Hi Parents and Caregivers,
I have a request and a warning for you today.
If any parent is available in the morning to wipe over desks and / or sharpen pencils I would really appreciate it. I am also on the lookout for a kind book helper who would be able to spend 20 minutes a week putting our returned readers away in the resource room. This could be done after the bell has gone in the morning or before the bell goes at the end of the day.
If you are able to help please see me before or after school or drop me an email. Even if you could only do once a fortnight or once a month that would be great.
Warning! Warning!
We have had cases of both "Hand, foot and mouth" and "Impetigo (School Sores)" at school. Although not in our class both illnesses are highly contagious and students shouldn't come to school if you suspect they have either of these illnesses.
Please be on the lookout at home for the symptoms which can be found here:
Hand, Foot and Mouth
Impetigo (School Sores)
Thank you
Monday 27 June 2016
Friday 24 June 2016
The Case of the Missing Fleece...
It's been a lovely warm afternoon and our day ended with cultural groups, so fleeces were abandoned left, right and centre.
Mrs Ye and I picked up a lot of fleeces that were dropped on the floor in the bag area and left behind, and I found several more in the classroom.
They are now hanging on their owners pegs waiting for Monday morning, one peg has 3 waiting to be be collected!
Students please remember all your belongings at the end of each day. Parents, please encourage your children to check they have everything - there is even a helpful list in the bag area to remind them.
Here's hoping Monday morning isn't too cold, as these fleeces are having a little weekend gathering at school!
Mrs Ye and I picked up a lot of fleeces that were dropped on the floor in the bag area and left behind, and I found several more in the classroom.
They are now hanging on their owners pegs waiting for Monday morning, one peg has 3 waiting to be be collected!
Students please remember all your belongings at the end of each day. Parents, please encourage your children to check they have everything - there is even a helpful list in the bag area to remind them.
Here's hoping Monday morning isn't too cold, as these fleeces are having a little weekend gathering at school!
Happy Hello and Fond Goodbyes
We recently welcomed Brooklyn to Room 20 and he has fitted in really well with our class. It's great to have you here Brooklyn!
Sadly we said goodbye to Jane today who is moving away from Torbay and starting a new adventure in Tauranga. We will miss you Jane, but we are sure you will have a fabulous time at your new school. Don't forget to keep in touch via this blog!
Here's a little reminder of the sensible bunch of class mates you are leaving behind.
Oh wait, no, HERE is a little reminder of the sensible bunch of class mates you are leaving behind!
Foodie Friday
Today we have had a "Foodie" Friday.
We started this morning in maths. I brought several oranges in and sat everyone around one of our tables.
I held up an orange and asked what we would call it as a fraction. "A whole" came the resounding answer so we wrote 1/1 on a piece of paper and put the orange down. I then asked what fraction would I have if I cut the orange in two. This time after cutting we talking about how they needed to be equal size pieces and how we would write a half. We also talked about what the 1 and the 2 meant i.e. 1/2 is 1 of 2 equal size pieces.
We did the same with more oranges cutting them into thirds, quarters, fifths and tenths and lined them all up on plates. We discussed which piece of orange would be the best to eat if you were hungry, and looked at how the denominator (the bottom number) gets bigger as the size of the piece of orange got smaller.
Then we ate the oranges!
Next, I drew some shapes onto pieces of paper, and after naming each shape, I divided the shapes to show different fractions. I then counted out amounts of marshmallows onto plates and we talked finding a fraction of a set e.g. if we had 10 marshmallows and had to give half to one person and half to another how many would each get? We used mathematical language to show that equal sharing is the same as dividing, and we talked about how we can use multiplication to help us find the answer.
Then we ate the marshmallows!
Then we made cones out of paper and went to morning tea.
Finally, after morning tea I asked all the students to sit down with their writing books and listen carefully to the sounds they could hear, and to use their other senses to write words in their books. Meanwhile, out of sight, I opened a bag of popcorn kernels, filled up a popcorn machine and started it up. Soon the students guessed what they were listening to as the popping sounds started.
After the first lot of popcorn had popped, I made a second batch with everyone able to see the popcorn popping. Their task was then to write about what they saw, heard, tasted, touched and thought as they were listening and watching. When they had finished they got to get their paper cone they had made before morning tea and get it filled with popcorn.
Learning is always easier when it is fun, and I think we've done a little bit of both today!
Some snippets of our writing:
"It looks big and puffy. The popcorn is jumping." - Rihana.
"I heard a packet rattling. I heard beans scrunching. I see popcorn popping out. It tastes yum and it is crackling." - Kai
"I heard popcorn exploding. I wondered why we had popcorn." - Mayer
"I see the popcorn machine going. I see popcorn popping in a bowl. I touch yummy delicious popcorn." - Bede
"I can see the popcorn excited to get out. I touched the super rough surface of the warm popcorn."
- Julia
We started this morning in maths. I brought several oranges in and sat everyone around one of our tables.
I held up an orange and asked what we would call it as a fraction. "A whole" came the resounding answer so we wrote 1/1 on a piece of paper and put the orange down. I then asked what fraction would I have if I cut the orange in two. This time after cutting we talking about how they needed to be equal size pieces and how we would write a half. We also talked about what the 1 and the 2 meant i.e. 1/2 is 1 of 2 equal size pieces.
We did the same with more oranges cutting them into thirds, quarters, fifths and tenths and lined them all up on plates. We discussed which piece of orange would be the best to eat if you were hungry, and looked at how the denominator (the bottom number) gets bigger as the size of the piece of orange got smaller.Then we ate the oranges!
Next, I drew some shapes onto pieces of paper, and after naming each shape, I divided the shapes to show different fractions. I then counted out amounts of marshmallows onto plates and we talked finding a fraction of a set e.g. if we had 10 marshmallows and had to give half to one person and half to another how many would each get? We used mathematical language to show that equal sharing is the same as dividing, and we talked about how we can use multiplication to help us find the answer.
Then we ate the marshmallows!
Then we made cones out of paper and went to morning tea.
Finally, after morning tea I asked all the students to sit down with their writing books and listen carefully to the sounds they could hear, and to use their other senses to write words in their books. Meanwhile, out of sight, I opened a bag of popcorn kernels, filled up a popcorn machine and started it up. Soon the students guessed what they were listening to as the popping sounds started.
After the first lot of popcorn had popped, I made a second batch with everyone able to see the popcorn popping. Their task was then to write about what they saw, heard, tasted, touched and thought as they were listening and watching. When they had finished they got to get their paper cone they had made before morning tea and get it filled with popcorn.
Learning is always easier when it is fun, and I think we've done a little bit of both today!
Some snippets of our writing:
"It looks big and puffy. The popcorn is jumping." - Rihana.
"I heard a packet rattling. I heard beans scrunching. I see popcorn popping out. It tastes yum and it is crackling." - Kai
"I heard popcorn exploding. I wondered why we had popcorn." - Mayer
"I see the popcorn machine going. I see popcorn popping in a bowl. I touch yummy delicious popcorn." - Bede
"I can see the popcorn excited to get out. I touched the super rough surface of the warm popcorn."
- Julia
Wednesday 22 June 2016
Sneezesafe Update!
It has been almost 3 weeks since we started our Sneezesafe experiment with our buddies in Room 7.
Yesterday, our buddies came to see us to find out what had happened to the bread. We began by reminding ourselves of the video we had watched and what was the best way to stop germs spreading. Then we looked at out slices of bread. It took almost 2 weeks before the bread started showing signs of germs, much longer than we thought, but most likely due to the fact that the slices of bread were all in sealed bags.
First we revealed the bread that hadn't been touched...
No obvious difference from when it was put in the bag!
Next we revealed the bread that was touched by Brianna in Room 7 after she washed her hands...
Small areas of mould growing on one edge of the bread.
Finally we revealed the bread that everyone in the class touched. This was the one the students predicted would grow the most mould, though I'm not sure they expected this!
The bread is blue, green, yellow and even black in places!
Mrs Buchanan has reported that all her class are now coughing and sneezing into tissues and elbows, so fingers crossed they'll be less illnesses this winter!
Yesterday, our buddies came to see us to find out what had happened to the bread. We began by reminding ourselves of the video we had watched and what was the best way to stop germs spreading. Then we looked at out slices of bread. It took almost 2 weeks before the bread started showing signs of germs, much longer than we thought, but most likely due to the fact that the slices of bread were all in sealed bags.
First we revealed the bread that hadn't been touched...
 |
| Front view |
 |
| Back view |
Next we revealed the bread that was touched by Brianna in Room 7 after she washed her hands...
 |
| Front view |
 |
| Back view |
Finally we revealed the bread that everyone in the class touched. This was the one the students predicted would grow the most mould, though I'm not sure they expected this!
The bread is blue, green, yellow and even black in places!
Mrs Buchanan has reported that all her class are now coughing and sneezing into tissues and elbows, so fingers crossed they'll be less illnesses this winter!
Sunday 19 June 2016
Skate Stars
On Friday Room 20, with a few added extras from Rooms 17 and 21, had our turn on the ice rink set up in the school hall as part of the Ice Skate Tour.
We met Robin, who was in charge, and he told us a few safety pointers about the boots and the blades. Then the boys lined up and swapped shoes for boots, helmets and gloves. A group of senior students were there to help us get our boots on quickly which was great. It wasn't long before the girls were also getting their skate gear and then we were on the "ice".
There were a few wobbles, a few falls, some holding on to the side and some zooming about happening all at the same time.
Once everyone was skating Robin stopped us to practice getting up when we had fallen down and to make sure we were all going in the same direction.
I was really impressed with how the students helped each other out, skating round with students who were a little unsure, and helping those that had fallen back on their feet.
Soon the music and the bubbles were pumping and we were having an amazing time, with lots of smiles and laughter in evidence. We had just enough time for a group photo before it was time to finish and change back into our shoes in time for lunch.
Well done Room 20!
We met Robin, who was in charge, and he told us a few safety pointers about the boots and the blades. Then the boys lined up and swapped shoes for boots, helmets and gloves. A group of senior students were there to help us get our boots on quickly which was great. It wasn't long before the girls were also getting their skate gear and then we were on the "ice".
There were a few wobbles, a few falls, some holding on to the side and some zooming about happening all at the same time.
Once everyone was skating Robin stopped us to practice getting up when we had fallen down and to make sure we were all going in the same direction.
I was really impressed with how the students helped each other out, skating round with students who were a little unsure, and helping those that had fallen back on their feet.
Soon the music and the bubbles were pumping and we were having an amazing time, with lots of smiles and laughter in evidence. We had just enough time for a group photo before it was time to finish and change back into our shoes in time for lunch.
Well done Room 20!
Friday 3 June 2016
Cross Country
What a fantastic afternoon of Cross Country we have just had!
After a week of rain, and having to postpone the event on Wednesday, it was great to wake up to a beautiful sunny day this morning.
At lunchtime it was decided that the fields had even dried out enough for us to be able to use our original course that we spent weeks practicing on.
After the roll the Year 0-3's gathered in the hall in their groups ready to start, with each year being split into girls and boys age groups.
Our students cheered on the Year 1's and Year 2's before it was their turn with the boys going first.
After the first lap Jayden, Bede, Noe, Reeve, Jarred, and Albert were the front runners. With one lap to go the battle was on for the top three spots and as they neared the finish line it was Jayden first, Bede second and Albert third.
Finally it was the girls turn and it soon became clear that Paige, Alex and Zoe were going to battle it out for the top spots with the race finishing with Paige in first, Zoe second and Alex third.
It was a great afternoon, and I am so very proud of everyone in Room 20 who took part and didn't give up even when the going got tough. Well done everyone - now you can have a relaxing weekend!
After a week of rain, and having to postpone the event on Wednesday, it was great to wake up to a beautiful sunny day this morning.
At lunchtime it was decided that the fields had even dried out enough for us to be able to use our original course that we spent weeks practicing on.
After the roll the Year 0-3's gathered in the hall in their groups ready to start, with each year being split into girls and boys age groups.
Our students cheered on the Year 1's and Year 2's before it was their turn with the boys going first.
After the first lap Jayden, Bede, Noe, Reeve, Jarred, and Albert were the front runners. With one lap to go the battle was on for the top three spots and as they neared the finish line it was Jayden first, Bede second and Albert third.
Finally it was the girls turn and it soon became clear that Paige, Alex and Zoe were going to battle it out for the top spots with the race finishing with Paige in first, Zoe second and Alex third.
It was a great afternoon, and I am so very proud of everyone in Room 20 who took part and didn't give up even when the going got tough. Well done everyone - now you can have a relaxing weekend!
Band Aids Poem
This morning we completed a fun activity using our poem of the week called Band Aids.
The poem was about a person who stuck lots of band aids on different parts of their body and then revealed that they didn't actually have a cut or sore. We had fun reciting the poem and pointing to the different parts of our bodies where the band aids were being put by the narrator.
Then I split the students into groups or 5 and 6 and gave each group 3 big pieces of paper. Their job was to draw round one of the members of their group, colour the "person" in and then cut up pieces of coloured paper to make the band aids and stick them on to the correct parts of their drawing. Finally they had to add up how many band aids were used in total.
The students had lots of fun working out which member of their group was going to fit on the paper and then drawing around them. Next they decided on outfits for their person and then they had to cut out the band aids and make sure they had the right amount in the correct place.
It was a really good lesson in team work, and after some initial disagreements everyone worked well to get their drawing finished with some fabulous outfits being created.
Two "people" and a copy of the poem are now gracing our bag area outside Room 20.
The poem was about a person who stuck lots of band aids on different parts of their body and then revealed that they didn't actually have a cut or sore. We had fun reciting the poem and pointing to the different parts of our bodies where the band aids were being put by the narrator.
Then I split the students into groups or 5 and 6 and gave each group 3 big pieces of paper. Their job was to draw round one of the members of their group, colour the "person" in and then cut up pieces of coloured paper to make the band aids and stick them on to the correct parts of their drawing. Finally they had to add up how many band aids were used in total.
The students had lots of fun working out which member of their group was going to fit on the paper and then drawing around them. Next they decided on outfits for their person and then they had to cut out the band aids and make sure they had the right amount in the correct place.
It was a really good lesson in team work, and after some initial disagreements everyone worked well to get their drawing finished with some fabulous outfits being created.
Two "people" and a copy of the poem are now gracing our bag area outside Room 20.
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