Information Letter Year Two
February, 2012
Dear Parents,
This is the outline of what will be taught this year. You are most welcome to ask us for any
clarification should something be unclear.
Cogs Units 2012
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Term 1 Our Stories
Text types: Recounts and Description.
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Term 2 Understanding Ourselves
Text Types: Narrative and Response.
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Term 3 Powering on
Text Types: Explanation and persuasive text
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Term 4 Growing and Changing (Mini-beast)
Text types: Information Report and Procedure
ENGLISH:
Reading: The children will have many reading opportunities, both silently and in guided
reading groups. The children will be reading books at their appropriate level, with the
opportunity to further develop their comprehension and critical literacy skills. The
children will also have the opportunity to listen to the teacher modelling reading.
This year we will be reading and completing activities from two novels Flat Stanley by
Jeff Brown and Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl.
Writing: Each term we will be concentrating on specific text types related to the Cogs
Units. We will be focusing on correct sentence structure, grammar and punctuation. There
will also be opportunities for free writing.
Speaking and Listening: The children will experience preparing and presenting a short oral
presentation on a relevant topic each term.
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MATHEMATICS:
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Whole number
Addition and Subtraction
Multiplication and Division
Fractions
2D and 3D shapes
Number Patterns
Volume Capacity and Mass
Time
Chance and Data
ITALIAN:
Oral interaction (listening and speaking)
Interacts in familiar social and learning situations, using connected speech to respond to
longer and continuous spoken text.
Comprehends information and understands the reason of the message.
Participates in longer interactions, including an exchange of several linked ideas.
Makes a presentation about a living thing that the student has investigated.
Demonstrates an increased knowledge of new vocabulary.
Reading:
Reads independently a wider range of range of texts on increasingly challenging topics.
I Identifies the structure of different text types (Description and Information Report).
Reads unfamiliar text demonstrating confidence in attempting to read new words.
Demonstrates understanding of read texts by summarizing and presenting information.
Reads unknown words.
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Writing:
Writes text of one or more paragraphs with assistance to link and sequence information
and ideas. Demonstrates understanding of relevant grammatical rules.
Distinguish subject and verbs in sentences.
Distinguish a simple sentence from more complex sentences.
Demonstrates understanding of appropriate conjugation of verbs in the present tense.
Write correctly simple words that contain particular sounds.
COGS: Our Stories
Connection Focus: Students develop an understanding of heritage as a sense of change
through time and place, by sharing stories, oral histories, photos, visual literacy and
artifacts. Students will be engaged in:
 telling stories through Visual Arts, Music, Drama and Dance
 creating a book based on visual stimulus
 Analysis of detailed prehistoric rock carving
 Analysis of Aboriginal symbology
Human Society and Its Environment:
Students develop an understanding of heritage as a sense of change through time
Science and Technology:
Our stories provides opportunities for students to design and make a book to tell others
their story.
A methodical approach will be taken, using flowcharts and storyboards.
A focus on design criteria and the intended audience is an important factor of analysis
Creative Arts:
Students create a self portrait.
Students create art works inspired by Aboriginal symbology and prehistoric rock curving
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education:
PDHPE outcomes are addressed in other units within this Stage. There are no PDHPE
outcomes linked to this unit.
CLASS PROCEDURES:
Sport: Wednesday Sport uniform to be worn.
Homework should reinforce learning in the classroom, and encourage the development of
independent study habits. The children should try to complete most of their homework
without any parent help. Parents are asked to sign English homework to ensure that all
tasks are completed and done neatly.
English: Homework will go home on Thursday and is to be handed in on Wednesday. The
children are expected to read every night. Some children will need to read a couple of
pages to their parents. Children are also to be encouraged to read independently. The
reading must be recorded on the appropriate sheet. There will be some English activities
and a Maths activity for the week related to the relevant topic. There will also be some
activities set on the Intrepica website.
Italian homework will go home on Monday and is to be handed in the following Monday.
The homework contains differentiated activities according to teach individual student
needs. The homework sheet will be published on the class blog; hard copies will be
supplied to those who wish it. Children and parents are encouraged to use the class blog
on a daily base. A reading activity book will be taken home on Monday and brought back to
school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from Wednesday to the following Monday it
should be kept home for reading activities. On Monday morning children will be tested on
their spelling list.
English Library to be advised
Classroom Expectations:
Students are expected to collaborate with each other in order to create a team
environment in the classroom.
Other Relevant Information:
News has to be relevant to the Term Topic.
Students will be assigned a detailed project for Italian. Students are encouraged to use palm
cards for their presentation. A marking rubric will be provided to students and parents in order
to outline the tested skills.
A communication board can be found in the class blog under “La lavagna dei messaggi”.
Students and parents are encouraged to use it on a regular base, it will be checked daily.
Parents can access the work covered in class by the class blog.
Maestra Silvia
Mrs Anna Sharpe