What a great start to Term 4!

Thank you so much, Room Eight, for making this week so fun and exciting. This is probably the quietest week we’ll have for a while, so we made the most of it by getting lots of learning and mahi done!

In maths, we’re focusing on measurement and learning how to measure (roa) using different items. We’ve also been comparing objects to find out which ones are bigger (nui rawa) and smaller (iti rawa).

We’re also very lucky to have Gina helping us with athletics — the students are absolutely loving it!

Looking ahead, Pet Day is coming up in Week 3 on the 22nd of October. For Pet Day, we need to create three pieces of art: sand saucers, vegetable creations, and mini house decorations. I’d love if you could send some vegetables to school with your child in the days leading up to Pet Day, as we’ll be making the creations the day before. I’ll be raiding my garden for flowers, but if you have any to spare, the more the merrier!

I’ll send home some photos of vegetable creations soon to give everyone some ideas — I can’t wait to see what the kids come up with!

Kia ora whānau,

What a fantastic second week it has been! Our class has been full of smiles, great mahi, and lots of learning. We were lucky to spend time with Harold this week and talk about bug feelings and booster feelings. We’re encouraging all our tamariki to be boosters — showing kindness and helping each other feel good.

We’ve also been getting into the athletics spirit, practising hurdles, long jump, and sprints. The effort, teamwork, and encouragement I’ve seen from the students have been amazing!

As the weather warms up and temperatures climb into the 20s, it’s important that our tamariki are dressed comfortably for learning and play. I’ve noticed a few students still wearing hoodies and sweatpants, which can get quite hot during the day. A light t-shirt and shorts are ideal for keeping cool.

We’ve also started doing some water play as a fun way to cool off and take a brain break — the kids love it! A spare change of clothes in their bags is a great idea, just in case they get a bit soaked.

We’ve finally been given our school hats, which is awesome, but please remember that sunscreen still makes a huge difference. A quick application in the morning before school helps keep everyone safe in the sun.

I’ve noticed that some of our tamariki have been arriving a little tired or hungry lately, which can make it harder for them to have their best day. A good night’s sleep and some kai in the morning really helps set them up for success. We’re so lucky to have a Breakfast Club available before school, and I’ve been encouraging students to pop in — it’s a great way to start the day! Your gentle reminders from home make a big difference too.

We’ve also started our mornings with a karakia to help us settle and get ready for learning. It’s become a lovely, calm way to begin our day together. When everyone arrives on time, it really helps us make the most of that special start. I completely understand how busy mornings can be (the juggle is so real!), and I truly appreciate all the effort you put into getting your tamariki ready each day.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support — it means a lot.

Kia ora whānau,

What an exciting week we’ve just had! Pet Day was amazing — it was so special to see all of your wonderful pets and the creativity that went into our class projects. A huge thank-you to everyone who brought in materials or helped out; we couldn’t have done it without you!

Over the past week, I’ve also been completing some testing and analysing the results. I’ll share a separate update with you about this in the coming weeks.

Looking ahead to Week 4 (already!), we’re finally starting swimming! I’m really looking forward to getting in the pool with the students and helping them develop confidence and lifesaving skills around water. As water safety is so important to me, I’ll be swimming alongside the children to help keep everyone safe and supported.

I hope you’ve all had a fantastic long weekend — I can’t wait to see everyone back on Tuesday for another great week of learning and fun!

Ngā mihi nui,
Alexie Smith

Kia ora whānau,

I hope you’ve all had a fantastic week!

In Room 8, we’ve been solidifying our learning and finishing off a few units so we can move on to some new and exciting learning. We have now completed our Measurement unit and are beginning a new Number unit. This unit focuses on building basic facts fluency, number vocabulary, and a general understanding of how numbers work and interact (e.g., addition, subtraction, and place value).

In writing, we’ve been learning how to break words into sounds and sound them out. I trialed this approach with the class this week, and the students were so engaged! They felt really proud when spelling challenging words like entomology, Halloween, and caterpillar.

In swimming this week, I’ve been assessing where students are at, and wow — we have such confident little swimmers in Room 8! I’ve decided that for our swimming focus, we’ll be creating a synchronised swimming routine/performance. It ticks all the learning boxes while keeping things fun and creative! If your child has goggles, please send them along, as they will be super helpful.

I also want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all of you! I can see how hard our parents and whānau are working to support your tamariki, and it truly makes a difference. I’ve noticed that students are coming to school well-rested, excited for Breakfast Club, and prepared with spare clothes and togs — thank you so much! Your support shows in their learning and confidence, and I’m so, so grateful for your ongoing awhi and encouragement.

Ngā mihi nui,
Whaea Lexie 

Kia ora whānau,

We’ve made it to the halfway mark of the term — yay! 🎉

Last week was a big one with Athletics Day, and I could tell we were all feeling how full-on it was. Thank you so much for your support!

We’ve been in the pool every day and having heaps of fun. I’ve reminded students that they need to be listening carefully in the pool — if they don’t, they’ll be asked to hop out. I don’t muck around when it comes to water safety!

Weeks 6 and 7 will be busy ones for me as I’ll be writing reports whenever I can, so apologies in advance if the weekly updates are a bit late — I’m just needing a few hours off here and there to rest and recharge.

We’ve got more exciting things coming up too — Cross Country on Thursday 21 November and Market Day on Wednesday 27 November!

Thanks again for all your support and for helping make this term such a great one so far 💛

Ngā mihi,
Alexie