Our Korero Corner this week.

Games, books and activities

Can you recognize these shapes? Can you name them in Maori? Can you name the parts of your tinana (body)?

We are currently working with our Resource Teacher of Literacy to best target the reading needs of a number of our students. Through observations, we have noticed that some of our readers have not yet made the firm connection between letters and sounds (the alphabetic code).
This is an essential skill for learning to read. We are therefore strongly focusing on letter-sound relationships during reading lessons with some of our children who need it. In order to reinforce the connection we are using decodable texts. Almost every word in these books can be sounded out if unknown. As the books are not rich in vocabulary or sentence structure, it would be very beneficial if you could read to your child to continue to expose them to age appropriate language.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.
Other games and activities that would help your child make letter-sound connections are: 
I-Spy (using the letter sound and the letter name)
Snap or Memory using the words from the books on small cards
Play 'name 3 things' that start with/end with...
Our glue stick supply is running very low. If you have a glue stick at home please send to school for our tamariki to use. These will be gratefully received!
We have been super impressed by the amazing performances by our tamariki. Look at these gorgeous kids...

Kia ora Whanau,

Over the last 3 weeks Lisa and Amber have been running practices for students who are interested in being in the Talent Show. These have been during lunchtime and some afternoons.

This week we have 2 lunchtime rehearsals scheduled: in the hall on Monday and again on Friday. If your child has a costume, please send it to school with them on Friday.

By the end of this week Lisa and Amber need to select 3 (groups and/or individuals) to perform at the school Talent Show on Friday 27 September 1.40 to 2.45pm.

Kind thanks for all your support and inquiries regarding this event. If you have any further questions, please get in contact with Amber or Lisa.

amber.donovan@beckenham.school.nz
lisa.griffith@beckenham.school.nz

Arohanui,
Team Kahikatea.

Calendar Art - Kandinsky
We are taking inspiration from Kandinsky for our Calendar Art.  This is an important fundraiser run by our PTA so look out for order forms coming home soon.
 
Warm Clothing - Thank You
Throughout the day we go in and out of the hub to get fresh air, to do our fitness and to take our breaks for morning tea and lunch.
Very often, we  experience very changeable weather so we appreciate you sending your child to school with an extra layer of warm clothing, such as thermals or a water/windproof jacket.

Lunches - Thank You
For providing full and filling lunches each day. Lunch eating is actively supervised and we are genuinely impressed by the delicious lunches our tamariki are eating. Sandwiches, wraps, buns  (carbohydrates) and protein (nuts, meats, dairy) and of course vegetables and fruit are essential lunchbox items.

Hygiene
Teachers are actively monitoring daily handwashing routines, especially before lunch eating. We also remind our tamariki to always wash their hands after using the toilet. It is particularly important during these winter months that we are all mindful of maintaining basic hygiene.

Reading at Home
Thank you for supporting your child by maintaining regular reading at home. Each day your child needs to self-select a book and put it into their reading folder. If you are concerned about your child's reading or you would like any ideas about supporting your child to read at home do not hesitate to speak with your child's teacher.

Slippers/Warm Socks/Winter Clothing/Glasses
The days are getting much cooler and it's really good to see students dressed appropriately for the weather. Please do remember to name your child's jackets as these inevitably come off when they enter our lovely warm hub. If your child would like to wear slippers or thick socks, do name these too.
We have an increasing number of students who wear glasses and we know it's so important that they develop the routine and discipline of managing this by themselves. If your child is suppose to wear glasses for specific learning tasks - reading, for example, please let us know.

Learning Conferences
Kind thanks to you all for taking the time to meet with us last week for learning conferences. These are such valuable meetings to celebrate with your child all their progress and to identify next steps.

Disco and Swimming Photos....enjoy!

We are so happy to have finally started swimming lessons. Thanks to all our lovely whanau who are supporting us during this time and to the many, many hours of work Charlotte has put into planning and organising such a valuable learning experience for our tamariki. Arohanui Charlotte!
Lessons continue this week (except for Wednesday 29th May) and then on into next week too.

Here are some photos of today's fun: