Week 1 Term 2

Welcome back to another busy term of learning. This term our over riding theme is "Living In Harmony" - this moves on from our "Belonging" theme last term. I will be incorporating new learning from our staff Professional Development in Restorative Practice into our classroom climate, and how we all relate to each other and make and maintain friendships.
Again this term we are all working on our self management of our belongings and work, for example handing in homework books/reading logs on a Friday. We will be making sure that we self assess how we have done with our printing against the WALTs and use the writing WALTs as we take more responsibility for becoming independent writers. Encouraging the use of our spelling skills to our everyday writing is also a goal for me this term.
Discovery Time: We will join with Room 3 on Wednesday afternoons for 'discovery learning'. To allow us to provide the best range of activities Mrs Laidlaw and myself would appreciate some parent help.  Regina (Lily's mum) is available to be in the garden for small groups - is there anyone else who has green fingers who could come? - it doesn't need to be every week. This week our learning focus will be "Autumn". Looking for a trailer to load leaves onto once we have had FUN! I can dispose of them. Helping out with the leaves is a 'responsibility' of belonging to the school community.

Dates to record on your calendar:

• Swimming: begins on Tuesday 2nd May and is every Tuesday and Thursday with the final session being on Thursday 1st June. Room 3 will swim at 1:30 on Tuesdays and 12:30 on Thursdays. We will travel to and from the pool by bus. Please make sure that your child has their togs each session as the cost for the pool and the tuition is fully funded, but the tutors must have everyone swimming as they need to submit their rolls to receive the funding for these sessions. If your child is not swimming I expect a note please, and they will be set work to complete.
• Year 4 - Sacramental Programme: Parent meeting for Reconciliation Thursday 11th May 7pm.
• School Mass - Sunday 28th May
• Skating: Tuesdays 13th, 20th, 27th June, 4th July and Thursday 29th June
• Poetry Eisteddfod: Monday 3rd July

Reading: This week we will all be learning how to use "The Reading Box", which is a resource on loan from COEC for the term. The texts in this box cover many different styles of writing, which is what we all need to read as we widen our range of types of writing - an aspect that is required by National Standards. On Monday all children will have a small test which will indicate the 'colour' that they will start on.  We will then learn how to complete a card by working through one together, how to record our answers, mark and score our reading. The first few questions on each card relate to comprehension of the text, followed by a range of word study and other language activities.  There is a challenge at the end of each card which allows for individual "going further". While we are learning how to be independent in this activity this week, not all reading groups will have group instruction. Feel free to come and have look at this resource.

Homework

1. Reading: Record what you have read every night in your reading log.  We have some people who have read for 50 nights!! Well done. Browse boxes have books to take home each night.
2. Spelling: We are all working on the spelling patterns for the long 'a' sound. Each word needs to be listened to, tooled then recorded.  Be sure that letters are written the correct way round, as incorrectly written letters mean that the word is not marked correct in the Friday test.

Looking forward to a great term of fun learning.