Rooms 3 & 4 Assembly

Too much happening!! I forgot to add to this week's blog that Rooms 3 & 4 are in charge of the assembly this week. We are not presenting anything special as there are lots of 'tidy up' items before the end of the year.  Would be great to see you there.

Christmas Crafts

The Christmas rotations this week have seen some very excited children and some fabulous creations - gets us in the christmas spirit.  Thank you to the parents who helped with these, especially Maree Jenkinson who helped in the junior block in the morning, and organised the baking in the afternoons for the recycled christmas baskets.

Room 7 stars and Room 3 christmas baskets.

Will post the nativity cribs and stained glass windows when I find the pictures.

Final Information - Bike Ride

All children took this note home in hard copy - here it is again in case it gets swamped by all the other paperwork at this time of year.

Thank you to the following parents who have made themselves available to join us on Friday 9^th December on our bike excursion:

·      Kate Love

·      Danny Knowles

·      Bernie Brown

·      Maree Jenkinson

·      Lisa Reilly

·      Haines Battrick

·      Tracey Reid

·      Nadia du Plessis

·      Emma Stratford (First half)

·      Maria Shea

·      Regina Forstner

There is the opportunity to play mini-golf at a cost of $5 per child. If your child wishes to play, this money needs to be handed in to their classroom teacher by Wednesday 7^th December. If not, there will be plenty of other (free) activities available to do at the same time.

On the day we will meet at school in our classrooms to do the roll and check that everybody has the required gear. This includes a full packed lunch, water bottle, covered shoes for biking, sunhats, bike helmets, jacket, togs and towel.

We expect to leave by 9.15 am and return by 2.40 pm.

A reminder that we are having a Bike Check this coming Monday 5^th Dec at 1.30 pm with Mr Milford. Bikes can be delivered any time that is convenient that morning. Please deliver them to the grassed area outside Room 4. Having safe bikes is part of our Risk Management. This allows time for any major issues to be sorted.

Thank you in anticipation.

Markelle, Adele and Chris

Speeches Assessment Criteria

Time:  Year 3 = 1.5 minutes                   Year 4 = 2 minutes

Writing:

Write a speech using this structure:

*Introduction – Who? What? When? Why? How? Try an interesting question or comment to “grab” the audience’s attention.

*Paragraphs/Headings: Each paragraph will be about a different part of the topic. Show a clear sequence of ideas.

*Conclusion: Sum up your topic. Leave the audience with an interesting thought or message.

Presenting/Speaking:

·      Speak clearly so the audience can hear all that is said.

·      Use expression in your voice.

·      Pause for effect.

·      Use pictures or props to add interest.

·      Make eye contact with the audience.

Assessment	Developing (1)	Achieved (2)	Achieved to a high level (3)
Content Introduction “grabs” attention Clear structure (Opening/paragraphs/conclusion)
Clear sequence of ideas
Interesting vocabulary
Delivery/Expression Clear voice Good pace/used the full time Eye contact Stance/Props TOTAL =      / 25
	+ 1 mark for Plan

Week 8 Term 4

 Welcome to the church season of Advent - a time to prepare and reflect.
Pip and Harold have taught us heaps about healthy food choices and we showed that we are able to design a really healthy menu for a day using "foods from the ground" and "foods from animals" only.
Ask your child to tell you about which foods come under these titles.
The Christmas Craft Week is here.  Room 3 will be divided into 4 groups and will spend from after play till the end of the day in a different junior school room to make a range of Christmas crafts. Don't forget your plastic bottle for Room 3 and shoe box for Room 1 activities.
I met Maree and Martin Jenkinson at Wastebusters on Saturday morning - scavenging the recycled plastic bins.  Thank you so much Casey and Reuben for washing these up and bringing a good sized supply of bottles to Room 3. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. In Room 3 we are making Christmas baskets from recycled bottles and christmas paper along with some tinsel etc.

Just a reminder that the bushes outside Rooms 3 & 4 have rather enormous thorns. While every attempt is made to pick all of these up after the bushes are pruned, one or two are often found in the grassed area. Please do not run around in bare feet.

Thank you to those people who have indicated that they can accompany us on our bike ride on Friday 9th. If you are unable to come for the whole day, you are more than welcome to come out and have lunch with us.

A reminder that Thursday is Mufti Day -  an item for the Christmas Hamper Raffle.  Raffle cards went home on Friday with the eldest in the family.  Really good value $1 a ticket.  Please support our hardworking PTA by selling your card.  These people have worked amazingly hard to make sure your children get all the extras & small class numbers.

Homework

1. Reading: please be sure to read every night - with Christmas crafts only a few people will have instructional reading.
2. St Gerards Cookbook: this is the week to check out the favourite family recipes. A small group of people are putting together a recipe book with local recipes and photos - they have put lots of work into their idea and now is the time for all of us to help with the recipes.  If your recipe has a story with it please include that as well.  Recipes need to be typed or written onto paper, or emailed to me so that we can give at least 1 for each family to Maria Williams by the end of the week.  Do you have a recipe that uses some of our fantastic local fruits.
3. Eisteddfod Speeches: this is the week to think about working on your presentation so that you can give your audience eye contact.  Speeches will be presented Monday and Tuesday next week.

End Of Year Dates

Monday 5th: Bike check with Mr Milford after lunch.
Tuesday 6th: Vision meeting

Thursday 8th: Eisteddfod Speeches Assembly 1:30

Friday 9th: Rooms 3 & 4 Bike Trip - further information next week.

Monday 12th: Prize Giving 1pm

Tuesday 13th: Graduation Mass

Wednesday 14th Final day

Thursday 15th:  Teachers Only Day

Rudolph Writing Competition

Hi Everyone,

In the traditional tale of Rudolph, he is left out and excluded by the other reindeer until Santa needs his special talent!

Sticks ’n Stones think that young people across the country can create their own Christmas stories that celebrate ACCEPTANCE, DIVERSITY and BEING YOU and encourage us all to spread joy.

The stories do not need to be about Rudolph, or even be about Reindeer!

We know it is late in the year but think this could be a great session for students to engage with :)

We have an INCREDIBLE judging panel including Louise Dempsey from ‘The Writing Book’, Kyle Mewburn (Old Hu Hu), Bruce Potter (Doodlebug, Penny the Prolific Pooing Cow) and Ross Kinnaird (I need a new bum)

Open to all ages (There is even an Open Category teachers could enter…)

For the Aged 5-7 year old category, classes or groups of students can enter collaboratively

Prizes for each category ($50 vouchers)

More information available at:  http://www.sticksnstones.co.nz/rudolph-needs-a-rewrite-competition/

Carla Sanders.

Thought there may be some really creative thinkers who might like to do this at home - looking at the class timetable between now and the end of the year, there is not a space for this that I can see.

Catch Up Swimming Day

Great water safety lesson for everyone today.  Many children worked in the main pool learning about the life jackets. Perfect learning as we head into the summer holidays with swimming and boating for many. Thank you to the team at the pool for excellent lessons this year.
Thank you Tracey (Mason's mum) for the pics.  Sadly my phone went flat just before we left!!

Last Library visit

Good morning team.

Just to let you know that this Friday, the 25th of November will be our last trip to the Public Library for the year as Friday the 9th of December is our bike ride to Mrs Beilby's.   

Please make sure all books are at school to be returned, any that are not, will be your responsibility to return. 

Any parents who are keen for a wander please let me know.

😁   We have been really lucky with parent helpers for our walks which has been greatly appreciated.  A big thank you to you all.

Week 7 Term 4

On the count down now - Trina says 18 days!! This year has certainly flown.

Thursday 24th = Swimming Catch Up Day: - we will travel by bus, leaving school at 1:15, our lesson is at 1:30.  Togs, towels and goggles.

Rooms 3 & 4 End of Year Bike Ride - Friday 9th December - We need about 10 parents/grandparents for this trip to be able to go ahead - at this stage we have 4. Mrs Kate Love (Sully), Danny Knowles (Amelia), Maree Jenkinson (Casey) and  Bernie Brown (Joshua). Please put the word around.

Years 1 - 3 Christmas Crafts Week is next week. For the planned activity in Room 3 each child will need a lemonade/coke bottle. Could you please send this in as soon as possible.  If you have access to a source of these (uncrushed) I would be really appreciative. We start the actual making on Tuesday next week and will be rotating in mixed groupings round the 4 classrooms.

Thank you Mr and Mrs Stratford for the amazing dairy farm visit. Thank you also to the parents who gave up their time to accompany us.  We have added to our KWL, and it would seem that we answered most of our questions. The scientist skills that we used were observation and asking questions. Thank you Alia for being an amazing secretary with your little notebook. When we were unsure of any numerical data, you had it in your little book!! Great work.

LIFE Education Bus: Harold and Pip will be working with us on Friday and Monday. We will be looking at the foods that we put into our bodies and learning to read packaging carefully.

Hi Viz Vests need to be returned to the box in the office IF YOU ARE NOT USING THEM EVERY DAY. This will mean that when we go on our bike trip, everyone can be given a vest from a class set hopefully.

St Gerards Sports and Eisteddfod Cups: these need to be returned to the office as soon as possible.
We have 9 returned out of about 40 - please ask about so that it is not a dreadful job for a staff member or Alyssa, who is very busy at this time of year, having to ring people individually.

A reminder that all children are to wear their shoes home each day - it is part of the school uniform.

Homework

1. Reading
2. Spelling
3. Eisteddfod speech

Morning Programme - Group 3 (4/11) and Group 4 (18/11)

Big apologies, this is the group 3 people, minus Lily and plus Jack (who was organised well in advance), from back on the 4th of November.  I had typed up the blog at the time but unfortunately it hadn't published and I didn't become aware of this until later.  So here's the details in brief:

David presented a book review about a non-fiction text called "1000 Incredible But True Facts About Animals,"  by the Kids Discovey Channel.  Did you know that the Sailfish is the fastest animal in the sea!  It can go as fast as a car on the motorway! 

Amelia spoke to us about a local event that was current at the time, the Thyme Festival!  She told us that this is an annual event in Alexandra that aims to develop our skills of a sustainable healthy and 
creative community. 

Both Archie and Jack talked to us about themselves, the things they love doing and their families.

And we finished off with Lars, who showed us how to make simple pom poms using our fingers and some wool.  This inspired us last Wednesday to make our own little pom pom creatures

And here goes Group 4 who presented their Morning Programmes this morning.

Lily told us about a famous 'YouTuber,' LDShadowLady who she enjoys following.  She studied Computer Animation and Visualisation but decided to become a full time YouTuber.  She's kind and fun.  Check her and her pink hair out.

Amelia talked to us about an event that has been current at her place, Rock-a-vale, lambing.  She described to us some of the things that can happen during lambing, like chasing ewes on motorbikes, mothering on and raising lambs with no mum.

Sophie talked about a place that is special to her.  Her Granny and Da's house in Earnscleugh where there are lots of places and things to explore.

Charlotte told us about one of our very own famous people, paraolympian, Liam Malone.  Did you know he loves reading!  Charlotte likes Liam's positive attitude and how he doesn't let anything stop him from achieving his dreams.

Today finished with an eruption or two.  Mason told us how to make a volcanic eruption using ingredients that cause a chemical reaction.  Then Mason and his Mum helped us to make our own volcano in small groups.  What a great experiment, lots of fun. 😀

Hayvin is up Monday morning with his book review.