Category Archives: Koru
Koru Team Blog – Term 1 Week 9
Kia ora e te whānau,
It is incredible to think that we are nearing the end of our first term together, and what a fantastic term it has been!
Today was our school's 'Celebration of Culture' day. This week, the school has focused on diversity, and the Koru team has been learning about what 'culture' means.
Kiss and Drop
Mathematics:
Learning Through Play
Playground Boundaries
We look forward to seeing you all on Monday.
The Koru team
katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz
stacey.mclachlan@beckenham.school.nz
elizabeth.drummond@beckenham.school.nz
Koru Team Blog Term 1 Week 7 (14/03/2025)
Kia ora, e te whānau,
Welcome to this fortnight's blog post! We are so impressed with the tamariki - they have been making amazing progress in their learning since starting school. This, of course, includes their academic learning, as well as their emotional learning and their social learning.
Our blog post today contains information about:
- the Koru team's class contract
- a typical day in the Koru team
- Structured Literacy in the Koru team
- Online Safety information
- and finally, some beautiful photos of the tamariki during the past fortnight.
He Waka Eke Noa:
We are all in this waka together! |
As a team, we have discussed the meaning of this whakataukī and also the meaning of the word 'contract'. The tamariki together came up with some guidelines which we've all agreed to follow:
- We show 'We Care'
- We are kind to each other
- We use gentle hands and gentle feet
- We speak kindly to each other
- We look after our things, like our hats and our drink bottles
- We take care of our spaces and help at tidy up time
- We take care of the games and toys
- We are helpful
- We use good manners, like 'please' and 'thank you'
- We look after each other.
Other routines, which the children have embraced, include:
- unpacking their bags when they arrive at school in the morning, including putting their Literacy folder in the right container;
- remembering their poetry books and library folders on Friday;
- lining up after break times;
- 'showing five' whenever they are sitting on the mat;
- and following the expectations in their small Literacy group lessons (sitting up, chair pulled in, focusing on the learning, and 'whiteboards are for writing, not drawing').
We thank you all for your continued support with the start and end of day routines!
A typical Day in the Koru team:
We also fit into our days: interoception (short little activities with a focus on breathing and noticing how our bodies are feeling), music and movement, and of course aspects of both Literacy and Maths are incorporated into Learning Through Play.
A fun focus during Learning Through Play at the moment is the theme of 'Shops and Shopping'. The original shop set up included a children's library beside the shop as well as roles such as the delivery person, two shopkeepers and visitors to the shop and the library. Elizabeth was included in the play (the Mum) as well as Katie (the Dad). Other children have been involved making signs, labels, money and purses/bags.
The children have been learning new songs and actions at our Music and Movement times, and they agreed that they would like two of these shared with you so that they can teach you at home. We know you'll love them! The expressions and actions that we see while the children are singing are absolutely adorable. See if your children will sing to you now (a great opportunity for 'the child to be the teacher').
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Wow, what a wonderfully creative model! |
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...and a bird's eye view. |
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Creating a 4 element pattern with the penguins. |
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Five friends working together with the Mobilo. |
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Showing 'We Care' to ensure that the Mobilo is fairly shared. |
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"Here you are. You're welcome to use these pieces of Mobilo in your construction." |
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Collaborating on a Lego construction. |
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Putting in best effort and focus to produce top quality work. |
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Counting large numbers using the abacus. |
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"How many beads have been pushed across and how many are left?" |
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Collaborating to solve a problem using the abacus. |
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Working with a big buddy to count the beads on the abacus. |
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Showing 'We Care' by sweeping up small bits of rubbish with the brush and shovel. |
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Also showing 'We Care' by looking after our learning spaces. Thank you!! |
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What a kind thing to do for everyone, including our cleaner. |
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How many different ways can we make the number 5? |
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Working together to play the 'Shops' game. |
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Ensuring that the Children's Library, situated beside the shop, has enough chairs and books for visitors. |
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"Here you are, Batty... a book for you." |
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"Is everyone who is visiting the library feeling happy and comfortable?" |
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"Yes, thank you. It's lovely here!" |
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Beautiful dance moves... |
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...getting some practice in before the next disco? |
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So much energy and so many fabulous moves! |
Koru Team Blog Term 1 Week 5 (27/02/2025)
Kia ora e te whānau,
We are having a wonderful time in the Koru team and it's already our fifth week at school this year!
Maths: Notice, Think, Wonder
We are starting to learn some Rich Routines to begin our maths lessons. This term, we have been learning about 'Notice, Think, Wonder' tasks. A photo is shown to the children and they are asked the questions: "What do you notice? What do you think? What do you wonder?" These tasks provide a visual stimulus for tamariki to discuss, notice, think and wonder about. This could include graphs, puzzles, pictures, signs or graphics. We are learning to think and act like a Mathematician, which means the children are learning to look for patterns; make connections; take risks and explain their thinking to others.
Here is the image we looked at, and some of the ideas the children thought about:
- Joe: I can see some shapes. Some are triangles.
- Ash: I notice some diamonds.
- Piper: I notice the shadow. Maybe the shadow is a person.
- Max H: There are six colours in the picture.
- Luca: Maybe the dark blue is water.
- Frankie: I think there is a pattern. Blue, blue, yellow, yellow.
- Olena: I wonder if it is a floor and a chair?
What do you notice?
What do you think?
What do you wonder?
Can you take some photos and share them with us for some new 'Notice, Think, Wonder' sessions?
Yoghurt pouches
Please loosen your child's yoghurt pouch before school, so they can easily open these during eating time. Thanks!
Online Safety: Gaming
Eighty percent of tamariki in New Zealand aged 8-17 have played games online. Games can have many benefits: entertainment, social opportunities, coordination development, problem-solving and multitasking skills. But, most of all, gaming is popular because it's fun.
But games can be tough for parents and whānau to navigate. How much gaming is too much? How do I make sure my tamariki aren't seeing inappropriate content of chatting in-game with strangers?
Today we're sharing Netsafe's Online Gaming Whānau Toolkit so you have all the resources you need to keep your kids safe.
YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/rPN_ev1RSDQCommunity notice:
Sydenham Rippa and Footy Fun: This free and fun non-contact rugby program is open to all Year 1 and 2 tamariki in our local community, giving them a great introduction to the game in a safe and supportive environment.
Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Location: Sydenham Park
' 03-332-8875 * srfc@xtra.co.
Facebook http://facebook.com/
Koru Team News Term 1 Week 3
Kia ora e te whānau,
We have had a fantastic week in the Koru hub. It has been amazing to see tamariki embrace our school values as we continue getting to know each other!
Mathematics
This week, we have started our mathematics programme. We are working through a thematic unit called 'All About Us', which engages children in early numeracy activities. So far, we have explored children's prior knowledge of numbers, counting, and grouping, and we have conducted a simple statistical inquiry to find out our favourite sports and foods - some children even created their own graphs during learning through play!
Literacy
Teachers have been busy working through initial assessments with tamariki this week. It is so exciting to see the letters and letter sounds that children already know! Next week, we will be learning what to expect during a small-group literacy time and practising the routines involved. Literacy folders will begin coming home in Week 5.
We have been doing whole-class literacy activities this week. These involve a letter-of-the-day focus. We practise writing the letter in the air, look at our Milo the Monkey book, and go on a Pirate Island adventure (example below). Tamariki then engage in a task linked to the letter of the day.
Learning Through Play
We love learning through play! This week, we have continued to explore the resources and activities within the hub. Learning through play allows children to explore, discover, experiment, and solve problems in playful and imaginative ways. This time is very special as it is a time in which children can make new friends, practise our school values, and have fun!
Yoghurt pouches
Please loosen your child's yoghurt pouch so they can easily open these during eating time. Thanks!
Library
Staying Safe Online
That's all for now! We hope you have a fantastic weekend and look forward to seeing you next week.
Ngā mihi,
The Koru team
katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz
elizabeth.drummond@beckenham.school.nz
stacey.mclachlan@beckenham.school.nz