Sy n dal Sou th Pri mar y School
Montgomery Avenue, Mount Waverley Telephone (03) 9802 5277 Fax (03) 9886 1301
Term 1 - Level 3 Newsletter
Welcome to all the new families and returning families of Syndal South PS for 2015. The team would like to warmly welcome
Justine Hagen, our new 3/4 teacher to our level. We wish Justine a fabulous start to her career and look forward to working
closely with her. Term One is always the term of beginnings for our students. The students will be developing new relationships, setting up school and home routines related to homework and sleep times as well as leaning more about themselves
as independent learners. If you have any queries at all regarding your child please arrange an appointment to see your
child’s class teacher, as we are always willing to listen to your concerns.
Rebecca Stonehouse-Melke, Flavia Petrucci, Kate Richardson, Danielle Canavan and Justine Hagen
Term 1 Important Dates
JANUARY
Thursday 29th
FEBRUARY
Mon 23rd - Friday 27th
MARCH
Mon 9th
Tue 10th - Thurs 12th
(Survival Day Wed 11th)
Fri 13th
Term One begins
Thurs 19th
Fri 27th
CERES Excursion
Last day Term One - 2:30pm finish
Level 3 Swimming
Labour Day holiday
Level 3 Swimming
SSPS Athletics House Sports
English
Inquiry: ‘How can we manage our waste?’
Reading - Students will be introduced to the CAFÉ
reading which fosters reading independence. Students will practise and develop self-monitoring skills;
choose ‘Good Fit Books’ which interest them and
have a purpose, and choose books with words that
are appropriate for their skill and comprehension
level. Students will commence guided reading
groups based upon identified areas of need.
In Term 1 our Inquiry topic is ‘How can we manage our waste?’ In
this unit students will look at key concepts such as: our lifestyle and
how our attitudes can affect and change the environment we live in;
and how our environment affects our lifestyle. Students will look at
and decipher what materials and objects belong in the compost,
junk, garbage, recyclables, food waste, used paper and green
waste. They will develop an understanding of where waste comes
from and goes to, and how we can support and maintain a sustainable environment to live in. Discussion and research will involve how
the government can help us manage our waste and the terms rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle will be reflected and acted upon.
Students will select 4 Good Fit Books during their
weekly Library session and the books will be kept
safely in their personal Book Bag. The students will
record information relating to the books on a ‘Book
Bag Reading Record Sheet’ and keep the record
sheets throughout the year.
Writing - Writer’s Notebook - Students will develop
their skills at choosing ‘Seeds’ which can be used
for future writing. The seeds will be used as springboards for recount writing, narratives and persuasive writing. Students will draft, review, conference,
edit and publish pieces of their choice.
Speaking and Listening - Circle time will be used
as a platform for students to share, discuss, present
views, make choices and justify them, explain and
express opinions and recount experiences.
Spelling - Students will establish weekly personal
words made up of personalised lists, class focus
words and Inquiry unit vocabulary. Students will
have the opportunity to practise their spelling words
using Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check and spelling
tests will be included.
Grammar and Punctuation - Students will look at
descriptive sentences, use of full stops, capital letters, apostrophes, question marks, exclamation
marks, commas and talking marks.
In Week 8 students will go on an excursion to CERES (the Centre
for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) Environment Park to “foster awareness and action on environmental and
social issues affecting urban areas. The site has displays and functional demonstrations on a range of environmental issues to show
just what can be achieved at household, community and global levels.” We are hoping to encourage within our students the ability to be
socially responsible inside and outside of the classroom and contribute to making their world a sustainable place to live and grow.
Students will complete the unit by reusing and recycling objects to
Maths
This term in Maths our learning focus will be in the following areas:
Number & Algebra - odd and even numbers, place value, number patterns, times tables, money, and fractions.
Measurement & Geometry - time tables & calendars, temperature, location and transformation, and 2D & 3D shapes.
Statistics & Probability - Data: collect data, organise it into categories and
create displays such as line, bar and picture graphs.
Specialists Timetable
Kate Richardson
3/4S Rebecca
StonehouseMelke
Justine Hagen
2:30 - 3:30pm
9:00 - 10:00am
10:00 - 11:00am
11:30 - 12:30pm
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
11:30 - 12:30pm
12:30 - 1:30pm
9:00 - 10:00am
10:00 - 11:00am
11:30 - 12:30pm
Monday
Friday
Friday
Friday
Friday
2:30 - 3:00pm
12:00 - 12:30pm
3:00 - 3:30pm
1:00 - 1:30pm
12:30 - 1:00pm
Thursday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
2:30 - 3:30pm
11:30 - 12:30pm
12:30 - 1:30pm
2.30-3.30pm
10.00-11.00
Friday
Friday
Friday
Monday
Monday
9:00 - 10:00am
12:30 - 1:30pm
10:00 - 11:00am
11:30 - 12:30pm
2:30 - 3:30pm
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
R.E
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Recorder
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Visual Arts
Library
Music
PE
Japanese
3/4C
3/4P
3/4R
Danielle Canavan
Flavia Petrucci
12:30 - 1:30pm
Art Program - Merrilyn Mann
The element of ‘texture’ is to be the
main focus in Art lessons in Term 1.
Students will explore and examine
some of the textures in nature and in
the environment around the school.
They will create collages, paintings
and take photographs that show texture. Students will also view paintings
by well-known artists and will examine
how various artists use texture in their
paintings.
Sport/P.E - Viv Potter and
Charlie Kenez
The PE department is in full swing
again this year. ‘Joggers Club’ and
‘Ride/Walk 2 School’ continue as
usual, with points being tallied to see
which house is most active. Pick up
a passport before school at the Hall
steps, or see Mr Kenez or Mrs Potter to register.
All students have a 60 minute PE
session and a 60 minute Sport sesSince the students will be using paints
sion each week. This is supplementand food dyes it is most important that
ed with daily activities such as runthey have a suitable protective art shirt ning the Federation Track and minor
or smock to wear each week. Please
games with their classroom teachmake sure your child has an art shirt
ers. Students will be participating in
that is clearly named. Art smocks can a two week swimming program to be
now be purchased from the school
held at the School Sports & Aquatic
uniform store.
Centre at Huntingtower.
Library
Students will continue to visit the
library on a weekly basis and
choose four ‘Good Fit’ books to
read during our Café reading program.
The weekly Physical Education sessions will focus on athletics in preparation for the Annual House Sports
to be held at Waverley Athletics
Track on Friday 13th March. We will
be looking for lots of help on the
day, so keep an eye out in The
Rocket as the date approaches.
Summer Sports will include games
of cricket, softball, tee ball, rounders,
tennis and Danish rounders.
3/4H
Music - Glenys Ferguson
Students create and present music
works.
They develop skills and specific
techniques to play the recorder.
They refine their music after receiving feedback and tuition.
Students begin to interpret staff or
‘absolute name’ notation.
LOTE - Eriko Miyagi
Students will focus on the following:
- Japanese sign language
(ACTLAN, Action Language)
- Students will learn a Japanese
folktale ‘A Rolling Rice Ball’ using
Japanese sign language.
- Self introductions in Japanese.
- Students will be able to speak with
Japanese students through the
video conference.
- Hiragana learning.
- Reading & speaking.