Weekly+Heads+Up+'09

Weekly Heads Up – And another week has flown by…This week is going to go doubly fast too, with Pet and Grands day today and Canterbury Show day on Friday giving us another long weekend. The children who went off to Darfield High School for Malvern Athletics had a fantastic day. They all came back to school buzzing about personal success or that of their peers. A wonderful attitude to have with many children achieving BTB (Better Than Before). **Show Day –** Friday is Canterbury Show Day so please don’t come to school because no teachers will be present. J Enjoy the extra day and if you are heading into the show in Christchurch ‘be sure to wear sunscreen.’ **Homework –** Please make sure your homework is completed and handed in by 9am this Thursday morning. If we have a short week it is expected that you will catch up on the extra day and have it all completed. If there is something you don’t understand it’s a good decision to come and speak with the teacher **//before//** the due day. All our homework is designed to support the classroom programme.
 * __Term 4, Week 5__**

**__Term 4, Week 4__** Weekly Heads Up – As a class we are working hard on our water colour portraits for the calendar fundraiser and they are looking fantastic! It is really exciting to see the learning progression in action. These will be on display on Pet Day so you can see what you will be purchasing. J **Good Luck –** All of the children competing at the Malvern Athletics today all the very best…remember BTB (Better Than Before). Kia Kaha. **Pet/Grand Day –** Is on **Monday the 9th November.** I’m really looking forward to the pet day, especially seeing all of the cakes that the Dad’s make for the PTA auction. Here’s hoping the weather is good to us and our pets co-operate. J **Homework –** Please make sure your homework is completed and handed in by 9am on Friday mornings. If we have a short week it is expected that you will catch up on the extra day and have it all completed. If there is something you don’t understand it’s a good decision to come and speak with the teacher //before// Friday. All our homework is designed to support the classroom programme.

**__Term 4, Week 3__** Weekly Heads Up – I hope you all had as a relaxing long weekend as I did. It’s week three already….which is a bit frightening really. Before we know it, it will be show week and pet day at school, then Christmas will be here. **Hororata Athletics day –** Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour and the morning was cancelled. We were lucky enough to get in the sprint races on Friday afternoon. As there is no postponement day for our school athletics we are aiming to get the children out in the afternoons weather depending so we can have qualifying results for those going to the Malvern Athletics day. If there are any parents who could spare an hour to help us with this could you let us know so we can arrange the days. Thank you. J **Disco- Put your dancing shoes on.** This is to fundraise to help get Murphy Kupe to the NZ Jump Jam Idol competition in Auckland. It will be held at the Hororata Community Hall, **Friday the 30th October** from 6.30 – 8.30pm. There is a $2 entry fee for each child and parental supervision is required. Drinks and nibbles will be on sale. **Tennis –** This week we have tennis coaching at school if you have a tennis racket can you please bring it along to use.

**__Term 4, Week 2__** Weekly Heads Up – We have a busy second week coming up, with school photos and our school athletics day. We have all settled into the swing of interchange and as a class we are working on our water colour artwork for the calendars and our athletic prowess for the school athletics. **School Photos – Wednesday the 21st October**. Children need to be in their **gold school t-shirts.** If you don’t have one please contact the school office and arrange to borrow one. **Hororata Athletics day –** This is scheduled for **Friday the 23rd October** start time 9.30am. Children always love support on these days and we’d love to have you here. PTA will putting on a lunchtime BBQ. Malvern athletics are scheduled for Monday the 2nd of November for those who qualify. **Labour Day –** Is on Monday the 26th (Monday week) we know the children love coming to school but please refrain from sending them along as we will be making the most of an extra sleep in. J **Congratulations –** To all of the children who participated in the Jump Jam Idol NZ Competition. You all did exceptionally well. **A special congratulations goes to Murphy Kupe for coming 4=.** For gaining a top 5 placing Murphy will compete in Auckland at AUT on the 20th November. Put your thinking hats on for some fundraising ideas.

**__Term 4, Week 1__** Weekly Heads Up – WOW, it’s the beginning of term 4…where is the year disappearing to? I hope you all had a fabulous break and are ready for an action packed 4th term. We have athletics day, pet day, school photos coming up, not to mention the school work we need to get through. J **Reading –** This term no school reading journals will be sent home for nightly reading. This is because the weekly instructional reading programme relies on each child having a copy and unfortunately they are not all being returned for the following day. **It is expected** that children will read material from home. They all have the opportunity to loan books out of the school library to help with this. If you have any questions regarding this please feel free to get in touch **. It is also expected that all children will complete their reading log** and have a parent/caregiver sign it off for them. **REMINDER TO ALL –** can those who haven’t read together and signed the Information and Communication Technology agreement please do so and return it to school.

**__Term 3, Week 9__** Weekly Heads Up –We had a superb day at Porters on Wednesday, it is always lovely to see the children interact outside of the school grounds and it was amazing to see their confidence grow over the course of the day. **Tui and Kakapo Wiki-** It is fantastic to see so many of the children using this site both in class and at home. Remember to keep checking in. As we come across new and interesting sites and activities we will put them on the wiki. Likewise if you have any favourites that you think we could add then please let us know and we will check them out and if we are able, make them available for all. **REMINDER TO ALL –** The TuiandKakapo wiki is a safe site and any form of cyber bullying will not be tolerated! Parents, we (Miss Conrad and Mrs Jermyn) as site organisers monitor activity on the messaging system however it is a good idea to know your child’s password so you too can check the messages that are being sent and received. We have spoken with the children about appropriate online behaviour and are linking this with our Kia Kaha programme to reinforce positive behaviours. If you can discuss this with your child it would be much appreciated. **__Term 3, Week 8__** Weekly Heads Up – WOW I can’t believe we are in week 8 of term three. Three weeks of term left and boy do we have some work to get through! The good news is all of the children have finished and presented their inquiry. There was a fantastic range of presentation methods and all of the children can be proud of their effort. **Ski Day -** Wednesday 9th September is the next scheduled ski day at Porters, cross your fingers and toes that the weather holds for us this week. Third time lucky! J For those children not going skiing, school will be as normal. **Tui and Kakapo Wiki-** It is fantastic to see so many of the children using this site both in class and at home. Remember to keep checking in. As we come across new and interesting sites and activities we will put them on the wiki. Likewise if you have any favourites that you think we could add then please let us know and we will check them out and if we are able, make them available for all.

**__Term 3, Week 7__** Weekly Heads Up – What a shame the weather didn’t hold for our ski day on Friday. We can all cross our fingers as we try for a third time lucky at the end of September. J Dates to be confirmed. **Kia Kaha –** We start the Kia Kaha programme this week and it will run through to the end of term. Kakapo and Tui Classes are specifically learning about “A Bully Free Zone”. This links well to the classroom ecology unit we did in term one and is a very good reminder for children and teachers as we head into the later part of the school year. //“Kia Kaha// //is a series of programmes designed to help schools create communities where everyone feels safe, respected and valued, and where bullying is not tolerated. The programmes have been developed by the Youth Education Service (YES) of the New Zealand Police.// ” **Tui and Kakapo Wiki-** It is fantastic to see so many of the children using this site both in class and at home. Remember to keep checking in. As we come across new and interesting sites and activities we will put them on the wiki. Likewise if you have any favourites that you think we could add then please let us know and we will check them out and if we are able, make them available for all.

**__Term 3, Week 6__** Weekly Heads Up – This week we have ‘Zero Waste’ with a focus for the year 5 and 6 children on ‘compost’ during Monday and Tuesday. You should have some budding composters coming home later in the week. J **Sounds Alive -** Many of the children are coming to see me first thing in the morning to show how many of their spelling words they are getting into their silly sentences. Keep up the wonderful attitude! This does not go unnoticed! It is expected that **all** children will complete their silly sentences. Please encourage your child to use as many different words as they can in their sentences and to re-read their work to check it makes sense. **Book Fair -** A reminder that this week is the school book fair. A selection of books will be available in the school library to browse and purchase. There is a school ‘dress up as your favourite storybook character’ scheduled for Thursday August 27th. Please encourage full participation to celebrate a love of literacy. If you have the book please bring it along to match your costume. **School Ski Day -** Second time lucky! Friday the 28th of August at Porters ski field. For those children who are not going skiing school is as normal.

**__Term 3, Week 5__** Weekly Heads Up – This week’s homework is focused around the **fire safety** programme that is being implemented throughout the whole school. The booklets will be issued to the eldest child in each family but the activities are to be completed by all children. **Sounds Alive –** This term we are creating silly sentences with our spelling list words. It is expected that **all** children will complete this task. Please encourage your child to use as many different words as they can in their sentences and to re-read their work to check it makes sense. **Book Fair -** A reminder that next week is the school book fair. A selection of books will be available in the school library to browse and then order from if you choose to do so. There is a school ‘dress up as your favourite storybook character’ scheduled for Thursday August 27th. Please encourage full participation to celebrate a love of literacy. If you have the book please bring it along to match your costume.

**__Term 3, Week 4__** Weekly Heads Up – Tuesday the 11th August is the Malvern Winter Tournament. The postponement date is Thursday 13th August. All children need the appropriate footwear and equipment (mouth guards, shin pads etc) for their sport, and are to wear their gold school t-shirts. Remember; v Drink bottle (water please). v Packed lunch. v Have all clothing named. v Warm clothing (layers that can easily be removed are ideal) During writing over weeks 2-5 we are focusing on character and descriptive writing. The children are being encouraged to take risks with their writing and to re-craft their work so they ‘paint a picture’ for the reader. Ask your child about their Monsters and Dragons. The children are coming up with some fantastic descriptive work by using the re-crafting process. J

**__Term 3, Week 3__** Weekly Heads Up –What a shame the weather didn’t hold for us so we could have the ski day on Friday at Porters. The next ski day to look forward to is scheduled for the last Friday of August. A big, big thank you to the parents who have offered their time to help us put together the school quilt. We will gladly take you up on your generosity and will be in touch soon. J As a school during fitness we have implemented whole school Jump Jam. The Jump Jam team are responsible for leading the school using cues they learnt at the leadership day. All other children from Tui and Kakapo are responsible for assisting the other students so they all learn the new routines from Jump Jam 10 &13, (these were very kindly bought for the school by the P.T.A.) Thank you! Tui and Kakapo class have been practicing these routines and it has been fascinating watching the older children help and encourage the junior children. I’m really enjoying watching the interaction, confidence and pleasure Jump Jam is giving children at all levels across the school.

**__Term 3, Week 2__** Weekly Heads Up – Wow, we have had a fantastic response to the Tui and Kakapo wikispace! If any of you don’t have online access at home and are still keen for your child to be a member we can arrange a free email address in order to log them on. Just let us know and we can take care of it during school time. As a school during art we are creating a quilt to hang in the library…each class is responsible for an aspect of ‘Community’ related to our inquiry topic. If we have any parents who are handy with a sewing machine that are able to donate their time to helping put it all together we would really, really appreciate it. Can you let us know by giving us a call. Thanks. Sounds Alive this term – the children will be getting their spelling sheets as per normal with a focus on making silly sentences instead of finding synonyms. Challenge your child to create silly sentences with their spelling words. How many words can they fit into one sentence? Have them check that it makes sense. Remember Friday 31st is the first of three school ski days. This one is at Porters. For those of you not attending school will be as normal.

**__Term 3, Week 1__** Weekly Heads Up – Welcome back to school! I hope that your holidays were as relaxing as mine. We have another busy term ahead of us and no doubt it will go as quickly as terms 1 and 2. During the holidays Tui and Kakapo class established a wiki. This is a web page that is interactive for the students and parents of both classes. You will need to log on to the following link to join up. __http://www.wikispaces.com/__ Once here sign yourself up with a user name, password and email…it is important to make them easy to remember…and then search for TuiandKakapo and add this to your favourites on wikispaces. This way whenever you log on you will have the link ready to access. Have a look around and explore some of the options we have on there. Have fun! You will find work samples children have done, links to some very cool and useful education websites, copies of homework sheets and a messaging system.