WOW Week: Trash to Treasure

Next week we are having an environmental WOW week with a focus on trash to treasure.
Can all students please bring an old item of clothing or a piece of recycled material that we can transform form trash to treasure. Ideas for the clothing can be anything from an old t-shirt that we can paint on or adjust, a couple of empty milk bottles we could make into a pair of shoes. A plastic/paper bag that could be transformed into a hand-bag....

Keeping Ourselves Safe

Today as part of our keeping ourselves safe unit we had constable John in class talking to the students about being safe around people they don't know. As part of this we did a role play in which Constable John played the role of a stranger trying to get the students to get into his car. He offered lollies, ice creams and puppies.  Many of the students were happy to get in the back of his imaginary car, despite others saying "No Don't do it!"
Please talk with your child about the importance of not going with people they don't know.  Consider different situations e.g. what to do if you are late picking them up, what to do if someone stops outside your house and tries to talk with them...

We have continued the role plays throughout the day to reinforce this message and even discussed what to do if someone tried to make them go.

Phoebe was very firm in saying No! she was not getting into cowboy Jakes car even though he asked her to help him look for a lost puppy and said that he knew her mum and dad. Well done Phoebe.

In the role play below constable John and 3 others were pretending to be teenagers at the beach encouraging Takoda to come with them to a fort they had made in the sand dunes. They told her not to tell her parents and offered lollies and treats for her to go with them.

Term 2 Welcome Back!!

Welcome back. Hopefully everyone has enjoyed a relaxing break followed by a long weekend. In our first week back we looked at ANZAC day and New Zealand's involvement in the wars and various other conflicts around the world. Caleb brought along medals awarded to his great grandfather from the second world war.  The students each wrote a reflection about what they think and feel about war and then together we painted poppies.  Pop into the class to have a look at our presentation on this.

As well as writing about war, the students each made a postcard, writing about what they got up to in the holidays.  Part of this learning was around the process involved in writing and sending a postcard.  There is a presentation in class of the students postcards which are both informative and colourful.

              Cross Country

This term sees the school holding its cross country.  As part of the students physical education programme they are running each day. Please make sure your child has shoes suitable to run in.  The running takes place every day with a circuit around the school straight after morning tea.  Here are a few photos showing the students in action. All classes in the AWA syndicate are involved.

                                                          Maths

Along with our regular focus on number, for the first two weeks of this term we are doing a unit on telling time.  The focus is on students being able to identify the hour, half hour and quarter past. Assistance at home with getting the students to tell you the time on an analogue clock would support what they are doing in class. 

                                                    Reading

At the end of last term all students were tested with their reading.  Most have shown a significant improvement in their reading level which is really pleasing.  Please keep up the hard work ensuring they read at home with you each night.  Last term we had a class wide focus on prediction, trying to predict what a story might be about using the cover and title.  This term we are focussing on being able to summarise what has been read.  The ability to summarise in their own words is a really important skill. When reading at home get your child to tell you what their book is about after they have read it.  This ensures they have been taking it in as they read. Some groups have been doing a play. The students really enjoy the opportunity to perform in front of their classmates.

                                                Oral Language

This term each student will be given a country to find out information about and present to the class.  As well as building their oral language it is designed to give them more of an idea about the world they live in.  Your assistance at home in helping them to get some information together is appreciated. Please see the parent information section of the blog for more detail.