PARENT TEACHER MEETING 1T 2017
7 February 2017
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to another busy school year! I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to Year
1. I am delighted to be your child’s teacher and look forward to a happy and productive year ahead.
CONTACTING ME
I believe the best thing for your child’s education is for teacher and parent/carer to work together to ensure
students have the most productive educational experience possible. If there is anything to do with your child’s
educational experience that you wish to discuss with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will always make
time to talk it through. I am more than happy for you to catch me before or after school to chat about day to day
issues. If you would like more time to sit and discuss your child, please contact myself or the school to make an
appointment so that we won’t be rushed. Feel free to email me directly at [email protected]
SCHOOL UNIFORM
We encourage children to wear their school uniform to foster a sense of pride and belonging. Please make sure
that their names are clearly marked on all items of clothing, lunchboxes, drink bottles and school bags. We have
an enormous amount of unclaimed lost property each year to return.
The school policy is ‘No hat, no play in the sun’. This is encouraged by teachers on playground duty to ensure that
children who do not have hats at school remain under the sun shelter or COLA.
CLASS DESCRIPTION
1T is a mixed ability class consisting of 21 students. There are 11 girls and 10 Boys. SLSO (Student Learning
Support Officers) will be working within our class at different times throughout the week. This helps to cater for
the particular learning needs of your child.
BEHAVIOUR EXPECTATIONS/ SEATING
To encourage and reward positive behaviour, a variety of positive reinforcement strategies are used within 1T
including verbal praise, stickers, individual ‘peg points’ and group points. Achievement will also be recognised
with class awards and assembly awards. Awards are given for positive behaviour, attitude, values and learning.
Class Seating- In Term One, student seating will rotate as often as required to ensure your child is seated next to
suitable partners as well in suitable locations in the classroom.
CLASS RESPONSIBILITIES
Students have a range of responsibilities in the classroom. This encourages students to take some ownership
over their learning space as well as teaching responsibility, communication and teamwork.
CLASS ROUTINE
Library: 1T will attend library on Mondays. Please help your child to remember their library books and bag.
Computers: 1T will visit the Computer Lab on Tuesday afternoons.
Stage 1 Assembly: Stage 1 Assemblies have commenced and will occur fortnightly on Wednesdays (even weeks of
each Term) at 2:10pm. 1T will be presenting a ‘musical number’ periodically throughout the year and year 1
students also have the opportunity to present their book reviews to the assembly. Assembly awards are
presented to four students per fortnight as part of the whole school award system.
Creative and Practical Arts: 1T will be doing visual arts weekly in class using a wide range of materials. Please
send in a painting shirt that is clearly labelled. Performing Arts Groups will occur fortnightly on Wednesday
afternoons (alternate Wednesdays to Stage 1 Assemblies) with the children rotating through Drama, Dance and
Music on a term basis, with all each of the Yr 1 teachers during the year. I will be teaching an engaging music
program while Mrs Jackson and Mrs Gillett will be teaching drama and dance.
Sport: Friday is Sport day with Year 1 going out at 10:00-11:00am. During term 1, I will be teaching 1T sporting
skills and following this, 1T will rotate to the other Year 1 teachers for a variety of sporting experiences. Children
are encouraged to wear joggers to school and bring their own water bottles.
PE: Physical activities are an important part of the learning process and every day in 1T, students engage in fun,
energetic activities that promote focus and concentration. Please ensure that children have their school hats as
sport often takes place at the back playground where there is limited shade. K-2 Sports Fun Day will also take
place during Term 3.
News Day
Your child has been allocated a day in which they present their news. Term 1’s news topics and your child’s
allocated day will be sent home during Week 3. Official news topics will start in Week 4. News is used as an
informal means of ongoing assessment throughout the year. Please help your child prepare by discussing the
topic with them before their news day. The students will only be expected to talk for a short time (up to 2
minutes). If relevant to the topic, the students can bring something in to show the class.
Food and Drink
Students may bring water bottles into the classroom to keep on their desk. Also, please endeavour to provide
fruit or vegetables for your child to eat during Crunch and Sip time at 10am.
Children are required to take their own lunch order to the canteen before school. The child’s name, class and
order should be written on a paper/reusable bag. Separate bags are required for recess and lunch orders.
BIRTHDAYS
If you wish us to help celebrate your child’s birthday you are welcome to bring along individual patty cakes or
small individual items. Please leave candles for home celebrations. If your child has any allergies, perhaps an
alternative treat can be arranged so that everyone is included.
GUIDED READING
Guided Reading groups will commence from Week 3. Groups will be dynamic and flexible allowing children to be
grouped at times according to ability, mixed ability, interests and social interaction.
From week 5 of Term 1, I will be looking for parent helpers who are available to listen to students read during
Guided Reading Groups on Wednesday and Thursday Mornings from 9:10-9:40am. Before visiting the classroom
all volunteers are asked to enter via the office and sign in to receive a visitor’s badge which should be worn while
in the school grounds. In addition any adult assisting in the classroom is required to have a Working with Children
Check filed with the front office of WSPS. Information regarding this can be found at
http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au. I will send home an additional note where you can register your interest in
helping with reading groups and what days you will be available.
SPELLING
The class list will be sent home from school every Monday. There is a base list, sight words and extension words.
Lists will be modified to cater for individual student needs. As students become more confident in their spelling,
PSL (personal spelling list) words will be incorporated into their list. This ensures each child is appropriately
challenged and gives students the chance to practise spelling words they have not yet mastered.
Please encourage your child to practise reading, spelling out aloud and writing these words daily. (Address any
letter reversals and poor letter formation). You may wish to keep the list glued in an exercise book, attached to
the fridge, etc, for easy access and revision. The children do not have to return the list. There will be a spelling
test on Friday which will include additional words that assess each student’s ability to transfer their
understanding of the spelling rule to new words.
HOME LEARNING
In Year 1, the focus of Home Learning is on student reading. Along with home reading books, your child will bring
home a small booklet containing their sight words. It is very important that students regularly practise these
words as repetition is the only way students can memorise and fluently read sight words. Instructions for sight
words practice at home are detailed in your child’s Sight Word Booklet. The children will be asked to return their
folder at least each week whether they know them or not. Words will be tested and new lists given. If words
return highlighted, please revise.
Home reading will commence in Week 4. Students are encouraged to borrow their home readers for at least 2
nights to allow for a “familiar” reading. Rereading a familiar text or passage allows for the development of fluency
and expression. As the books become longer you may wish to extend the reading over several nights. Parents are
asked to read with their child for approximately ten minutes, four nights a week if possible. It is far better to read
for short periods on a regular basis rather than once a week for an hour. Each day a child reads with an adult, a
box in the Home Reading book can be signed. When one column is filled the children should bring their folder in
to be signed by the teacher and they will receive a reward (sticker, bookmark etc.). To promote and encourage
continued reading throughout the year, we celebrate home reading achievements in class and I also give
assembly awards (for 50, 100, 150 & 200 nights of reading). Home reading books and your child’s sight word
booklet should be carried to and from school in the protective plastic envelope that I have provided. Home
readers can be changed as often as needed. Please note: reading of any material can be registered in the Home
Reading Diary. For example library books, magazines, recipes, instructions, poems.
Subscription fees for Reading Eggs and Mathletics are included in Term Costs. These are excellent resources and
we encourage you to access these at home. Log in details will be sent home shortly. Spelling City is also great
internet resource available to students. I will be teaching students how to use this spelling website and will send
home instructions on how to access this site at home.
EXCURSIONS
Visiting performances and excursions will occur at different times during the year to support our learning.
An excursion to the Wetlands Environmental Education Centre is scheduled for the 14th March 2017 to
complement our Geography and Science Units. A permission note with further information will go home shortly.
ABSENCES
School rolls are legal documents so any leave that children have requires written documentation. Please ring the
school or provide a note for full day absences as soon as possible. Other forms of communication include the
Skoolbag App or an email. Lateness or leaving early is a partial absence and is recorded as such. Children arriving
late at school must come to the classroom via the office where they will be given a late note to show to the
classroom teacher, which they will take home. Classroom teachers are not able to allow students to leave the
classroom early without a note from the office. Family holidays are no longer classed as exemptions and will be
recorded as absences in the reports. Overseas travel may be classed as exempt if proven to be of educational
value.
TALLONG/ SKOOLBAG/ PERMISSION NOTES/ PAYMENTS/ TERM COSTS
Tallong is our school newsletter and is available on the school’s website or Skoolbag App. Please take time to read
it as it does keep you informed of upcoming events. http://www.wallsends-p.school.nsw.edu.au
Skoolbag is a school to parent communication tool. The App is a convenient way for parents to be informed about
school news, newsletters, events calendar, cancellations, school notices, school information, school timetables,
parent sick note forms, school documents and much more.
Permission notes are handed to the classroom teacher and are also available online. Some permission notes may
need to go directly to the office for receipting.
Term Costs: Parents and Caregivers will be notified of Term costs at the beginning of each Term. Cash and
cheques are to be paid to the office. Any credit card payments can be made directly to the office or over the
phone. Online payments can be made via the link on the school’s website.
MEDICATION
If your child requires medication whilst at school, please see the office staff. Under no circumstance should
medication be left in your child’s school bag. Asthma puffers require a medical plan.
CUSTODY
If you have custody papers these should be given to the office. So that we are best able to support your child,
please discuss any family circumstances or major home life changes that may be an impact.
Kinds Regards,
Thomas Green
Classroom Teacher.