Term 4 Newsletter

Kia Ora everyone,

Welcome to Term 4 of 2011. It’s hard to believe we are now in the final term of the year. It is fantastic to finally see the sun after a very long and wet winter.

Firstly, a massive thank you to everyone who helped out during our very successful Wearable Art performances at the end of Term 3. It was a huge process for everyone involved, right from the initial ideas, making of outfits, dance practices through to the final performances. The children looked fantastic on stage in their creative outfits and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

As usual, Term 4 is set to be another busy one, especially as it is only 8 weeks!

Below is a run down on the term. Feel free to contact your child’s classroom teacher if there is anything you wish to discuss further.

Literacy

Our writing focus for this term is persuasive writing, where we will be exploring how to write a quality argument. We will be looking at several current topics in the media, including oil spills and whaling to stir some debate!

Throughout our Inquiry and Reading lessons our focus is on developing thinking and information literacy skills, looking particularly at summarising key ideas into our own words.

Numeracy

We start the term revising some key concepts from the year. We will be focusing particularly on fractions, decimals, place value and operational strategies. We end the term looking at Measurement, studying Time. This Measurement unit will be taught in our own classes rather than cross grouping between the classes in the syndicate. Please continue to help your children at home with their basic facts. Many children know these but need to become quicker with their recall.

Inquiry

Because of Wearable Arts last term we ran out of time to complete our Festivals and Celebrations inquiry unit so for the first 3 weeks of this term we are revisiting this topic. Our big idea is: ‘The Reason for the Season has been lost in modern day society’. All classes are currently involved in a personal inquiry where each child is researching a particular festival from around the world. Their task to identify similarities and differences with the way their festival is celebrated now compared to the past.

Health

Towards the end of the term Year 5 classes will be involved in revisiting the concepts around ‘Peer Mediation’. This is a programme created by the Peace Foundation and is part of their ‘Cool Schools’ initiative. In this programme the children will learn the skills of resolving conflict. At the end of the programme the Year 5 students will have an opportunity to apply to be a Peer Mediator in the playground at lunchtime so they can put these skills to good use. This will be an excellent leadership opportunity for children when they are in Year 6.

Physical Education

An exciting term for PE is planned, starting off with Athletics. The children will be taking part in Long Jump, High Jump, Vortex, Shot put, Quoit and Sprints. This leads in nicely to our school athletics day and Zone tournaments. We end the term with Swimming starting again down at the local pool.

Art

Later in the term Muritai School will be holding an Art Auction to raise funds for Green Gecko Project. The GREEN GECKO project is an initiative founded to benefit the lives of street children in Siem Reap, Cambodia. For more information on this project please visit: http://www.greengeckoproject.org/ Each class in the school will be completing a co-operative piece of art to sell at the auction. More information regarding this auction will be available in the next few weeks.

EOTC Week

This will be Week 6 and planning is currently underway. Activities will be finalised by the end of next week. As usual, we will need a lot of parent support for these days. More information will be sent home once ideas and dates are confirmed.

Year 5 and 6 Camp 2012

There will be a meeting for Forest Lakes Camp 2012 towards the end of the term. Details will be sent out closer to the time. You might like to consider whether you would like to be a parent supervisor. Preference will be given to parents who can attend the whole week in 2012.

Important Reminders

Portfolios

If you still have your child’s portfolio please return it for updating this term. They will go out on Week 8 with the reports.

Stationery Check

Many students are now missing pens, pencils, rulers, plastic pockets and calculators. These are necessary for everyday class work. Can you please ask your child if they need any items and replace them. Thank you.

Sun Hats & Drink Bottles

It’s term 4 and each child needs a hat to wear everyday outside. It needs to be a wide brimmed hat, not a cap and ideally should be left at school in their desk for easy access. Thank you to those students who have remembered. Students not wearing hats have to stay in the shade area by the junior rooms.

It is also recommended the children have their own named drink bottle at school. As the days get warmer it’s important they are fully hydrated.

Footwear and clothing

This term we need students to wear clothing that is suitable for outdoor sport. Please ensure your child wears shoes that they can run easily in (especially on Tuesdays as this is our athletics day.) Jandals and boots are not appropriate.

If you have any concerns or worries please contact your child’s teacher by leaving a phone message at the office or by email: teachers surname @ muritai.school.nz.

Kind Regards The Year 5 and 6 team

Term 1 2011

Term 1 2011

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to school for the New Year. Hopefully everyone had a very relaxing and enjoyable holiday. The teachers have been hard at work preparing for the year and we are all looking forward to getting started.

Our Year 5 and 6 team is back to 4 classes this year due to smaller numbers.

The team consists of

· Stu Devenport –Year 6 Room 13

· Melissa Coton - Year 5 Room 15

· Peter Hull - Year 6 Room 12

· Lisa Allen – Year 5 Rm 14

Ruth Hooke is another valuable member of our team. She will be teaching on Wednesdays in Room 14 and Fridays in Room 13. On Thursday she will continue to run the schools Performing Arts programme throughout the school.

Parent Interviews

Thank you to everyone who attended these interviews last week. It was fantastic to catch up with you to discuss your children. All the teachers have come away with valuable information which will assist in meeting the needs of your children.

Camp 2011 Forest Lakes (8-11 March)

Our major focus for the beginning of the year is camp at Forest Lakes. This takes place in week 6 of this term.

There is a cost involved with coming to camp; it will cost $215 per child. This covers every eventuality that may arise. We ask that you pay before going to camp. If there are any problems with this please contact your classroom teacher. It would be appreciated if you completed and returned the form at the end of the newsletter that was sent home last week with payment in a named envelope.

It is important that gear is being organised so that we are ready for Tuesday in Week 6. Let us know if you are having any difficulties as we can help you borrow gear. A gear check takes place at school in the morning before boarding the bus and you will be contacted if there are any major items missing. It is important that students are aware of what they have in their bags. Encourage them to take responsibility for checking their gear list and packing. This will be their responsibility while at camp.

If your child requires medicine to be given while on camp please make sure that it comes to school on Tuesday 8^th March in a named plastic bag and is given to the class teacher.

We are holding a meeting at 6.30pm on Thursday 24th February in the library for parents coming to camp for the full week. We will be discussing routines and also your responsibilities while at camp. It is important that you attend if you are coming to camp as a full timer. We hope it will take only about 30- 45 minutes. If your circumstances have changed please let me know as we have a waiting list for fulltime parents at camp.

Curriculum Topics

Our big idea for the year is ‘Standing Tall’. We will be forming our major units of work to fit round this throughout the year. This is a school wide theme and we are adapting it to best meet the needs of the students in our area of the school.

Homework

We have decided to wait until after camp to officially start homework so students can enjoy the sunshine and prepare for Camp. However we are starting reading homework this week. This involves a task called ‘Read around New Zealand’. Your child will have information about completing this task in their homework book. We will then ease into spelling homework. Your child should have between 8-10 spelling words to learn at home during the week. They will then be tested on these words on Friday. These words will be from the Essential Spelling Lists if your child has not already mastered them.

After camp, information will be sent home outlining expectations for homework.

Maths

Cross grouping will start week 2. We start the term looking at Number and exploring place value and basic facts. We then move into Measurement, exploring length and mass. There will be 4 groups based on ability so your children may not have their usual classroom teacher for Maths.

Writing

We are beginning the year focusing on poetry. After camp we will be looking at the genre of ‘Recounts’. We will use our experiences from Camp to assist this unit.

Topic/Inquiry

We start the term with a Health unit based around Peer Mediation training. This is a great unit and explores ways of dealing with conflict and resolution. At the end of the programme the Year 6 students will have the opportunity to apply for a role as a Peer Mediator in the playground at lunchtime to assist others with conflict resolution. This will be an excellent leadership opportunity for the Year 6 students.

After Camp we will start a Social Studies unit based around ‘Census 2011’.

Visual Art

Students will be learning about various concepts of drawing and will be building on their drawing skills using a variety of materials. Students will be completing a variety of exercises, exploring tone and contrast. We will all have a go at drawing a nikau palm!

Stationery

Thank you to the parents who ordered packs from school. Please ensure that stationery is at school as soon as possible if purchasing it elsewhere, so written work can start promptly. If you are covering books with duraseal please ensure that you have put labels on the front for the names, as it is very time consuming finding the owners of unnamed books. Names written in vivid pens are easily rubbed off. Labels are the best option.

Daily Reminders

Please help your child remember to check they have everything they need each morning and they are at school in time for the first bell at 8.40. Students should see that being organised is part of growing up and an important life skill to be developing.

They will need a water bottle (named) to keep hydrated during the day. It helps with concentration and learning. Ensure that it comes home regularly for a wash.

All students are expected to wear a wide brimmed sunhat during all outside activities. The hat needs to be kept at school for easy access.

Swimming

Swimming starts this week. Every class will be swimming everyday so please ensure that your child has their swimming gear ready. The gear should be named and in a suitable bag. We are lucky enough to have the assistance of a qualified swimming instructor for the first four weeks.

Sport

This year the year 5 and 6 students will have many opportunities to be involved in a range of sporting events. These sports range from netball and soccer to cricket and hockey. There will also be zone and inter - zone events such as swimming, cross-country and athletics. Parent support and transport at these events is much appreciated and it is also a wonderful opportunity to come along and see your child in action.

Blogs

We will be continuing the success of classroom blogging from last year. These blogs can be accessed through the school website. It is worthwhile visiting regularly and checking out the updates. It really is a fantastic way to see the learning that is occurring in the classroom. We encourage you to leave the comments for your children or the class – they really get a buzz out of it!

If you need to contact your child’s classroom teacher please feel free to drop by the classroom before or after school or make an appointment for an interview at the office. The easiest way to touch base with us is email e.g. teacher’s surname@muritai.school.nz

Thank you again for your support

Stu Devenport

Year 5 and 6 Team Leader.

Term 4 Newsletter

Kia Ora everyone,

Welcome to Term 4 of 2010. It’s hard to believe we are now in the final term of the year. It is fantastic to finally see the sun after a very long and wet winter.
Firstly, a massive thank you to everyone who helped out during our very successful Life of Riley Production at the end of Term 3. It was a huge process for everyone involved, right from the initial ideas and dance practices through to the final performances. The children looked fantastic on stage in their creative costumes and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.
The children produced some quality work in all areas last term. For the conclusion of our inquiry on town planning the students were asked to create and present a proposal on a new community facility in Eastbourne. Every child completed their proposal using Keynote. These presentations can be viewed on the class blogs. They are well worth a look and the children would really value your feedback. There is also fantastic fabric art featured on these blogs so take your time to have a look around!
As usual, Term 4 is set to be another busy one, especially at the beginning of the term where the children will be involved in numerous assessments to check progress. Week 4 has been set aside for completing maths basic facts tests, STAR & PAT reading and spelling tests.
Below is a run down on the term. Feel free to contact your child’s classroom teacher if there is anything you wish to discuss further.

Literacy
Our writing focus for this term is narrative, where we will be exploring the components of what makes a good narrative including story starters, developing characters and setting a scene. This will really give the children the opportunity to let their imagination go wild in their writing. We are continuing to strive for accuracy in our writing so punctuation and spelling is still a major focus.
We conclude the year with a poetry unit.
Throughout our Inquiry and Reading lessons the focus will be on developing information literacy skills, looking particularly at summarising key ideas into our own words.

Numeracy
We start the term revising some key concepts from the year. We will be focusing particularly on fractions, decimals, place value and operational strategies. We then move onto Algebra looking at sequential patterns and rules. We end the term looking at Measurement studying Time and Money. Please continue to help your children at home with their basic facts. Many children know these but need to become quicker with their recall.

Inquiry
Our big inquiry topic for this term is “What’s the Plan Stan?” This unit focuses on Natural Disasters and how to prepare ourselves for an emergency. This is a very current and relevant unit at the moment especially with the Canterbury earthquake occurring last month.

Health
Towards the end of the term all classes will be involved in ‘Peer Mediation’ training. This is a programme created by the Peace Foundation and is part of their ‘Cool Schools’ initiative. In this programme the children will learn the skills of resolving conflict. At the end of the programme the Year 5 students will have an opportunity to apply to be a Peer Mediator in the playground at lunchtime so they can put these skills to good use. This will be an excellent leadership opportunity for children when they are in Year 6.

Physical Education
An exciting term for PE is planned, starting off with Athletics. The children will be taking part in Long Jump, High Jump, Vortex, Shot put, Quoit and Sprints. This leads in nicely to our school athletics day and Zone tournaments. We end the term with Swimming starting again down at the local pool.

Art
This term we will be studying photography. Students will learn how to take a quality photo and there will be plenty of opportunities to take photos. We may need some extra cameras for these sessions so if you have a digital camera at home that you are happy to let your child use please let us know.

Homework
We will continue blogging our weekly homework this term. The children will have the homework tasks explained to them on a Monday. Many of the tasks for this term will focus on our Inquiry unit. The children will be asked to share what they have learned with you at home. They will also have between 8-10 spelling words to learn each week. We understand it is difficult for some students to have access to a computer at home so there is always a hard copy available for them to stick in their books on Monday.

As teachers, we also understand the weeks can be very busy and many children have a lot of after school activities to attend. If for any reason your child is unable to complete their homework, please write a brief note in their book or email your classroom teacher with an explanation.

EOTC Week
This will be Week 9 and planning is currently underway. Activities will be finalised by the middle of the term. As usual, we will need a lot of parent support for these days. More information will be sent home once ideas and dates are confirmed.

Year 5 and 6 Camp 2011
There will be a meeting for Forest Lakes Camp 2011 in Week 9. Details will be sent out closer to the time. You might like to consider whether you would like to be a parent supervisor. Preference will be given to parents who can attend the whole week in 2011.

Important Reminders

Portfolios
If you still have your child’s portfolio please return it for updating this term. They will go out in Week 10 with the reports.

Stationery Check

Many students are now missing pens, pencils, rulers, plastic pockets and calculators. These are necessary for everyday class work. Can you please ask your child if they need any items and replace them. Thank you.

Sun Hats & Drink Bottles

It’s term 4 and each child needs a hat to wear everyday outside. It needs to be a wide brimmed hat, not a cap and ideally should be left at school in their desk for easy access. Thank you to those students who have remembered. Students not wearing hats have to stay in the shade area by the junior rooms.
It is also recommended the children have their own named drink bottle at school. As the days get warmer it's important they are fully hydrated.

Footwear and clothing

This term we need students to wear clothing that is suitable for outdoor sport. Please ensure your child wears shoes that they can run easily in (especially on Tuesdays as this is our athletics day.) Jandals and boots are not appropriate.
If you have any concerns or worries please contact your child’s teacher by leaving a phone message at the office or by email: teachers surname @ muritai.school.nz.

Kind Regards The Year 5 and 6 team

Term 3 Newsletter

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to the new term. Hopefully everyone had a relaxing holiday – it was definitely the weather for it!

The Year 5 and 6 Team had another successful term in Term 2. The highlights would have to be our Renewable Energy Inquiry and the Speech Competition, where the quality of speeches from everyone was very impressive. Our T.G.I.F programme was also a huge success with children learning to play the ukulele, taking part in science experiments, spanish, art, sewing and even a bit of Bollywood dance!

Thank you to everyone who came to visit us for parent conferences at the end of the term. It was great to have a catch up with you all and report back on the successes your children have made.

The teachers are all looking forward to getting stuck into a solid term of teaching in Term 3. Here is the run down on what is happening.

Inquiry

Our big idea for the term is ‘A taste of town planning.’ To start the term we will be focusing on the past, learning about what Eastbourne used to look like 100 years ago. In particular, we will be looking at what type of community facilities were available for people to use. We will be investigating why the resources have changed or ceased to exist over time. This will lead into looking at the future and thinking about what kind of facilities we would like to see in Eastbourne for community use. The students will be surveying different members of the community to gauge their opinion and present a proposal for a new development.

We will also be focusing on the Key Competency ‘Relating to Others’ throughout this inquiry unit.

Literacy

In writing and reading we will be focusing on characterisation where we are learning the best ways to describe a character. In the second half of the term we will be looking at narrative writing, focusing on short story writing.

Our target focus for writing will continue to be striving for accuracy with our spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Maths

Cross grouping will continue this term commencing in week 2. We start the term looking at Number, exploring fractions, decimals and percentages.

Later in the term will will be looking at Statisitics – data collecting and graphing. This ties in nicely to our Inquiry unit.

Art

A big term for Art this term as we have our bi-annual school-wide production in week 9. Our show for this year is titled ‘The life of Riley’ which is an adaption of the picture book by Colin Thompson. It covers several moral themes which will be portrayed in the show. The preparation for the show will involve mask making by the children!

Physical Education

The start of the term sees us doing Gymnastics in the school hall. Each class will have a set day for this and it is essential children are dressed appropriately for this – no dresses, skirts or jeans.

Homework

We will continue to blog our weekly homework this term. The children will have the homework tasks explained to them on a Monday. They will also have between 8-10 spelling words to learn each week. We understand it is difficult for some students to have access to the computer at home so there is always a hard copy available for them to stick in their books on Monday.

As teachers, we understand the weeks can be very busy and many children have a lot of after school activties to attend. If for any reason your child is unable to complete their homework, please write a brief note in their book or email your classroom teacher with an explanation.

Other things to notes….

Slippers: These need to be continued to be worn throughout the winter term. Please ensure your child has a pair of slippers that are left at school.

Blogs: Thank you to all those who have visited the blogs and left comments and feedback for the children – they really appreciate your feedback. We will endeavour to keep the blogs updated regularly so make sure you visit frequently! The children are also becoming increasingly confident in publishing work on the blog.

Room 12: http://room13muritai.blogspot.com/

Room13: http://room13blog2010.blogspot.com/

Room 14: http://muritairoom14.blogspot.com/

Room 15: http://mrdevenports.blogspot.com/

Finally…. Please help your child remember to check they have everything they need each morning and they are at school in time for the first bell at 8.40. Students should see that being organised is part of growing up and an important life skill to be developing. Term 3 usually sees the supply of pencils, rulers and rubbers start to dwindle. It would be a good idea to ask your child if there is anything they require.

As usual, if you need to contact your child’s classroom teacher please feel free to drop by the classroom before or after school or make an appointment for an interview at the office. The easiest way to touch base with us is email e.g. teacher’s surname@muritai.school.nz

Thank you again for your support

Stu Devenport

Year 5 and 6 Team Leader.

Term 2 2010

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to the new term. Hopefully everyone had a relaxing Easter break and managed to eat their fair share of chocolate eggs – I certainly did!

A special thanks to all the parents who contributed to making our annual trip to Forest Lakes a real success. The children had a sensational time and it was an excellent opportunity to establish strong class and team cultures at the beginning of the year.

The teachers are all looking forward to getting stuck into a solid term of teaching in Term 2. Here is the run down of what is happening.

Inquiry

This term we are focusing on Science, in particular concepts of electricity. We will use the solar panels that are operating on the senior side of the school for motivation. Our big idea for this unit is ‘Solar Energy is the best way to generate electricity in New Zealand.’ Throughout the course of this inquiry students will investigate pros and cons of a variety of renewable sources of energy so they can form an informative opinion on this big idea. This is going to be a very exciting unit with lots of hands-on tasks like making electrical circuits and learning from experts who will be visiting the school.

Literacy

In writing we will be focusing on explanation writing where we will be writing factual accounts to explain how things work. This will be integrated with our Inquiry unit as much as possible, using our findings from scientific investigations.

Towards the middle of the term we will start preparing for speech presentations which will take place in classes at the end of the term. The best speeches from each class will be selected for the Team semi-finals. From there, the finalists will be chosen for the Finals on the 24^th of June.

The majority of the speech preparation will occur through the homework programme although support will also be given in class.

Maths

Cross grouping will continue this term and commence in week 1. We start the term looking at Number, exploring addition, subtraction, multiplication & division. We then move into Geometry, exploring various forms of symmetry.

Visual Art

Students will be learning about various concepts of painting and will be building on their drawing skills using a variety of materials. The students will be focusing on portrait painting by looking at works from famous artists.

Physical Education

The start of the term sees us training for the school cross country in week 5. Training will take place every morning so it is essential the children have appropriate running shoes and clothes to wear.

We will also be focusing on developing throwing and catching skills of large balls along with improving team game strategies.

Homework

Homework will be completed on a weekly basis during term 2. Homework will be given out on Monday and will be due on the following Friday.

This term we will be trialling blogging homework tasks on this blog. We feel this is a great way to reduce the amount of paper we use plus it will encourage students to get more familiar with our blogging systems. Homework sheets will still be provided to students who have no or limited internet access at home. This is what you should expect to see in your child’s weekly homework:

Spelling: Each week your child will have between 8-10 spelling words to learn for the week. These words will be a combination of words taken from the Essential Spelling Lists (including extension lists if appropriate) and inquiry/literacy based words. There will usually be a spelling activity based on these words eg writing words in complex sentences, writing in alphabetical order, breaking words into syllables etc. Every Friday your child will be tested on their words either by the classroom teacher or a buddy.

Reading: Your child will also be required to read between 10-15 minutes every night and record what they read in their homework books. They will also be asked to write a brief summary (1-2 paragraphs) on what has happened in the story.

Maths: This will usually consist of maintenance on basic facts, especially timetables plus revising concepts of place value. It is essential that your child has a strong grounding of these facts and they need to have instant recall so regular practice is essential. Tasks will often involve playing or completing maths tasks that are linked from the classroom blogs.

Additional tasks: Most weeks students will be given an additional task to complete. This may be completing a task that was started in class or a reflection task based on a learning experience from the previous week.

As mentioned earlier, towards the middle of the term there will be a strong focus on preparing for speech delivery in class.

As the term goes on, we will add links on this blog for students who wish to do optional extension tasks.

When your child is completing their work at home please encourage them to present their work to a high standard so it is easy to follow and mark by their classroom teacher.

As teachers, we understand the weeks can be very busy and many children have a lot of after school activties to attend. If for any reason your child is unable to complete their homework, please write a brief note in their book or email your classroom teacher with an explanation.

T.G.I Friday Programme

Starting Friday Week 2 the classes from the Year 5/6 Syndicate will be mixed up to take part in a variety of high interest activities. The programme includes, Drama, Art, Music, Science experiments and Spanish. The structure of this programme has been altered slightly from last year. This term there will be 2 cycles that last for 4 weeks each. This will mean each activity will be longer so concepts will be taught more in-depth.

The students will have the opportunity to choose which activity they would like to take part in. This will encourage students to take part in an activity that will harness their talents and strengths. We will endeavour to give every student their first, second or third choice.

This programme is a great opportunity for the students to take part in fun, practical learning experiences with the possibility of showcasing their work at the end of the term.

Other things to note….

Slippers: In Term 2 we ask the children to bring a pair of slippers to wear in the classroom instead of their regular footwear. This eliminates the mud that is brought into the class from children playing on the field. Please ensure your child has a pair of slippers that are left at school for the next two terms.

Blogs: All classroom blogs are now up and running with some classes also operating literacy blogs to showcase the students writing. Thank you to everyone who has visited the blogs and have left comments for the children – they really appreciate your feedback. We will endeavour to keep the blogs updated regularly so make sure you visit frequently!
Click on the links in the sidebar to go to the classroom blogs.

Reports, Interviews & Portfolios:

In Week 11 of this term there will be an opportunity for you to make an appointment with your classroom teacher to discuss your child’s progress along with viewing their portfolio of work. Reports outlining your child's achievements will also be sent home at the end of this term.

Finally…. Please help your child remember to check they have everything they need each morning and they are at school in time for the first bell at 8.40. Students should see that being organised is part of growing up and an important life skill to be developing.

If you need to contact your child’s classroom teacher please feel free to drop by the classroom before or after school or make an appointment for an interview at the office. The easiest way to touch base with us is email e.g. teacher’s surname@muritai.school.nz

Thank you again for your support

Stu Devenport

Year 5 and 6 Team Leader.

Term 1 2010

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to school for the New Year. Hopefully everyone had a very relaxing and enjoyable holiday. The teachers have been hard at work preparing for the year and we are all looking forward to getting started.

Our Year 5 and 6 team is back to 4 classes this year due to smaller numbers. The team consists of
• Stu Devenport –Year 6 Room 15
• Holly Edwards Year 5 Room 13
• Peter Hull - Year 6 Room 12
• Lisa Allen – Yr 5/6 Rm 14

Ruth Hooke is another valuable member of our team. She will be teaching on Wednesdays in Room 14 and Fridays in Room 15. On Thursday she will continue to run the school’s Preforming Arts programme throughout the school.

Camp 2010 Forest Lakes (9-12 March)

Our major focus for the beginning of the year is camp at Forest Lakes. This takes place in week 6 of this term.
There is a cost involved with coming to camp; it will cost $210 per child. This covers every eventuality that may arise. We ask that you pay before going to camp. If there are any problems with this please contact your classroom teacher. It would be appreciated if you completed and returned the form at the end of the newsletter that was sent home last week with payment in a named envelope.
It is important that gear is being organised so that we are ready for Tuesday in Week 6. Let us know if you are having any difficulties as we can help you borrow gear. A gear check takes place at school in the morning before boarding the bus and you will be contacted if there are any major items missing. It is important that students are aware of what they have in their bags. Encourage them to take responsibility for checking their gear list and packing. This will be their responsibility while at camp.

If your child requires medicine to be given while on camp please make sure that it comes to school on Tuesday 9th March in a named plastic bag and is given to the class teacher.
We are holding a meeting at 6.30pm on Wednesday 24th February in the library for parents coming to camp for the full week. We will be discussing routines and also your responsibilities while at camp. It is important that you attend. We hope it will take only about 30- 45 minutes. If your circumstances have changed please let me know as we have a waiting list for fulltime parents at camp.
Parent Interviews Interviews will be held on Thursday 18th February starting at 2pm-8 pm. It is your chance to share information about your child with the classroom teacher. We have not spent enough time with each student to give you academic information. A form will be sent home prior to this date to get you to start thinking about what you wish to discuss with your child’s teacher during the interview.

Curriculum Topics

Our big idea for the year is ‘Learning from others’. We will be forming our major units of work to fit round this throughout the year. This is a school wide theme and we are adapting it to best meet the needs of the students in our area of the school.
We will also be focusing on the Key Competency ‘Participating & Contributing’ throughout our camp inquiry unit.

Homework

We have decided to wait until after camp to officially start homework so students can enjoy the sunshine and prepare for Camp. However we are starting spelling and reading homework this week. Your child should have between 8-10 spelling words to learn at home during the week. They will then be tested on these words on Friday. These words will be from the Essential Spelling Lists if your child has not already mastered them.
After camp, information will be sent home outlining expectations for homework.

Maths

Cross grouping will start week 2. We start the term looking at Measurement, exploring length, and mass. We then move into Number, exploring place value and basic facts. There will be 5 groups based on ability. We are lucky enough to have Matt Skilton teaching a group this year.

Writing

We are beginning the year with writing ‘Recounts’. Summer holidays and camp will provide rich opportunities for ideas.

Inquiry

Our Inquiry focus is centred around camp. This will be a Technology unit where the students will be exploring the elements of Camp Confidence Course then designing and constructing their own ‘Ultimate Confidence Course’ in small groups.

Visual Art

Students will be learning about various concepts of drawing and will be building on their drawing skills using a variety of materials. Students will be completing a variety of exercises, exploring tone and contrast.

Stationery

Thank you to the parents who ordered packs from school. Please ensure that stationery is at school as soon as possible if purchasing it elsewhere, so written work can start promptly. If you are covering books with duraseal please ensure that you have put labels on the front for the names, as it is very time consuming finding the owners of unnamed books. Names written in vivid pens are easily rubbed off. Labels are the best option.

Daily Reminders

Please help your child remember to check they have everything they need each morning and they are at school in time for the first bell at 8.40. Students should see that being organised is part of growing up and an important life skill to be developing.
They will need a water bottle (named) to keep hydrated during the day. It helps with concentration and learning. Ensure that it comes home regularly for a wash.

All students are expected to wear a wide brimmed sunhat during all outside activities. The hat needs to be kept at school for easy access.

Swimming

Swimming starts this week. Rooms 13 and 14 are swimming Monday, Tuesday and Fridays. Rooms 12 & 15 are swimming Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays.
Please ensure that your child has their swimming gear ready each day in case there is a chance of an extra swim. The gear should be named and in a suitable bag.

Sport

This year the year 5 and 6 students will have many opportunities to be involved in a range of sporting events. These sports range from netball and soccer to cricket and hockey. There will also be zone and inter - zone events such as swimming, cross-country and athletics. Parent support and transport at these events is much appreciated and it is also a wonderful opportunity to come along and see your child in action.

Blogs

We will be continuing the success of classroom blogging from last year. These blogs can be accessed through the school website. It is worthwhile visiting regularly and checking out the updates. It really is a fantastic way to see the learning that is occurring in the classroom. We encourage you to leave the comments for your children or the class – they really get a buzz out of it!

If you need to contact your child’s classroom teacher please feel free to drop by the classroom before or after school or make an appointment for an interview at the office. The easiest way to touch base with us is email e.g. teacher’s surname@muritai.school.nz

Thank you again for your support

Stu Devenport Year 5 and 6 Team Leader.