Week 26 and 27

Dear Parents,

The student-led presentation was a key moment of the month. The children were very proud to show you what they have been learning. Your attendance and full attention to your child were very meaningful to them. Thank you for taking the time to be present and to support their learning journey.

The Montessori approach places great importance on uninterrupted work periods, allowing children to explore different activities at their own pace while following their individual interests.

We would like to gently remind you of a part of our classroom guidelines on ‘Why Being On Time Matters’. Arriving on time in the morning helps your child settle in calmly and take part in important parts of the morning routine and learning. A smooth start supports their confidence and sense of belonging in the classroom.

Units
Continuing our unit on Clothing, we explored the variety of traditional garments worn around the world and discussed the significance of wearing particular clothing for special occasions and celebrations. As part of the activities, the afternoon group had the opportunity to learn how to sew a button.
It was wonderful to see the children come to school wearing the colours of their home countries, as well as outfits that represent their cultural heritage. This created a meaningful and insightful experience for everyone.

Idul Fitri
Idul Fitri (Eid) is an important celebration in Indonesia. The children learned to recognise and understand some of the common symbols, traditions, and celebrations associated with Idul Fitri, as well as their meanings. They explored several important symbols, including the moon, which marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid; dates, which are traditionally eaten to break the fast; and ketupat, a special food that symbolises togetherness and blessings. The children were also invited to taste ketupat if they wished. In addition, they were introduced to the Arabic alphabet, learning that it consists of 28 letters. As part of a creative activity, the children practised skills such as sticking, colouring, and working with intricate patterns to design and make their own cards.

Year 1 additional learning covered – Week 26 and 27

Phonics  
To identify sounds represented by more than one letter, for example /ch/, /th/, /qu/, /ng/, /ay/
Some children are beginning to learn about alternative sounds such as /ee/ can also be written with ‘ea’, ‘e-e’, ‘y’.
To use phonic knowledge to read decodable words. Reading and writing CVC words,words with adjacent vowel / consonants using sounds covered, words with double consonants such as bell, mess, mitt, back.

Language / Literacy – Reading
Guided Reading groups – Practising fluency of reading and gaining the confidence to recognise sounds and blend them to read words and sentences.  Reading comprehension, to be able to answer direct questions about the book.

Language / Literacy- Grammar and Writing

The children developed their skills by using adjectives to describe a piece of clothing. They wrote their sentences after choosing the vocabulary associated with our unit on clothing.

We reviewed the importance of word order in sentences, learning where to include an article, adjective, nouns, verb, conjunction word and preposition words.

Maths – 3D shapes 
We continued to identify and describe the shapes by learning their names and the properties of each shape. The children created their own 3D shape of their choice by cutting along the lines,colouring and sticking the edges together.

Position and Direction
The children learned how to use familiar language to describe position. Through practical activities, we looked at what vocabulary we can use to describe the position of an object:on top of, next to, beside, behind, under, between.

Important dates for Semester 2

Further information will be shared closer to each date. Please note that unless otherwise stated or indicated as ‘parents are invited,’ these events are for children only

2 Apr – Easter Egg Hunt
13 Apr – School Photos
23 Apr – World Book Day (parents are invited)
22 May – Fun day
2 Jun – First dress rehearsal for the End of Year Performance
3 Jun – Second dress rehearsal for the End of Year Performance
4 Jun – End of Year Performance (parents are invited)

Kind regards,
Montessori Team