IPC Unit On Clothes

The Glitter Class 

Upper Pre-Primary

Dear Family and Friends

For the last 5 weeks we have been learning about clothes and have managed to discover more than we could have imagined was possible in such a short time.  We were able to connect with each other through clothes, books and active learning experiences, but most importantly we have had lots of fun! 

Here are some highlights:-  

• Entry point - wearing clothes to school that we loved and helped us feel in the green zone. Sharing these at assembly and singing ‘I Can Sing A Rainbow’ to the rest of the school. 
• Listening to a variety of stories about clothes including, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Pete The Cat Stories, I Want My Hat Back, Aliens Love Underpants, The Paperbag Princess and The Mitten. 
• Playing in our extensive role play area, dressing up and helping each other to put on and remove clothes, turn taking and using language imaginatively to create new stories.  
• Students asked why some clothes were warm, this led us to find out more about wool and even creating a few pom poms of our own. 
• Weaving with paper, ribbon and wool.  A super workout for fingers building fine motor skills.
• Drawing around ourselves and designing our own outfits using paint and fabrics. 
• Sorting clothes for different types of weather and packing a suitcase for the correct destination.
• Learning about clothing worn in different places - Mitsuki wore her kimono and Thedas wore his kamisaya and sarama.
• Sorting buttons and listening to new thinking that students have been developing during our thinking and learning sessions.
• Exploring different kinds of fabrics.
• Learning about clothes worn through the ages and noticing differences between now and then. 
• Playing ‘Mystery Bag’ and guessing which clothing people wear to do their jobs. 
• Having fun playing ‘The Button Game’, it wasn’t always easy to stay quiet about who had the button but we got better at this over time. 
• Singing ‘Hats, Sweaters, Pants and Shoes’ (to Heads, Shoulder, Knees and Toes’) and the clothes song. 
• Special celebration days - blue day, selected by students through a class survey and odd sock day to celebrate diversity.  PJ Day with hot chocolate and a wonderful story. These events were occasions when our Lower Pre-Primary friends were able to join us which is always a bonus. 
• Welcoming Ihsan to our classroom and saying farewell to Luka. 

Alongside all of these activities we continue to work on literacy and numeracy.  Some friends have been busy skip counting and ordering numbers to 10 and 20.  Students have been listening carefully to phonemes (a single unit of sound) and diagraphs (two letters that make one sound) and blending them together. 

We have introduced book making and students have been writing books and making cards to send to their friends too.  During book making students shared their favourite books and they are beginning to distinguish between ‘fake’ (fiction) and ‘not-fake’ (non-fiction) books. Some books are specifically to give us information and help us find out more.  Students have been learning about concepts of print and are recognising that books have titles, illustrators and authors and that some books are wordless whilst others have not just pictures but words too.  Students have also begun to identify as authors which is a moment when as teachers we celebrate.  Awesome work! 

Our ‘Reading Buddies’ from Upper Primary are still our regular Monday visitors and we have been building relationships by sharing our favourite things including our books.  Both students benefit from this wonderful connection time in many ways.  Our older students have an opportunity to be leaders and demonstrate fluent reading and our Glitter Class friends are able to connect with a buddy who is able to display positive traits such as good behaviour, kindness and patience and fluent reading too.

‘Mystery Reader’ has continued and would not be possible without the many special volunteers that spare their time to come into school.  Thank you!  Creating a sense of belonging is valued at ISG and inviting family members into class really enables this strong bond between us all, it means that we have some incredible highlights that are shared.  Remember don’t be shy, you are welcome to be a ‘Mystery Reader’ just contact us and we will find a convenient time. 

Our Exit Point was a wonderful tie-dying experience.  Students were totally absorbed as they watched their white t-shirts magically transformed as coloured dyes were dropped onto them.  Colours clashing and colliding to form new colours and shapes.  Students chose independently whether to use rocks, marbles, cylinders or an alternative method to design their own t-shirts.  Every t-shirt will be unique just like our friends, a perfect ending to a great unit. 

Please enjoy a selection of photographs connected to our learning. 

Have a wonderful holiday.

With kindest regards.

Ms. Marianne and Ms. Laura