Newsletter 1 May

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

After two weeks back at school, it feels like we’ve never been away! I hope that you and your families had a nice Easter break and were able to enjoy the long weekend. Here’s is what’s happening in Ruma Kakapo this term:

Inquiry

We are learning about the ANZACs and Gallipoli and what this meant for individuals as well as for New Zealand as a country. Later this term, we will be going to the Waimate Museum and, with the help of the South Canterbury Museum Educators, learn a bit more about the Anzacs and the Gallipoli landing.

Maths

During the first two weeks this term we have been learning about 3D objects in geometry. Hands-on activities combined with Euler’s formula

V + F –2 = E have kept the children engaged and learning. (Ask them to explain the formula to you.)

We will be returning to number teaching and basic facts next week.

Student teacher

We are very fortunate to have Joanna Miller join us for a seven week placement from next week on.

Joanna is completing a graduate diploma in teaching through Christchurch College of Education and I look forward to working with her over the coming weeks.

Home & School Lunch & Visiting Performers

Order forms for this went home a couple of days ago and need to be returned by Tuesday, 5 May please. We also have The Playhouse theatre group coming to visit us for a performance next Thursday. Please send $2 along for your child. Thank you.

Netball & Miniball fees

If you child is participating in any of these sports and you haven’t sent the fees along, please do so soon. Thank you.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Three weeks into the school year, and it seems like we’ve never been away! The calendar in the staffroom is frighteningly full already…

Reading Diaries 
We will be starting our reading groups next week, but children can read books from home or one they bring from school. After reading, they need to fill in their reading diary with the title of the book, the date and a comment.

Basic Facts Homework 
This week, we are starting with our basic facts homework. Your child has 4 copies of their basic facts level in their homework book, one for each day this week. The basic facts homework follows this routine (for now):
Day 1 Children to complete the sheet - parent to check that they’re correct
Day 2 Work on the facts that were wrong on day 1 – write out the family of facts for that fact. If all were correct, complete the whole sheet
Day 3 Complete the whole sheet again and time yourself
Day 4 Complete the whole sheet and time yourself – try to get it done under 4 minutes

If your child is new to this school, their facts may seem too easy for them. This is on purpose – they are meant to be easy at the start.

Kiwi Can 
This is a weekly session with Dom and Richie which focusses on respect. This term’s theme is “Positive Relationships – being a good friend”. The sessions are run in the hall and take place on Mondays.

Meet the teacher Tuesday and Thursday 
Hopefully, your child has given you their green notice with the time of their interview. If not, please ring me at school.
I look forward to seeing/meeting you on Tuesday or Thursday this week.

Week 2 Term 1

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It has been a wonderful start to the new year with “my” new Ruma Kakapo class.

 
Homework
This week we will start reading homework. Your child will bring home a reading book from their browsing box. If it’s a School Journal, they can choose a story or an article from it and read it.
After reading, they need to fill in their reading diary with the date, title of the book and a comment on the story.
There is also a daily homework sheet for maths this week. We are revising basic facts, so if you think the facts are too easy, it’s just because we are getting back into things.
 
Class Dojo
If you have signed up for this with last week’s newsletter, you should have received a report on Friday. It would be great if all parents could receive these reports by email. If you don’t have a computer, you can use our classroom computer to sign up. There is also an app that you can download onto your phone or ipad.
 
Meet the teachers
Your child will have notice to book a Meet the teacher-timeslot next week. Please sign and return to tomorrow, thanks.
 
Stationery
Thank you for getting the stationery to promptly. For those who haven’t got it yet, you can buy a box for $22 at the school office.
 
I look forward to meeting you next week. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please see me or ring me at school.

 

Have a good week,
Annie Rehmann

Welcome to 2014!

Dear Parents and Caregivers,     

                                                                            

Welcome back to a new school year. I hope that you and your family have had a good holiday. The highlight of my holiday was a climb up to Mueller Hut near Mount Cook with my husband Ralph and my daughter June last week.

The mountains and glaciers were stunning, well worth the1800 steps up to the hut, and the knee-shattering climb (or shall I say, crawl) down.

It is always exciting to start Term 1 with a new class. I hope that your child is excited about coming back to school, even if it means getting up early again… 

Apart from welcoming the children who are coming to the senior school for the first time, I would also extend a warm welcome to Lauriann who joins us from Ireland, and Ava whom a lot of us already know through Kiwisport.

This year’s overarching focus is sustainability.  The learning area this term is health. Our inquiry will lead us to learn about how we can lead a sustainable lifestyle, ie food/nutrition, physical activity, relationships with others and physical safety.
We will be spending the first few weeks getting to know each other and creating a positive classroom learning environment.

Stationery

You can buy stationery packs at the office. If you still have items from last year (rulers, colouring pencils etc.) that you don’t need to purchase, you can tell Lenore or Kirsten at the office, and they can take them out of the box. 
Can you make sure all stationery is named please, including each coloured pencil. If your child still has a reading folder and/or spell-write booklet at home could they please bring it back as well. Thank you.

Swimming

From tomorrow on, we will be swimming every day at 10.30 am, weather permitting. Please make sure that your child has his/her togs every day, even if the weather does not look promising in the morning. If your child is unable to swim, could you please send a note along. Thank you. 

Class Dojo

Class Dojo is a web-based behaviour management system that I would like to trial in Ruma Kakapo this term. It looks appealing to children and sounds exciting to use. 

Attached you will find a note with a login to a website that allows you access to your child’s report. You can select to receive a daily report about your child’s behaviour. Children have their own login to change their avatar and look at their report. Please note that only you and I will be able to see your child’s report, nobody else. If you are unable to access the internet at home, you are most welcome to use our classroom computers. It would be great if you could send the attached slip back to school as soon as possible.

Thank you.

I would love to meet you (again) sometime in the next couple of weeks. Please feel free to pop in any time to introduce yourself. You are always welcome to come in and see your child ‘at work’.

Have a great first week,

Annie Rehmann

Welcome to Term 2

Dear parents and caregivers,

I hope that you and your family have had a great break, and that your child is keen for a new term of learning.

I went to an education conference in Christchurch last week with my colleagues from school. It was an inspiring and exciting event and I am keen to try out some of the new things I’ve learned.

 

Homework
This week’s homework is reading a book from home and basic facts. Here is the Basic facts programme as a reminder:
Each child has a set list of Basic Facts to learn for the week. There are four sheets for the children to fill in, one for every day.

Day 1: Complete the facts and get them checked. Take as long as you like. Study the ones you got wrong. Why were they wrong?

Day 2: Practise the facts, trying to get all correct. Rewrite the wrong ones.
Day 3: Time yourself to complete all facts.
Day 4: Time yourself to see if you can complete them within 4 minutes.
 

Inquiry

This term we are learning about celebrations in New Zealand and around the world. This will involve talking to you about special celebrations in your family, and inviting people from different countries to talk about their celebrations.

Towards the end of the term, we will be planning a special celebration – how, when, where will be up to the children to work out.

 

Cross Country

Our school cross country event is in week 3. We will be practicing our run when/if the weather allows it. All children will set themselves a goal to work towards and see if they can improve in their own fitness.

 

Towards the end of the term, your child will receive a Portfolio and report. We will have parent interviews then as well.

Please don’t hesitate to come and see me if you have any questions or concerns at any time.

Have a great week,

Annie Rehmann

Welcome to Term 2!

Ruma Kakapo Newsletter
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
I hope that you and your child had a nice relaxing Easter break, and that they are re-charged for a new term of learning.

Inquiry
This term we will be learning about Waimate through the inquiry process. The topic is My community Waimate – what does it mean to be a member of the Waimate community? We will be looking at what kind of services and community organisations there are in Waimate, and what clubs the children are part of. This fits into our Big Idea ‘Identity’ this year.

Kakabro
Our little Kakapo soft toy has been on holiday with me. He goes home with a different child each day. We now have a book to record Kakabro’s adventures, and a Kakapo book to read to/with him. I hope your child enjoys their time with Kakabro when it is their turn. Watch this space for Kakabro's adventures.