Term 1, Week 5 Newsletter 21.2.17
Dear Parents,
Welcome back for another great year of learning at Holy Cross, hopefully everyone enjoyed the holiday break. The children have been telling us how much fun they had and it has been fantastic to see them so happy and excited to be back at school.We would like communication between teachers and parents to be open and positive. We believe that working as a team with you will provide a better learning experience for your child. Please come and see us if you have any concerns. For the time being, here are some immediate questions that you may need answered.
What does my child need to bring to school?
School hat / Library bag / Library BagLunch/recess/drink / Raincoat / Ice Brick in lunchboxes
Spare shorts/underwear/socks / 1 Tissue box please
Please label everything your child brings to school with their full name and grade clearly marked.
Sport days
Year 1 will be participating insport on Wednesday and Friday.Library Day
Year 1 will visit the Library every Friday. Your child will need a library bag in order to borrow a book.Curriculum Overview
Please see the attached Curriculum Overview to gain an understanding of the learning that will be happening in year 1 this term. Please use this document to help you engage in a conversation around your child’s learning - so instead of asking “what did you learn today?” perhaps ask “How can you be a good friend like Jesus?” or “What places or spaces do you know in and around Holy Cross?” If you have any questions please see you child’s classroom teacher.
Grade Website
Please see attached note for information about Year 1’s grade website. /
Homework in Year 1
Year 1’s most important homework learning is reading, sight words and counting. We will set fortnightly home tasks on our grade website that will support the learning that is happening in the classroom. Please see attached note for more information regarding our grade website.
Sight Words
Your child will have 5 or so sight words sent home each week with their Word Work book. These words will be words the children are learning to read and write accurately. Please be patient as the teachers are assessing the children at the moment and therefore it may be a couple of weeks before the Sight Word program commences. In the mean time, the children can continue to practise their sight words from last year, or focus on 5 sight words from their readers. We thank you for your patience.
Parent Helpers
If you would like to join us in Year 1 as a parent helper, please kindly inform one of the Year 1 teachers.New parent helpers will need to complete the child protection course.Visit the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta homepage http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au then scroll down until you see an image titled ‘Volunteers and Contractors.’ You will then need to complete the ‘Building Child Safe Communities Volunteers Form’ then the online Training Module.
Morning Routine 8:40am - 9am
It is wonderful to see that most children come into the classroom by themselves, place their communication bag in its place and then join in an activity. They are familiar and comfortable with this routine. We are requesting that all parents encourage their child to be independent; that parents say goodbye to their child outside the classroom and allow them to place their communication bag in the classroom and join an activity. Each morning is a time for the children to develop their social skills, make their own decisions and interact with other children. We also use this time as a valuable opportunity to greet, meet and talk to the students.
Afternoon Dismissal
Afternoon dismissal is an important time where we ensure the children are safely dismissed. The children are aware of the expectation that their class needs to be seated prior to them being dismissed. If you would like to discuss any issues with your child’s class teacher then you either need to wait until all students are safely dismissed or alternatively make an appointment to meet with the class teacher. We thank you for your cooperation and patience.
NO NUT POLICY – WE ARE A NUT FREE SCHOOL
At Holy Cross this year there are a number of children who experience anaphylaxis – in particular a severe allergic reaction when they are exposed to peanuts and nut related products. If those children are exposed to these foods a severe allergic reaction can occur and can rapidly become life threatening. Accidental exposure to these foods can happen at eating times and in the case of some students, the allergic reaction can be triggered when another person has touched or eaten these foods and then that person touches them. We thank you for helping us provide a safe environment for all the children at Holy Cross.
Important Dates
Tuesday, 28 February – Parent Teacher Interviews commence
Monday, 13 March – Year 1 Monday Morning Prayer in the MPLC at 9am
We look forward to working in partnership with you and your child this year.
Thank you,
Mrs Hillard & Miss Perri
Year 1 2017 / 1