Spring 2015

Wow! What a wonderful term of learning we have had already and it's amazing that the end of the term is only three weeks away and they will be action packed. The children have enjoyed the visit from the ambulance and loved getting the chance to sit in the driver's seat or lie on the bed. We have had visits from some of the children from East Harbour Kindergarten and last week Room 3 visited them and were amazed at how much they have grown since starting school. The tsunami practices and fire drills have been performed quickly and safely during the term. The children have been learning how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations throughout the term as part of our Inquiry. Please check that your child knows their full name, address and telephone number so that they know what to do in an emergency. As part of this, they will be doing first aid and will also be visiting the fire station in the last week of the term as part of our current 'Firewise' programme. 

'Celebration of Learning'
The students have continued to work hard in their learning and make progress in their goals along with working towards meeting the National Standards in literacy and numeracy. 
Tomorrow (Monday November 30th) families are invited to school to hear your child describe their learning to you as well as seeing their work both in their books and around their classroom. We look forward to seeing you between 3 p.m and 6 p.m. for this. 

Education outside the Classroom Week
Further to my earlier email the following are more details. 
Fine day Programme 
Monday November 30th
We start the morning with Jumpjam and then with their own classrooms making Christmas art and craft items, planting swan plant seeds and counting the number of butterflies that they can see in a variety of gardens. They will be using the hall during the afternoon for a Christmas concert practice. Rooms 2, 3 and 6 will be swimming at Eastbourne pool as usual.

Tuesday December 1st 
Junior School Athletics - 9a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
Children need to wear clothes and footwear that are suitable for the different activities and bring along their drink bottle and sunhat. They can wear their House colours if they wish. Families are welcome to come along and support the children in their efforts as well as join us for morning tea and lunch. 
They will have another Christmas concert practice in the afternoon. 

Wednesday December 2nd 
This will be the last day for the excellent moveMprove programme. The children have thoroughly enjoyed this and there has been a noticeable improvement in their confidence and co-ordination. 
Just a friendly reminder that there are a lot of children who still need to pay the $10 for this programme. I would appreciate your payment as soon as possible to Jo in the school office as all accounts need to be paid before we leave at the end of the year. 

The children need to bring a favourite teddy (or soft toy) to school as we are going to have a Teddy Bear's picnic on the field at lunchtime with our usual lunch.
Throughout the day the children will also be doing a variety of fun activities with the parachute on the school field. Rooms 1 and 6 will be swimming at Eastbourne Pool as usual.

Thursday December 3rd
The children will be doing Christmas art and craft activities and other activities in their own classrooms. Rooms 4 and 5 will be going swimming at Eastbourne Pool. 

Friday December 4th 
There will be a rotation of the children moving between the beach, Bishop park and Eastbourne pool throughout the morning along with Kris from St John coming to work them on First aid procedures. There will be a special assembly for Mrs Mills, Mrs Ryan, Mrs Richardson and Mandy, our dental therapist at 10 a.m. and parents are cordially invited to attend. There will not be a full school assembly that afternoon.

Education outside the classroom wet day programme
If the weather is too cold and wet we will be changing the programme to stay in classrooms instead. There will not be a postponement date for the athletics sports. The students will still do Christmas art and craft activities as well as the first aid programme but will have developmental and a mathematics activity session instead. 

Reading books this week
Your child may not bring home reading books this coming week as it is Education outside the classroom (E.O.T.C.) week. They may have a poem, song or browsing book instead.

Junior School Christmas Concert and Party
We will be having our annual concert followed by afternoon tea on Wednesday December 9th at 1.30 p.m. in the school hall. The children will need to dress in the Christmas colours of green and red and are able to wear antlers, santa hats, tinsel etc as well. They need to bring along a plate of food to share for afternoon tea. This plate needs to be put on the table in the hall next to the kitchen before school that day. As this event is very popular please bring along a cushion to sit on and be early as seating is limited. Afternoon tea will then be held outside under the sunshade if the weather is fine.

Head lice 
We have had some children with head lice lately. Please check your child's head and treat if necessary.

Reports 
On Friday December 11th, your child will be bringing home a written report that will show you what areas they have been working on and how they have progressed since the middle of this year. Please celebrate the achievements with your child. 

Student's work
Over the next few weeks your child will be bringing home their 'Collections' folder containing samples of their work in different curriculum areas as well as their exercise books, art works and any personal items as we start to clear the classrooms out in preparation for next year. If you find any school resources at home like reading books please do not hesitate to return them to school as soon as possible in preparation of our annual stocktake. 

Year 5 and 6 Mini market
Thank you to everyone who sent along money on Friday for the Year 7 and 8 charity group 'so they can'. They sold out rapidly and we know some children still had money left. This has either gone back home to you or your child's teacher may have it for your child to use at the Year 5 and 6 mini market. Please send along a gold coin for your child to take part in either purchasing an item including food and drink or playing a game. 

Classes for 2016
As well as the report you will also get a letter informing you which class your child will be in and which teacher that they will have next year. I spend a considerable amount of time working out the careful placement of all students so that there is a balance of gender, learning needs both high and low, and a variety of students' passions and skills in each classroom. Each student will have at least one friend in their new classroom but they may also be split from other friends if the combination is impeding their learning. Please do not open the letter in the school playground as some students may be disappointed. Please acknowledge that some of their current friends may not be with them and work with them to make a wider friendship group. I will not be available on Friday but if you have any questions I will be available on Monday morning December 14th. If your child is away on Friday please do not ask for the class list earlier. They can be collected after 3 p.m. or posted out to you. 

Stationery for 2016
You will also get a notice of what stationery will be needed for next year. The books that are on the list have been particularly chosen due to the number of pages, quality paper and size of book which we know cheaper versions do not have. The amount of stationery is designed to last your child right through the year and is available at school sale prices at the beginning of the year. Your child needs to bring all stationery with them on the first day of term 1 next year.

2016
School starts on Monday February 1st at 8.40 a.m.  

Diary dates
November 
Monday 30th - Celebration of Learning and Education outside the Classroom 

December 
Tuesday 1st - Junior School Athletics
Wednesday 2nd - last session of moveMprove and teddy bear's picnic
Thursday 3rd - EOTC week continues
Friday 4th - rotation of park, pool and beach and first aid.
Special assembly at 10 a.m. 

Wednesday 9th Junior School Christmas concert and party 
Thursday 10th - Year 5 and 6 Mini Market 
Friday 11th - Reports, stationery lists, and classlists go home. 

Monday 14th - Children move to their 2016 classrooms to meet their new teacher and classmates
Thursday 17th - last day of term 4. School closes early on that day.

If you have any questions about your child's learning please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher or myself.

Kind regards
Maureen Buckley 
Deputy Principal