Year 0-2 Term One Update

Tēnā koutou, nau mai hoki mai | Greetings to you all, welcome back!

Welcome back to the new school year. We hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break and are ready for an exciting year ahead.

A special warm welcome to our new learners and whānau joining our school community, we are delighted to have you with us! A very warm welcome to Laura Choat, our Leader of Learning for the Y0-2 team. Please feel free to pop into Hub 2 and say hello to Laura when you drop off or pick up your child. You can read more about Laura below.

The first two weeks have been filled with smiles, laughter, and lots of learning. Our learners have settled in wonderfully, and it has been fantastic to see them engaging in their learning and building friendships.

Thank you to the whānau who attended our 'Meet the Teacher' evening last night. We appreciate the time you took to learn about what teaching and learning looks like in Hubs 1, 2 and 10. It was wonderful to share the school's strategic goals and values which are a big focus this year. Below are links to the PDF copies of Thursday evening's presentations:
Hub 1
Hub 2
Hub10
Please feel free to come and talk to us if you have any questions or need further information about the topics we covered.

We look forward to working in partnership with you in a variety of ways over the year.

Ngā mihi nui

The Year 0-2 Teachers, Laura Choat and Shoba Segar

hub1teachers@stonefields.school.nz

hub2teachers@stonefields.school.nz

hub10teachers@stonefields.school.nz

laura.choat@stonefields.school.nz

shoba.segar@stonefields.school.nz

Next connect

Our teachers will next be providing an update on your child's transition to school and progress so far this year in early-March. We'll be in touch with more details closer to the time.

Meet our New Learners and Laura Choat

Hub 1
Xander, Maxene, Sione
Ollie, Edie, Elliot, Olivia, Aria
Arlan, Promise, Amora, Malik

Hub 2

Amelia, Kayan, Ann, Eva, Keilani

Hub 10
Ibrahim, Gracie, Kenzo

Kia ora Stonefields Whānau,

I am so excited to have joined our Year 0-2 Village this year as the Leader of Learning. I have a passion for learning, in particular learning that happens in a real-life context. I am looking forward to exploring our refreshed curriculum this year with our Juniors and am super excited to see our new Maths resources in action.

In my spare time, I love being in nature and am slowly ticking off the New Zealand Great Walks. You will see me around mostly in Hub 2, where I am one of the teachers.

Term 1's Concept - The Power of Me, The Power of Us

The Junior Village learners have been learning about all the ways we can contribute individually in our Hubs. The learners are really bringing their best together showing that when we work together we can achieve great things. Now the Junior Village learners are exploring our differences and how when we come together as a group, our differences make us powerful.

Wednesdays: Year 0-2's Exploring Through Day

Exploring Through (ET) is a time when the children are immersed in a range of rich experiences like music, art and STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths). Pictured above are our talented Year 0-2 ET teachers who will be teaching your children on Wednesdays.

In ET, children get the opportunity to experience lots of creative and engaging learning. They will have the opportunity to explore, create, collaborate with different learners, think critically, and communicate in different ways.

ET is a safe place for children to discover new passions and strengths, be challenged in the learning pit and use a range of thinking skills within the learning process.

This year, ET will take place in Hubs 5 and 6 at the following times:

Hub 10 from 9-12pm
Hubs 1 & 2 from 12-3pm

If your child is in Hubs 1 or 2, please pick your child up from Hubs 5 & 6 every Wednesday afternoon. Your child's bag and other belongings will be on the hooks outside Hubs 5 & 6.

Important Reminders

Hats, Hats Hats

We’ve been so fortunate to enjoy such beautiful sunshine since the start of the term. However, it’s important to keep our children safe in the sun so all children must wear a school hat when outdoors. We regularly remind the children about sun safety and the importance of wearing their hats.

Please ensure your child brings their school hat each day. If you would like your child to apply sunscreen at school, you’re welcome to send a small bottle along with them.

Library Days

Our children love their library visits. All Year 0-2 hubs will visit the library weekly and during this time the children will have an opportunity to browse, borrow a book, listen to stories, and learn some library skills. To avoid disappointment, please remind your child to bring their library book to school on their library day so they can return it and borrow a new book each week. Our library days are as follows:

Hub 10: Mondays after morning tea
Hub 1: Mondays after lunch
Hub 2: Tuesdays after lunch

This term, while the Year 0-2 children learn about taking responsibility for their library books, they will only be allowed to borrow one book at a time. Many children also enjoy visiting the library during their break times and they can return their book and borrow a new book at these times too.

This year, the library will be open before and after school if you would like to visit it with your child.

Toys from Home

A gentle reminder that children should not bring toys, game cards or other precious belongings from home. These items are distracting in the hub and often there are tears when a child misplaces their precious items. Please take a moment to remind your child about keeping their toys etc at home.

Uniform

At Stonefields School we wear our uniform with pride. Care has been taken to ensure the comfort and longevity of the items. We appreciate your support in ensuring your child is wearing the correct school uniform:

Blue polo shirt (short sleeve or long sleeve)
Charcoal skort, shorts or trousers
Black shoes, including black laces (white soles are acceptable). Black sandals are acceptable in summer
Black or white socks
Bucket hat or School Cap (compulsory during Terms 1 & 4)
Fleece Jacket
Black or dark blue plain hair ties/bands (no other colours please)
No jewellery or necklaces should be worn, as this is a health and safety concern during playtimes and PE sessions. Exceptions to this include jewellery of cultural significance, small stud earrings, and watches however no smart-watches.

FOSS and Friday Cafe

Introducing FOSS (Friends of Stonefields School). We welcome all members of the school community to get involved with FOSS and help support our school. This group of dedicated and supportive parents, grandparents and wider whānau, play a vital role in bringing us together as a school community and helping to enhance the school's resources.

Over the years, FOSS has contributed to organising such events as Friday Café, Movie Night, Raffles, Disco, and Quiz Nights. These events are always a highlight, and you won’t want to miss them! FOSS has also helped to raise funds for the new sports shed, sporting equipment, and shade sails over the playgrounds.

FOSS relies entirely on the generous support of our amazing school community. Without your involvement, these events wouldn’t be possible.

FOSS is looking for helpers to support with Friday Cafe. This is a weekly event on Friday's after school where we have the opportunity to gather as a school community and get to know other parents. The FOSS team sell ice blocks and snacks which is a great Friday afternoon treat for the kids. If you're able to offer any support or would like to know more, please add your details to our Friday Cafe volunteer sign up sheet.

Thanks for your support!