Term 1, 2024

We extend a warm welcome to all our new students and their families as they embark on their educational journey with us. It has been an exciting start to the school year with 116 eager students joining us in late January, ready to immerse themselves in all that our school has to offer.

Our new students have settled in remarkably well, quickly adapting to their classrooms, making new friends, and familiarising themselves with their teachers and classroom routines. Over the first four weeks of school, our students have been gradually transitioning into full-time schooling.

As part of our emphasis on fostering independence, we encourage students to take responsibility for their belongings, including carrying their own school bag and managing their lunch boxes. Additionally, we remind parents and carers the importance of clearly labelling jackets and jumpers to minimise loss.

At DNPS, we believe in keeping parents and carers involved and informed about their child’s educational journey. To facilitate this, we utilise the Seesaw app, providing a window into the classroom experience. We encourage you to create an account and log in to witness and engage with the learning journey thus far. If you need some help with this, please let us know so we can help set you up.

We are excited to continue this journey together and look forward to the growth and achievements that lie ahead for each and every one of our students.

Integrated Theme
This term, our focus revolves around the world of nursery rhymes and changing them into stories. So far, we have enjoyed Humpty Dumpty, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, I’m a Little Tea Pot and Jack and Jill. Please ask your child to sing the nursery rhyme and also tell you the story with actions.

Encourage your child to share these with you, singing it with joy and enthusiasm. But don’t stop there! Ask them to recount the story with accompanying actions, bringing each character to life. It’s a wonderful way to enhance their storytelling skills and ignite their imagination.

Literacy

This first term marks the commencement of our Phonemic Awareness and Phonics program, where our primary emphasis is placed on sounds rather than letter names. Mastering these sounds is fundamental in paving the way for your child's reading and writing journey.

During our reading sessions, we're concentrating on fostering simple comprehension skills and enriching vocabulary among our students. We're actively encouraging them to make connections with the stories they encounter, while also instilling good reading habits such as holding the book correctly, turning pages carefully, and actively engaging with the text by pointing out words and deciphering sounds.

We kindly remind parents to dedicate time each night to read with their child and discuss the stories shared. Additionally, homework folders are now being sent home daily. Please ensure your child brings their homework folder to school every day to facilitate their learning journey.

Your support and involvement are greatly appreciated as we embark on this exciting learning adventure together.

Mathematics
In Mathematics this term, we're diving into fundamental numeracy concepts, including:

* Creating patterns

* Sorting, ordering, and counting collections

* Matching numbers with quantities

* Practicing number formations

* Counting forwards and backwards

* Exploring 2D shapes and their attributes

* Utilising yes/no questions to gather information

These lessons will be brought to life through engaging storytelling, rhymes, songs and games providing hands-on experiences with concrete materials to ensure active participation and skill development.

 

 

Apps

 

YouTube Channels & Videos 

Singing Walrus Music	Kids TV 123	ABC Mouse	Jack Hartmann
The Learning Station	Starfall Education	Cued Articulation	Ants in the Apple