Kia ora e te Whānau,

Welcome to Term 3! We have loved hearing about everyone's break over the holidays, and it has been wonderful to welcome some new children to our Koru team.

Kōmanawa

Kōmanawa is the building that has been renovated and our Koru team will be using, along with Hangere, for the rest of the year. It has been an exciting time for the children to explore and learn in this wonderful space. At this stage, Elizabeth/Stacey's Home Group will have their morning mat time and finish the day in Kōmanawa. It will be used by Katie for her Literacy Groups and as a space for Maths lessons for Elizabeth/Stacey's Home Group. 

Elizabeth and Stacey's Home Group will continue to put their bags in the blue cubbies and literacy folders in the usual spot inside Hangere, however, they will now put their lunch boxes and drink bottles in Kōmanawa before school. We thank you for your support with new routines as our team grows!

Term 3 

We are beginning the term with learning about Science and the changes we notice in our weather. There have been wonderful discussions about the different clothes we wear, how our shadows moves, what the trees look like, what we see and feel on frosty mornings during winter. 

We will be getting creative through Visual Art when we create some masterpieces for our Calendar Art PTA fundraising (more information will come around the fundraising and how you can support our school). Later in the term, we get to use our Beebots in Technology to create maps and programmes to get them to change directions and go where we want them to go.

Reminders:

• Literacy folders need to come back to school every day! If a child does not have their folder at school, they are unable to take a book home. 

• Library books are returned, and new books can be issued every Friday at school.

• Kiss and Drop: As the number of children in our Koru Team grows, our hub can feel a little overwhelming for some tamariki in the morning. Pleas aim to "kiss and drop" your child off at the door, rather than entering the hub with them. This will help set your children up for a calm, quiet, and successful transition in the morning. Thank you so much for your support with this!

• School car park: please use the gates on Eastern Tce and Sandwich Road to enter the school. We should not have any adults or children walking through the Staff/Ferndale car park as it can be busy before and after school.

• Lunch boxes: please ensure your child is only bringing water to school in their drink bottle (no juice or other drinks). It is important to help teach your child how to open and close their lunch boxes, so they can do this independently at the start and end of eating times. It would also be amazing if you could either pre-cut or teach your child how to open packets in their lunchboxes (for exampe: twisty yogurt pouches, potato sticks, chip bags, muselie bars etc.) Thank you for your help in this.

• Boxes: please save any boxes from cereals or museli bars etc, you might normally put out in your recylcing bin and send them into school instead - the children are loving creating and decoratin in the Maker Space in Hangere. We'd alos love any little bits and bobs such as ribbon, lace, buttons, feathers etc. for decorative purposes. Many thanks if you're able to help out with any of these items.

 Kia ora e te whānau,

Welcome to this week's Koru Blog!

'side'

'outside'

We are learning to segment words. The teacher says the compound word and place both hands together with palms up. Students repeat the word and then segment into two words, by separating their hands. eg. raincoat, rain - coat.

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. 

Community 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. 

' 03-332-8875  * srfc@xtra.co.nz þ www.sydenhamrugby.co.nz

Facebook http://facebook.com/sydenhamrugby  Online Store  sydenhamrugby.gearstore.co.nz/

 Kia ora e te whānau,

Thank you to everyone who has been applying sun cream before school, we are reapplying before the children go out to Big Play. A reminder that all children need a sun hat every day! If a child does not have a sun hat, they need to play in the shade of the Hall verandah at break times.

It is hard to believe we are nearly at the end of our school year! We will be beginning to tidy and sort our toys and resources in preparation for next year. You might even notice our walls will be getting bare as we take the children's work off so they can take it home. 

Returning books

We are collecting back all Literacy reading books from Literacy folders, these need to be brought back to any teacher in Koru. Please have a look around home and bring back all reading books to school for our end of year stocktake. You are welcome to keep your Heart Words and sound packs of cards to keey using at home. All Library books need to be brought back to school too. 

Transition Visits

We have been getting to meet and get to know the children who will be starting in Koru next year, as they have their school visits this week. It is wonderful to see how our Koru tamariki are showing all our school values to make our visitors feel welcome and to show them a fun time at school. 'We Make A Difference'. Our Koru children are also having a couple of visits to look around the Kahikatea Hub and see where they might be next year.

Teddy Bears' Picnic:

On Monday, December 16th, we are planning to hold a fun Teddy Bears' picnic, followed by games, out in Beckenham Park.

At 1:20 p.m., children will wash their hands, put their hats on, collect their lunches, drink bottles and soft toys, and we'll head out to have lunch under the big trees near the Big Adventure playground.

Once they have finished eating, children will be able to choose from a variety of game options: parachute games, Duck Duck Goose, or playing on the Big Adventure playground. 

Please ensure that your child has the following items on Monday, December 16th:

• lunchbox
• drink bottle
• sun hat
• soft toy (teddy bear or other)