Monday 28 February 2022

Play-based Learning - Making Music

 

Sunday, 27 February 2022

Play-based learning - making music

This week one of the teacher-led provocations was making musical instruments from a variety of materials.  We chose to make shakers and noticed that we could produce different sounds by adjusting the size of our rolls, how much rice we put in and by filling them with different things.  We compared the sound made.  The curriculum area we were covering was The Arts.










Sunday 27 February 2022

Weekly Notices, Week 5, Term 1

 

Sunday, 27th February 2022


Weekly Notices Term 1, Week 3

 


Welcome to Week 5 and our first week of swimming in 2022. Last week we introduced the children to their Maths groups, so we now have both our Maths and Reading programmes up and running. Our next step is to reintroduce the Structured Literacy programme to the children, following on from the testing completed last week.

It was really good to be able to celebrate Mass together as a school last Friday on the field. We heard lots of comments from children saying it was so cool being outside for this celebration. This Wednesday starts the season of Lent and Ash Wednesday Liturgies are planned

As you have probably heard there have been cases of covid at St Mary's and all appropriate action has been taken in getting those involved to isolate and in dealing with close contacts. Please read the covid updates that are sent out regularly.

Mr Macmillan and all teaching staff would like to remind you that if your child is unwell they must stay home. Ministry of Health Advice is:

What you need to do

  • You and your whānau should watch for symptoms

  • If any develop, get tested immediately

  • Then, stay at home until you receive the result

 

Symptoms of COVID-19

·   A new or worsening cough

·   Sneezing and runny nose

  • A fever

  • Temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste

  • Sore throat

  • Shortness of breath

Less common symptoms include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, or confusion/irritability.

Swimming

Kahikatea will be commencing swimming this week from Wednesday and this will continue over the next few weeks. It is an expectation that children participate in swimming unless they have a valid reason not to do so. Please send a note or a text if you wish to excuse your child from swimming. Henk from the Rotorua Swim school will be teaching the children over the next few weeks.

Headphones

If you haven't done so already please make sure your child brings a pair of headphones to school to use with the class Chromebooks. It is essential they all have their own personal pair, especially with covid rules in effect.



Have a great week!

David Bach and

Team Kahikatea

Wednesday 23 February 2022

Provocations - art and more science

 

Play-Based Learning - 


                       Art and more Science Week 4


     February 23, 2022






Room 15s provocation focus for the past fortnight has been The Arts. The children have enjoyed sketching, tracing, colouring and crafting. 
One provocation involved using protractors to make flowers. This was challenging because protractors are a new piece of equipment to year 3's. 





On Monday morning we had some very heavy rain and the drain outside Room 15 overflowed! The children used this opportunity to make paper boats to see if they would float. 



Mr Bach go out his telescope and some children got a close up look of the moon with its hills and mountains discernible.







Have a great Wednesday!

Sunday 20 February 2022

Weekly Notices, Term 1, Week 4

 

Welcome to Week 4 Term 1- 



   February 20, 2022



 

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to week 4, we hope you have had a lovely weekend thus far. The year 3's have settled really well into school and have adjusted to classroom routines beautifully. Last week we introduced guided reading into our morning programme and this week guided maths groups will take place as well. As posted last week, Maths Whizz is able to be used at home. Sunshine Classics will also be up and running this week. We will be using maths whizz in class, so because of covid-19 regulations could all children have their own set of headphones at school if possible. We did ask for this on the stationery list but I may have given some parents the wrong message at the first parent-teacher meeting. I do have some spare sets I can give to individual children to hold onto in class.




Last week, the children completed their own statistical investigation. When learning about tally marks, we used the different coloured cars on Ranolf Street to collect data. 


Children have been practising guided mediation prayer in class again this year to try and calm their spirits before lunch break and to become more mindful. See the video below of a mediation prayer session.




Weekly notices from Mr Macmillan 

Covid19

Below is a flowchart that will also be included in the newsletter. It explains what to do in the event of someone in your home being a close contact or getting Covid.

Mass

Mass has been organised for this Friday on the school field at 9.00am (tbc). Details will follow. Ash Wednesday Liturgies will happen in year teams this year. Details will follow shortly.


Swimming Sports 2022

We will be holding our annual Swimming Sports 2022 on Thursday 10th March. This year only Year 4-6 students will be attending. Please click on the link below to ensure we have the correct details for all our students. Swimming Sports Form

We hope you have a fantastic week. 
David Bach and Yr 3 Kahikatea Team.

Thursday 17 February 2022

Visual Art Provocation

 

Visual art provocation

 Today as one of the learning through play provocations we looked at real sunflowers.  We noticed patterns and lines and how they connected.  We drew what we could see and then looked at colours.  We used fat wax crayons to colour them and then used dye to paint the background a contrasting colour.

Here are some photos of our work.





















Wednesday 16 February 2022

Maths Whizz 2022

  


The year 3's completed their Maths Whizz assessment yesterday and are now good to go using it at home. 

 It would be great if you could encourage your child to use Maths-Whizz regularly at home.  Aim for 60 - 90 minutes usage and 4 progressions per week.

Monday 14 February 2022

Play-based learning and science

 Children have a huge range of free play options during the morning play-based learning session. There are options both indoors and out and they are all being fully explored by children in Rooms 15, 16 and 17. Teachers will also be offering teacher-lead provocations to link play to curriculum learning. Below are some photos of children involved with free play and science provocations offered by Mr Bach.





















Sunday 13 February 2022

Weekly Notices, Term 1, Week 3

 

Sunday, 13 February 2022

Weekly Notices Term 1, Week 3

 Welcome to Week 3.  We had a wonderful week last week getting to know each other. This week we will be starting our Guided Reading groups.  Please encourage your child to read at home for 20 minutes each day.  



Thank you for organising stationery so promptly.  There is a backlog with some orders but we have are sure they will be arriving soon.  Don't panic as we have enough books to use this week.

We do not have swimming this week, our turn will start in week 5.  

Remember named sunhats every day.  Well done to those who have had them every day this week, even though it rained.

The Sacramental Programme starts today, thank you to the staff who have put up their hand to help run sessions on a Sunday afternoon. We have 65 students enrolled for the programme which is fantastic.

Our School Mass is scheduled for this Friday. Fingers crossed for fine weather. The Mass will need to be outside so we are planning on having Mass on the school field at 9.00 am. Students will sit in their teams. If the weather is not fine enough for Mass then it will take place the following Friday.

Swimming Sports 2022

We will be holding our annual Swimming Sports 2022 on Thursday 10th March. This year only Year 4-6 students will be attending.

The library is closed for another week as Maria needs a little more time to finalise things there. We will let you know our library days as soon as they are finalised.

Enjoy your week.

David Bach and Team Kahikatea


Thursday 10 February 2022

Play-based Learning

 

Thursday - Play-Based Learning

February 10, 2022




Room 16 eating lunch on the first day and posing for the camera.


Kia ora whānau, 

The children continue to enjoy our play-based learning programme. There is a nice flow between the activities in the 3 classrooms, where the children are meeting different people and building new friendships.

Whilst it looks a bit chaotic from the outside, there is some amazing learning, collaboration and critical thinking going on when you look closely. Check out some of the fun the children have been up to:



"We've been drawing monsters. We watched a video on the iPad and copied the instructions" 



"We built a boat out of the foam blocks"


"We are doing a puzzle about the body"



"We are looking at things up really close"



"We are building a house with colourful windows" 



Year 3 Kahikatea Team