Pohutukawa Post Term 1 2016
Welcome to 2016 in Pohutukawa, the Paremata School learning team formerly known as the Juniors. It has been lovely coming back to Paremata School after the holiday break and getting settled into our classes. As you are probably aware, all the classes in the school have been re-named using bird names. Room 1a is now Miromiro, Room 1b is Kotare, Room 2 is Tui, Room 3 is now Ruru and Room 4 is known as Korimako. There are pictures of these beautiful birds on a recent Pohutukawa blog post. http://parematayear1and2.blogspot.co.nz/ We have also posted this newsletter to the blog.
Housekeeping
Year One: Miromiro and Tui students will bring home a reader and their word ring each day from Monday to Thursday. Some students will bring home their yellow Letterland book on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please return these to class the following day. Year Two: This week the first set of homework for Term One has gone home for the Year Two students. Readers may be selected from books at a level below students’ learning level in class or they may also be at the guided reading level of your child and will have been read in class with the teacher. Sometimes children will also have a library book.
Please check through your child’s book bag and homework notebook each evening so you can hear them read and help them with their spelling words and maths questions (Year Two). Homework should not be new learning, rather it should reinforce and practise skills learned in class. For that reason, if the children do not know every word in their reader, please help them sound it out, and if necessary, tell them the word. Please enjoy your homework sessions and if there is any issue with the content please contact your classroom teacher. Students are also encouraged to explore Rainforest Maths/Mathletics at home. It would be lovely for us if the children could log on and off independently.
Pohutukawa Term 1 Overview
Maths:
This term we have diverse and interesting learning opportunities prepared for our students. During Maths students will be learning numeracy knowledge and skills, and Geometry.
Reading:
Students will read books daily Monday to Friday during guided reading sessions with their teachers. Fluent readers, particularly those in Year 2, may have less guided sessions and more independent follow on activities that extend and develop the information they have gained from reading sessions.
Spelling:
Students will have individualised spelling programme using the Switch on to Spelling programme developed by Joy Allcock.
Writing:
Students will develop their writing skills through writing on a range of engaging topics and through regularly sharing their written work with an audience within and beyond our school.
Inquiry:
We have begun this term with a unit encouraging students to get on well with those around them, and to become aware of themselves as learners. We have a trip to Paremata Kindy this term, dates to be confirmed. Statistical enquiry, te reo Maori and visual arts are integrated into this unit. On Friday mornings the Pohutukawa children have been invited to participate in Kapa Haka sessions. These sessions may be weekly or fortnightly so we will let you know when that is settled. We will also complete a Kia Kaha unit during the last few weeks of term.
P.E. and Sport:
We have started practising towards our annual Run, Jump, Throw Day on March 17th. We have a group of softball coaches who will work with children each Tuesday morning for the first part of Term One. Please ensure that children come to school wearing or bringing footwear that is appropriate for sport.
We look forward to an excellent year of laughter and learning with the wonderful children of Pohutukawa. Please remember to book your timeslots for the upcoming Teacher/ Parent goal setting meetings in Weeks Three and Four.
Thank You, Caroline Lockyer, Sarah Pupuke, Vanessa Burn and Rebecca Arrowsmith.
