A is For Amazing Home Learning

This week some of our class rose to the challenge of researching topics beginning with the letter A. Here is Hiero's slideshow on Antartica.

    

High 5 to the following children as well!

• Remy presented information on the ANACONDA. He showed us how long an anaconda can grow using a piece of string.
• Aysha spoke about ART and showed us a painting she had created.
• Hiwatt also told us what she knew about ANTARTICA.
• Libby shared information about the AVOCADO. Did you know they are also known as crocodile pears?
• Vibhore told us facts about AEROPLANES. 
• Rajveer knows lots about ASTRONOMY and painted a picture of the planets orbiting the sun for us.
• Jarvis found out some interesting facts about AUCKLAND.
• Mackenzie found out about the AVONDALE SPIDER.

Thank you parents for helping with this research. I hope you enjoyed it as much as your children. Next week is the letter B. I wonder what the children will choose ...
Remember this part of our home learning is "can do" (not compulsory).

I would love to see the whole class completing the "must do" Reading part of our home learning next week.

Making Spaceships with Room 10

This year our buddy class is Room 10. To kick off a fun year with our buddies we have started making spaceships to take us to Mars as part of this year's theme "The Sky's The Limit". 

Here are a few photos of this afternoon's session. 

You will be happy to hear that Room 21 did a fantastic job of cleaning up afterwards!

Classroom Shout Out

Congratulations to everyone who returned their summer holiday reading log. Fairy Judy popped into class on Thursday to deliver certificates and prizes to these amazing readers.

Congratulations to Felix who received our first certificate at the school assembly for 2019. Felix has shown fantastic responsibility!!

Open Afternoon Follow up

Thank you everyone for visiting our classroom on Wednesday afternoon. Altogether there were 12 families from Room 21 who came along, a wonderful turn out!!
I was very impressed at how all the children showed you around the classroom and shared our learning so far. 

In answer to a couple of questions parents asked ....
Home Learning is given out on Monday and collected in on Friday. Each child has a reading log and is expected to read each night for 10 - 15 minutes. Sometimes they will be given stories and articles from our guided reading and sometimes they will be able to choose their own books to read. Please make sure they have their reading log signed and returned to school on Friday.

For those children who would like more home learning, each week we will focus on a letter of the alphabet e.g. Aa. The children then choose something that starts with that letter to research e.g this week is A = Ants. I will then found out some interesting facts about ants that I can share with the class and write them in my Home Learning book or on a chart or even make a model about ants.  

Swimming is every day for the next two weeks. We are very lucky to have qualified swimming instructors coming to school to teach the children to be safe in the water. Everyone can leave their togs in class to dry overnight so they are not forgotten.

Maker's Space. On Monday afternoons (odd weeks) we will spend time creating and making models. Our first challenge is to make a spaceship to carry people from Earth to Mars. Items that we need to that you may have at home: 

• cardboard rolls and small boxes
• plastic bottle lids
• masking tape
• tin foil or foil containers
• anything else you think we can make spaceships and rockets from.

Thanks to Poppy's Dad who dropped off equipment for us on Friday. 😀

If you have any feedback or questions about our class please let me know.

Nga mihi,

Maria

Open Afternoon - Wednesday 13 February

Our class will be open for families to visit from 4.20 - 5pm tomorrow afternoon. If you are not available to come along to this meet and greet afternoon I have created this slideshow for you to watch, with the children's help.

Each slide will change after 15 seconds.

Home Learning

Everyone in Room 21 is expected to read for 10 - 15 minutes every night. Remember to fill in your reading log so it can be checked on Friday morning.
You can:

• read to self  
• read to someone or 
• listen to someone reading

First Day

Kia ora koutou, Ni hao, Talofa, Namaste, Hello, Malo e lelei, Marhabaa, Fakalofa lahi atu.

Each week we will have goals to reach as a class. Our goals for this week are to:

• learn about each other
• create a great learning space

Today the children had decisions to make about ..

• whether to call me Mrs Mudgway or Maria. Most have decided to continue calling me Mrs Mudgway but I am very happy for them to call me Maria.
• where to sit in the classroom. We will be working a bit more on this, as part of our goal.
• home learning. Surprisingly most have opted to do home learning so this year they will be expected to read each night and they will have the option of researching a topic each week. More info about this will be sent home on Monday. 

So far 11 children have brought back their holiday reading logs. If your child still has their's at home please return it tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.

The pool is open!!! Next week our class will be swimming every day. Please remember to name your child's togs, towel and goggles. Our swimming instructors will be teaching the children for half an hour every day in weeks 3 and 4. Please ensure your child has togs by then. If you have spare togs that your child has grown out of we would appreciate any donations. 

One of the activities we did today is on our wall. Please feel free to pop in and see the work the children have done.

Finally .... All the children were given a newsletter, a stationery list and a Lucky Book catalogue today. The eldest and only children were also given an information update sheet. Please check your child's bag for these.

Nga mihi,

Maria Mudgway