Motuihe Team - Term 2, 2018

Mrs. Sarah Kilkolly (Team Leader) Room 20, Year 4 skilkolly@torbay.school.nz

Mrs. Allanah Johnston Room 16, Year 4 ajohnston@torbay.school.nz

Mrs. Danielle Brown Room 21, Year 4 dhodder@torbay.school.nz

Miss Cathy Morron Room 15, Year 4 cmorron@torbay.school.nz

Welcome back to Term 2

Welcome back to Term 2. We hope you had a wonderful break. It was lovely to see so many faces at the Browns Bay ANZAC parade.

A massive congratulations to Miss Hodder, who married Greg Brown during the holidays - welcome Mrs Brown - at this stage her email address will stay the same.

This term we have already started our Science inquiry “I Wonder About The Earth.” We have been rotating within the team and have been learning about human impact, volcanoes, day and night and natural disasters. Later, students will create their own investigation to present these back to the class based on our success criteria.

Please keep checking our school/team website and updates on See-Saw and skoolbag. This is how we share moments, events and how to support learning at home.

We are learning to show our C.A.R.E. values:

Commitment

Aroha

Respect/Responsibility

Excellence

USE YOUR WITS

Walk away

Ignore them

Tell someone

Say how you feel

Learner (Akonga) Powers

RESILIENT - Manahau

REFLECTIVE - Huritao

INNOVATIVE - Auaha

COLLABORATIVE -Mahi tahi

CURIOUS - Pakiki

Learning in Motuihe Team for Term 2

Mathematics

• Number - multiplication/ division
• Measurement / Geometry

Writing

• Report Writing/ Recounts/ Instructional writing

Reading

• Individual needs - focusing on retelling, comprehension and interpreting

Spelling

• You Can Spell (more information to follow)

P.E. & Health

• Small ball skills (invasion games, hockey, tennis, cricket)
• Cross country

I.C.T.

• IXL
• See Saw accounts - sharing learning with families
• Google drive - sharing documents/ emails/ using a range of websites - supporting students with researching
• Chromebooks.

Inquiry Topic :

• I wonder about the Earth

Arts

• Hundertwasser - conserving the environment

Te Reo Māori

• Mihi
• Seasons/ weather/ days and months of the year
• Maori Myths & Legends

• Library times - see classroom teacher for these times.
• Walk to School - Travelwise- 9th May
• Year 3 and year 4 Road Safety - BELT ON, PHONE OFF, MAKE IT A HABIT (14th May) - more information to come as we need parent support using the speed guns.
• Teacher Only Day 1st June
• Year 4-6 Cross country 15th June
• Mid year reports home - last week of term
• Matariki - 15th June
• Ice Skating - dates/days to be confirmed
• Motat trip - 21st May
• Disco 18th May

• Please label everything clearly!
• Remember brainfood and water bottles. Brain food snacks include small bite size pieces of pre-cut fruit and vegetables, nuts, dried fruit, plain unsalted popcorn. Brain food needs to be in named small sealed containers or re-sealable plastic bags and in the classroom before the 8.55am bell each morning. Each teacher will organise this to fit in with their morning programme. Students will have milk available to drink Monday - Thursday.
• In Year 4 we are independent, responsible learners who care for our belongings. We are starting to run out of pencils and pens. Please check pencils cases and return these to school.
• Shared learning - Goal sheets, seesaw, wall displays and workbooks.

HOME LEARNING:

Please keep referring to our Motuihe website for home learning.

Spelling - Please return spelling notebooks everyday.

Library - Books are to be returned/ renewed each week. Students are able to issue 2 books.

Maths - Keep working on basic facts and number knowledge - as this is the foundations for all maths.

Reading - reading library books, books from home, books from the public library, Kiwi Kids News, Sunshine Online

We look forward to a fascinating term learning and growing together. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Motuihe Team

Sarah Kilkolly

Allanah Johnston

Danielle Brown

Cathy Morron

‘Flying high, learning for success.’

Motuihe Team Year 4

MOTAT Museum Visit

Rooms 15,16,20,21 - 21th May 2018

14th May 2018

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

The Motuihe Team (Rooms 15,16,20,21) will all be visiting M.O.T.A.T. (Museum of Transport and Technology) in Auckland City on Monday 21st May. We will be leaving school at 9.10am and returning by 3.00pm. Our focus area for the trip is discovering the REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE – WASTE MINIMISATION PROGRAMME.

Could you please fill in the slip below.

We must have about 6 parents per class to help with supervision on the bus and around the museum. Sorry, we cannot take pre-schoolers due to safety reasons.

If you are able to come and help, could you please indicate this on the slip below.

Children need to bring:

• Morning tea
• Lunch
• Water bottle
• School uniform, polar fleece if required and sensible shoes
• Raincoat (just in case)

This trip is covered by activity fees. Please ensure that activity fees are paid.

Thank you.

Motuihe Team teachers (Sarah, Danielle, Cathy and Allanah)

----✂---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MOTAT Museum

RETURN SLIP

I give permission for ………………………………….…………..………. of Room ……….…... to go to

M.O.T.A.T.

I can help with supervision Yes □ No □

Name: ………………………………………… Phone: …………………………….

Signed: ………………………………………………………………. (Parent/Guardian)

Welcome to Room 21

Welcome to Room 20! I look forward to working with you and developing our lifelong learners. I have been teaching for over 17 years and have taught a variety of year levels. I’m excited to be working and learning with Year 4 students this year.

My husband, Jason and I have 2 children. Neve - Year 5 at Torbay and James starts Northcross this year.. We live in Browns Bay and you will often find us walking our miniature schnauzer, Gus on the beach, riding my bike, getting outdoors and spending time with the family. We had a great summer! We visited friends in Nelson, spent lots of time at the beach and had lots of family fun! My sister landed last week from London and I am so excited to spend time with my niece.

Library

Our Library time this year is Monday. Please help your child to understand that they need to return their books on this day. Because they are becoming more independent readers, we encourage our learners to choose at least 1 chapter book to read at home, and 1 to have at school to read independently.

Year 4 is a time when children become increasingly advanced, more competent and independent readers. Reading lessons therefore, have a much greater focus on reading for meaning and enjoyment as opposed to just decoding the text. Many children will be reading lengthier stories which may require up to a week to read, discuss and complete follow up activities. This means your child may not be sent home an ‘instructional’ book to read each night. Nevertheless, your child is still expected to read at least four nights per week using books from their reading groups’ ‘pick box’, from the school or community library or from their own collections.

Arriving at School

Classrooms open from 8:30 am. If your child arrives earlier than this, they must wait outside the class or in the inquiry space if it is raining. School starts at 8:55am. Your child needs to be at school before the 8:55am bell – this will give them enough time to get themselves prepared for the day ahead. If your child is going to be late or sick, please phone the school office or download our school app. After school, children are not allowed on the playgrounds without adult supervision.

Independence

Independence is extremely important. You can help by letting them know it is their job to remember notes, homework, books, swimming gear etc. As Year 4 students, we will also be taking responsibility for our own belongings and learning. Some children may need guidance to make this a habit but ultimately remind them that it is their job! This also includes getting to school on time to put their books away, hand in notices, put their chair down and sharpen their pencil etc.

Brainfood

At Torbay School children are welcome to bring Brain Food. This is a snack sized portion of food that must be brought into the class at the beginning of the day. Brain food helps to maintain the glucose supply to the brain. Suitable food include: fresh peeled fruit/ vegetables, dried fruits (prunes/ apricots/ raisins and sultanas, plain unsalted popcorn.

Swimming

Our swimming days are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Please provide named swimming togs and towel in a swimming bag/ plastic bag. Students will be swimming two of the three sessions because of our rotation. We will start swimming in week 2.

My email address is below, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you

Sarah Kilkolly

skilkolly@torbay.school.nz