Term 4!

Below is the Room 12 newsletter I will be sending home shortly

Welcome to the 4th term! As always it looks to be a very busy term with the added excitement of Report Files to look forward to near the end of the term. This term we are planning a few trips and exciting experiences for the children. Please note the dates for these but be aware that they are still subject to change.

Below is an outline of the curriculum areas we will be learning about this term:

This term our major focus will be a unit called “Keeping healthy.” We will be looking at staying safe around trains with a unit called Tracks are for trains – rail safety. During the week leading up to Pet day (20th October) we will be looking at keeping safe around dogs and what to do when a dog approaches you. The main part of our unit will be 5+ a day – a healthy eating unit which will look at different types of food and how to make healthy choices. The last aspect of our keeping healthy unit will focus on bush safety and this will be put into practise with a Education Outside the Classroom learning experience.

The writing focus this term will be on Poetry. The children will be planning, drafting and publishing a variety of types of poetry and learning how to use smiles to create interesting poems.
Reading will continue to be a major focus in class, remember to ensure book bags are at school each day.

This term for Maths we will be learning and continuing to develop the addition and subtraction strategies that we have been working on. Towards the end of term we will be revising Fraction, Multiplication and Division and Place Value understanding.
We will focus on two strands for maths the first will be Statistics, where the children will be conducting their own Statistical investigation. The other strand will be measurement where the children will be learning to read analogue clock times.

Our P.E unit this term will be focused on athletics, we will be focusing on sprints, long jump, high jump and the throw. The unit will be concluded with the Carterton School Athletics event. During the first 5 weeks of term we are very lucky to have a tennis unit where we will have a specialist teacher come in to help teach us the skills we need.

The Art this term will explore painting and a range of different techniques. The children will be creating a range of artwork, with the new skills they acquire.







Administration:

Our learning team (Rooms 7, 8, 12, 13) are running the sausage sizzle on a Friday to raise money for our team trips. A notice has been sent home asking for parent volunteers to help run this. If you are able to help at all please contact either myself or Lesley Steward – Room 8 who is the co-ordinator.

All Room 12 children will be involved in the Kapa Haka festival on Thursday 4th November. Lesley Allecock is organising our contribution for this, and more details will be sent home closer to the time.

One of our learning focuses for this term is Train Safety. To give the children a real life experience of how to keep safe around trains we aim to take the children on the Transmetro Train to Upper Hutt for the day. The date for this is 10th November. This is still to be confirmed and more details including costs, and parent help required will be sent out in the next few weeks.

Our learning team is the chief organisers for this years Christmas float. We may be calling on parents for assistance in putting together the float and children volunteers to participate in the float on the day. The Christmas parade is the 28th November.

Another of our safety focuses this term is keeping safe in the bush. We are planning a trip up to Mt Holdsworth where the children can practise the skills that they have been taught. The proposed date for this trip is 2nd December. Again we will be asking for parents to support us with this to make learning experiences such as this possible.

Following on from the success of Room 12 and 13s performance to the Mainly Music group at the end of Term 3 we would like to perform again to the community this term, this time with a Christmas focus. We are planning on performing to the Roseneath Rest home on Tuesday 14th December, and possibly a performance to the toddlers at Mainly Music on the 10th December. Again these dates are to be confirmed.

Sun safety – remember sunhats need to be worn everyday at morning tea, and lunch and any other times we are outside. Please make sure these are kept in your child’s bag or their cubbyhole at school.

Report files will be sent home near the end of term and these need to be returned to school before the end of the year. This is so that the important data and information in these can be passed on to the teacher for 2011.

There is a lot of information contained in this newsletter, please keep it somewhere safe so you can relate back to it for important dates. If there are any questions at all about the learning experiences happening in Room 12 this term please do not hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to a very busy and successful term


Andrea Harvey - Room 12 Classroom teacher

Assembly Week 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYNVdVhW4iA&playnext_from=TL&videos=UEDAdjtvMVo

Room 12 is hosting Assembly on Friday. This is the song we will be performing.

Smart Kiddies maths

Room 12 have been registered for Smart Kiddies maths websie it is a free website with lots of practical maths activities that the children can do at home.

Very soon everyone will have their own login to the site. The password for everyone is room12.

Go to wwww.smartkiddies.co.nz to find out more.

This is a perfect activity to keep up the maths practise during the holidays.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter, and a restful two weeks!

From Mrs Harvy

Carterton Town Library visit

Room 12 are visiting the town library every fortnight this term as part of our Literacy Programme, due to the fact that our school library is out of action with a classroom working in there.

Today was our first visit and most children took out one book to read at home.
These books are due back at school in two weeks time as that is the next time we visit. (Friday 2:15pm Alternate weeks)


Please return these books to school and let me know so that I can check them off our list and avoid a fine!

Carterton School learners are.....

We have been learning about what Carterton School learners strive to be.

Carterton school learners are:
Are respectful
Strive for excellence
Are motivated
Are effective communicators
Are connected to their community and environment
Are effective team members.

We created our own trees to show these ideas.

This is us in action making our trees and working as effective team members:

Destination New Zealand

Our first topic for 2010 is looking at Tourism in New Zealand. Our focus is on Natural attractions in New Zealand.
If you find any information/resources/photos/postcards etc that may be useful for Room 12 please send them into school or email me room12cartertonschool@hotmail.com


Check out the webcams showing places from all around New Zealand
http://www.takeabreak.co.nz/new-zealand-webcams.asp

Room 12 Newsletter Term 1

Welcome to the 2010 school year. My name is Andrea Harvey and this is my second year teaching at Carterton School. During 2009 I took maternity leave while I looked after my daughter Kate who was born in February 2009.
I trust that everyone has had a good holiday and is well rested and ready for an action packed year. This newsletter contains important information about Room 12 routines, it is a good idea to use this as a reference throughout the year. Please be aware that these routines may change through the year as the children grow in their knowledge and skills. If there are ever any questions please contact me as I am
available and here to help.

Room 12 Routines:

Star Bear – This is our class teddy bear. Star Bear is a reward, one child receives Star Bear and gets to take him home for the weekend. Star Bear travels with his own bag of belongings, please help to ensure that all Star Bear’s clothing and equipment come back to school with him on Monday.
Lost property – Please check that ALL of your child’s clothing is named. Remember the school lost property is kept over by Room 8.
3 O’clock Box – This is a yellow container located at the front of the classroom. All items that come to school for news are to be kept in here, to keep them safe all day.
Library – This term Room 11 is using the library as their classroom while the building is taking place. We will be using the town library instead. I would like to see all of our class become members of the town library so that they are able to take their own library book home each week. The library is free to join and easy to use.
Sun Smart – During term 1 it is essential that your child has their school sunhat at school everyday, I suggest they leave these at school in our hat box. Please send your child with a note if there is a reason that they do not have their school hat.
Homework – In Room 12 the children will have a small amount of homework to do each night it should take no more than 15 minutes.
Poetry Books – The aim of the poetry book is to expose your child to a range of poems, and to increase their basic word knowledge. The poetry book should be used at home to reinforce reading practise. Please practise reading these with your child each night. The poetry book needs to be at school ready to go home with a new poem each Friday.
Reading - The children will bring home a reading book that they have practised reading at school. Please help your child by listening to them read, and support them by asking questions about the story that you have heard.
Maths – basic facts practise cards will be sent home for your child to practise with you. The aim is for them to be able to recall the basic facts quickly without having to work it out in their head.


This term we are learning to…

Reading – The most important thing you can do to help your child this year, is ensure you are hearing them read EVERY night, and that they bring their book bag to school each day. Students will receive a new reading book 2- 3 times a week depending on the teaching points that come from each text. A reading log will be used this year. Please sign the reading log every time you hear your child read, comments are most welcome in these logs to show whether the text was easy / challenging or any other issues or concerns.
Writing – This term our focus is on advertising, and persuasive writing. We will also be looking at creating pamphlets and brochures.
Mathematics – Numeracy will continue to be a large focus at Carterton School this year. The children will be learning addition and subtraction strategies. We will also be looking at Measurement, where the children will be learning to tell the time, and read calendars. Our last unit of the term will look at Geometry. The children will be looking at patterns and directions, learning to give and follow directions such as left, and right.
Topic – Our first topic to start the year in Room 12 is Destination New Zealand. The aim of this unit is to look at tourism and the economy in Carterton, the Wairarapa and New Zealand. Our focus is on special features of the environment.
PE/Health – Swimming is the main focus for PE for most of this term, it is a very important that your child brings their swimming gear once the pool is up and running Monday – Friday, regardless of the weather. Following our swimming unit we will look at co-operative activities and working in groups.
The Arts – The focus for this term is on colour. We will be experimenting with colours and learning about tone, shading and hot/cold colours
Te Reo Maori – This term we will be looking at being able to greet and farewell people in Te Reo, as well as responding to classroom commands. We will also look at Maori legends and New Zealand place names.
If you have any concerns or questions at any stage please do not hesitate to contact me, my door is always open. Thank you in advance for your support this year. I look forward to meeting each of you.



Andrea Harvey
Room 12 classroom teacher

Welcome to Room 12

Kia Ora

Welcome everyone to the Room 12 blog for 2010. Here you will find information, examples of students work, photos and more.