Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Week 9 Update

Kia Ora Whanau

The children are so proud of their achievements last Friday.  There has been a lot of debate in class as to how the excess money is to be spent!  Hopefully you will have received your formal invitation to the Class Celebration Party which will take place at 2.45pm on Friday 1 July in Room 1.  We will be finished soon after 3pm.

The class is having a music session with Mrs Blatchford this afternoon and the Year 6's go to Kirkwood tomorrow morning.  We are all looking forward to the presentation by Alex Reese at 2.15pm tomorrow.  Alex is the Founder of the Cricket Live Foundation and I know the children will be inspired by what he has to say.

We have two lessons on Life Education in the next week.  Our focus will be on how to be 'cyber safe'.

The class continues to enjoy the Mathletics programme.  We are currently 38th in the Country for this week.

Current Curriculum Focus:
Reading - Stories on the Vege Car and The Water Cycle
Writing - Writing about a Fictitious Animal    (developing our descriptive language and learning how to structure a paragraph)
Maths - Multiplication and Division
Art - Printmaking

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday afternoon

Nga mihi
Nigel

Friday, June 17, 2016

Fundraiser letters from parents

Kia Ora Whanua

Thank you to those parents who have responded to the Fundraiser letter.  We really appreciate your support.  If you haven't had a chance yet please could you send your child along with the letter on Monday morning (20 June).

On Monday afternoon we will be planning for Friday's Fundraiser.  We will base our planning on the letters we have received.

Thank you very much for assisting our children so that they can assist the community.

Kia kaha
Nigel

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Week 7 Update

Kia Ora Whanau

Worm Farms
A letter will be coming home tonight to inform you about the Fundraiser for the Worm Farms.  Please can you support the children with this venture.  It is not only a great learning opportunity for them but they will be contributing towards a healthier local environment.

Please could each family produce some home baking which we can sell at the Fundraiser on 24 June. Other ways to assist will be:-

a)  Provide some resources for the class bake on 23 June.  Items such as flour, sugar and eggs will be most welcome.
b)  Help with the bbq
c)  Provide assistance on 24 June with packaging and general supervision.

The 'cake' sale on 24 June will take place from 2.45pm to 3.15pm.  It promises to be a fun day.

Additional Learning Space
The children have requested that we turn the old cloakroom into a learning space.  The intention is to get carpet and couches into the room to make it cosy and a welcoming place for learning to take place.  The plan is to put hooks up outside the classroom, under the awning, so that the children can hang up their bags.  We are currently running a trial to see how it all works.  Hence we have not as yet put the hooks up.  We will be checking in with the students towards the end of term and a long term decision will be made collectively.

Next week
The Year 6's go to Cobham on Monday.  Wear a Wig day on Wednesday in support of the Cancer Foundation and then it's our big fundraiser on Friday.

Looking forward to a really exciting week 8

Nga mihi
Nigel

Sunday, June 12, 2016

The worms have grown legs...!

Kia Ora Whanau

Room 1 is very excited about their eco project.  They will be fundraising to purchase two worm farms.  The fundraising event will take place on Friday 24 June from 2.45pm to 3.15pm.  Please could you assist with some home-baking.  Please could you involve your child so that they do the 'lion's share' of the work.  Families are welcome to make more than one item.  Ideas range from Cakes, pop-corn, bananas in chocolate, sherbit to biscuits.  Any further creative ideas are most welcome.

Tim Price has offered to donate some vegetables to sell and he has also made his BBQ available for a sausage sizzle.  I will require 2 or 3 parent helpers on the day please to assist with labeling, packaging and with displaying the produce.  I will also need someone to purchase the ingredients for the sausage sizzle and 'man' it on the day.  We will need a float as well.  I'm sure there will be other bits and pieces that we require...

If you can help on the day in any way please let me know.  Happy baking

Nga mihi
Nigel



Worm-farm we wish to purchase






Thursday, June 9, 2016

Week 6 Update

Kia Ora Whanau

Thank you once again to all those attended our 'Whanau Open Night'.  It was great to see so many of you there.

I had the pleasure of attending the North West Choir Festival practise at the Aurora Centre on Tuesday.  8 students from Room 1 are involved.  The show takes place on Tuesday 21 June.  I'm sure it will be a huge success.

The class continues to excel in the Mathletics programme.  It is not only an excellent vehicle to learn maths but it is also a great way for the students to learn to self manage.  Since the Senior team Mathletics Awards were introduced seven weeks ago we have won the Award for the most certificates in a class every week!  We have also consistently featured in the New Zealand Top 50.  Great effort.

Room 1 has also won the Walk/Wheel to class now 3 weeks in a row.  I thank you for your support in helping to foster a healthy lifestyle amongst our tamariki.

Through our Inquiry the call for a class Worm Farm is gathering steam.  We are in the throws of the final part of planning and will hopefully be diving into this project officially very soon.  This is a huge learning opportunity, not only teaching the importance of looking after and 'growing' the planet but it will also be an excellent opportunity to work collaboratively.  Please watch this space re the next move.....!!!

We have completed our unit on measurement and move into multiplication and division next week. Our focus for writing over the next fortnight will be 'switch' animals!

We loved our cooking on Wednesday and we also enjoyed learning about Matariki during the week.

Upcoming dates:
Monday 20 June  - Year 6's go to Cobham for the morning
Wednesday 22 June - Mufti and Wear a wig day (Gold coin donation for the Cancer Foundation)
Thursday 30 June - Alex Reese, Founder of Cricket Live Foundation, will present to the children

Nga mihi
Nigel

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Whanau Open night





Thank you to everyone who came along to our whanau open night. It was awesome to see so many families. I was pleased that the Matariki star biscuits were such a hit!

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Bees to 'fly' back

Please could all the clay bees be returned to the class on Tuesday so we can set up for Wednesday's Open Night.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Week 5 Update

Kia Ora Whanau

The big event coming up is 'The Room 1 Open night' on Wednesday 8 June.  You should all be receiving a handwritten formal invitation to the event.  The invitation is extended to the wider 'family'.  ie Grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles are most welcome.

The programme will be:-

5.20pm   Milo and biscuits will be served  (Biscuits made by the children)
               You are welcome to then have a look around the classroom
5.35pm   Animal Kahoot   - This is an online quiz which is heaps of fun
5.45pm   Live Mathletics  - Basic Facts quiz online which again is heaps of fun
5.50pm   Ma te Mahi Ka Ora  - The class will sing a Kiwi favourite.  You are welcome to join in

The Matariki evening in the Hall starts at 6.15pm

We all enjoyed the Charity event.  Thank you to everyone who contributed towards these two charities.  Some of the children presented their Garageband piece at Team time

Upcoming focus:-
Art - Completing the crayon printmaking.  In week 7 we will be using dye with our printmaking
Reading - Matariki
Writing - Fictional Animals
Maths - Completing measurement and moving onto multiplication and division
Music - Final Garageband session tomorrow
Drama - We will do Theatre Sports from Week 6
PE - Invasion games.  We will be playing end ball on Tuesday and having a Tug-o-War.  Girls beat the Boys last time so it is time to turn the tables!

Have an enjoyable long weekend.  I hope to see many of you at our Open night on Wednesday.

Regards
Nigel