Room 4 Newsletter:  Term 1, Week 9

Monday 23rd March, 2015

Hi everyone and welcome to Week 9. I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather for Otago Anniversary Day. The term is spinning to a close now.

Upcoming dates:

*Central Otago Triathlon – this Wednesday 25^th March, Cromwell.

*Kapa Haka Festival: Sunday 29^th March.

* End-of-Term Itinerary for Thursday 2^nd April – last day of term:

11.40 am: Holy Week Reflection

12.30 pm: Family Picnic Lunch

1.30 pm:  Eisteddfod Assembly

Scripture Eisteddfods:

Preparation for Eisteddfods is coming along nicely in Room 4. There is an opportunity each day for the children to let me know how they are going, and those that are ready have been having a practise and getting feedback on their progress. Please let me know if you don’t yet have the resources you need to support your child with their scripture eisteddfod, as I have a number of readings available. Please note that the introduction is a significant aspect of the speech. Reasons need to be given why this scripture/psalm/gospel was chosen and a link made with it, before the scripture itself is read.

Homework Calendar:

You will notice a change to the homework format for the last two weeks of term. A Homework Calendar will come home in clearfiles, and the children are to complete 3 out of the 4 activities shown for each night. Please sign these off to show they are done.

At the bottom of the same sheet, there is a wee questionnaire/tick box section asking you to indicate your preferences for next term in terms of homework for your child. Please discuss this with them, and agree on what is reasonable for your family, then tick or cross the boxes accordingly. I will gather up your responses over the next week and this will help me determine the right homework for you and your child for Term 2.

Remember that every child is different – some enjoy the challenge of a bit more homework (especially maths), others may be better suited to the flexible calendar format. I welcome your input and feedback as always.

Easter stories and Holy Week

As we move through Lent, and continue into the reflective period of Easter, let’s give thanks for all the good things we have in our lives. We thank God for the practical support going out to the people of Vanuatu at this time, and continue to keep them in our prayers.

Keep safe this week.  Regards, Markelle Ward            J

Term 1, Week 8

Room 4 Newsletter:  Term 1, Week 8

Sunday 15th March, 2015

Upcoming dates:

*Monday 16^th March – St. Gerard’s Triathlon – Please refer to Miss Passmore’s Room 5 blog for detailed information about this event.

*Friday 20^th March – Teacher Only Day

*Otago Anniversary Day – Monday 23^rd March – School closed

*Eisteddfod Assembly – Thursday 2^nd April (last day of term)

Hay for the guinea-pigs

If anyone could sell me a bale of hay for our wee guinea-pigs it would be greatly appreciated. We’ve run out!

Homework:

Great effort on the homework last week. There will be basic facts, reading comprehension, and a spelling activity this week. Remember to bring homework clear files back on Thursday this week because of the teacher-only day and long weekend.

Have a great week. Regards, Markelle Ward      J

Term 1, Week 7

Sunday 8th March 2015

Sea Week Exhibition:

Wer’e off to the Sea Week Exhibition again, this time with the whole class. We have been invited to a special DVD screening tomorrow afternoon between 1.30 and 2.30 pm at Community House. If anyone is available to walk with us, leaving from school at 1.20, please give me a call.

Haiku Competition: As part of Sea Week the children all wrote a Haiku poem, which is a 3-line poem on a theme. It has 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and 5 syllables in the last line. Most of the children then had to quickly provide an illustration of their poem for me to photograph, to send in with their haiku. By the end of Friday I had just managed to get them all away for those who wanted to enter. Wouldn’t it be exciting to win something? Entries will be posted on the Sea Week Facebook page, so you could even check them out.

World Day of Prayer Service:

I had about five comments from parishioners about how wonderful it was to have the children from Room 4 and the choir at the World Day of Prayer service on Friday morning. They all said how beautifully the children sang and what a lift it brought to the service. Well done everyone!

Upcoming dates:

*Monday 9^th March – Sea Week DVD at Community House:  1.30-2.30 pm

*Thursday 12^th – Friday 13^th  March – Junior School Camp (Rooms 1-3)

*Monday 16^th March – St. Gerard’s Triathlon – Afternoon only

*Friday 20^th March – Teacher Only Day

*Otago Anniversary Day – Monday 23^rd March – School closed

*Eisteddfod Assembly – Thursday 2^nd April (last day of term)

Spelling Homework

There will be a change to Spelling homework for the rest of the term. Five words will be given each week. The children will be required to highlight the part of the word that we are focusing on (for example, this week it is suffixes), and also to put each word into a sentence to explain it’s meaning.

Spelling lists will be worked on in class rather than at home, to ensure that Spelling Alive tools including sound lines and conducting lines are being completed correctly. If you particularly want spelling lists to continue coming home over the next few weeks, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Thank you for your support with this.

Have a great week. 

Regards, Markelle Ward      J

Term 1 Week 6

Sunday 1st March, 2015

Sea Week Exhibition:

Our Year 4’s are lucky enough to be heading down to the Community Centre from 9.30 – 10.30 tomorrow morning (Monday) to see the Sea Week Exhibition. This includes displays, informative videos, short talks and games.  The topics covered will be water quality, pollution, mudflat and rocky shore habitats. It also includes marine mammals…. which fits in perfectly with our science this term, yay!

World Day of Prayer Service:

At 10 am on Friday morning, Room 4 will be joining the choir at the World Day of Prayer Service down at the church. This is a combined church service and all are welcome to attend.

Clothing and Equipment

Room 4’s pile of clothing and belongings is getting big again, and things are being left out overnight. There is a box under the table (blue tablecloth) in the classroom where all clothing is returned to, so please keep an eye on this if you are missing something.

Thursday

I am away at a Conference in Dunedin on Thursday. Mrs Lyon will be relieving in Room Four.

Publishing

The publishing continues to come in by email. I have displayed everything so far in the corridor. Please have a look if you are around before or after school.

PAT Tests

The Year 4’s had a busy week last week completing PAT tests for Maths, Reading Comprehension, Reading Vocabulary and Listening. Year 3’s just had the Listening. Thank you to the children for their commitment.

Caritas

The visit from Michael Stewart from Caritas was a good catalyst to get us talking about our fundraising project for 2015 for Room 4. We have agreed that we would like to bake some truffles in class, and sell them. I will give more details about this closer to the time, as it will require a small contribution of ingredients from each family.

Have a great week. 

Regards, Markelle Ward      J

Term 1, Week 5

Room 4 Newsletter:  Term 1, Week 5

Sunday 22nd February, 2015

Thank you to those children who enthusiastically gave their time to participate in a Lent role-play at Family Mass this morning, as well as readings and prayers of the faithful. I was very proud of you, and Roly thought you were wonderful too! Congratulations Thomas, Harry, Dani, Libby, Lydia, Lauren, Shannon, Grace and Charlie. A great message to get us started for Lent.

Swimming

SWIMMING SPORTS DAY: 9 am – 12 noon Monday 23^rd February. It’s all go!

Caritas:

Wednesday 25^th February:  Michael Stewart from Caritas will be in the school between 10.15 and 11.15 this Wednesday to talk to classes about the work Caritas does. This year the focus is The Philippines. We look forward to making an action plan for our school to support their work.

Homework:

Thank you to all the Room 4 children for their commitment to homework tasks. I have been amazed at how quickly they have published their writing and emailed it into me. Published holiday stories will go up in the corridor this week (so keep them coming). Please have a look before or after school if you are around. Reading, maths and spelling homework is coming along nicely too.

Sea Week Exhibition:

On  Monday 2^nd March, the Year 4’s have been invited to go down to the Museum from 9.30 – 10.30 am to see the Sea Week Exhibition. A parent to walk with us at this time would be great.

Choir:

This week children will be invited to join the School Choir. This is available to all students from Year 4 up. Please discuss this with your child, because once committed to the choir it is really important that they are reliable. Our first appointment is to sing for the World Day of Prayer service on Friday 6^th March at 10 am.

School Library

Room 4’s designated School Library time is 2.15 pm on a Wednesday. Please remember this for return of library books. The computer system will not allow issues to any student who has overdue books, so please make sure books are returned regularly.

Have a great week. Regards, Markelle Ward      J

Newsletter

Sorry for the problems with being able to view the newsletter. This should now be fixed!!!
If you have problems please ring the office.
We are hoping to have the link to the newsletter link up on the Facebook page very soon. We will keep you posted.
Many thanks

Julie