School Plays - Wk 10

This week in reading, we will dive into short plays from the School Journal. We’ll follow the characters through funny and surprising situations, exploring how dialogue, stage directions, and timing bring the stories to life. We will practise reading with expression, developing character voices, and performing in small groups, while reflecting on teamwork, creativity, and how the characters’ actions make the plays enjoyable to watch and read.

School Plays - Wk 9

This week in reading, we will explore short plays from the School Journal. We’ll follow the characters as they navigate funny, tricky, or surprising situations, and see how their actions, dialogue, and stage directions bring the stories to life. We will focus on reading with expression, building character voices, and understanding how humour and timing make the plays enjoyable. We will also practise performing in small groups, expressing the characters’ feelings and personalities, and reflecting on how teamwork and creativity help bring the stories to the stage.

Chapter Six Wk 8  

This week in reading, we will follow Oliver as his story reaches a happy ending. We’ll see how he finds safety, friendship, and family, and how the people who care for him help him feel loved and valued. We will explore how the author shows happiness and hope through Oliver’s experiences and the actions of the other characters. We will also practise writing personal responses, expressing our feelings and opinions about the ending, and reflecting on the themes of hope, family, and resilience.

Chapter Four Wk 6  

This week in reading, we will follow Oliver after he’s taken back by the gang and forced by Bill Sykes to help rob a house. We’ll see how the break-in goes wrong, and how Rose Maylie and Mrs Maylie rescue him and care for him while he recovers. We will explore how authors build tension and show bravery and kindness through characters’ actions and the setting.  We will also learn to identify the main idea and practise summarising key events, while making inferences about characters’ feelings and motives. 

Chapter Three Wk 5  

This week in reading, we will see what happens to Oliver after he’s caught by the police. We’ll meet Mr. Brownlow, a kind man who begins to see that Oliver isn’t like the other boys.  We’ll explore how authors show kindness and cruelty through characters’ actions and words. We’ll compare Oliver’s life in Fagin’s den to the warmth and care he receives in Mr. Brownlow’s home.  We’ll also learn how to identify the main idea of a paragraph and practise using summaries to track key events. New vocabulary like trial, recover, and portrait will help us understand this part of Oliver’s journey.

Chapter Two Wk 4  

This week in reading, we will follow Oliver as he leaves the workhouse and met new characters like the Artful Dodger and Fagin.

We will explore how authors use descriptive language to set the mood and help us visualise settings like Fagin’s dark, cluttered home. We will also learn how speech and behaviour can show us what a character is really like.

We will practise making inferences about characters’ thoughts and feelings, and use predictions to guess what might happen next. New vocabulary like beak, grub, and pickpocket helped us understand the world Oliver was in. 

Chapter One Wk 3  

This week we will start reading Oliver Twist. We’ll learn about Oliver’s tough beginning in the workhouse and how unfairly children were treated in the past.  We will practise using reading strategies like visualising, making connections, and asking questions. We looked at how the author shows us what kind of person Oliver is and how adults treated children like him.

We also learned new vocabulary like orphan, gruel, and matron, and start thinking about big ideas like fairness, resilience, and children’s rights.

Student WorkBook 

Here is your student workbook in Google Slides. You’ll use this to complete your independent tasks after each chapter. These include reading follow-up activities and your create task for the week.

Work carefully, show your thinking, and have fun exploring Oliver’s story!

Prepared Speech Wk2  

This week we are learning how speeches can sound different depending on the audience and purpose. We will examine how speakers use strong words, tone, and structure to share their message. We will read and compare speeches that use powerful language, and practise sharing our own opinions in group discussions. We are starting to understand what makes a speech clear, emotive, and convincing!

Prepared Speech Wk1 

This week we are learning how to understand and respond to persuasive speeches. We are focusing on identifying the speaker’s opinion and purpose, making inferences about what they are really trying to say, and summarising the key message in our own words. We are also learning how to agree or disagree with a speaker’s ideas and explain our thinking using evidence from the text. As we explore what makes a speech strong or convincing, we’ll practise using our own voice to respond clearly and confidently.

Matariki  

This week we will be learning more about Matariki.  Using our Matariki website, we will explore three key parts of Matariki:

• What is Matariki?

• Introducing the nine stars of Matariki

• Maramataka – the moon phases of the Māori calendar and what they mean for us.

We’ll learn how these traditions help guide us, connect us to the natural world, and give meaning to this special time of year.

Pūrakau  

This week, we are learning about pūrākau (traditional Māori stories) that are significant to Aotearoa and Te Ao Māori.

Pūrākau help us understand Māori beliefs, values, and the way people made sense of the world around them. We will explore different pūrākau, choose one that interests us, and retell it in our own words. This helps us build our storytelling skills while showing respect for the stories and the culture they come from.

Tū Te Rakiwhanoa

This week we are learning about Tū Te Rakiwhanoa, a legendary figure in Māori tradition. He was a powerful guardian and land shaper from Ngāi Tahu stories who helped form the mountains, lakes, rivers, and sea of Te Waipounamu (the South Island). We’ll explore his great works, the places connected to him, and how his story reminds us to care for the land and water as kaitiaki (guardians). 

Compare and Contrast

This week, we’re exploring different Creation stories!

We’ll be looking for similarities (what’s the same) and differences (what’s not the same) between them.

This will help us understand the stories better, and we’ll use what we’ve learned to write a comparison report.

The Māori Creation 

This week, we’re exploring the Māori Creation story.

We will learn how the world began according to Māori tradition, starting with Ranginui the Sky Father and Papatūānuku the Earth Mother, and how their children separated them to let light into the world. 

We will also practise our reading skills by comparing and contrasting, noticing what is similar or different, just like comparing ice blocks and ice cream!