Week 1 Term 2

Great to see everyone back and hear about some exciting times.
Straight back into a very busy term with swimming and netball to start the ball rolling.

• Swimming = Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Netball = Wednesday, Thursday & Friday this week and Monday & Wednesday next week. The interhouse netball tournament where we get to practise our new skills in fun games will be held on Wednesday 15th.

Please wear sports uniforms everyday and shoes suitable for netball. Back into school uniform on Friday 11th.

It was exciting at the end of last term to see how everyone had improved with their ABC skills of namimg letters, making the sound for each letter and being able to say a word that starts with the letter. Many people are also able to form all their letters correctly. Keep working on starting those tall letters from the top - still quite a number of people writing their letters from the bottom.

• Reading: Remember to read to and with together each night and record the reading in reading logs. Remember that the family dog or a soft toy are great to read to - books coming home should be easy enough for people to read without help.

A quote from some professional reading I have been doing this year:

READING ALOUD to children is the best way to help children DEVELOP WORD MASTERY AND GRAMMATICAL UNDERSTANDING, which forms the basis of learning how to read.

• Maths: Casey Caterpillar writes numbers sheet is in the homework book to help everyone practise accurate number formation.

Please remember that if you are worried about anything, the easiest way to get in touch is to email.

Enjoy this wonderful season of Autumn - we sure are doing this!

Looking forward to continuing to enjoy this learning journey with your children. Thank you all so much for your home support.

First Swimming lessons

Thank you parents for sending everyone all prepared for the start of the 10 lessons. Jenna did a great job in quickly grouping us into 3 groups.

All ready and waiting!! The we met our new instructors.

 Claire's group.

 Julz's group

 Jenna's group

We swim at 12 every Tuesday and Thursday if you want to come and see what we do.

Roooms 3, 4 & 6 Swimming

Rooms 3, 4 & 6 Swimming Timetable Change

Please note that the times for swimming have changed. Rooms 3 & 4 will leave school at 11:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays (starting tomorrow) and will leave the pool at 12:45. Room 4 will swim at 11:30, Room 3 at 12:00.

Room 6 will leave school at 12:15 and will leave the pool at 1:15.

The cost of the swimming lessons is free, but the cost for the bus will be $15 per child with a maximum of $20 per family with more than 1 child.

For ease of dressing please wear sports uniform on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first 5 weeks.  As we have also have netball with Sharelle every day this week and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday next week - sports uniform until next Friday.

Please note that it is expected all children will swim each day.

Easter Bunnies

Happy Easter everyone. Easter bunnies ready for the chocolate nests and eggs which were also made as part of the Junior School Easter rotations on Thursday.
Thank you so much to our Room 1 friends, Mille, Keira and Rhianna who helped us get these all done in a short time slot.

Special Celebration for Frans - Save the date

SAVE THE DATE - 29th April @ 12.30pm (first day back Term 2). 
To celebrate the completion of Frans' chemotherapy treatment the Alexandra Fire Brigade are going to bring Frans to the church carpark and accompany him up to our school bell. In keeping with tradition for children completing treatment Frans, will ring our school bell. The DuPlessis family and school staff invite you all to come and join us in this momentous occasion and will be bringing chocolate cake for everyone to say Thank You for your continued support of the family.

Shared Lunch for Theo

Please bring a small plate of healthy food to share for lunch on Thursday. We say goodbye to Theo on Friday as he moves to Invercargill with his family.

Week 10 Term 1

Congratulations everyone on a fantastic assembly and thank you to those parents who joined us for this celebration last Friday.

What's on this week?

Monday: 

• Year 1 & 2 Kapahaka 11:40 - 12 with Ms Tamati
• Eisteddfod Assembly 1:30 in the church

Wednesday:

• First Aid with St John. Room 7 are joining us.

We will be retesting everyone on their alphabet knowledge this week. Letter name, sound and correct letter formation. We can then compare the results with those from the beginning of the year and use these results to look at 'where to next' for term 2. Thank you for all the work that has been happening at home to help consolidate this learning.

Our main focus this week will be on Holy Week and Easter.

Keep safe over the holidays - two special celebrations over this time, Easter and Anzac Day. 

Special services will be held in the church over Holy Week, and Anzac Day services on 25th April.

What a lot we have crammed into this term!

Stations of the Cross

Please note that the Stations of the Cross will now be at 10:30 not 9:15 as previously advertised.

Eisteddfod Presenters

Well done to those who presented their eisteddfods today. A great selection with some people putting lots of effort into their presentation. There are still a few to present tomorrow - a shame prayers were left at home or not quite finished. Please ask and I will help in the morning before you present if you need.

Those presenting on Monday in the church at 1:30:
Year 2: Mac Bedford, Billy Cockburn and Addison Mulholland
Year 1: Sofie Baxter, Liam Anderson, Joe McLean, Mia Samuel

Keep practising so that you are speaking clearly and slowly enough for everyone to hear and understand each word.

Week 9 Term 1

Gosh - where has the term gone?

Just a few dates this week.

• Wednesday Mass - 9am Room 3 and Room 7 are assisting Father Vaughan this week. Well done to those people who have worked hard on their readings and prayers of the faitful.
• Wednesday afternoon we welcome Mrs Roberts back as she takes a maths lesson as part of her studies.
• Wednesday afternoon - thank you Mrs Baxter - group 2 will work in the school garden this week. We have all loved this learning outside the classroom this term - especially tasting all the treats that grow in the garden.
• Thursday afternoon - 1:30 Mrs Wright and I will hear the year 1 and 2 eisteddfod prayers. I have given prayers from our favourite prayer cubes to those people who have asked. Please get in touch if your child needs help.
• Friday 9:15 - we celebrate the Stations of the Cross as a school. Please join us as we remember the events of Jesus' last week in Jerusalem. 
• Friday 2:10 Assembly in the hall. Rooms 3 & 7 will be leading this, assisted by our friends from Year 7 & 8.

Just a reminder that the Scripture reading eisteddfods will be held at 1:30 on Monday 8th. Those presenting their prayers will be announced on the blog and seesaw.

Whew - it will be a busy week!! Weather is holding up though to make for summer warmth outside still.