Help this Sunday

Firewood 

There is still a quantity of wood at Duncan Anderson's place that he wants removed asap.  Marty Rendall is having a working bee this Sunday at 12 to attend to this, but needs people to help him remove as much as possible to use as future fundraising.

Please phone Marty on 4486146 or 0275 071565

Term 4, Week 3

Monday 27th October - Labour Day

Well done to everyone who participated so enthusiastically during Athletics Day – a big effort and a big day! Thank you also to those Room 4 children and others who participated in the Family Mass on Sunday during Labour Weekend. You did a great job.

Clothing and scooters

I’m afraid to say that the pile of belongings in the Room 4 corridor is getting a bit out of control again. If you are missing a jersey, vest, jacket, lunchbox container, drink bottle, scooter or hoodie, please get your child to check the pile again and bring home anything that belongs to them. I will round it all up this week and send home what I can!

Sacramental Programme

9 am this Sunday, 2^nd November, will be the first liturgy session for those children preparing for First Holy Communion. These will continue each Sunday until we celebrate this special sacrament on November 23^rd.

Homework

It would be great to get homework routines back in place again. Could all homework clear files be returned on Thursdays, finished or not. Reading will take the form of a comprehension task over the next few weeks.

Writing

There is very definitely a common and continuing theme when it comes to the childrens’ writing. The children are showing some very good Level 2 National Standard features in their writing. These include things like consistent use of past or present tense, sequencing events, using strong and varied vocabulary, trying language features like onomatopaiea (zoom, crack, whizz!!! etc), and descriptive writing to reflect their thoughts, ideas, and experiences. They are also beginning to regularly use exclamation marks, speech marks, and commas too!

On the whole I am very impressed with their progress with these aspects. The common theme however, is the lack of attention to basic editing, especially capital letters, full stops, and checking spelling. I encourage you to get the children to read back to you the things they write, so they can see for themselves how important it is to re-visit their writing to make sure it makes sense. Even a sentence or a short paragraph will achieve this purpose, as it gives them ownership of their writing. The reading, writing and spelling process is all tied in together, and I would like to see the children begin to take responsibility for re-reading, editing, using a dictionary and reading their work aloud to share it with an audience.

Snapshot of a typical piece of writing:

yummy whats for tea pizza babaque chickin I doun’t now so yummy food

[Translation:  Yummy! What’s for tea? Pizza with barbecue chicken. I don’t know ….. such yummy food!]

The lack of attention to capital letters, full stops, punctuation and checking spelling is what would stop this kind of writing going up a level. Something to think about.

Have a great week. Regards, Markelle Ward J

Term 4, Week 2

Sunday 19th October - Term 4, Week 2

*** Thank you to everyone for the tremendous effort that went into making the School Musical a big success on the night. ***

Important Dates:

•   Thursday 23^rd October - School Athletics Day.

•   Thursday 23^rd October – 7 pm, Parent night for First Holy Communion, Father Pat’s house.

•  Sunday 26th October - Family Mass, 9 am.

•   Monday 27th October - Labour Day

Homework

Many homework clear files were not handed in last week, which is understandable given that Thursday was Musical Day. I have asked that the children take tomorrow's newsletter and reading sheet home in their bags, add it to their clear file, and return clear files on Thursday this week as usual, after completing their homework of course. More work can also be done on their Maths Revision booklet. Thank you for your support with this. Spelling lists will start coming home again next week.

Sacramental Programme

With First Holy Communion coming up on November 23^rd, it is time for the Parent Evening so that there are enough Sundays available for the Liturgy Programme. Can we please meet this Thursday at 7 pm, at Father Pat’s house, to get this under way. A reminder will be in the school newsletter this week.

Family Mass – Labour Weekend

This weekend is a Parish Family Mass. Some of the Room 4 children have offered to do a reading or a Prayer of the Faithful. I am aware that many of you will have other plans for the long weekend, so will wait till I have a direct communication from you that your child is available on Sunday morning to participate.

Ben Whitaker Project

The concert that was being organised for Labour Weekend on Ben Whitaker’s behalf has been cancelled, due to difficulties getting members of the schools and community to commit to it on a long weekend. St. Gerard’s will fulfil our commitment to this project by completing the iMovie we have started, which involves mostly the choir, with Room 4 playing the recycled instruments.

Athletics Day

Full details for Athletics Day on Thursday will be in the school newsletter on Wednesday. In the meantime it would be useful if the children could bring their shorts and gym shoes each day for fitness time and athletics training.

Reports

Year 3 reports are well under way. There will be regular testing of all students this term for Reading, Writing, Spelling and Maths to ensure all reports and data are up-to-date for the end of the year.

Markelle Ward J

Term 4, Week 1, Class Newsletter (sent home Tues 14th)

Room 4 Newsletter:  Term 4, Week 1            Sent home - Tuesday 14^th October, 2014

Welcome to Term 4. I’m pleased I held off for one day to write the full class newsletter this week, as there have been lots of changes to upcoming dates already. The information as it appears in this newsletter is the most up-to-date.

Important Dates: 

•   Thursday 16th October - School Production: Matinee 1.00 pm, Evening Performance 6 pm.

•   Thursday 23rd October - School Athletics Day

•   Sunday 26th October - Family Mass, 9 am.

•   Monday 27th October - Labour Day

School Production:  Cinderella/Rockerfella

There will be a full rehearsal for the show this Wednesday (tomorrow). We will be leaving from school by 11.40am to walk down to the Memorial Theatre. The children are to have  their costume ready (in a named plastic bag) to take with them at this point.

On-stage tips

Some things to discuss with your child before the big night on Thursday regarding sitting on stage for such a long time:

•   If you have to yawn, cover your mouth!

•   Make sure you go to the toilet before the show starts.

•   Sing with all your heart.

•   Sit still for as long as you possibly can.

•   When it’s your moment to dance, DANCE and have your moment in the limelight!

The kids are doing well and have been very patient during rehearsals. Good work everyone!

Poster Project

The class have been sorted into pairs for a Science Mini-Project on New Zealand Native Birds. Most of this will be done in class time, but I will send a sheet home in homework folios this week so that you are aware of what is involved. Please ensure that any research done on the internet at home has your approval and supervision. If you have any books or resources at home on Native New Zealand birds that we could borrow, that would be greatly appreciated.

Camp iMovie

I am still receiving photos from camp and have made a start on the iMovie. We will have an opportunity to share this with you and the school at an assembly later in the term.

Here’s to a great week and a successful musical production – thank you for your support. J

Markelle Ward J

Term 4, Week One

Sunday 12th October, 2014

Hi everyone and welcome to Term 4. No doubt you are all enjoying the last precious moments of the school holidays… either that or you're begging for the kids to start back at school! Either way, I trust you've had a good break, and I look forward to seeing the children back in class for another term of fun and learning.

Key dates for Week 1 and 2:

• Thursday 16th October - School Production: Matinee 1.30 pm, Evening Performance 6 pm.
• Friday 17th October - Mass at 12 noon, led by Room 6
• Friday 17th October - Assembly 2.10 pm
• Thursday 23rd October - School Athletics Day
• Saturday 25th October - Ben Whitaker Concert (Labour Weekend)
• Sunday 26th October - Family Mass, 9 am.
• Monday 27th October - Labour Day

Room 4's class newsletter and homework will come home on Tuesday this week rather than Monday, so that I can include all the up-to-date information from tomorrow's staff meeting for you. With such a big effort going into the School Production this week I will go light on the homework I promise!

See you soon.

Regards, Markelle :)