Our Grade 1-2 program builds on the fundamental skills mastered in prep. During these years, students become independent and fluent in their reading and are introduced to a wider range of text types. They begin to read for information as well as for entertainment, and learn how to research a topic of interest. They examine different kinds of writing, and the differences between them (for example, between writing a story and an argument). They start to use more complex punctuation and to structure and sequence their writing so that it flows well. They also become competent in their spelling and are eager to learn to spell very long and complicated words!

		Similarly, the maths program builds on existing skills to introduce new concepts and methods. Students engage in activities and exercises that relate to everyday life through investigations inside and outside of the classroom.  High priority is given to becoming proficient in basic number facts, processes and problem solving. Our lessons involve lots of hands-on activities and developmental and constructive play. Larger numbers, as well as fractions, decimals and percentages, are explored, with students learning methods for calculating addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Students at this level are also very interested in money and how to work out the cost of items, how much needs to be saved over a given time to purchase a desired item and how much change should be expected when shopping. Our supermarket expeditions are always an eye-opener for the children as far as the cost of everyday items is concerned! Another favourite activity, introduced in Grade 2, is the use of Excel for making graphs. The children love using the classroom computers to generate these colourful creations, and are constantly designing surveys and collecting data so that they can make another page in their Graph Book.

One of the many highlights of the Grade 1-2 program is the introduction of Science as a specialised area of study. Our preps are always very anxious to get to Grade 1 so that they can make slime, grow crystals, recreate the surface of Mars and blow up a volcano!  Another highlight is the Grade 2 sleep-over at school, which takes place towards the end of the Grade 2 year. This fun-filled (and not very sleepy) evening introduces the children to the school camping program, which starts properly in Grade 3.