Welcome to Foundation
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Welcome to our Foundation page. Here is where you will find out all about the fantastic learning that takes place within the Foundation years.
Our Foundation Teachers for 2021Prep W – Siobhan Walkden
Prep S – Jamie Stagg Prep M - Bev Martin Prep L - Danielle Lamprell |
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English
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In Foundation English, students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read and view spoken, written and multimodal texts from varying genres. These include traditional oral texts, picture books, various types of stories, rhyming, poetry and non-fiction texts. They participate in shared reading, viewing and storytelling using a range of literary texts, and recognise the entertaining nature of literature.
In Reading, students are immersed in a variety of literature. As students are beginning readers, they begin with predictable texts that range from caption books to books with one or more sentences per page. These texts involve straightforward sequences of events and everyday happenings with recognisable, realistic or imaginary characters. Informative texts present a small amount of new content about familiar topics of interest; a small range of language features, including simple and compound sentences; mostly familiar vocabulary, known high- frequency words and single-syllable words that can be decoded phonically, and illustrations that strongly support the printed text. Within writing, students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts including pictorial representations, short statements, performances, recounts and poetry. |
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Mathematics
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In Foundation Maths, students play, classify and sort objects into sets, decide when two sets are of equal size, or one is smaller or bigger than another is. They develop an understanding of the concepts of number, count, order, add and share using small sets of objects. They create and continue simple patterns.
Students compare common objects with respect to length, mass and capacity, and order events and compare their duration. They make rough estimates and simple measurements with informal units. Students name, sort and describe familiar everyday shapes and objects, and describe position and movement in their immediate environment. Students investigate situations requiring data collection and present their findings in simple displays, and recognise unpredictability and uncertainty in some events. |
Wellbeing
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At Maiden Gully Primary School, students participate in two wellbeing programs, The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program and Play is the way program. The RRRR learning materials are designed to develop students' social, emotional and positive relationship skills. Play is the way is a practical methodology for teaching social and emotional skills using guided play, classroom activities and an empowering language. It is a process that gives students a way to develop, improve and entrench the personal and social capabilities. Both of these programs are unique in their physical interactive games and meaningful in conversations that take place.
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Topic Studies
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In Topic Studies, students have the opportunity to voice what they would like to learn each term. In Foundation at Maiden Gully Primary School, we cover a variety of subject areas within topic studies, which include:
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ILT (Independent Learning Time)
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Play is a powerful and important activity. It has a natural and positive influence on children’s social, physical, emotional and cognitive development. The best learning happens when children play. School is a fantastic place for children to learn through play. Play-based learning encourages talking, reading, thinking and writing. Through this, students see literacy and numeracy as part of their everyday experience.
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Perceptual Motor Program (PMP)
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Our Perceptual Motor Program or PMP is a movement-based program, which helps foundation students improve their eye/hand and eye/foot coordination, fitness, balance, locomotion and eye-tracking skills. This program is ran by our foundation teachers; the program uses a variety of equipment and focuses on engaging the students in semi-intensive activities.
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Buddies Program
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Buddy systems teach, and give children the opportunity to practise, the important values of respect, care, valuing difference, responsibility, friendship and including others. Through looking after and caring for Foundation students who are just starting school, older children learn the skills associated with empathy and compassion through activities in the classroom and in the playground. Teaching pro-social values and skills can contribute to the development of resilience, a protective factor for children if they experience hardship or loss.
Our Buddies Program enables younger children to feel safe and cared for while older children feel valued and respected. |
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Daily Home reading
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We highly recommend establishing a daily routine for your daily home reading. A regular time and place will help you and your child to remember and enjoy the reading. This is an extremely important part of your child’s education. We have found that the most effective learning occurs with an effective home – school partnership.
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Reading Tips |
Maths Warm upsSome suggested warm up games for Maths.
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| Gaining Reading Mileage |
Class Dojo
Class Dojo is one of our major communication methods between Teachers and parent/carers. If you are not already using Dojo via an app on your mobile phone or on a computer, please see your child's teacher who will can email or print an invitation that includes the student code that is required upon sign-up.
Please check your child’s Class Dojo page regularly for any updates.
Please check your child’s Class Dojo page regularly for any updates.