What’s Happening in Year 1?

It has been an exciting and action-packed Term in Year 1! Students have settled beautifully into our classroom routines, and they are working so well across all curriculum areas.

In Religious Education, students have been learning about meditative prayer, participating in daily Christian Meditation, as well as learning about ‘Dadirri’ (meaning ‘deep listening’). This is an Aboriginal form of meditation, with a focus on the natural world around us. Students have also been learning about choices, discussing right and wrong choices and evaluating the impact of our choices on our relationships with others. This week, Year 1 joined students from St Mary’s and our Pathway Schools, St Bernard’s and Carroll College, to participate in our annual Combined Catholic Schools Mass at Carroll College. It was a beautiful morning and Year 1 are to be commended on their participation and respectful behaviour throughout the Mass and the ensuing morning tea.

In English, students have been learning about the structure of simple and compound sentences. Students have been applying their learning to compose sentences containing a ‘who?’ (a subject) and a ‘what doing?’ (a verb predicate). Students have then been encouraged to expand their sentences by adding a when or where detail, an adjective (a describing word), or a conjunction (a joining word). Students take great delight in drafting their sentences on whiteboards before publishing their edited work into their lined writing books.

Mathematics lessons have seen some very clever work produced, with students using number bonds to complete addition and subtraction equations. Students have also been learning about the properties of 2D shapes and the workings of analogue clocks through participation in daily review, explicit lessons and independent practice.

Geography lessons have been designed to explore various habitats. Students were highly engaged in their lesson on water habitats, in which Mr Nolan taught us the dhurga names for several local sea creatures. Yr 1 also enjoyed creating a camping plan for the Three Bears!

We have been studying Biology in Science, with a particularly memorable lesson on ‘tardigrades’. Students enjoyed making a tardigrade model out of playdough!

PDHPE lessons are always a favourite in Year 1. Students have been learning about water safety with Mr Hill, as well as participating in Gross Motor rotations each Friday. Each session students are asked to put one of our four school rules into action as they participate in the activities.

Last Friday was met with much excitement as Year 1 braved the elements to complete their cross country run at Gundary Oval. Congratulations to all our competitors!

Finally, in Creative and Performing Arts, students have enjoyed participating in imaginative play scenarios with Ms Shannon, as well as producing some very impressive artworks using a variety of media during Visual Arts lessons each Thursday.

We are looking forward to the final week of Term 1, where Year 1 will take time to explore the traditions, teachings and craft making practices surrounding the very special time of Easter! We wish all our families a happy, safe and holy Easter break.

Mrs Rebecca Brady
Year 1 Teacher