Week 10 Term 2

Where has this term gone? I am hoping that after a bit of sunshine this weekend those people who have been so miserable with bugs will be feeling a bit more like themselves. Whatever is going round has certainly hit Room 3 hard.

Skating - Tuesday & Thursday thank you so much for the help with skates. We have been asked to make sure that we lace these tightly to save the coaches needing to do this before the lesson starts.

Wednesday - 1st Aid session 9am Please try to be at school early so that children don't miss any of the session.

Thursday - 

• Eisteddfod assembly 1:30. Names of those children presenting their poems will be in the newsletter on Tuesday. There are still a few people to hear, as sickness has made hearing these difficult. Not too late if you were sick. 
• Mufti Mania - this is a Caritas fundraiser undertaken each year at the end of term 2 by Catholic school across the country. This year all funds raised go to a school in Papua New Guinea, for toilet facilities, a water tank, classrooms and resources. Gold coin donation please.

Spelling: 'long e' again this week. We are hearing this spelling sound lots in our reading and so many of us can now spot the spelling pattern.

Fridge Word = quiver

Holiday Reading: everyone will take home 2 or 3 books from their browse boxes to read if there is an opportunity. Please read every day to your child - this is just as important as hearing them read to you - in fact probably more important from the PD reading that I have been doing this year.

Thank you all for your support of your children this term - it is a real pleasure to be their teacher. Next term we welcome Mia, Joe, Harry and James to Room 3 and I know there will be lots of people to help them settle in to our routines. They will spend some time in Room 3 this coming week. 

Have a wonderful break - see you all next term.

School cross country is in week 2, so a wee run now and again over the holidays might be fun.

Week 9 Term 2

What a large number of people have been unwell with the flu. Keep warm till you feel better.

Skating begins this week Tuesdays and Thursdays until the end of the term.
Your child needs to bring a helmet, gloves, waterproof pants, warm jacket and a full drink bottle. Our skating session begins at 11:20 but we will be at the ice earlier to get our skates and have them laced and ready to go. We will travel by bus leaving at 10:55. We would appreciate help with getting the skates on and off. To help with getting the correct sized skates, could you please write your child's shoe size on their hand.

Poetry Eisteddfods will be heard on Thursday afternoon 27th June. Some children will be selected to present their eisteddfod poem at the eisteddfod assembly in week 10.

Matariki Breakfast - 7:30 Friday 28th. We will be celebrating this special time in the Maori calendar. Come dressed in your school uniform ready for the school day and bring whatever you want to eat for your breakfast - just like a picnic breakfast. There will be toasters, hot water, tea & coffee available. The PTA are assisting with this event which was an initiative from our last whanau hui. We will share some Matariki stories.

If you are able, we  welcome you to the school assembly, which begins in the hall at 9:10.

Fridge Words: extinct , nimble (from our Jack Frost poem)

Spelling: the spelling group are looking at the spelling patterns for the 'long e' sound for the next 2 weeks. Help them listen for the sounds as they are reading or you are reading to them, then see if they are able to spot the spelling pattern. Those not yet on spelling sheets are amazing as they give words with a 'long e' sound. Keep up the listening to the sounds in words.

Over the next couple of weeks Bernadette and I will be retesting the letter knowledge - a big focus for many on this test, will be on correct letter formation. Keep practising with Casey Caterpillar. Letters made from the bottom are incorrect - some have had to work hard to change this habit.

Action Stations: please keep the bits and pieces coming for construction. I didn't ever think that the storage boxes in my cupboard would run out, but they have. We also need cones, bottle tops, buttons - all those little pieces that are used so creatively.

Have a great week.

Week 7 Term 2

Gosh a short but busy week last week. I have nearly finished all the testing in preparation for report writing. This will be available for you to see at the parent interviews - it has been exciting to see how many children are using their alphabet knowledge to help them with unknown words when reading texts. This individual testing allows for precise 'where to next' for each child. The last 3 children's reading assessments will be completed on Wednesday morning when I have CRT release. Mrs Rowena Te Huia-Holmes will be teaching Room 3, as Mrs Flannery is off to camp with years 7 & 8.

Rooms 3 & 7 will be leading assembly this Friday at 9am in the school hall. We hope some of you are able to join us at this time.

Jackets & hats: it is important for children to have a warm jacket for playing outside at lunch and playtimes. There is also action station playing options outside and warm clothing is needed for this.

Skating: will be on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the last 2 weeks of this term. See the newsletter for further information.

Poetry Eisteddfods: This is the week to have that poem or nursery rhyme chosen. We will be bringing home poetry books each night to help with this. Thank you for helping your child with this. Ideally every child will have chosen their poem by the end of this week.

Reading: will be our poems. We will have a new poem each day. Children will also bring home a book from their browse box. Of course bedtime stories read by you to your children will complement this.

Fridge Words this week are: scampered, disappeared. You can find these words written into the 'Fridge Words' page in homework books. Have a chat with your child - how many different oral sentences can you make using one or other of these words?

Spelling: The spelling group is learning about 'long a' spelling patterns this week. The patterns we will learn about are: ay - play, a-e - make (we call this pattern "a split e"), and ai - wait. as well as tooling these look out for these spelling patterns in reading.

Have a great week. Despite a cold start another beautiful day to be outside after lunch. Wrap up and enjoy these great central days.

Poetry Eisteddfod Tips

This information is in hard copy in each child's homework book. Next week our reading will be a poem a day! Poetry books will come home each night so that there is plenty to choose from for the eisteddfod poem. Year 1 may say a nursery rhyme, but as several of our year 1's have now rurned 6 I'm sure that a poem would not be too much of a challenge for them. Please check in the homework book as I have written the Year 1 expectations there. We have some super poems that could be acted out as they are said, with props (as long as these don't distract from the audience being able to hear the words).  I hope this preparation time is fun, so that it is not a last minute stress. Please let me know if your child needs me to help. Poems will be heard in week 9. I'll confirm the day after I have this sorted with Mrs Wright.

Of course if your child has a poem that they love - go for it. The poem does not need to be a class one.

Year 2 Poetry Eisteddfod - tips

WALTs:

·      Present a poem to an audience

·      Use a clear voice

·      Listen attentively to the presentations

Marks	What I could do ….
Introduction  5	Say the name of your poem Say the name of the poet (if you know it) Say why you chose the poem
Presentation 10	Say your poem with expression Use the full stops, commas, speech marks and other punctuation Look at the audience (eye contact) Keep your head up Try not to rush Look like you are enjoying sharing your favourite poem
Preparation    5	Know your poem off by heart Speak slowly Choose a poem that the Room 7 & 3 audience will like
Voice              5	Use a loud voice so that we can all hear Keep your head up so that your voice projects Speak slowly Use expression