and respond to the story of The Good Samaritan and reflect on how they can be good neighbours. 

Welcome: This unit establishes simple prayer routines with a focus on the Sign of the Cross. Key symbols and religious objects in the school and parish environment are explored. The unit introduces sacred space, a prayer place and the importance of time to pray. Through the use of the Christ candle, children are introduced to the image of Jesus, as the light of the world. The foundational image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is also presented through the story of the Good Shepherd.

Lent and Holy Week: This unit presents the stories of ‘The Lost Sheep’, ‘The Washing of the Feet’ and ‘The Last Supper’. Through these stories, and in keeping with the season of Lent and Holy Week, the students are introduced to Jesus as the one who loves us, who seeks out the lost, who humbly serves others and who provides nourishment. 

English is the Key Learning Area where students develop knowledge, skills and understandings about English language and literature. The students will be actively engaged in the development of skills through:

This term in English, Kindergarten  will be engaging in the following:

• becoming  familiar with the basic features of text when Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening
• ‘tuning into sound’ - getting ready to listen for and hear all sounds in word
• beginning to learn their single letter sounds.

More information will be sent home soon regarding home reading and our English program.

• Engage your child in authentic and meaningful conversations with your child. 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 heart words (sent home on keyring). 
• 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.
• Reading or listening to nursery rhymes, songs and poetry.
• Draw your child’s attention to words that begin with the same initial sound. e.g. leg and lump.
• ​​Clapping or tapping the syllables they can hear in words when reading together. For example, dog (one syllable – one clap), zeb/ra (2 syllables – 2 claps) and el/e/phant (3 syllables – 3 claps)
• Stretching some simple words into sounds, such as d- o- g, while you are reading and writing together. Make sure you say the sound, not the letter name
• Practise writing their own name using lowercase letters. For example, using brightly coloured pens and pencils on paper, chalk on concrete, flattened sand in a sandpit.
• Discussing the meaning of subject-specific words. For example, ‘volume’ in mathematics, ‘habitat’ in Science and Technology, and ‘artefact’ in HSIE (History)

An essential component of Mathematics is the development of students’ ability to Work Mathematically. This includes the skills of Communicating, Problem Solving, Reasoning, Understanding and Fluency. 

Students’ ability to work mathematically is developed through the achievement of outcomes and working with content of the Mathematics K-6 Syllabus. Content is organised within the following content strands: 

This term in Mathematics, Kindergarten will be engaging with the following substrands:

• Whole Number
• 2D Space
• Patterns & Algebra
• Time
• Position

The focus for most of the term is on counting, representing and writing numbers.  

Students will also learn to follow an instruction to position an object or themselves and describe the relative position of an object or themselves. 

Other concepts covered in Term 1 include identifying, comparing and ordering the duration of events using the everyday language of time, creating and interpreting information in a data display, creating patterns and basic shapes.

The following are suggestion of how you can support your child’s learning in Mathematics;

• counting forwards and backwards
• 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 
• identifying numbers in the environment
• review the four basic shapes and their features - circle, square, triangle, rectangle
• sequencing time events - First I get dressed. Then I eat my breakfast. etc.
• use the language of time - yesterday, today, tomorrow, days of the week, months of the year

The objectives and outcomes of the Geography Syllabus are based on courses of study across Kindergarten to Year 6. The organisation of content for the stages in primary school is as follows:

Geography is taught in Terms Three and Four.

The outcomes, concepts and skills of the History Syllabus are based on courses of study across Kindergarten to Year 10. The organisation of content for the stages in primary school is as follows:

This term in History, Kindergarten  will be engaging in the unit Personal and Family Histories. 

This unit will run over two terms. The focus of Term 1 is on the student’s own family.  We will explore who are the people in their family, what names they are called by, their birthplace and how they are related to the student. Students will gain an understanding of how a family tree visually represents the people in their family.

The outcomes and content in the Science and Technology Syllabus are organised in the following strands and substrands:

 This term in Science & Technology, Kindergarten  will be engaging in the syllabus unit Weather In Our World.

Students will;

• 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.

The Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus is organised within the following strands: 

 This term in Creative Arts,  Kindergarten  will be engaging in:  Music

In Kindergarten’s topic ‘Special People’, students improve their personal, social and emotional development whilst exploring the musical concepts of beat and tempo. Students use body percussion and percussion instruments, listen to different musical works, and participate in class/group/individual activities. This topic gives a good and purposeful beginning to music within a school setting.

Students at Good Samaritan engage in Physical Education/Sport each week. All students participate in the School Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals. Eligible students participate in the Swimming Trials. After these carnivals squads are chosen to represent the School at Regional and Diocesan Carnivals. Students can then be selected to compete at MacKillop and State levels. Good Samaritan has a clear policy regarding student participation in sporting gala days and representation at competitive sports. Parents are asked to become familiar with this policy. 

This term in PDHPE, (Physical Education) Kindergarten will be engaging in: 

 Play With Purpose

Students participate in structured and unstructured physical activities to engage with outdoor settings and the natural environment. They develop knowledge and understanding of sportsmanship by collaborating on group tasks while being active. Students will develop Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) and learn to participate in playground games.

This term in PDHPE, (Class Sport and Personal Development) Kindergarten will be engaging in: 

Activities and games to improve general fitness and gross motor skills, team building games and training for the school Cross Country Carnival. Students will recognise the need to share and cooperate with others. They will also learn how to demonstrate active listening skills. 

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

• read to your child for enjoyment
• see English and Mathematics suggestions above.

• Ensure your child has a consistent routine at home - consistent bedtime, limited time on devices, breakfast before school etc.
• Talking to your child about the people in your family (immediate and extended family), what you call them, their relation to your child and where they were born
• Discussing the weather each day and using vocabulary associated with the weather and seasons

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

• munch and crunch
•  water bottle
•  hat 
•  notes returned promptly.

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. 

This term students are to wear the correct Summer uniform.

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. This can be through email via info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au.  Your child’s classroom teacher will always make contact with 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 2022

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. 

5.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. 

5.Parents are asked to understand that the teacher’s 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.

21 March: Harmony Week

17 March: Cross Country Dalton Park 

8 April:  Holy Week Liturgy and Easter Hat Parade/Last day of Term One