Hi Everyone!
With the start to the new school year well under-way, it was time to send out our first Y3-4 newsletter for the year. What a great start to the year each class has had, judging by the buzz in each classroom. "The Twits", "Charlottes Web" and 'Tornadoes in a bottle' all seem to be topics of conversation in each class!
You will have met your child's teacher at Parent Interviews already, but you may not know some of the other teachers in the Y3-4 Team...
Room 7: Richard Dobson/Ruth Holmes Y4
Room 8: Karen Chao, Y4
Room 9: Sheena Naik Y3
Room 15: Annabel Smith Y3
This year we are also very lucky to have Narelle Ferrier working in Year 3-4 as a teaching assistant, from 9.15-12.30 Monday-Thursday.
Sarah Richardson (Learning Support teacher) continues in 2012 to do amazing work with a number of our Y3-4 students each day.
Upcoming events later this term:
Friday 24th February is the date of our trip to Days Bay- 10.00-2.00pm. We require lots of parents for supervision (since we will be on the beach and near/in the water). We had a wonderful time last year and hope lightening strikes twice! If you would like to come along with us, please let your child’s teacher know via email.
Wednesday March 7th Year 3-4 Swimming Sports, 9.30-12.00 at Eastbourne Pool. We do require a number of parent helpers for the day. Please let your child’s teacher know via email if you can help.
Main theme for 2011
The school-wide main theme this year is "Make it happen". This theme will help us encourage our students to persevere in times of struggle, proud of their effort in times of achievement, and willing to put in the hard work to achieve. Teachers will take a little bit of time each week to visit this theme and encourage the children to make it happen’.
Curriculum:
Literacy
Our focus for writing this term is recounts. Children will be learning to structure their writing by sequencing events chronologically, linking ideas in a variety of ways and adding an introduction and conclusion. During this topic we will also be focussing on the writing process and encouraging children to plan their ideas in a variety of ways before writing. Children will be learning to edit their own work by proof reading to check for meaning and by using simple dictionaries to correct spelling.
Mathematics
The major part of the term will be spent on number knowledge and strategies, particularly Place Value. This will include a focus on problem solving and algebra. Cross-grouping of students during Math time will begin in Week 5 and continue for the rest of the term.
P.E.
Swimming is the main PE focus for the first 6 weeks, followed by large ball skills later in the term.We are lucky to have the skilled instructors of Swimming NZ taking each class for 8 lessons over 2 weeks. Their focus is on fundamental swimming skills. In addition, each Wednesday and Thursday afternoon this term, we are very lucky to have specialised football coaching from the New Zealand Football (NZF) - Football in Schools Programme coaches. Each class will get a weekly 45 minute football coaching session. With both swimming and football this term, the children will be very active!
Integrated Study:
“A Butterfly Garden” is the term long science and technology investigation for Term One. Students will be learning about the anatomy of a butterfly, the metamorphosis a caterpillar undergoes, and what butterflies need to survive. The Year 3-4 vege-garden will be converted into a ‘butterfly garden’, with the children choosing butterfly-friendly flowers to plant. This should be a fun investigation!
Homework:
During weeks 3 and 4 of Term One, your child will sit a range of tests in Reading, Writing, Maths and Spelling. Teachers use this test information to help plan a more individualized, needs based learning programme for your child. Teachers also use the spelling and maths results to help set suitable basic facts and spelling homework. Therefore, the ‘official’ homework programme of Reading, Spelling and Basic Facts will not begin until Week 5, once testing is complete.
Housekeeping:
Drink Bottles
Children may take a bottle of water into the classroom to drink from during class. Please help reinforce with your child that it is water, not fruit juice or other sugary drinks that can be drunk during class time.
Sunhats
As all children are required to wear sunhats during outdoor activities, please ensure that your child has a named sunhat that is to be kept at school.
Lost Property
This is kept under the stairs outside Room 7. At the end of 2011 there was estimated to be over $1000 worth of unclaimed lost property left after the last day of school. Please help clothing be re-united with owners by naming as much clothing as possible. Lost property will now be shown at assembly so please encourage your child to look out then for any lost belongings.
Keeping in contact
Have you visited your child's class blog lately? Teachers (and students) regularly update these, so they are a great way of keeping up to date with what is happening at school, and the teachers and children enjoy reading the comments visitors make.
As always, teachers can be contacted by our email address (surname@muritai.school.nz), or feel free to pop in before/after school for a quick chat. Thanks for your support so far this year, it has been a wonderful start to the school year.
Kind regards,
The Year 3-4 Teaching Team.
