Totara Team 4 – Term3 week 6 ending 1 September

We are in full swing with practising for the production in week 9.  Please can you remind the children to practise the two dances at home (they are also on the blog), as soon we will only have the music and no video to help us.

Awataha Marae visit

We had a great visit to the marae with lots of learning.  From how to walk on to the marae grounds and be welcomed in a powhiri to eating delicious Maori bread, learning about their ancestors and their art, viewing the new carvings to be placed inside the wharenui, learning ti rakau sticks games, weaving harakeke and finishing with the haka!

Dance

The Auckland University Dance students finished their 3 weeks with us, culminating with a dance routine shared in the hall amongst the Years 0-4.  We loved having Kiritina and Kim teach us learn more about ourselves and aspects of diversity in our dances.

Disco

The disco was great fun and a riot of colour, dancing and noise.  Thank you to all those that helped with the set up.

Learning in Totara

Reading

Summarising and finding key words in texts – fiction and non-fiction.  Lots of silent sustained reading.  Great to see the children choosing their own chapter books and really enjoying the quiet reading time after lunch as well as Trish’s Chapter Chat and novel time. 

Writing

The children are finishing their myths and legends and have published them into booklets.  Please come along and read them with your children.  Some of the children have started on beautiful poems expressing themselves through the senses.

Maths

We are still continuing with addition and subtraction strategies.  Keep reminding the children to practise their x tables at home and basic facts to 100 and beyond with fast recall.

Reminders

Children should not be at school before 8.20am unless for sports practise.

Class, individual & sibling photos – 5^th September

Production 19^th, 20^th, 21^st September

Te reo Maori

Totara Times – Term 3 Week 4 ending 18 August

It’s already Week 4 and this term is racing by. We are doing lots of learning and everyone is focusing on their next steps and how to achieve them as they prepare for Learning Conferences next week.

Learning in Totara

Reading

The children are continuing to make and explain inferences in the texts that they are reading. They are learning to use the clues in the text to help them have a deeper understanding of what they are reading. Our next focus will be on finding key words and summarising texts.

Writing

Most children have successfully completed their myth or legend. We are going to use these narratives to create comic strips and tell their stories in a different way.

Maths

We have started our work on strategies for adding and subtracting. Alongside that focus, we are continuing our independent activities and problem solving. Learning times tables is an important part of our work too.

Inquiry

We are moving into our Production work now. The children have chosen the music for their part of the performance and have contributed to the writing of the script. We are beginning to choreograph our dances and think about our costumes.

Reminder:

Children should not be at school before 8:20 am unless they have a sports practice.

Important Dates

School Disco: Thursday this week. 17^th September – starts at 6:00pm for Year 4’s

Learning Conferences: Tuesday 22^nd August – 2:00-6:00pm

                                         Thursday 24^th August -3.30-5.30pm

Awataha Marae visit: Wednesday 23^rd August – we leave school @ 9:30pm and will be back by 2pm.  Parents are welcome to come but would need to provide their own transport.  It is at 58 Akoranga Drive, Northcote.  Please let us know if you would like to come.

Class and individual photos: Tuesday 5^th September

Production: 19^th ,20^th and 21^st September – details to follow

Creating art

Welcome to Term 3.  I’m really excited and am enjoying my new role in Totara Team, working alongside Trish and back with the children.  We have a very busy term ahead.  I’m doing a lot of learning as well as the children!

Learning in Totara

Inquiry

Our focus was Keeping Ourselves Safe in an elearning environment with Constable Rob. It was extremely valuable and the children were very engaged with their thoughtful comments and questions.  He strongly encourages an elarning safety chat with your children at home.

Art

We have started the term with an art focus, culminating with the Mini Art Exhibition this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Please come along with before school or after to view your child’s art.  Thank you so much to Sarah and Creghan who helped with the framing, it was much appreciated. If anyone would like to help Annette set up the screens and art on Monday, or take down on Thursday, please could you email her on Annettem@bayfield.school.nz

Reading

Our new goals in reading are:

I can look for clues to confirm my predictions and inferences and I can make and explain my inferences using information in the text.  The children are enjoying being detectives and working the questions out using the text.

Maths

The first two weeks we had a Measurement rotation, with Trish teaching weight/capacity and Steph Length.  Now we are focusing on Addition and Subtraction strategies.

Writing

Term 3 we are learning how to write a myth or a legend using a narrative format.  The children’s narrative will be about how an animal got its feature or how a natural feature was formed eg rain, volcanoes erupting, snow.

Dance Students

Once again we have the dance students from Auckland University coming to teach the children for 6 sessions over the next 3 weeks.  We are very excited and privileged to have them.

Important Dates

Disco

The school disco is on Thursday this week, more details to follow.

Learning Conferences  for Year 4:  Week 5 or 6, details to follow.