MJPS Kindergarten
Term 2 2015
Welcome to Term 2 and what will prove to be a very busy time with lots of new and exciting activities in store. It is pleasing to see so many kindergarten children showing independence and coming to school carrying their own school bag, putting their bag outside their classroom and playing with friends in the mornings.
A huge thank you goes to those parents who have helped in and around the classrooms last term. If you would like to assist this term and don’t know how to get involved, just let your child’s classroom teacher know and they will be happy to offer some suggestions. Everyone’s support is appreciated in building strong and positive connections between home and school.
If at any time you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress, please contact your class teacher. The Assistant Principal or Principal can discuss wider or whole school concerns. Please contact the school office should you wish to make an appointment.
Term 2 Calendar
Important dates for Kindergarten students are:
8 May: Mothers' Day Stall
21 May: MJPS and La Pa Disco
24 June: P & C Mufti Day
26 June: Last Day of School Term 2
14 July: First Day of School Term 3 for Students
For whole school events please refer to the weekly newsletter
Kindergarten Staff 2015
Class Teachers
KA - Allira Carlon
KC - Aneesa Cummins
KF - Caitlin French
KM - Christina Cignetti
KS - Sharon Guider (Monday-Tuesday), Paige Kelly (Wednesday -Friday)
Assistant Principal
Ms Ana Andreu (relieving until week 4)
Mrs Easter Carmeli
Support Staff
Ms Mihajlovic (relieving until week 4) then Mrs Easter Carmeli-Library
Ms Caroline Durston-English
Ms Ana Andreu-Science
Ms Julie Smith-Science
Ms Hong Jin Wu-Chinese
Ms Mary Stamatellis-Greek
Organisational Matters
-Please label your child’s school bag, library bag, hat, lunch boxes (including lids) and drink bottle with your child’s full name and class. Ensure to do this several times each term as the writing fades.
-We ask that all school hats stay at school Monday-Friday. This assists students with organisation and ensures that they don’t miss out on play. Our school has a No Hat, No Play policy.
-It would be greatly appreciated if recess was packed separately to big lunch as this assists students and teachers during these important transition times.
-We encourage children to have healthy food at school. Chips, chocolates and lollies are not items for a school environment. Furthermore we have a number of students at MJPS with severe food allergies. Please be mindful about what goes into your child’s lunch box.
-Students are allowed to play on the basketball and COLA area where the teacher is on duty from 8.30am. For safety reasons students are not allowed on the playground equipment before or after school, even with a parent supervising. Your help to reinforce this message is greatly appreciated.
-Lessons commence at 9.00am. Students must line up outside their classroom. If a child arrives after 9.00am, they need to go to the office with their parent and have the office print out a late note for them to take to their classroom teacher.
-When sending notes and money to the school, these need to be placed in an envelope with your child’s name, class and what the money is for clearly written. Please staple the permission note to the outside of the envelope and have your child hand the envelope to their classroom teacher or placed into the Note Box outside their classroom. (Please read Term Statements of Accounts below).
-All absences must be accompanied by a letter of explanation when your child returns to school after an absence.
-Every child must have a raincoat in his/her bag. For safety reasons, umbrellas are not permitted at school.
-School finishes at 3.00pm. Please make sure you are on time to collect your child or have made arrangements with the Care Centre 9315 5947.
- Read the weekly newsletter as it is full of information about what is happening at our school and upcoming events.
In the mail parents have received the Term 2 Statement of Accounts. This lists all activities for your child in Term 2. We hope that this information gives parents sufficient financial notice to plan for these costs. Parents can pay in the usual manner through the class money folders in either one lump sum or by instalments or activities. As previously, any parents seeking financial assistance should ask at the office or make an appointment with the Principal.
It is important to note that students will continue to receive permission notes before each event; however these simply need to be signed and returned to the class teachers. Information about activities including Raw Art and excursions may be unknown to parents at this point in time, but information will be coming out in a timely fashion before each event.
This is a trial in 2015 and will be evaluated at the end of the year. Whilst we appreciate having Internet Banking available would be easier for some, unfortunately this option is not available to us with our new office system.
Gymnastics, Computer, Library & Languages Timetable
Gymnastics:
Students should wear their sports uniform (joggers, green shorts/track pants or skirt, red school t-shirt and hat) on their designated class gymnastics day. Each class will be learning about basic movement skills and movement patterns taught by qualified Sportspro staff.
KA: Tuesday & (Thursday- Fitness)
KC: Tuesday
KF: Monday
KM: Tuesday
KS: Tuesday
Library Day:
Each class will continue to visit the library once a week for their lesson and to borrow a book. Mrs Carmeli will continue to take all Kindergarten classes for library when she returns. Students must bring their library bag and return their book from the previous week. Students cannot borrow without a library bag or whilst a book is outstanding.
KA: Tuesday
KC: Wednesday
KF: Wednesday
KM: Monday
KS: Thursday
Computer Day:
Each class will have a weekly lesson in the computer room to learn basic skills such as logging on, moving the mouse to select a program and basic keyboarding skills. Students will also have the opportunity to use iPads in the classrooms during the week.
KA: Friday
KC: Wednesday
KF: Friday
KM: Monday
KS: Thursday
Language Day/s:
Students learn Greek or Chinese. Lessons focus on conversational Greek/Chinese words of greeting, colours, numbers, letters and other words and sentences students can use with each other, family members, language teachers and other community members.
KA: Monday & Wednesday
KC: Monday & Friday
KF: Monday & Wednesday
KM: Tuesday
KS: Monday & Friday
What are we learning this term?
English:
This term, Kindergarten will focus on the English key concepts of Imagination and Characterisation by working on a unit of work called ‘Fairytales’. Children will learn about how imaginative characters are portrayed and developed in a variety of fairytales. They will learn to describe various characters and write simple descriptions of fairytale characters.
Home reading is underway. Children should return Home Readers regularly to ensure a variety of books are borrowed. Reading each night will help our students to practise the knowledge and skills taught during reading lessons at school and provide them with opportunities to improve fluency and accuracy. Home reading will continue from Monday to Thursday. Please ensure this reading time is light and enjoyable for both you and your child. Children have their library books to read on the weekend.
Children will continue to have a sound of the week, revision sounds and weekly sight words. Children were given a copy of the Term 2 Kindergarten Sounds in week 1. If you don’t have a copy please see your child’s classroom teacher. These sounds and sight words will be incorporated into various learning activities during the week. Children will be working towards writing beginning and ending sounds to represent words when communicating their ideas in writing.
All children have a news day where they are encouraged to bring a special item relating to the news topic. Please remember to label everything that is brought in and encourage your child to keep their item in their school bag until it’s their turn. If you are able to discuss and practise their news the night before it will help them to feel more comfortable and confident when it is their turn to speak in front of the class. Another suggestion to help your child is using cue cards (pictorial cue cards during news has helped some Kindergarten students stay focused and remember their news). The topics for news were given out in week one of this term. If you don’t have a copy please ask your child’s classroom teacher.
Mathematics:
In Mathematics the children will continue to learn and develop various concepts within the Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability strands of the syllabus. All students are provided with opportunities to develop and use a variety of hands on activities, interactive whiteboard activities, group work and written work to meet their individual needs. A strong emphasis on working mathematically and problem solving strategies will continue to be incorporated across all strands.
This term, Kindergarten will be trialing Maths Groups in the Number strand. Students will be assessed by their teacher and grouped according to their learning needs. The groups will aim to reinforce or extend the students' concept development in the area of number and take place on Monday and Tuesday commencing week 6 of this term.
Science:
This term the topic is called 'On the move'. Through this unit of work students will develop an understanding of how things move. They explore the push and pull forces they can use to move objects in ways such as sliding, bouncing and spinning. Through investigations, students observe and gather evidence about rolling objects and explore the idea of fair testing.
HSIE:
Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) unit ‘I am Me!’ will allow students to explore the way culture impacts on personal and community identities. Students will learn about characteristics, desires and abilities of students, family languages, their own class and family groups, special events they celebrate, easily recognisable Australian and school symbols, groups that individuals belong to, recognisable differences between languages spoken in their neighbourhood and events shared with class members and with families.
Creative Arts:
Students will continue to develop their knowledge and skills in the areas of visual arts, music, dance and drama. During visual arts students will be preparing an art piece for the Art Show to be held in Term 3. Drama will be integrated within the literacy Fairytales unit.
Students will also participate in a series of Raw Art workshops provided by specialist art teachers visiting our school.
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education:
Early Stage 1 will be learning about Road Safety. Through this unit of work students will learn about pedestrian safety, passenger safety and safety on wheels. Lessons will include learning about using a seatbelt, safe entry and exit from a vehicle and the importance of wearing a helmet.
As mentioned previously the students will participate in the Sportspro program focusing on gymnastics. This program aims to develop basic movement skills and movement patterns.
Please don't forget....
Term 2 is winter uniform. Girls have the option of the winter tunic dress or long pants with white long sleeve polo. Boys wear grey long trousers with white long sleeve polo. The winter sports uniform is the green track pants with the red long sleeve polo.
Donations-A box of tissue/s donated to your child’s classroom would be appreciated, with the cold weather there are always a few more sniffles around. Two BOSTIK or UHO glue sticks (these actually work better) for students to use in the classroom.
If you wish to speak to your child’s teacher for any issues concerning your child, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment to see the teacher at a convenient time.
Do talk to your child about his/her day and praise all work, both in the classroom and at home.
Links to help you at home
Maroubra Junction Public School
Email: maroubrajn-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: http://www.maroubrajn-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/
Location: Storey St, Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia
Phone: (02) 9349 8333