“Nau Mai, Haere Mai”
Welcome to Our Little Fish
Te Ika Iti
Cool Kids of Te Ika Iti
“Stay Cool ’til After School”
Term Two – 2019
Room 4 is now called “Te Ika Iti” or “The Little Fish” to reflect who we are as the youngest class in the school and where we are located next to the Waihou River.
Like a school of little fish everyone is swimming together towards, working together at new challenges, each in their own way and with respect for each others differences and talents.
Everyone is unique with their own special strengths and talents and when everyone works together as a team “great things are achieved!”
We look forward to exciting new learning experiences, to forming positive relationships and growing a strong sense of SELF as we become aware of who we are, where we belong, and what we are capable of achieving.
Te Ika iti of Turua School
We have started Term Two as a class of 14 children who are eager, caring and kind.
Who love to learn, to share, and engage in new challenges.
Daily Learning “Through Play” activities encourages decision making, problem solving, communication and negotiation skills while building early learning skills in reading, writing and maths. Learning through discovery, sharing, talking…
“Learning floats on a sea of Oral Language”
Our Learning Goals are focused on the concept of Tataiako – Key Competencies, relating to learning achievement and capabilities as outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum and School Charter.
Tangata Whenuatanga – Place-based, cultural awareness and learning
Ako – Practice in the classroom and beyond
Wanaungatanga – Building Positive Relationships
Manaakitanga – Values and virtues – integrity, sincerity, trust
Wananga – C0mmunication, problem solving, innovation
Getting on together, organising ourselves for learning and working cooperatively as a team form the foundation on which young children achieve and grow as capable , self-confident learners who are willing to “have a go”.
Turua School -Wide Topic Focus
The Big Blue
Term One: The Rocky Shore – who lives here and why the need for environmental awareness
Term Two: Myths and Legends – Te Ika O Maui – The Fish of Maui – Our Place – Next to the water
Te Marae Visit and Celebrations for Matariki
Term Three: The Mammals who live in the Ocean and Man’s impact on the wellbeing of our oceans
Term Four: Recreational Use of Water and the Need to look after our precious Resources
(to be added to with more detail as the term progresses)
Te Marae Visit planned will involve a full day excursion to Kerepehi Marae.
More detail to come home closer to the date.
Our Class Notice Board
Te Ika iti is connected to an app called Class Dojo.
This is our own sharing website and is accessible only to parents, whanau and students who are signed into the Room 4. The class teacher invites you to join via your email. Class Dojo enables messaging between individual parents and the teacher as well as a shared page for class stories, photos. We are in the process of introducing Student Folders so you can access your own child’s work.
Just a reminder that our weekly Turua School Newsletter is also available on this website under the Homepage or clink on the link here.
If you have any concerns about your child’s well being or progress, please feel free to email me or make an appointment to meet before or after school.
Tissues for Class Use
Could Room 4 children bring their own box of tissues to use in class, thank you.
Our School Library
Our library day is Tuesday and your child is able to take out 2 Books each week, for up to 2 weeks. Library books need to be returned each Tuesday so that your child can take out new books. The Library Computer keeps a record of books each child takes out and will not issue more until books are returned and scanned back into the system.
Home Learning
The school’s expectation is that children in the junior school will spend approximately 20 minutes each night on home learning. Monday to Friday, children will bring home a guided reader to read with you. Please complete the Kluwell Reading Journal with your child and keep this in their book bag. A weekly poem comes home on Friday. Often the same reader will come home for 2 or 3 nights to help your child become familiar with reading and enjoy the experience as they gain confidence and fluency with a familiar text.
Learning Activities for you to use at home…
Click on this link to NZ Maths Website which provides many activities and games for you to work with your child at home. Click on this link to Interactive Maths Games and Activities to play at home. www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/counting
Reading
You can read Sunshine Classic books on-line through clicking on this link:
Your child can record themselves reading a book and work on a variety of word building activities.
Click on this link to Interactive Literacy Games and Activities to play at home. https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/3-5-years/letters-and-sounds
Spelling Homework
The Wordlab Phonics spelling programme uses a structured approach to spelling . We begin with learning all the letter names and the sounds they make within words. As we progress with recognition of letters and listening to their sounds we can begin to learn words.
These will be sent home as one word a day to spell aloud and as the year progresses, the children are encouraged to copy and write each word and use word building activities.
This carefully structured process teaches patterns of words as well as words we just need to know. a