Junior Jottings number 12

Dear Parents and Caregivers

THIS WEEK
Room 16 started on Monday with Mrs Mills Smith teaching our youngest children. A warm welcome is extended to her and the new children in our Junior School.

Cross Country
We are hoping that our Junior School Cross Country will be held next Tuesday June 28th at 1.45 p.m. The course has been plotted for Bishop's park (not William's Park as previously). All children will come to school as usual on Tuesday morning and will be walking down to Bishop's Park together leaving at 1.30 p.m. Once at Bishop's Park the children will sit in their designated House areas. The Year 0 and 1 races will be first at approx. 1.45 p.m. This will be followed by the Year 2 races. We will all return to school together. Your child needs to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the event. They can wear something in their House colour. Your child also needs to bring a drink bottle of water as there are no drinking fountains available. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to ask.

LAST WEEK

Matariki
On Friday we had Arini Poutu, visit our Year 1 classes. We especially thank her for giving up her time to talk about Matariki. Her presentation was very well prepared and extremely well received by the children and she will be returning to talk to the Year 2's. She explained what Matariki means, why Maori celebrate at this time of the year and what it means to Maori. She also spoke about the Matariki Festival at Te Papa and showed video footage of the Kapahaka performance which featured Pania and Kahu from our Junior School. She gave a demonstration of poi and then the children all sang a waiata called Nga Tamariki o Matariki together.

Starting School at Five Evening
Thank you to those new parents who came along to school on Wednesday evening to help support their child in the transition to school. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

COMING UP

Parent and Teacher Conferences
The conferences will be held in the last week of this term. Please make an appointment so that we can share your child’s learning with you,discuss their next learning steps and how you can help with this at home. You will also receive a report and portfolio before this in week 10 which you need to bring with you to the conference. You can book an appointment by going on-line to School Interviews, putting in the code LZ83V and follow the prompts. Alternatively, you can see Carole or Sue in the office.

Health
Please continue to check your child's head for head lice and treat if necessary. Chicken Pox and colds are also going around at the moment. If your child is unwell please keep them at home.

Hope to see you all on Tuesday afternoon at Bishop's Park supporting the efforts of your child and their friends during the Cross Country.

Kind regards
Maureen Buckley
Deputy Principal

Junior Jottings Number 11

Dear Parents and Caregivers

I hope you all had an enjoyable break with your children over Queen's Birthday holiday weekend.

CROSS COUNTRY
Thank you for your patience with the postponement of our Cross Country. We will be having it on Tuesday June 21st at Bishop's Park with a postponement date of Thursday June 23rd instead. We hope the weather and especially the condition of the fields will be better by then. A letter will come home about the event closer to the date. Thank you very much for all the offers of transport. We really appreciate your support with this.

STARTING SCHOOL AT FIVE INFORMATION EVENING
There will be an information evening for parents and caregivers of preschool children in the staffroom next Wednesday June 15th at 7 p.m. Please inform your friends and neighbours, especially if they have children who attend preschools out of the Eastbourne area.

RESEARCH
Thank you to those parents who have signed permission slips for the research. If you would like your child to take part please return your form by Monday.

WANTED

Can you help? Miss Jones in room 6 is collecting clean, plastic takeaway food containers (like the one shown) which she needs to take to the SPCA to use as part of their feeding programme for the new kittens and puppies. If you have any to spare can you please send them along to her in room 6.

HEADLICE
Please continue to check your child's head as we still have some children with nits. Nitsy Pixies, owned by parent Lisa Daniels, has a new method for eradicating these pests. If you would like to learn more, you can collect a brochure from the office.

MATHEMATICS
Each week I am going to explain different aspects of number, which are important for development of numeracy and how you can support this at home with your child. The children progress through stages over their first two years at school. The focus goes through the numbers 1 to 5, then 1 to 10, then 1 to 20, then 1 to 50, then 1 to 100 and beyond.

Counting - We emphasize counting forwards and backwards in each of the above ranges of numbers as well as from different starting points e.g. from 24 or 12 not just 0 or 1.

The number before or after - We say a number and expect that your child will instantly recall the number that goes both before and after it e.g. we say 15 and we would like your child to say 14 or 16 without them counting all the way from one. We do this both orally and by recording.

Skip counting - This is when we ask your child to count in two's, fives or tens both forwards e.g. 0, 2,4,6,8,10 and also backwards 10,8,6,4,2,0.

Each of these aspects are part of the written report on your child's progress which you will receive later this term together with their portfolio showing samples of their work. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to ask.

Best wishes for a great weekend.

Kind regards

Maureen Buckley
Deputy Principal