EOTC Week is here!!

Our action packed week is finally here! Below is the overview for the next couple of week so you can keep up to date with what is happening each day. Make sure you come to school prepared for whatever is planned. Please click on the image to make it bigger.

Zone Athletics 22.11.11

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

Homework Week 2 Term 4

Spelling / Fitness!

Learn the 10 spelling words for the week. You must be able to recite them to someone at home correctly while doing STAR JUMPS.

Reading: You must read for at least 15 minutes each night. Record your reading in a table. Try reading out loud to someone. Maybe you could share a story with a little brother, sister or friend.

Something A Bit Different!

Your task this week is to design a homework sheet for your class to complete. It can be whatever you like as long as it is educational and adding value to what we are doing in class.

You must present it on an A4 sheet (we can give you this at school if you want), it must also be accurate, easy to follow and achievable for everyone. You may wish to publish it on the computer too!

Sometimes it's useful to base your homework around a particular theme e.g cooking, rugby, summer.

Have fun, get creative and original and go for it!

The winning homework sheet will be photocopied and given out as the next weeks homework for the class.

Term 4 Week 1

Homework Week 1 Term 4

SPELLING:

You have 10 spelling words for the week. Please practice learning them everyday.

Put your 10 words into a sentence – 1 sentence for 1 word. Please keep the sentences neat. Underline your spelling word in the sentence.

MATHS:

Write out the questions and answers to the 6 and 7 timetables in your book. Make sure you learn both the multiplication and division facts.

Challenge: How fast can you recite them all mixed up? Record your best time.

READING:

You must read for at least 15 minutes each night. Record your reading in the table below.

Day	Title	Author	Actual time read
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

INQUIRY:

Well the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) is over. We’re interested to know what you thought and how you felt about the tournament.

Your Inquiry task this week is based around the “Six Thinking Hats” (which we will be using a lot this term). Think about the RWC and answer the questions in the table below. Come to class on Friday ready to talk about your thoughts, feelings and conclusions with the class.

HAT	Answers
WHITE (information) What is something new you learned during the RWC?
RED (emotions) How did you feel about the RWC? Why did you feel this way? Would anything have changed the way you felt?
YELLOW (positives) What was good about the RWC for you personally? What was good about the RWC for New Zealand as a country?
BLACK (risk/judgement) Was there anything you did not like about the RWC? Did the tournament have any negative effects?
GREEN (creative) If you were in charge of organising the next RWC what would you do differently?
BLUE (evaluation) What is your overall opinion about the 2011 RWC? What made you reach this conclusion?

Homework - Term 3 Week 8

Spelling
WALT – Learn your 10 spelling words .

Reading
You must read for a minimum of 15 minutes every night, any longer is a bonus! Draw up a table and record your reading progress.

Try visiting the Muritai library blog.
http://www.muritailibrary.blogspot.com/

Wearable Art

Well done to everyone on making your outstanding wearable art last week - you should all be very proud of yourself!!

Remember there is will be no more time for making in class so if you still have work to do please continue working on it at home. What can you add to give it the WOW factor!

Term 3 Week 6 Homework

Term 3 Week 6 Homework

We are giving you a little rest with homework this week. We know that you are busy getting prepared for wearable arts.

Spelling
WALT – Learn your 10 spelling words .

Reading
You must read for a minimum of 15 minutes every night, any longer is a bonus! Draw up a table and record your reading progress.

Reading
Try visiting the Muritai library blog.
http://www.muritailibrary.blogspot.com/

Don't forget...

Making week is next week! Make sure you have everything organised to bring into school for next Monday.