Ice-cream Machines

Very busy morning this morning in Room 3.

Kapahaka Festival Sunday 9th April

Kapahaka Festival

Sunday 9^th April 2017. 1:00-3:30pm.

Our group is looking and sounding absolutely fabulous. Well done everyone on a great start to the year. It’s a real team effort, and thank you to the Kapahaka leaders who have helped so much with the group and helping newcomers learn actions and words. We also need to thank Mrs Maria Williams who is about to sort the dresses.

On Sunday 9^th please arrive at 12:35pm and look for Mrs Beilby and Mr Yeoman and our Kapa Haka leaders. Please bring school sunhat, a drink and a school PE shirt to put on over your costumes as sun protection.  We are performing 9^th on the programme, after Maniototo school.

Dress:

-Girls in dresses provided, white knickers and hair tied in ½ pony tails so that hair is out, but off the face – please clip back any straggly pieces (Ms Tamati’s request).  No jewellery or brightly coloured hair ties. Mrs Williams would like to see the dresses ironed so that we all look really smart. We will be performing in bare feet.

-Boys black shorts with black tee-shirts.  Thomas, we will have your sash.

Girls dresses need to be returned to the big bin in Room 3 by Tuesday 11^th April – please make sure that your name is still on the bag and that the safety pins for the straps are attached.

Please cut off and return the slip below to confirm your child’s attendance, or confirm asap via email

chrisbeilby@stgerards.school.nz

ollieyeoman@stgerards.school.nz.

Thanks. Mrs Beilby and Mr Yeoman

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My child/children _______________________ will attend the Central Otago Kapa Haka festival  on Sunday 9^th April.

Week 9 Term 1

Wow, where has the term gone?
Room 6 will be leading the Wednesday mass this week - please join the school in the church at 9am.
Most of us have completed our family kowhaiwhai art work and it is on the wall. We shared this work  at assembly on Friday, and some people explained the parts of their designs.
Today it was exciting to have a few people share their KWL research about their families.  We will take time each day this week to listen to each person's findings.  I learned today that lots of people in my room are related to each other as 2nd or 3rd cousins. "We Are Family" has a whole new meaning.
Next Monday we are moving on to looking at our Manuherikia River, and Room 6 are going to take us to see what they are doing with monitoring the health of our local river. This is part of our inquiry "Belonging" - we belong to the Alexanrda community and need to take care of community assets.  This river is a real asset to us as long as it is healthy. Please wear clothes suitable for fossicking along the river bank and also in the water. Clothing needs to be warm and a pair of gumboots needs to be worn.
To allow us to take part in this EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) learning activity I need 3 or 4 parents available to come with us.  Please email me if you are able to help. We will leave the school after 10:30 - I will post the exact time once this is confirmed with Room 6 and some special helpers.
I will be at Reading  Recovery Training on Wednesday afternoon and Ms Bennett will be with the class.  On Thursday and Friday mornings Ms Bennett will be at a training course so Mrs Eastwood will be the teacher.  I know she will really enjoy the Morning Programme on Friday.
Friday sees us finally make our ice cream machines (after we have tested our spelling and tooled our new lists). Make sure that you bring what is on your list.  I have some 'junk' in the back cupboard, but not enough for a whole class.  I love making days!! These creations will come home on Friday afternoon.
Looking ahead: Friday 7th = Teacher's Only Day. teachers will also be working on Saturday 8th.
Sunday 9th = Uruuruwhenua Kapahaka Festival at Molyneux Park

Homework

1. Reading: Wow many people have read more than 25 nights.  The more you read, the more you know and the better you write. We look carefully at how authors use language to make their writing come alive, and some people are using 'wow words' that we find in our reading to make our writing even more impressive. Don't forget that reading books with inspiring language to children, is of real benefit to young readers and writers.
2. Spelling: keep working on listening to the order of the sounds in the words you are practising. Lots of people scored 5/5 or 8/8 last week.  Well done. Some people also work with Loretta on their tooling and spelling.  Please note that this is not instead of practising spelling at home, but to help then gain confidence and be independent at the task.
3. Scripture Reading Eisteddfod: a hard copy of the blog information is in homework books.  Please complete the part at the bottom of the sheet so that I know you have chosen your reading.  If nothing is written there at the end of the week I will help people choose and send something home to be worked on.  Please ask if you need assistance.  Being prepared early is the key.    

Have a great week. We have really stepped up with our organisation and considerate work habits.  Way to go, Room 3.

St Patrick's Day Celebration

What a great celebration we had in Rooms 3 & 4.  A few photos that record the outfits, the food and the orienteering "leprechaun treasure hunt".
Room 4 cooked up hot pots with food grown in the school garden, Mrs Ward's old garden over the road and my garden.  What fantastic corn Mrs Ward grew.  Thank you to everyone who provided such yummy green food for the day.

 Great to be learning with our Year 4 friends

 Look at all that beautiful green food - not a veggie to be seen in this pic! What perfect green tables Room 4.

 This corn is absolutely delicious - thank you Mrs Ward.

 Now, where are we on this map?  How many shamrocks have we found?

Righto - we have all 12 words. Now what is the leprechaun's message? Where do we find this pot of gold?

Week 8 Term 1

Coming up for breath after a very busy start to this week.  It has been fantastic to meet with parents and students to set goals for the first part of the year and to address any concerns. Thank you for the positive comments about how the blog keeps you informed - not so this week though! I wonder what time it will say this was written.
We had an amazing celebration last Friday - thank you for the wonderful food.  Check out the photos on a separate post.
Wednesday lunchtimes Mr Dyson is taking miniball skills on the school courts at 1pm.  This year we can include Year 4 people in the Year 4-6 grade. Year 4's - if you want to try this game, go and join the fun. The competition games are held each Friday night at the Molyneux Stadium starting at 3:30. The first competition night is Friday 19th May.
Fantastic sentences: I will continue to add a sentence from each child to the post started earlier today - keep checking this out.  It is exciting to see how we are all thinking about how we can use "wow words" to describe, and some people are becoming more independent at using the writing WALTs.
Assembly: 2:10 in the hall. Several classes will share in this with Room 5 as the organisers. We will share some of our art and writing - if we get 2 spots in the proceedings. Our Kowhaiwhai patterns to represent our families are looking stunning - too good for placemats I think.

Homework

1. Reading: remember your log.  Lots of excited people reaching their 25 nights.
2. Spelling: tool, listen and record your words each night. Test Friday.
3. Inquiry: finding out about our families. Using a KWL to organise our questions and what we have found out. Thank you for helping with the writing.  This task may take several weeks - we will share as we each complete this
4. Eisteddfod: the information about this is posted separately.  Remember to ask Ms Bennett or myself if you need help to choose your story/reading. Don't leave this till the last minute.
5. Reading Eggs: the free sample will end this week. I know some people have enjoyed using this site.

Swimming Sports Photos

I have been clearing out some photos from the i-pads.  Thought we might save them on the blog.

Thank you parents for the amazing colourful costumes for the swimming sports.

Kiwi I am so sorry that there was not a close up photo of us! You all looked fabulous too!

How To Make Candyfloss

Yum, yum, Tamai and Mum

A great "How to" for Morning Programme.