Year 3-4 Term One Update

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

A big thank you to all our whānau who attended the Meet the Teacher event yesterday. We appreciate you taking the time to connect with us and learn more about what teaching and learning will look like across the Year 3-4 team this year. It was great to share our vision, values, and how we can work together to ensure your child feels engaged, empowered, and successful. If you weren’t able to make it, here are the slides we shared.

We’re excited to dive into our concept learning—Power of You, Power of Us: Unlocking Our Superpowers! Over the coming weeks, we’ll be exploring what makes us unique and special, including our strengths, talents, and taonga. We will also be learning about the power of teamwork and how we can support each other to grow as learners. Keep an eye out for key vocabulary and online resources, which will soon be available through SchoolTalk to support conversations and learning at home.

We are also preparing for an exciting event—our Year 3-4 Sleepover on Friday 4 April. This will be a fantastic opportunity for learners to build independence, develop friendships, and experience a fun-filled evening with their peers. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be supporting learners with discussions and activities to help them feel prepared and confident. More information, including what to bring, will be shared soon.

In Physical Education (PE) this term, learners are developing their striking and fielding skills, focusing on coordination, agility, and more complex body movements. Later in the term, we will shift our focus to athletics, where students will practice running, jumping, and throwing—exploring what their bodies are capable of and experiencing success in different ways.

To celebrate their progress, we will be hosting our whole school Athletics Day on Tuesday 8 April. This is a fantastic opportunity for learners to showcase their skills, and we warmly invite whānau to come along and support. Further details will follow closer to the time.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's hub team.

hub7teachers@stonefields.school.nz

hub8teachers@stonefields.school.nz

hub9teachers@stonefields.school.nz

Welcome to our new learners to Year 3-4

Thursday: Year 3-4'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 Junior ET teachers who will be teaching your children on Thursdays.

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.

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 and their hat is well named. If you would like your child to apply sunscreen at school, you’re welcome to send a small bottle along with them.

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.

Next connect

Our teachers will next be providing a progress update on your child in early March, and have time to meet with our new families to help transition your learner into Year 3-4 . We look forward to this and will be in touch with more details closer to the time.

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.

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!