Year 3 - EOTC Timetable 2015

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Term 4 2015

Hi Everyone!

Term 4 is here already and we will be singing Christmas Carols before we know it! We hope the holidays have been filled with rest, laughter and fun, and we are looking forward to welcoming you all back to Muritai School to commence Term 4 on Monday 12th October.

Last term the children and staff worked incredibly hard and have made so many memories that they will continue to reflect upon and treasure in the future.  It was amazing to see the children become confident public speakers and passionate independent inquiry learners, who delved into the prehistoric world of dinosaurs and the underworld of worms and plants! It was lovely to see children overcome self-doubt and give cycling and football a go, with many becoming skilful cyclists and footballers over the duration of the term.  Of course it was also a very successful term for our Arts Programme with our fantastic Year 3 and 4 Artsplash Choir and the Needle Felting Art Extension Workshops with Clare Leniston.  We also had a Year 4 group attend an Envio Hui as part of our Enviroschools Programme.

Be sure to visit your child’s class blog throughout the term, as they provide a wonderful snapshot of your child’s learning journey and the children love to receive and read comments from you all. Classroom blogs can be accessed directly off this blog or alternatively via our school website or by clicking on this link: 
http://www.muritai.school.nz/pages/classes.php#middle34

Once again our classroom CARE (Citizenship, Achievement, Responsibility and Effort) programme will be closely linked to our School Values and Key Competencies and will be acknowledged and celebrated at our Team Assemblies. Alongside our CARE programme, in term 4 we will be focusing on the values of Integrity and Resilience, as well as continuing to foster the Key Competencies of Relating to others, Participating and Contributing, Managing Self and Thinking.

Teaching and Learning in Years 3-4 in Term 4

Below is a an outline of what you can expect your child to be learning this coming term:

Literacy

Our main writing focus for this term is poetry.  The children enjoy reading poems and especially love writing poetry, as it often breaks all the conventional writing rules!  We will be identifying visual effects and language features of poetry and exploring a wide variety of poem styles. There will be plenty of opportunities to write and recite poetry aloud to an audience.  We will also be learning the art of writing letters and will be developing procedural writing skills.  There is still of course, the ongoing focus of embedding effective editing, proofreading and re-crafting skills into every piece of writing the children do.

Oral Language will focus on skills of oral presentation, with an emphasis on using vocal expression, confident body language and addressing an audience.  Children will have opportunities to present their Inquiry based procedural writing, recite poetry as part of a Reader’s Theatre and will continue to share news and items of personal interest.

Reading opportunities will be varied: teacher directed (reading groups) and independent (personal interest and enjoyment); and will be integrated across all areas of the curriculum. Children will be researching and reading for information, reading for meaning and understanding a range of texts.  We will continue to encourage fluency, expression and the reading of punctuation to enhance comprehension levels. As previously mentioned, poetry will also feature in our class reading programmes.

Numeracy

This term we will be revising all four number operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and will continue to develop our basic facts instant recall. We will also be covering Fractions and will begin our maths learning in our cross-grouped classes for the first three weeks of Term 4 before returning to our home rooms for the remainder of the term. 

Integrated Studies - We have two Inquiries this term:

Our first inquiry will be a continuation from Term 3 with a Mini-Inquiry focus on Worm Farms. 
Social Sciences (Social Inquiry) and Science (Living World): Growing a Plant 

Big Idea - Our children will gain enough understanding about what plants need to grow so they can plan a sustainable, successful flower or vegetable garden.

Science (Making Sense of the Material World): Fizzing and Foaming

Big Ideas -  Substances have physical properties that can be described and we can use these properties to group them.  When a physical change takes place a substance changes its form only.
- Substances have chemical properties that can be described and we can use these properties to group them.  When a chemical change takes place a new substance is formed.       
This will no doubt be a very popular Inquiry for our children as it will include exciting demonstrations and experiments!

Physical Education 
* Fitness begins each day at 8:40am and will include a fun rotation of games including: Bat Down/French Cricket, Number Hockey, Bounce Strike, T Ball and the game of Whack and Run.
* Athletics Every Monday and Tuesday afternoon in the lead up to our School Athletics Day in Week 4, the children will be taking part in Athletics practice.  Children will need to wear running shoes on these days to be able to fully participate. 

* Swimming is scheduled to begin in Week 7, however this is of course weather dependent.

* EOTC Week Planning for EOTC Week in Weeks 8 and 9 is underway, and we are planning a fun filled week of events, with cycling, arts and crafts, bush walks, and a beach day among other events.  More details to follow!

The Arts:
Visual Art - Stitching and Sewing

Performing Arts - Christmas Concert, Year 3 and 4 Choir, and Ruth Hooke's Performing Arts Programme

Te Reo Students will continue to learn Maori vocabulary as part of the Te Kupu o Te Wiki programme.  Alongside Te Reo, the children will be attending alternate Friday arts and crafts sessions where they will learn the significance of arts and crafts in Maori culture and will also be making Manu Tukutuku (Maori kites), Poi, mini Tukutuku panels, Koru designs, clay pendant gifts and weaving.

Housekeeping

~ drink bottles, sunscreen and sunhats are of course essential this term. We have a 'no hat - no play' policy!

~ stationary: many children may need a top up of their stationary items. Pencils,  pens, rubbers in particular.  Please check with your child as they will know what they require.

Parent Help

Many of you have kindly offered to help out in our classrooms this year - we would like to take you up on your offer this term in the form of listening to children read.  This would entail listening to children read for 10 - 15 minutes at a time.  If you are able to help out please email me: hskilton@muritai.school.nz  with the days (mornings) and times you would be able to help.  Thank you once again to all our wonderful parent helpers from Term 2 and Term 3, who listened to children read as part of our "Hooked on Books Programme".

Getting in touch

As always, your first port of call is your child’s teacher. We can be contacted by our email address (surname@muritai.school.nz), or feel free to pop in before/ after school for a quick chat. If you wish to talk about your child’s learning at any stage of the term, you do not have to wait until parent interviews to do so! Your child’s teacher will be happy to talk with you - however be aware that Monday and Tuesday after school are usually staff meeting times.

Here is a summary of upcoming events particular to the Year 3/4 Team:

October        

Thursday 15^th ~ Shake Out Day!

Monday 26^th ~ Labour Day – (School Closed)
Tuesday 27^th ~ Teacher Only Day - (School Closed)

November
Monday 2nd  ~ Athletics Day
Tuesday 17th  ~ Zone Athletics Day
Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24^th ~ Year 3 Anniversary reporting will take place and Year 3 Reports go home.

Monday 23rd - Swimming starts

December

Tuesday 1st ~ Celebration of Learning afternoon

^{Wednesday 2nd ~ EOTC week begins
Friday 11th - Year 4 Reports go home.}
Friday 11th - 2016 class lists go home.

Monday 14^th ~ Meet the Teacher for 2016

Wednesday 16^th ~ Year 3/4 Christmas Concert at 2:30pm

Thursday 17^th ~ Last day of Term – Leaver’s Assembly at 11am

Looking Ahead to 2016

We are about to begin the thorough process of placing children into classes for 2016.  If you are considering moving out of the area and your child will not be coming back to Muritai next year please email me as soon as possible.

We all look forward to another great term. Our thanks for your support, as always.

Kind regards,

Hayley Skilton, Karen Chao, Richard Dobson, Mikaela Cody, Briana Treder, Gabrielle Heath, Trish Theobald and Ruth Holmes.

Term 3 - 2015

Dear Parents, Caregivers and children,

It is difficult to believe that we are half way through the year already! Hopefully you all have had a wonderful Winter break - despite the rain, hail and snow! We are looking forward to welcoming you all back to Muritai School to commence Term 3 on Monday 20th July.

It was great to see so many of you at the 'Celebration of Learning' afternoon in the final week of last term. Once again, the children showed how proud they were of the work they completed in school and enjoyed having a captive audience in their families to showcase their progress over terms one and two.

Once again our classroom CARE (Citizenship, Achievement, Responsibility and Effort) programme will be closely linked to our School Values and Key Competencies and will be acknowledged and celebrated at our Team Assemblies. Alongside our CARE programme, in term 3 we will be focusing on the values of Commitment and Self-Confidence, as well as continuing to foster the Key Competencies of Relating to others, Participating and Contributing, Managing Self and Thinking.

Teaching and Learning in Years 3-4 in Term 3

Below is a quick outline of what you can expect your child to be learning this coming term:

Literacy

For written and oral language, the children will further develop their report writing skills from Term 2. News time will continue to take on a more formal stance, where children will be required to orally present informative reports (about their chosen dinosaur) to an audience (their peers). Their peers will then provide written and/or verbal feedback on the report presentation.  Children will continue to develop how to use appropriate verbal and non-verbal features to gain attention and how to effectively communicate ideas to an audience. Your child will need support with this at home as it will at times form the basis of their homework 'other tasks' this term.  It would be great if you could once again support your child by being their 'practice audience' at home!  

Reading opportunities will be varied: teacher directed (reading groups) and independent (personal interest and enjoyment); and will be integrated across all areas of the curriculum. Children will be researching and reading for information, reading for meaning and understanding a range of texts.  We will continue to encourage fluency, expression and the reading of punctuation to enhance comprehension levels.

Integrated Studies - We have two Inquiries this term:

Science (Living World): Dancing with Dinosaurs

Big Idea - Earth is very old and that animals and plants in past times were very different to today.    
Children will develop the following Information and Literacy Skills: questioning, collecting and processing and presenting.
Children will: 
* Recognise that there are lots of different living things in the world and that they can be grouped in different ways.
* Explain how we know that some living things from the past are now extinct.
This will no doubt be a very popular Inquiry for our children!

Social Sciences (Social Inquiry) and Science (Living World): Growing a Plant 

Big Idea - Our children will gain enough understanding about what plants need to grow so they can plan a sustainable, successful flower or vegetable garden.
Children will: 

* Explore our environment and the concepts of ‘Growing.’ * Investigate the parts of a plant and how they grow. * Design the new and improved Year 3-4 Garden.

If you are particularly knowledgeable in this area or a keen gardener, please let your child's class teacher know and you will be readily invited in - we love visitors!

Numeracy

In Maths, we will begin to use our knowledge of Addition and Subtraction strategies to further our understanding of Multiplication and Division. This will begin for some children, by looking at multiplication as repeated addition and division as repeated subtraction. Knowledge of times tables facts will become more and more important as the term progresses and your support at home with this is greatly appreciated. In weeks 9 and 10 we will return to our home-room classes for the Geometry Strand and will be looking closely at identifying and classifying 2D and 3D shapes, position, orientation and transformation.

Physical Education - We have two units this term:

The Pedal Ready team is returning to our team in Weeks 1 and 2 after a very successful introduction as part of our EOTC week in Term 4 last year.  Pedal Ready is a skills based programme designed to increase the bike-riding competency of children and young people. 
Core skills for grade 1: • carry out a bike check • carry out a helmet check • understand the legal requirements and safety equipment for bicycles • get on and off the bike without help • start off and pedal without help • stop quickly and with control • steer the bike where they want to go • look behind • signal – stop, left and right • using the gears.   

Football in Schools is our main PE focus for 8 weeks (every Thursday) beginning on Thursday in Week 2. The ASB Football in Schools Programme is part of New Zealand Football's nationwide Whole of Football Plan and is delivered in Wellington by Capital Football through local football clubs. The approach Football in Schools takes offers our children new opportunities to get active through football. The programme provides children with a fun experience, using football-based challenges and the joy of playing football as motivation for participation. The Football programme covers the manipulative skills component of the KiwiSport Fundamental Movement Skills Project and uses football to develop these skills, as well as agility, spatial awareness and team work.

The Arts:
Visual Art - Printmaking

The children will be experimenting with a variety of printmaking techniques as well as completing a cooperative artwork.

Performing Arts - Art Splash

Many of our Year 3 and 4 children have opted to take part in our Art Splash choir and will take centre stage at the Michael Fowler Centre later in the term -  more details to follow. The school values of 'Self-Confidence' and 'Commitment' tie in very nicely and will be promoted as the children prepare for their performances on stage.

Housekeeping

As you are aware, we have a 'shoes-off' policy throughout the Winter months to make sure the class carpets stay dry and clean and suitable for sitting on.  There are shoe racks outside or inside each classroom.  It is best if slippers stay at school for the term. Water bottles each day are still required as the children need to stay hydrated and trips to the drinking fountain can be quite disruptive to class programmes. Hotdogs recommence on Wednesdays for Term 3 and Food for Thought on Fridays.

Parent Help

Many of you have kindly offered to help out in our classrooms this year - we would like to take you up on your offer this term in the form of listening to children read.  This would entail listening to children read for 10 - 15 minutes at a time.  If you are able to help out please email me: hskilton@muritai.school.nz with the days (mornings) and times you would be able to help.  Thank you once again to all our wonderful parent helpers from Term 2, who assisted us with our trip to Wellington and listened to children read as part of our "Hooked on Books Programme".

Getting in touch

As always, your first port of call is your child’s teacher. We can be contacted by our email address (surname@muritai.school.nz), or feel free to pop in before/ after school for a quick chat. If you wish to talk about your child’s learning at any stage of the year, you do not have to wait until parent interviews to do so! Your child’s teacher will be happy to talk with you - however be aware that Monday and Tuesday after school are usually staff meeting times.

We all look forward to another great term. Our thanks for your support, as always.

Kind regards,

Hayley Skilton, Karen Chao, Richard Dobson, Mikaela Cody, Briana Treder, Gabrielle Heath, Trish Theobald and Ruth Holmes.

Team Assemblies

Every second Tuesday, our Year 3 and Year 4 Team get together to recognise and celebrate students who have achieved success and are the best that they can be!  

We also share notices and pieces of work we are particularly proud of.

It is always fun to be the host class or even an Assembly Presenter!

Here we have Room 11 hosting - you might have noticed our Wacky Hair Doos too!

Walk so Joss can!

Term 2 2015

Dear Parents, Caregivers and children,

Hopefully you all have had a wonderful Easter break and school holiday - despite the rain! We are looking forward to welcoming you all back to Muritai School to commence Term 2 on Monday 20th April.

Once again Our classroom CARE (Citizenship, Achievement, Responsibility and Effort) programme will be closely linked to our School Values and Key Competencies. This term we will be focusing on the values of Curiosity and Excellence, as well as continuing to foster the Key Competencies of Relating to others, Participating and Contributing, Managing Self and Thinking.

Teaching and Learning in Years 3-4 in Term 2

There will continue to be lots of great learning happening in term 2. Below is a quick outline of what you can expect your child to be learning this term:

Literacy

For written and oral language, the children will be learning about report writing. News time will take on a more formal stance where children will be required to orally present reports (news articles) to an audience (their peers). Their peers will then provide written and/or verbal feedback on the report presentation.  Children will be learning how to use appropriate verbal and non-verbal features to gain attention and how to effectively communicate ideas to an audience. Your child will need support with this at home as it will largely form the basis of their homework 'other tasks' this term.  It would be great if you could help prepare your child by helping to research interesting articles online or in newspapers/magazines and of course by being their 'practice audience' at home!  

Reading opportunities will be varied: teacher directed (reading groups) and independent (personal interest and enjoyment); and will be integrated across all areas of the curriculum. Children will be researching and reading for information, reading for meaning and understanding a range of texts.  We will continue to encourage fluency, expression and reading punctuation to enhance comprehension levels.

 

Integrated Studies - We have two Inquiries this term:

Social Sciences (Continuity and Change): 'Gallipoli – The Scale of Our War' - The Centenary of World War One 

Big Idea -The past can be remembered in different ways. Why do we commemorate ANZAC day?  
We have a planned trip to view the Weta Workshop exhibition: 'Gallipoli – The Scale of Our War' at Te Papa in Week 2 - more details to follow. 

Science (Material World): Introducing and working with metals 

Big Idea - Metals are defined and grouped by the similarities and differences in their physical and chemical properties. People use their understandings of the properties of a metal to promote or prevent the physical and chemical changes that affect the metal’s usefulness. 
If you are particularly knowledgeable in this area or have a good experiment up your sleeve, please let your child's class teacher know and you will be readily invited in - we love visitors!

Numeracy

Maths will begin in our home-room classes this term for the Measurement Strand and will be looking closely at how to measure Length and Area with standard and non-standard units. There will also be a Statistics focus from Week 3 onwards.  

We will be cross-grouping the students across the five classes according to need from week 3 and will continue to do so for the rest of the term. The majority of the term will be spent on number knowledge, number strategies and problem solving, with particular reference to addition and subtraction and an introduction of basic multiplication. 

Physical Education - We have two units this term:

Gymnastics is the main PE focus for the first 5 weeks, followed by Winter Games and Ball Skills later in the term. 

Art - Painting

The children will be experimenting with colour, tinting and shading, brush strokes, adding texture etc.  They will also be discussing and reflecting upon colour choice and techniques used by themselves and other well known New Zealand artists.

Housekeeping

We have a 'shoes-off' policy throughout the Winter months to make sure the class carpets stay dry and clean and suitable for sitting on.  There are shoe racks outside or inside each classroom.  It is best if slippers stay at school for the term. Water bottles each day are still required as the children need to stay hydrated and trips to the drinking fountain can be quite disruptive to class programmes. Hotdogs recommence on Wednesdays for Term 2 and 3.

Parent Help

Many of you have kindly offered to help out in our classrooms this year - we would like to take you up on your offer this term in the form of listening to children read.  This would entail listening to children read for 10 - 15 minutes at a time.  If you are able to help out please email me: hskilton@muritai.school.nz with the days (mornings) and times you would be able to help.  Thank you once again to all our wonderful parent helpers from Term 1, who assisted us with our trip to Wellington, Swimming sports and music lessons!

Reporting and Celebrating

Towards the end of the term the children will bring home a written report of their progress and we invite you in to school to a ‘Celebration of Learning’ afternoon where the children will share their artwork and book work from the year so far. Whilst the teachers will be there, this is an opportunity for the children to share their learning with you. The children are very proud of the successes they achieve in class on a daily basis.

Getting in touch

As always, your first port of call is your child’s teacher. We can be contacted by our email address (surname@muritai.school.nz), or feel free to pop in before/ after school for a quick chat. If you wish to talk about your child’s learning at any stage of the year, you do not have to wait until parent interviews to do so! Your child’s teacher will be happy to talk with you - however be aware that Monday and Tuesday after school are usually staff meeting times.

We all look forward to another great term. Our thanks for your support, as always.

Kind regards,

Hayley Skilton, Karen Chao, Richard Dobson, Mikaela Cody, Briana Treder, Gabrielle Heath, Trish Theobald and Ruth Holmes.