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 Year One

*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.

At Good Samaritan we have a K-6 Scope & Sequence of learning which supports the implementation of the NSW Education Standards Authority (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, Year One will be engaging in the following units:

• The Easter Season- This unit develops the students’ familiarity with the Easter story. It also introduces the stories of the Ascension and Pentecost. Through these stories, children continue to engage with the mystery of God’s abiding presence.
• Nourished by God- This unit focuses on the Sunday celebration of the Mass. It introduces students to Sunday as the special day when Catholics gather at Mass to listen, remember and give thanks to God, receive Holy Communion and go out to love and serve the Lord.

The second part of the unit looks at the story of ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand’. It explores how Jesus cared for and fed the people. It invites the children to consider how they care for others and share what they have.

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, Year One  will be engaging in the following strands:

With a focus on endangered animals, Students will be introduced to a range of factual / information texts about endangered animals. 

Factual / Information texts contain information that is true / correct. 

These texts will contain facts about  animals and the world we live in. 

The factual texts we will read and view will contain -                                                                                            

* a contents page                                 

* photos   

* maps                                        

* index                                               

* factual Information

Students will be introduced and supported to create information texts about the endangered animal focused on each week in modelled, joint construction and independent writing episodes. 

They will learn to collect information, plan and compose their texts. 

Students will continue to develop their understanding of how a sentence is formed and how to link  

sentences to create an information text. 

Students  will engage in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling and grammar, and during these sessions they will continue to develop their skills.

Students will also continue to consolidate their use of reading cues and knowledge of punctuation to enhance fluency and understanding of the text when reading.

Students should be encouraged to read at home. Here are some tips:

1. Read funny things
2. Read anything anywhere
3. Talk to your children about what they have read
4. Follow their interests
5. Read regularly 
6. Read for pleasure
7. Variety is the spice of life!
8. Make a dedicated reading space in the home

As COVID restrictions have now eased, we welcome parents/caregivers to come to the classroom to listen to students in year 1 read in the morning session. A letter will be sent out with details and options for volunteering to listen to your child’s class read.

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, Year One  will be engaging with the following substrands:

• Time- Seasons, months and days
• Whole Number- Partitioning and Place Value
• Length- Informal Units
• Addition and subtraction- Combinations to 10
• Chance- Probability
• Patterns and Algebra- Number patterns, skip counting, patterns and objects
• Multiplication and division- Skip counting  and equal groups.
• Position- Left and right, following and giving directions. 
• Whole Number- Represent two digit numbers, locate, place numbers on a numberline, place value role of 0.

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, Year One will learn about: 

Exploring Family Life: This topic follows on from last term’s work on children’s understanding of the past present and future in the context of their own family. 

This unit focus moves to using sources to create a personal representation of the passing of time. The children create a history box. There is a strong focus in this unit on the use of historical skills.

This term in Science & Technology, Year One will be engaging in the  unit:

This Living World unit focuses on the features of living things, their environment and how they change and reproduce.

Students investigate how plants and animals are used to satisfy our needs for food and fibre.

Stage 1 of this strand develops students’ understanding of how living things and their environment play a central role in the support for and survival of humans. 

An excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park will take place so that students can observe the features of mammals, birds & reptiles.

Living Things

• What are the external features of living things?
• How do living things change as they grow?
• How can we improve a local environment to encourage living things to thrive?
• How do humans use plants and animals?

This term in Creative Arts, Year One will be engaging in: 

‘The Litter Muncher’  Lazy Daisy village is idyllic - or at least it would be if it weren’t for a litter problem. Our overworked hero, the Litter Muncher, sets out to change the attitudes of the local people. 

This is a lively musical that the students will be actively involved in and adore!  The musical will promote a very positive and important ecological message, which will help build on the students ‘knowledge and understanding of the world’.Students will be learning, practicing and performing the musical The Litter Muncher. Throughout the term, students will focus on ONE scene and song with their class. Students will perfect their section by focussing on one element per lesson at the beginning of the term. Towards the end of the term all aspects of the musical will join together into whole scene rehearsals, school rehearsals, dress rehearsals and performances for the GSFM community.

This term in PDHPE, (Physical Education), Year One will be engaging in the unit:  Game On! 

Students will participate in games with and without equipment. They will try different techniques and ways to move in order to solve movement challenges and make positive choices when moving. They will learn to identify rules and fair play when participating in physical activities. Students will participate in Athletics, and explore games that involve throwing and catching.

This term in PDHPE (Class Sport), Year One will be engaging in the unit:  Moving My Body!

Students will develop specific fundamental movement skills (FMS) while participating in individual/group/team physical activities. They will apply decision-making and problem-solving strategies to develop and perform movement skills and sequences, building their self-awareness and communication skills in the process. The main focus will be throwing, catching, and cross country running while participating in a range of activities and games.

 This term in PDHPE (Health), Year One will be engaging in the unit: Nutrition and Food!

Students will understand contextual factors that influence health decisions and describe how to keep themselves and others healthy, safe and active. 

Students recognise environments which promote health, safety and physical activity and practise a range of protective strategies for responding to various situations. They follow instructions to keep themselves safe and are able to ask for help with tasks or problems. The students will learn ways in which they can: 

How can I be responsible for my own, and others’ health, safety and wellbeing?

How can I act to make my environment healthy, safe and active?

 What influences my decisions and actions to be healthy, safe and physically active?

Talk time - Students have been allocated a specific day to present an oral presentation to the class which will help develop confidence with speaking and listening skills. An overview for the term will be sent home outlining the topics for each week. Students will present a 2 minute presentation focusing on a specific listening and speaking focus. As the term progresses additional activities may be added either for the whole class or individually as required.

Home Reader - The students will be given a home reader to take home daily. Students are encouraged to read to an adult for 10-15 minutes every day and parents are encouraged to complete their child’s reading log daily. Home readers need to be returned to school every day. Use this opportunity to ask your child questions about their book to help and improve their reading and comprehension skills.

Please support your child to be Ready to Learn each day by ensuring he/she has the following in his/ her school bag and that it is clearly labeled:

• Reading Folder, with reading books,  to be brought to school every day
• Water bottle
• Munch and crunch, recess and lunch
• School hat
• A change of underwear and socks in a labeled plastic bag
• Raincoat
• notes are returned promptly

• Students may each have a reward card that once a predetermined number of rewards have been reached they can choose a variety of awards such as move seats for the day, choose from the prize box, 10 minutes free choice activity and more.
• Throughout the day verbal praise will be given to the whole class and individuals as well as a thumbs up.
• Students may work towards group points
• Our Term focus is “Love of Learning”
• Mission Behaviours-

Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School operates the Positive Behaviour 4 Learning framework to  assist in improving student behaviour and enhancing learning within the classroom. The PB4L  framework recognises individual student needs on both our playground and in learning spaces.  

PB4L enables the school to identify areas of need where work is able to be done with students who  are unclear of expectations and appropriate behaviour whilst developing empathy within their  relationships. This process may include the key principles of Restorative Practice. In this way Good  Samaritan is making our school and playground a friendly and enjoyable place for all our students.  

At Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School, we are proud of the positive behaviours displayed by  our students. Recognition and celebration of these behaviours occur both within the classroom and  at school assemblies.

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/Winter uniform.

Winter uniform is to be worn from Tuesday 10th May. 

GOOD SAMARITAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL UNIFORM

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

Year One sports uniform is to be worn on: Tuesday and Wednesday

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 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 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.  Appointments can be made by calling  the office - not SeeSaw 

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.

5 May  

Mother’s Day Morning Tea 11am and Open Classrooms 11.45-1pm 

6 May

Mother’s Day Stall ( for students)

9 May

Pupil Free Day/ Teacher Professional Development Day

10 May

Winter uniform is to be worn from Tuesday 10th May. 

10 May

 Materials for Science the  ‘Design and Make a musical instrument due

20 May

 Athletics Carnival

TBA- Excursion to Symbio