The Big Slurp!

Today was the Fonterra Milk for Schools 'Big Slurp' day. The children made cute cow masks and we sent this photo to their website along with other school children from across New Zealand. We certainly love our school milk in Room 8!

Shared Lunch Reminder

Tomorrow Team Star is holding a shared lunch from 11.30-1pm. All the children, their families and whanau are invited. Please bring a plate of food to share. Weather permitting, our lunch will be held outside Room 9. Alternatively, if it is wet, we will relocate to Rooms 8 and 9. Please put your plate on the tables in the Room 8/9 art bay when you arrive in the morning.

Junior Showcase Superstars!

Yesterday we performed our Junior Showcase, 'The Missing Mollymawk' to family and friends. What an amazing show it was, with two wonderful performances by all the children in the Year 0/1 team. Below is a link to a recording of the matinee show, taken by a Room 7 parent. In addition, a recording of the evening show was kindly taken by Lizzy's Dad Nick. If you would like a copy of this large mp4 file, pop in with a pen drive and I will make a copy for you. Nick also gave up his morning yesterday to take cast photos of the children in their costumes. Thanks so much for your time Nick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=8&v=ERbiYJWY05E

Week 10 Newsletter

21.9.15

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Thank you for an amazing first Term together. I have loved working with your gorgeous children and watching them grow and learn each day is such a privilege.

Thank you to the wonderful parents and Grandparents who have helped out in the classroom, on class trips and with the Showcase this term. We couldn’t do the wonderful things we do without you.

Tomorrow is our day in the spotlight! Room 8, along with all the children from the Year 0/1 Team will be performing our Showcase ‘The Missing Mollymawk’ at 10.30am and 5pm in the hall. Please drop off your children to Room 8 by 4.30pm ready for the evening performance. They can be picked up from Room 8, following the performance, at 6pm.

You will have received an invitation in your child’s reading folder on Friday, to a Team Star shared lunch, this Thursday 24 September from 11.30-1pm. Please bring a plate of food to share. Weather permitting, we will hold our lunch outside Room 9.

Please visit our class blog to review all the fun and learning that has happened over the past ten weeks.

Remember I will be putting up a roster next term for you to add your name to, should you be able to assist during writing time. Look out for this on our class noticeboard.

Do keep up the wonderful work you are doing at home with the children by reading together, playing board games, building with Lego, writing and drawing over the holiday break. Do have a well-deserved break too – I know I will be!

I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday with your family and I look forward to seeing you all back next term, full of energy and enthusiasm for the adventures ahead.

Kind regards

Cara Wallace

Class Newsletter Week 9

Room 8 Class Newsletter

Term 3: Week 9                                   

14.8.14

Dear Parents and Caregivers

The excitement levels at school are rising as we draw nearer to our Showcase performance. This week will involve several rehearsals and dress rehearsals as we perfect our performance and prepare for our shows.

If you have not already done so, please send along a pair of named black leggings/trackpants/jeans in a named plastic bag, along with a sturdy adult clothes hanger. Every child will also need to bring along and wear their school sweatshirt/cardigan for the opening scene of the show. Our first dress rehearsal is on Wednesday this week – it would be great to have all the children looking and feeling great in their full costume.

Thank you to those wonderful family members who have offered to help with dressing the children for the dress rehearsals and performances. Below is a copy of the roster thus far. As you can see, we still require another person to assist on Thursday morning and Tuesday evening please.

Wed 19 Sept – Dress Rehearsal 10.15 – 11.45:

Pauline Maxwell, Pat Mahendran

Thurs 17 Sept – Dress Rehearsal 10.15 – 11.45:

                  Pauline Maxwell, ????? (Kylie Granger?)

Fri 18 Sept – Dress Rehearsal 10.15 – 11.45:

                  Pat Mahendran, Kathleen Bremner

Tues 22 Sept – Performance 10.45 – 11.45:

                  Pat Mahendran, Kathleen Bremner

Tues 22 Sept – Performance 4.45 – 6.15:

                  Kylie Granger, ?????

Their will be no formal Guided Reading programme in Week 10. The children will instead bring home a previously read book from their browsing box. Please ensure all school reading books and Library books are returned by the end of the term.

I would love to invite parents to assist during writing time in our classroom next term. This could be on a casual or regular basis. No experience is required, as I will coach you through the process. Generally, our writing programme begins around 9.30am on Monday to Thursday, following phonics, and concludes at morning tea time at 10.10am. I will put up a roster next term for you to schedule a time if you are able to help.

Kind regards

Cara Wallace

         

Showcase update and costume information...

Showcase update and costume information…  
10.9.15

Thank you so much to our wonderful mums, Ang, Pauline, Ani and Rachael, for the amazing work they have done in helping to create the children's Showcase costumes. I really appreciate the time and effort you have so generously given - the children are going to look absolutely brilliant on stage!

The first round of tickets was issued today. Get in quick should you still wish to purchase tickets for your family.

All children will be required to attend the 10.30am and 5pm Year 0/1 Showcase performances. More information regarding performance night will be issued shortly.

The children will be in their school uniforms for the start of the showcase and after scene one will be getting changed into their costumes.

If your child is a pohutukawa flower (Grace, Lizzy, Madison, Lily, Olivia G, Jake, Colson, Onkar, Luca M, Julien, Ella, Olivia H), or bird (Jaime, Luca P, Sarah), he/she will require a pair of named black leggings/trackpants/jeans to wear as part of their costume. The sun (Josh) can wear black or blue pants and the gardener (Charlie) can wear overalls or jeans and gumboots. All children will have bare feet for our class item.

Due to our dress rehearsals being next week we will require these items to be at school by this coming Monday 14 September. Please send them to school in a named plastic bag. I will store them at school until after the showcase. If possible, could you also please send along a sturdy, adult sized coat hanger for storage of your child's costume.

For each of the dress rehearsals and during our two showcase performances, Room 8 will require at least two adults to help the children with their costumes. Preschoolers are welcome.

Please fill in the following form marking when you are available to support us.

Please pop in and see me if you have any questions regarding the showcase.

Many thanks

Cara Wallace

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Y0/1 Showcase Dress Rehearsals and Performances - Adult Help

(this can be a grandparent/aunty/caregiver etc)

I ________________________________ am available to help R8 on: (please tick)

Wednesday 16 September 10.15 – 11.45 _________________ (Dress Rehearsal)

Thursday 17 September 10.15 – 11.45 _________________ (Dress Rehearsal)

Friday 18 September 10.15 = 11.45 _________________ (Dress Rehearsal)

Tuesday 22 September 10.15 – 11.45 _________________  (Performance)

Tuesday 22 September 4.45 – 6.15 _________________ (Performance)

Contact phone number: ___________________________________

Build a Bridge...

This week Room 8 have been learning about measurement in maths. Using the Fairy Tale 'The Gingerbread Man' as a context for learning, the children worked individually or in pairs to design and build a bridge from simple materials. Their challenge was to make the bridge long enough and stable enough to enable the Gingerbread Man to safely cross the river and avoid being eaten by the cunning fox.

Given that all the children were given exactly the same materials, it was amazing to see the variation in designs! Collaborative skills came to the fore as many of the children chose to work with a partner to create their bridge. Problem-solving skills were also utilised if initial ideas required modification. 

These photos show the children demonstrating their bridges to the group.

Welcome!

This week Ella joined Room 8. Welcome to Team Star Ella!

Welcome!

Yesterday Julien joined Room 8. Welcome to Team Star Julien!

Bula!

Olivia returned yesterday from a lovely family holiday in Fiji. She brought in her miniature ukulele to show the children. We love your braids Olivia!