Kia Ora Whanau!
We have had a lovely week with the team. We have noticed that the tamariki are beginning to settle into our new routines and the high expectations we have for them.
We have really enjoyed our parents' connections. It has been awesome meeting you all and hearing your perspectives on your child. We have said it before and we will say it again. Education works best when Home and School work together.
Classroom Focus - Kindness
This week our learner quality has been ‘Doing the Right Thing at the Right Time’.
Along with focusing on how this looks in the classroom and wider school we have used this opportunity to push kindness. We have noticed that some of our tamariki struggle to use their words when upset or frustrated with someone or something. Instead we are seeing the tamariki hurting one another physically and verbally. We understand that this is part of their learning and as each issue arises we work alongside the tamariki to resolve the issue but we would appreciate the same message and discussion being held at home. The bottom line is hurting someone is not ok. We always choose kindness.
COVID
These are tricky times - take care of yourselves and those around you. If your Whanau is experiencing difficulty at home and your child is coming to school after a difficult night, morning or weekend please email us with a simple ‘Handle with Care’. We understand that the details are not always to be shared and that is ok, nothing else will be said or asked. This will just let us know that your child may need extra time, patience, help and a lot of love during the day. As always we are a team and we want to help your child thrive in our class.
Better Start Literacy Approach
Our school is implementing an enhancement to our reading curriculum in our Year 0/1 classrooms called the Better Start Literacy Approach. This approach has been developed in New Zealand by a team of experienced researchers from the University of Canterbury, following years of research on the best ways to support tamariki’s early reading, writing and oral language success.
Last week information about BSLA and a website you can visit came home in your child’s bookbag. If you need another copy please let us know.
It is very important to note that your child will not be bringing home a reader/text every night and maybe not even weekly. We will be exploring and revisiting a reader/text together daily and there is a lot of teaching that will go into that one reader/text. At home we encourage you to look at letters, phonics, read books from home, library books, go over word cards and give your child some time on the Lexia programme.
Our Class Treaty
We are loving reading the treaty statement from each Whanau however we are still missing quite a few. It would be awesome if you could have a chat around the dinner table over the weekend about how your child and you as their Whanau would like our class space to feel and be. Once you have come up with a statement please click on the link below and add your statement to the doc along with your Whanau’s name.
Oral Language/News
This term our learning focus is ‘Our Stories’. Our oral language/news will be an opportunity for the tamariki to tell their own personal stories through a variety of different prompts e.g. their likes and dislikes, goals, friends and whanau. Most weeks we will be sending home a simple sheet or activity (in your child’s book bag) for your child to complete. We will be compiling these sheets each week and creating a book that will share each child’s unique and individual story. We ask that your child be the one to complete these with support when needed. Part of learning is having the confidence to give things a go and we find this is a great way to build that confidence. If necessary, please feel free to write underneath your child’s writing for clarification purposes.
Below you will find our oral language/news topics for next week and your child’s day to share. It is important that your child is ready to roll on their day as it is unlikely they can be caught up later in the week. The prompt your child needs to do their news is in their bookbag. Please send the completed copy back in your child’s book bag before their given news day.
Room 1 Oral Language DayRoom 1 Oral Language Day
Room 2 Oral Language Day
Te Reo Moari Language - Word/Statement
Each week we will share the statement or word we are learning in the classroom. If you use it at home as well we can all learn together.
For week one we will be learning three Maori greetings…
Kia ora (Key-or-ra) - Hello
Morena (More-re-na) - Good morning
Ata Marie (R-ta-ma-ree-ay) - Good morning
Learner Quality
Each week we will share the learner quality focus from our G.O.L.D characters. This term we will be focusing on the G (Guardianship) and our learner quality for week one is…
“Be self aware, have self control, manage impulsivity”
Sunhats
We still have tamariki arriving without a wide brimmed hat. This is something they need to have each day in their school bag.
Clothing
We ask that the tamariki are sun smart and are dressed appropriately for the conditions. Covered shoulders please. Please name all of your children’s clothing.
Sunscreen
Please apply sunscreen to your child before they come to school in the morning. Sunscreen is then offered again at lunchtime. Please help your tamariki practice putting on sunscreen at home so they know how to when the time comes.
Class Blog
Our class blog can be found here R1 and R2 Blog. This is a great resource for you to use at home. Give your child some time to acquaint themselves with it before starting school.
School Lunches
Follow the link below to create an account to sign up for school lunches. Please keep in mind if you had an account from last year, we have switched providers so you will need to create a new one.
https://www.arrowtown.school.
Brainfood
Each morning we have a piece of brainfood to keep us going. Brainfood is a piece of fruit or a vegetable. We ask that you please pack a piece of brainfood in your child’s lunchbox each day that is easily accessible.
Enjoy the long weekend, we look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday.
Nga Mihi
Sarah and Nadia
Coming Up…
Athletics - Date to be confirmed
