CLASS NEWSLETTER - ROOM 7

TERM 1  – 2012

 

 

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Welcome back to school routines.   I hope you all enjoyed the long break.   I must admit I love the holidays – time to relax, recharge and re-energise.   I then look forward to starting a new year with a class of eager young learners.

 

This year Kaye Scott will be teaching every Wednesday in Room 7.   Kaye will follow the class programmes and routines as well as planning and teaching the Art, Music, Algebra and Measurement units.

 

We also have Merren Walke – class Teacher Aide who supports your children’s learning Monday – Thursday morning.

 

We all look forward to working with your children and getting the best out of them in their first year at school.

 

This year we are starting with 15 children, 9 new five year olds and 6 children from last year.

 

We welcome, Sarah Milne, Nikhil Satya, Willow Knight, Katelin Drummond, Briella Tupaea, Luke Harp, Lily Allan, Phoebe Wylie, Reon Kahui ad David Turner and Mac Annand (who join us in Week 8 and 9).

 

The following is an outline of this terms programme.   I will go into more details of the routines and expectations on Wednesday 8 February at 6.30pm at the class meeting.

 

ENGLISH

Reading -

Children work at individual levels.   The overall objectives here are -

1.       To develop a love of reading

2.       To read for meaning

3.       To recognise high frequency words (sight words)

4.       To use texts and pictures to sample, predict and confirm unknown words

5.       To self correct

Written Language –

Children work at individual levels as well.   See me if you wish to know what levels your child is working on.   The overall objectives here are –

1.          To develop the process of writing

2.         To use beginning and ending sounds of words

3.         To use approximations using letter sound knowledge

4.         To learn to spell frequently used words

5.         To add personal voice to their writing.

Each week I focus on a specific skill in Reading and Writing - often using the class shared book to achieve this.    All skills are constantly revised.

                                    Reading                                    Writing

Week   1                          Character                                  Spaces

         2                          Sequence                                   1^st and last letter sounds

         3                          Retelling                                   Approximations

         4                          Fullstops                                   Fullstops

         5                          Capitals                                    Capitals

         6                          Use of meaning & Visual cues            Choosing a topic                

         7                          Expressive                                  Re-reading as writing

         8                          Speech Bubbles                            Speech Bubbles

         9                          Rhyming words                            Rhyming words

         10                         Self Correcting                            Use of rich language

We also focus on one English strand per term.   This term it is the oral strand

The children will be learning:

·       To be a good listener

• Speak clearly and confidently in the classroom
• Ask and answer questions
• To use correct pronunciation of words and sounds
• To extend their vocabulary

Printing/Alphabet Work

Each of the following letters will be studied for a week.   It’s formation, upper and lower case, it’s name and sound are covered.

         Ll   Tt   Jj   Xx   Vv   Ww   Zz   Nn   Mm   Fr

 

MATHS

The three topics to be covered are, Geometry and Algrebra and Measurement

 

Geometry

1.          Can name and describe shapes, square, circle, triangle, hexagon, oval

2.         Can use words – straight sides, corners, faces when describing shapes/boxes

3.         Can follow and give instructions using words backwards, under, above, beside etc.

 

Algebra

1.          Working on repeating patterns

2.         Recognising and describing relationships in patterns using object and sets

 

Measurement

1.          Can use measuring language e.g. longer than, shorter than

2.         Can use unconventional and conventional units to measure length and height

3.         Can use unconventional units to recognise the area of a flat surface

 

HEALTH

Developing a positive classroom and friendships

• Children to work together to create a happy positive classroom
• Each person is different and special
• Everyone likes and is good at different things
• How to be a good friend

 

KEEPING OURSELVES SAFE

The children will learn to:

• Identify and share their feelings, particularly times they feel safe, unsafe and fearful.
• Identify hazards in their everyday environment and develop rules to handle these.
• Recognise different types of touch and have strategies to deal with touching they don’t like and want to stop
• Decide who they can trust and know how to ask people for help
• Cope confidently with situations where people try to trick them or offer treats or bribes.
• Help set and follow personal safety rules

 

MAORI

Greetings – Morena ka kite and tena koe

Commands – e tu, e noho, haerai, titiro mai, whakarongo

Legends

 

ART – Painting

• Understanding the qualities of paint and the variety of ways it can be applied
• To explore and experiment with colour
• To use an art vocabulary associated with painting

 

MUSIC – Singing -     To chant rhymes

                           To learn new songs and revise and enjoy old ones

 

PE

Swimming       -        See me or individual charts for objectives

Ball skills       -        Developing skills of rolling, catching and throwing

+++++++++++Can the children please bring their togs to school in a separate bag everyday

 

We like the children to drink water during their learning time in the classroom.   In order to do this we would like the children to bring a water bottle that is to stay in the classroom, from Monday to Friday.   This is additional to their lunch box drink bottle.

 

The Key Competency that we will be focussing on this term is Managing Self and Relating to Others.

We are learning to:

• Bring in and organise our book bags before school.
• Wear and look after our sunhats
• Use a correct voice when talking in the classroom.
• Work together in a safe, fair and happy classroom.

Term 1 Value – Friendliness

• Tent City – we intend to have this event on  Friday 2 March– more on this later

 

Parents can support their children’s learning by insisting they unpack their school bag/book bag and then eventually coming into the classroom independently.   Independent children are independent successful  confident learners.

 

As you can see life is busy and varied in Room 7.   Your ‘little ones’ are constantly exposed to new learning and experiences (it’s no wonder we are all exhausted by Friday).

 

I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday 8 February if not before.

 

If you ever have any questions or concerns please come and discuss it with me.   If you wish to have an indepth discussion please make an appointment so you have my undivided attention.

 

Many thanks

 

Catherine Cameron

Kaye Scott.