I hope this newsletter finds everyone now settled and warm after last week's incredible storm and you are not having to do too much cleaning up! The stories the children wrote about the experience were certainly amazing! They have spent the whole week recounting what happened at their place and it was a big adventure for them, especially when they had no power and had to do things by candle or torchlight!
This term has quickly flown by and it is hard to believe that the children have had eight weeks of learning already. What a variety they have been immersed in - from all the wonderful in - class learning experiences combined with a trip to the Carter Observatory as part of our Science inquiry, being an audience for a visiting show about books, undertaking exciting and fantastic experiments throughout Primary Science week, fascinating and different activities throughout Brain Week to name but a few. Parents and caregivers too have been involved during the term with the 'Celebration of Learning' afternoon, the 'Back to School' information evenings about Literacy and Numeracy, the 'Hooked on Books' programme and also the 'Starting School at Five' evening, all of which were very well attended. Well done to the classes who have presented Junior Assembly this term and thank you to those parents and caregivers who have joined us for them. Congratulations also to Room 1, who shared their Letterland Red Robots at the Full School Assembly on Friday and to Room 3, for their exemplary behaviour, which earned them the Assembly Bear and extra play.
REPORTS
This Friday July 5th, your child will be bringing home their written report. If your child is in Rooms 4, 5 and 6 it will be in an envelope but if your child is in Room 2 or 3 it will be inside the cover of their Learning Journey folder. Children in Room 1 will not be getting a written report at this time but will bring home a Learning Journey folder. If you have a child in Rooms 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 that has started school this term, they will not be getting a written report at this stage but will still have a conference. Children will be having either a Progress report or an Anniversary report depending upon their time at school.
For your information - On the reports there is a Key to Achievement. Each descriptor has a tick e.g. NY - Not Yet, AT - At Times M - Mostly A - Always. Please note that if your child is young they may have lots of NY due to a number of factors e.g. they may not have been at school long enough, or that they are not developmentally at the stage, or they may not have covered it in the classroom programme as yet. If your child is older and gets NY - this may mean that it also has not been covered in the classroom programme e.g. multiplication or division in maths or they are needing to work and improve in a particular area. 'At times' means that they can do the descriptor but not consistently whereas they would get 'Mostly' if they were more consistent. 'Always' means that they achieve this every single time. The position of the ticks into the different columns is based on the work the children do and is moderated across the Year group. e.g. If your child is in Year 2 in room 5 their achievement is compared to those Year 2 children in rooms 4 and 6. If your child is in Year 1 in room 5 their achievement is compared to those Year 1 children in rooms 1, 2 and 3. If your child has an Anniversary report, there is a section on how they achieved against the National Standards for their year but if your child has a Mid Year Progress report there is a section on how they are progressing towards meeting the National Standards. In the General Comment section there are next learning steps for your child and these are the areas that parents and caregivers can help with at home.
PARENT AND TEACHER CONFERENCES
We are looking forward to meeting you at the Parent and Teacher Conferences on either Wednesday July 10th or Thursday July 11th between 3p.m. and 7.30 p.m. Please go online and book an appointment using the event code LBFZV if you have not already done so.
If you have a problem, please do not hesitate to contact Sue in the office on 04 562 8409 and she will be able to help you.
The conferences will be for fifteen minutes and will be an opportunity for you to discuss your child's report, their next learning steps and see samples of their work.
If your child is in Room 1 you can not enter an appointment time. If you have recently had a conference with Mrs Ryan you may feel you do not need another one at this stage or if your child has just started school in the last few weeks you will be contacted by Mrs Ryan for a conference early next term when they have been at school for at least six weeks. If your child has been at school for six weeks Mrs Ryan will be contacting you about an appointment time.
If your child has recently turned six and you have not seen their Literacy results from the Six Year Old Observation survey and would like to, please also make an extra appointment to see Mrs Buckley.
BOOK FAIR
This term we are holding our annual Scholastic Book Fair to coincide with the conferences. The Book Fair will be held in the school library on
Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th July from 2.40pm - 3.30pm.
Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th July from 2.40pm - 7.30pm.
Please contact Sue in the office if you can help in any way on any of the days. Thank you so much to Liz Alderson who is co-ordinating the Book Fair this year.
Any books you purchase for your child or family allows us to also purchase books for our school library. You may also wish to donate a book to our library too.
HOLIDAYS
From time to time parents want to take their children out of school during term time for a holiday. If you are considering doing this, could you please write a letter or send an email to Mr Bird or your child's teacher outlining when and where you are going. We need to account for the attendance of every child.
ALLERGIES
Many of our children suffer from reactions to a number of allergens or foods. We have children who are allergic to peanuts, nuts, plasters, fish, strawberries, penicillin, wasps, bees, dust and grass to name a few. As we have children who are severely allergic to peanuts and nuts, it would be appreciated if parents and caregivers did not send along sandwiches containing peanut butter or Nutella or any other products containing nuts in your children's lunch-boxes in an effort to keep these children with severe allergies safe.
BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS
If your child is going to have a party for their birthday could parents and caregivers please make sure that your child does not bring along the invitations to be given out to children in the playground or at school. It can be very distressing for the children who do not get an invitation and also places your child in an awkward position of having to explain why their friend was not invited.
READING BOOKS
Each day your child gets a book to bring home to practise their reading. We know that sometimes the book is not read and that parents keep it at home for their child to read the next day. Please make sure that your child returns their reading books daily as we need the book at school during the day for your child to work from or for other groups in the class or other Junior classrooms to use. We have also noticed some of our children are not bringing their book-bags. Could you please check that your child brings theirs?
IPADS
Each day your child gets a book to bring home to practise their reading. We know that sometimes the book is not read and that parents keep it at home for their child to read the next day. Please make sure that your child returns their reading books daily as we need the book at school during the day for your child to work from or for other groups in the class or other Junior classrooms to use. We have also noticed some of our children are not bringing their book-bags. Could you please check that your child brings theirs?
IPADS
We are now very fortunate to have thirty two Ipads to support the learning in our Junior classrooms. The children are using different apps on the Ipads, at present, to do reading, writing, handwriting, mathematics, spelling, science and art. These will be extended next term.
LOST PROPERTY
We are getting a lot of clothing at present that has gone unclaimed. If your child is missing some items can you please check our lost property area, which is under the stairs, opposite room 7 in the two-storey block?
DIARY DATES
This is Maori Language Week - the focus is on Place names around our area
Full School Assembly - July 5th 1.40 p.m. in the hall. Please note - There will not be an assembly on the last day of this term.
Parent and Teacher conferences for Years 1 to 3 - July 10th and 11th
Last day of Term 2 - July 12th
First day of Term 3 - July 29th
If you have any queries about the Junior School or your child's learning please do not hesitate to contact me or your child's teacher.
Yours in partnership,
Kind regards
Maureen Buckley
Deputy Principal
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