Don't forget to check the speaking program roster in your home learning bag. This week is week 4.

Speaking Program Term One

Dear Parents / Caregivers,

This year as part of our literacy program, in room 16, we will be using a more structured speaking and listening program. Please find attached the roster for term one. You will see we have designated topics for each fortnight and the learning intentions will be discussed in class with the students. We are learning to speak in a loud, clear voice, look at the audience, and ask questions.

If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to ask.

Regards

Jodie and Rachel

Weeks:  3, 5, 7 and 9

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Lloyd Elodie	Isla Leo Lilli-Rose	Issy Harlow Alisha	Jacques Ashlee	Chance Locklyn

Weeks:  4, 6, 8 and 10

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Paige Ben	Ellie Kiedis Madeline	Harry Jarred Sienna	Amelia Xavier Thore	Ariana Sid

Topics:

Weeks 3 and 4: All About Me - Introduce yourself to the class and tell us at least two interesting things (eg: pets, hobbies, family members, favourite food)

Weeks 5 and 6: Recount – Tell us about a recent trip, event, party (who, what, when, where)

Weeks 7 and 8: Think about the 4 learner dispositions (Reflective, Reciprocal, Resourceful, Resilient) and an example of when you have used one of them to help with your learning. The example may be based around home, school, sports etc. For example:

 “Last year in gymnastics I had to learn to do a cartwheel but I found it very difficult. I kept falling over and everyone else in the class could do it. I thought about giving up gymnastics, I even cried when I got home. Then I thought about resilience and decided that I needed to grow that disposition. I practiced all week at home and at the next lesson I was able to do a cartwheel properly.”

Weeks 9 and 10: Bring in a favourite picture, artwork or piece of music, explain why you like this creative piece, how it makes you feel and where you found it.

On Friday, Football for Children came into our school to give each class a ½ hour soccer lesson with their coaches and donate 10 soccer balls to the school. They will also run a lunchtime programme for 6 weeks later in the term. More information about the lunchtime programme should have home with your child after their lesson.

Help your child to develop numeracy skills

Home Learning

We encourage the learning of basic facts with numbers to 20 and later also the times tables so that the answers to these sums can be recalled instantly. The learning of these facts will support strategy development. Teachers will identify each student’s specific needs through assessment and will set the home learning accordingly. Help your child to learn these off by heart. Please see your child’s teacher should you have any questions.

Here are some simple ways in which you can encourage your child in his/her numeracy learning:

• Discuss what everyday numbers mean
• Write numerals correctly ( Use the guidelines in the Home Learning book)
• Play mathematical games together
• Work together on problems around the home
• Take an interest in how your child figures things out
• Help your child to manage time and money
• Explore numeracy websites together (www.nzmaths.co.nz)

When solving problems:

There is usually more than one way to solve a problem. If your child has a strategy that works, praise them. If your strategy is different, that’s quite okay. Discuss the differences and similarities or try to solve the problem using each other’s strategies.

Your child will be learning to:

• Enjoy working with numbers (counting, writing the number, reading the number names and numerals, ordering the numbers from largest to smallest or the other way around, etc.)
• Make sense of numbers – how big they are, how they relate to other numbers, and how they behave
• Solve mathematical problems – whether real life or imaginary
• Calculate in their head whenever possible, rather than using a calculator or pen and paper
• Show that they understand maths, using equipment, diagrams and pictures
• Explain and record the strategies they use to work out problems
• Accept challenges and work at levels that stretch them
• Work with others and by themselves
• Discuss how they tackle mathematical problems – with other students, their teacher, and you!

How important is equipment? When children encounter new mathematical ideas for the first time, it is essential that they explore those ideas using equipment. (“Equipment” can mean anything from fingers and clothes pegs to calculators.) Once they understand an idea they should try and use it without the support of the equipment. To make progress, children need to understand what they are doing and be able to work with numbers quickly and confidently.

How you can help your child with reading

Home Learning

Your child will bring a book home every day. Short texts should be completed on the day but chapter books might take longer to complete. That is fine. Return the book in the book bag on a daily basis as we cannot send books home if there is no book bag.

Practise the ring words (if any) every day. We are looking for quick recognition. Reading should be completed and recorded in the logbook on a daily basis. Please read together, talking about the meaning of the story, etc. Complete the log together and decide which facial expression will best fit the story. Later on you can also encourage your child to complete the log independently as the writing skills improve.

Here are some simple ways in which you can encourage your child to read:

• Find a quiet space to read together. Make sure it’s a place where you both feel comfortable.
• Choose a time that suits both of you. After a meal is better than before it, as it’s hard for a hungry child to concentrate.
• Visit the library together and choose books of interest, both fiction and non-fiction.
• Look at and discuss the book. What can we learn from the cover? Who is the author? Change the ending and ask questions about the text.
• Read a variety of text such as newspapers, articles in magazines and online, etc.
• Look for and read words wherever you find them. Some examples are shop signs, labels, shopping lists, instructions, tickets and name tags. Read favourite books  again and again! Let your child see you reading.

What to do if your child isn’t sure of a word?

Wait a few seconds. Give that young mind time to think. Often your child will work it out by themselves. If they still don’t know the word, try the following steps:

• Look together at the beginning of the word and help your child to work out the first sound.
• Talk about possible words that would make sense in the sentences.
• Suggest that your child look for clues in the pictures.
• Ask your child to go back to the beginning of the sentence or to read on to the end of the sentence.
• If they still don’t know the word, tell them. Then encourage your child to read the sentence again. Praise your child.

 

What to do when if your child doesn’t understand the meaning of what they are reading:

• Relate what happens in the story to your child’s experiences.
• Use the pictures to help you talk about the story.

Pohutukawa Home Learning

New home learning will be sent home each Friday and assessments will be completed on the following Thursday or Friday. Home learning books and reading logs should be returned on a daily basis inside the book bags.

Each student will receive the following weekly home learning .  

Reading

• practising ring words to develop fluency (not all students will be required to do ring words)
• daily reading and discussing of a text
• daily completion of the reading logbook

Writing

• practise writing, spelling and using the essential words in sentences

Maths

• practise basic facts/times tables as set by classroom teacher

Other

• teachers will add items to support specific learning needs

Week Three Update:
We  have had a fantastic first two weeks of school and have really worked on our class expectations and goals. Home readers will start coming home on Monday and we will add more homework as the weeks go on.

Reminders for this week:

Tuesday-swimming
Wednesday- swimming and sausage sizzle
Thursday- swimming and subway orders in by 9am
Friday - 9am whole School assembly and soccer lesson (12pm)

Library borrowing will start next week!

Welcome to Room 16- 2016

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome to Room 16!  We are very excited about teaching your children this year and getting to know you all. Please come into class and introduce yourselves over the next week or two.  Mrs Rachel Ryan will be teaching the class on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Mrs Jodie Boyle will teach the Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays of each week.  We really enjoy working together and sharing Room 16 and keep each other informed about the class on a daily basis.

Just a few housekeeping matters to start the year:

Uniform and swimming: Please ensure your child is wearing the correct summer uniform, with everything named including their hat. The swimming timetable changes slightly over the next few weeks, so it would be a good idea to bring your named togs and towels daily in a bag please.

Library: Library issuing will not start till Week 3.  Our Library day is on a Wednesday.

Home Learning:  We will be testing the children over the next few weeks and grouping accordingly.  Home readers will be coming home from Week 3.  Please spend ten minutes reading with your child each evening and then sign the Reading Journal   We will be celebrating our ‘Nights Reading’ in class! Once your child has reached a certain reading level, they are given spelling words to learn daily.  They will bring these home on Friday and are tested the following Friday.

Ideas for learning spelling words include:

Writing the words backwards.

Practising writing the words on whiteboards/ with chalk/ in sand.

Writing the words into a sentence.

The children are retested on the Essential lists at set times throughout the year, to see if they are ready to move onto the next level.

Brainfood:

We will be stopping for a brain food snack at around 10am every morning.  Please ensure your child has a manageable piece of fruit or vegetable to eat.  We encourage the children to have named water filled drinking bottles in class.

We are always in our class from 8:30am and welcome you to pop in, but please appreciate that once the bell rings the children need our full attention.  If you could possibly have your child at school by 8:45 (at the latest), so they have a chance to prepare themselves for the day ahead and to interact with their peers.

We look forward to getting to know you all as the term progresses.

Please feel free to contact us on our emails at jboyle@clevedonschool.co.nz or rryan@clevedonschool.co.nz.

Kind regards

Rachel Ryan and Jodie Boyle