Akomanga Rua (Hub 2)

Akomanga Rua has a very exciting term of learning ahead! Please take some time to read our upcoming concept, events and reminders. Remember to mark your calendars!

Our Learning

Our concept for Term 1 is called 'Use your words’. This concept taps into our School Values, our learners’ sense of knowing thyself as a learner - knowing what our passions, strengths and weaknesses are and learning to express ourselves using oral language we are developing in the hub.

Understanding emotions is a critical part of our learners’ overall development. Our learners are experiencing many new things for the first time, which can be overwhelming! Being able to name emotions and use words to express how they are feeling increases their ability to interact with one another and make healthy friendships.

Lunch boxes

In each guardian area, Hub 2 has baskets to put your learners’ lunch box in each morning. This is to take the heat off and ensure their lunch remains as fresh as possible. While we are in the midst of the heat it may be best to include a chill pack inside to keep yoghurt and other items as cool and fresh as possible.

In Hub 2 we will have a ‘Think snack’, which learners will eat around 10 am. This is optional, not compulsory. It gives our learners an opportunity to have a quick snack while they are learning.

Think Snack

In Hub 2 we will have a ‘Think snack’, which learners will eat around 10am. This is optional, not compulsory. It gives our learners an opportunity to have a quick snack while they are learning.

For this to work and not compromise learning time. We are asking for learners to bring in a vegetable or piece of fruit, which is preferably sliced or peeled, wrapped separately or in a container, which is named.

Learners will bring it into the hub before school along with their book bag. There will be several containers labelled for easy access.

We are a rubbish free school so if possible, please keep food wrappers at home. The think snack is vital for children during their learning. Lollies, muffins and treats need to be left at home please. Thank you for your support with this.

Swimming

As part of our physical education, our learners will be participating in 6 sessions of Swimming. We start on Monday 12th March and finish on Wednesday 21st December. The Swimming programme is an exciting initiative to help our Kiwi Kids develop their water safety skills.

These skills include:

- Physical movement skills

- Gross Motor coordination

- Water Comfort. The most basic and essential swimming skill is simply becoming comfortable in the water.

Meet the Teacher

This term Thursday 21st February - Week 3 Stonefields School is hosting an evening where you have the opportunity to meet your children’s teachers and ask any questions pertaining to their learning needs. There is always plenty to do and see so bring along your picnic blanket and enjoy a picnic and the entertainment with your family.

We will be sending out a survey with questions to ensure we are delivering information suited to your needs. If you do not receive this please touch base with your hub teachers.

However, If you would like to spend more than two minutes one on one with the teacher we recommend you book an appointment with us as there are many parents we are meeting during this evening.

General Housekeeping

Reading books

Readers will come home within the next two weeks. All books are to be returned in the return boxes at the start of each week.

School Uniforms & Hair

As we are in the heat of summer, please make sure your child is wearing named black sandals appropriate for school. The correct uniform of a polo shirt, shorts/skort is to be worn to school each day. These can be purchased through the school website or the second hand uniform shop, which is open Monday 25th February - Week 4. This is located next to the hall.

A friendly reminder that head lice are always around, if your child has shoulder length hair or longer it needs to be tied up in a ponytail and please regularly check your child’s hair for lice, especially if you see them scratching!

Hats and Shoes

A reminder that hats are compulsory and need to be brought to school by all learners everyday in Terms 1 and 4. A lot of our class learning takes place outside as well as outside play at morning tea and lunch, so it is very important learners bring their hats every day. We encourage parents to label or distinguish hats carefully and clearly to avoid any hats being lost. We are also encourage shoes to be labelled or have something unique on them as we have many learners remove and misplace their shoes during the day.

Fleeces

Please mark the labels with your child’s name. Fleeces are expensive items of clothing and they need to be returned to the correct person.

We recommend practising packing and unpacking your child's school bag with your child - lunch boxes, morning tea boxes, book bags and their fleece. If these items do not fit into their bags, then please buy a bigger bag for your child to avoid losing these precious items.

Lateness

Learners arriving at school after the bell has rung has a huge impact on their learning time and the teachers’ teaching time.

Please make sure your child is at school before 8.55am (when the bell goes) to ensure they are ready for the start of their school day. It is preferable that they arrive at 8.45am to sort out their things and then get ready for learning. If you would like to speak to a teacher regarding your child’s learning, please email to arrange a time to meet. Our time is very limited as the school day starts. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

School Supervision

Please remember school supervision is from 8.30 - 3.00pm. Learners may not be in the Hub until 8.30am. It is preferable that they arrive by 8.45am to sort out their things and then get ready for learning. Before 8.30am, children should be booked into Kelly Club, which also does after school care. You can contact Celia Mackinven at stonefields@kellyclub.co.nz

Sickness

If your child is sick and has been vomiting or had diarrhea, please keep them home so other children in the hub and teachers do not get sick. We prefer that the children stay at home for 48 hours after their sickness so the bugs cannot be passed on. Use the ‘Absentee’ tab on the School App to let us know your child is absent. Alternatively call the office on 527 7721 or email admin@stonefields.school.nz

Parent Helpers Please!

We always enjoy having parents/whanau support us in the hub. If you are able to come in before school or after lunch from 2 pm onwards Monday - Friday (but not assembly days) that would be great. It does not have to be every week, every little bit helps. Please click here if you are able to help. We would love help with the following:

- Putting reading books away

- Hearing learners read

- Photocopying

- Laminating

- Pencil sharpening

Assemblies & Certificates

Assembly dates are:

Friday 22nd February - Week 3

Friday 8th March - Week 5

Friday 5th April - Week 8

Certificates are given out to 6 children per hub at junior assemblies. We will send out an email letting parents know if your child is receiving a certificate, though everyone is warmly welcome to attend as many of the junior assemblies as you wish as it is a celebration of the junior school's learning.

Digital Learning - Kawa of Care

This term we are using the iPads and computers to support our learning. Here is our Kawa of Care to support us.

Student agreement:

-I will respect the equipment (my iPad, stylus and case) by always looking after it and keeping it safe.

-I will respect others by always using my iPad to interact with anyone in a kind, positive and helpful way.

-I will make the most of this opportunity to learn lots of new things and to share these with others. My iPad is for learning.

-I will always be in the right place, on the right app, at the right time when I am on my iPad. If in doubt I will ask my teacher or parent.

-I will protect my email password and keep it completely secret.

-I will close the case when I am not using my iPad.

-I will keep it safe when I am not using it. I will leave it on an appropriate surface, like a table.

-I will make sure I keep it in the same condition that I was given it.

-I will keep it charged and ready to use.

Kind regards,

Hayley, Stacey and Matt.

Hayley Hindson - Hayley.Hindson@stonefields.school.nz

Stacey Rowe - Stacey.Rowe@stonefields.school.nz

Matt Brunton - Matt.brunton@stonefields.school.nz

Whole Hub - Hub2teachers@stonefields.school.nz