Term 1 2016
Dear Parents and
Caregivers,
Welcome back! I hope that your summer has been a relaxing
and enjoyable one.
Firstly, I should introduce the
Senior School team; some familiar faces to the Senior School and some fresh
ones! Melissa, Carl, Ruth and I are very
much looking forward to the year ahead and to working alongside you.
While the students will be in one of
three classes as indicated below, we very much wish to continue to build the
strong team culture that has been so successful in the Senior School in
previous years. Students will have many
opportunities to work across the classes, both with outher students and other
teachers within our team.
The classes are:
·
Room 22 Melissa Coton
·
Room 23 Annette Borgonje (3 days a
week), with Ruth Hooke each (Wednesday & Friday)
·
Room 24 Carl Woodhams
We have an exciting term
planned! Here is an overview.
Integrated
Studies / Inquiry
The first couple of
weeks of the term the classes will be building their class cultures and
thinking about their leadership roles for the year. Students will be asked to
apply in writing for these positions in the first couple of weeks of school.
This unit is also set up to create a positive environment where children
understand, appreciate and support one another, while taking an active role in
their learning.
Our first Inquiry focus is The New Zealand Flag Consideration
Project, which offers a strong, relevant context for students to explore their sense
of national identity and citizenship. This
will have a strong Social Studies focus, but also makes links with Technology,
The Arts, English, te reo Māori, and Mathematics and Statistics. Each
class will explore what they stand for as individuals, groups,
and ultimately as New Zealanders. They will
look at the symbolism (historical, cultural and geographic) that is used in
flags, the contexts in which they are flown and differing perspectives between
different cultural groups. Students will
be encouraged to take their project in their own direction, depending on the
aspects they are most interested in.
Finally, they will engage in a referendum that replicates the real
decision-making process that is taking place around the flag so that they may experience
the way decisions are made in a democratic process.
Literacy:
The focus for Term 1 is looking at report writing and oral
language, with letter writing alongside to support the applications for
leadership roles. As always, we try to link our literacy programme with our
integrated studies. These two topics fit nicely into learning about different
cultures, perspectives and decision making. We will also be studying a variety
of novels throughout the year, both in small groups or as a whole class, with a
focus on deveopling students’ deeper comprehension of texts.
Maths:
This year students will be working in their own classes for
Maths. We have thorough processes in place to ensure that students will still
be working at their own level and appropriately extended or supported. We start the year looking at Number, specifically
place value and addition and subtraction, alongside Measurement, which allows
us to explore Mathematics within real life contexts.
Muritai School is continuing to use the online maths maintenance
programme www.mathletics.co.nz. This will be used in class but predominantly for
homework to support the work being done at school. We found this programme
extremely worthwhile last year. Many students achieved excellent results from
the regular maintenance and it is a great way for parents to see what learning
is happening in the classroom. Expect your child to have between 5-10
mathletics activities to be completed either at home or school throughout a
week.
Health & Physical Education
Swimming will start on Monday 22nd February. Students
will have 8 sessions over the two weeks (Weeks 4 & 5) until 4th
March, swimming daily except Fridays.
Times are as follows:
Room 22 Monday –
Thursday 10 - 10.30
Room 23 Monday –
Thursday 10.30 - 11
Room 24 Monday –
Thursday 11 - 11.30
These sessions will be run by Hutt City swimming instructors.
All students are expected to swim in every session unless we hear otherwise
from you so please let us know if your child is unable to swim on any day. As we are fostering indpendence in
preparation for high school, we ask that students be responsible for
remembering their own togs on their swimming days!
Our annual swimming sports are scheduled for 10th of March at
Huia Pool. We would love to see you all there to cheer on your child!
After our swimming programme concludes, we will move into Batting, Striking and Small Ball
Skills, with a focus on Cricket and possibly tennis (since it's the season for
it!).
Once into the regular routine we will meet for fitness daily as
a whole syndicate. Everyone is expected
to take an active part and so we ask that, should your child not be well enough
to participate, you drop us a quick e mail or note. Students who are not well enough to take part
in fitness will also be encouraged to have a quiet morning tea and lunch.
Because your child will be exercising everyday in the hot
weather we will be asking the the children to bring a spare change of clothes
to wear. We recommend the students wear their school sports uniform if they
have them. We would appreciate it if you have support us by reinforcing this
expectation at home.
Believing a healthy, balanced attitude to life is important, we
will be encouraging healthy eating in the Senior School and building on the
‘Nude Food’ work we did last year. Our
school is in a beautiful place so it would be great to keep our lunch waste to
a minimum. This website:
has some good tips on how to do this. We ask that students do
not bring chocolate bars or lollies as part of their daily lunch, but rather
reserve these for treats; rewards, birthdays, celebrations, etc. Please also note that we have a couple of
students in the senior school this year with a severe allergy to peanuts and
consider this when thinking about your child’s lunch.
Art
This term, to link with our Inquiry and developing a class
culture for the year, we will be looking at the New Zealand artist Tiffany
Singh and creating Tibetan- style prayer flags.
Students will symbolise their aspirations and dreams for the world on
their flags. These flags are
traditionally believed to spread the goodwill and compassion into their
surroundings.
Kapa Haka
Kapa Haka this year will be continued by Carol Algar from the
main school, alongside Ruth Hooke. They will be taking each class for a 45
minute session on Thursday mornings beginning in week 3 or 4. From there, Ruth
and Carol will select a performance group to prepare for Polyfest in Term 2.
Things to note:
• Technicraft: This programme starts on the
11th of February (awaiting confirmation from Wainuiomata Intermediate). This
year we have 5 groups. 3 groups will travel to Wainuiomata Intermediate by bus
for either Food, Fabric or Wood Technology. The 3 groups remaining at school
will either be taking part in music with Ruth Hooke or Spanish with Melissa
Coton.
• Cell Phones: We understand students may
require the use of cell phones before or after school, so they are permitted at
school, but they are not to be used during school time. If your child needs to
contact you throughout the school day they must use the school phones and ask
permission from one of our staff members first. If students bring their
valuables to school they are responsible for them. Our advice is to keep them
at home.
• Parent Interviews: Our first set of
interviews are scheduled for Thursday 4th February. This is an opportunity for
you to come and share information about your child with us. We look forward to
meeting with you all. Carole in the office will be in contact with your shortly
on how to book at time to meet with your child's classroom teacher. We will
have another round of longer parent interviews towards the end of the term at a
date to be confirmed. The purpose of these meetings is for us to share your
child's testing information with you.
* Homework: Weekly
homework will start in week 1. Every child should bring their homework book
home on day one which will include a letter from the classroom teacher
explaining expectations.
• Blogs: We will continue to share our learning
with you using the blogging platform. You are welcome to visit the class blogs
anytime and we would love to hear your feedback.
Room 22: http://misscoton.blogspot.co.nz/
Room 23: http://mrsborgonje.blogspot.co.nz/
Room 24: http://mrwoodhams.blogspot.co.nz/
Team: www.seniorschoolmuritai.blogspot.co.nz/
• Portfolios/Learning Journeys This year your
child will have two platforms for collecting/sharing their work. Firstly, an
online folder that can be shared with you which will contain all completed work
they have created electronically. This folder may also contain images of your
child throughout their year at school. Secondly, each child will have a
clearfile presentation folder which will contain any work that has not been
completed electronically. This may be copies of assessments, art, handwritten
stories.
· Days Bay Day
Wednesday As
part of our teambuilding for the beginning of the year we plan to head to Days
Bay on Wednesday afternoon (3rd Feb). If you would like to join us you are most
welcome! Please ensure that your child
has their togs, towel, sunscreen, water bottle and anyting else they might need
for a fun afternoon in the sun on Wednesday.
· Communication: If you need to contact
your child’s classroom teacher please feel free to drop by the classroom before
or after school. The easiest way to touch base with us otherwise is by email:
Melissa:
coton@muritai.school.nz
Annette: borgonje@muritai.school.nz
Ruth: hooke@muritai.school.nz
Carl: woodhams@muritai.school.nz
Please note that we will respond to emails during work hours,
but it can be tricky to check these during teaching times so please consider
this when sending urgent messages.
Thank you again for your support
Annette Borgonje and the Senior Team
