Kia ora e te whanau,

We hope everything's going well for you all on the home front. Here we are at the end of Week 5 and we've had another very busy, fun and creative fortnight in the Koru team. 

Here's the link through to our Learning At Home page for those of you who might be needing it.

This week, we're going to have a focus on Digitech in our Blog post! So... first of all, what is Digitech? 

Digitech: is a way of expressing problems and formulating solutions in ways that a computer would, and can be integrated into many areas of the curriculum, including Literacy and Maths (for example, to support the learning of heart words, story telling and sequencing, number recognition and counting, etc.).

Introducing Kate...!

Kate is one of the Ōtautahi Outreach facilitators and is working with us in this area of our learning. Kate was born and raised in Ōtautahi locally, and is actually a Beckenham School old girl (the year of '99!). Her background is in ECE teaching, before she 'fell somewhat head first' into Digital Technologies. She spent 2018-2020 on Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko, the Digital Readiness Programme, and now focuses on creating fun and authentic learning experiences in classrooms. We feel incredibly lucky to have Kate working with the Koru team (both teachers and children). Kate is coming to us once a week on Thursday mornings throughout the first two terms of this year.

What does Digitech look like at the New Entrant level?

Digitech can be:

• easily interwoven throughout play-based learning 
• integrated throughout such curriculum areas as Literacy, numeracy, Science and Te Ao Māori
• used to introduce the children to simple elements and concepts of programming, thereby  demystifying the language and terminology which children will encounter later in their learning

• SO much fun! Believe it or not, it can include opportunities to explore messy play and can also be used outside in the natural environment 

• used incredibly successfully to support the social competencies of collaboration, communication, well-being, Turangawaewae and problem solving 

• Week 3 (Kidbots): We started by introducing the grid and the characters of the 'robot' and the 'programmer' to the tamariki. You can also add a 'tester' but we played the role of the 'tester' collaboratively on this introductory day. Writing a computer program with Kidbots involved: planning what we wanted to do; coding the instructions; testing our code/programme; and debugging our code/programme.

• Week 4 (Bluebots and Greedy Cat): This week, the focus was on writing a computer programme, with Greedy Cat as a character. The children had to: plan what they were going to do; revisit the story and go over the sequence of kai that Greedy Cat gobbles up; code the instructions, using simple 'forward' 'backwards' and 'turn' blocks to represent their code blocks; test their code/program (tamariki were encouraged to 'test' the program frequently along the way to ensure there were no 'bugs' - when each programme was tested, children were encouraged to 'read' the programme out loud together); debug their code/program (when obstacles were encountered or the code wasn't correct during testing, children 'debugged' their code and then retested). Computers only output exactly what humans input!

• Week 5: Bluebots and Scratch Jr: This week, we introduced programming using software and bluetooth connectivity. Tamariki were encouraged to programme through the iPad app to a shape and then test and debug their code. (Scratch Jr is block based code for animations and uses visual code and colours as opposed to text, and only works on an iPad.)

We are incredibly grateful to Kate - her expertise, patience and generosity are second to none! Our heartfelt thanks to you, Kate, for all of the hard work you're putting into working with us all in the Koru team. We appreciate you! 

We do hope you all have a restful and very happy weekend, everyone. We're looking forward to seeing those bright and happy wee faces next week!

Ngā mihi mahana koutou,

Elizabeth, Georgia and Stacey

 Kia ora, e te whanau,

We have had an amazingly busy and productive fortnight - it's been SO much fun, and in amongst all of the fun, the children have very quickly shown fantastic gains in their independence and their confidence.

We have:

• made ice cream
• started visiting the library
• started exploring simple 'programming' with the help of Kate, from Code Club (Kate's coming in each Thursday morning to introduce us to Digitech (or Digital Technology); this link will take you to the area in the New Zealnd Curriulum which relates to e-learning and will explain more about this aspect of Technology
• been exploring the Maths equipment, and in particular, the shape equipment
• been practising our phonological awareness skills (rhyming, hearing and saying the initial sound in words, hearing and saying the final sounds in words, hearing the two parts in compound words and joining them together); you'll find more about this area of the children's learning on the Koru page of Learning At Home on our school website; just click on this link to get there quickly
• been finding out about interoception (which is to do with understanding and feeling what's going on inside our bodies, and being conscious of and learning to describe these feelings) and engaging in interoception activities
• practised our core strength exercises and our finger strength and dexterity exercises, in preparation for the start of handwriting, with Bounce and Skip, our two soft toy monkeys
• and... we have been making new friends, and talking about showing our school value, We Care, and what this looks like and sounds like

We Care

The children have been introduced to our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto values - our main focus so far has been on 'We Care'. The children came up with the following ideas to describe what others would see and hear when they are displaying this value: 

• following kaiako instructions quickly and quietly
• sharing the equipment
• playing nicely with others, and inviting them into our games
• having gentle hands and feet, and looking after anyone who hurts themselves
• and being super amazing with helping to tidy up at the end of our learning through play times and before we go home at the end of the day
• using good manners, like 'please', 'thank you', 'excuse me' and 'I'm sorry'.

Here are some photos of tamariki showing we care.

Washing our hands thoroughly before kai, showing that we care about being clean when eating

Look how careful we are to ensure that our hands are completely clean

Good job, tamariki!

Working together and helping each other to complete a huge and challenging jigsaw puzzle

More helpful team work with this jigsaw puzzle

Using our new sandpit equipment respectfully and carefully

Forming new friendships

Teamwork: listening to each other and working towards a shared goal (building a home for Bounce and Skip)

Welcoming others into the building team

Keeping the area round the sandpit clean and tidy, thereby showing care for others' health and safety...

...and ensuring that the sand isn't wasted

Core Strength exercises, in preparation for handwriting with Skip and Bounce:

Planking

The Stone Lion

Structured Literacy:

Your children's Literacy folders will be coming home in their school bags this week. There will be a letter to parents included in the folder and this will provide an explanation of our Structured Literacy programme for you. Please note that at the start of the children's literacy learning, there will be letter cards in their folders, and perhaps some heart word cards too, but no book necessarily for the first few weeks. Please click on this link to listen to exactly how we are teaching the children to make the 'pure' sound for each of the letters of the alphabet. This will help you enormously at home, when you are supporting your children with their learning.

Greedy Cat:

In Week 2, we read the shared book 'The New Cat' which is the first story in the Greedy Cat series, and tells the story of how Katie, the little girl in the stories, first received her new kitten for her birthday, and also tells how Greedy Cat got his name! Following on from this, some of our tamariki created Greedy Cat paintings. The children learned how to hold a paintbrush, how to dip their brush into primary colours in order to create the secondary colour they wanted, and to then paint their Greedy Cat image. Once the paint had dried, the children then drew on various features including the eyes, the nose, the mouth, the whiskers, and the claws, using black pastel. These paintings are on display in the hub and we have added a photo here, so that you can see the beautiful display we now have!

Library:

Our Library time has now been confirmed as being on Fridays, and you will have noticed your child's library folder in your child's bag the last two Fridays. Library books can be kept at home until Friday each week, but need to be returned by then, if your child is to have new books issued.

You will also have noticed that your child's poetry book is coming home too. Please read the new poem, as well as the previous weeks' poems, with your child. Any colouring that hasn't been completed can be finished off at home. Your child could also colour in the title page at the front of their book. Please ensure that your child's poetry book is returned to their school bag and comes back to school each Monday.

Friendship List:

We are hoping to put together a contact list to make it easier for you all to set up playdates for your children. Please let Georgia or Elizabeth know if you are willing to have your contact details (cellphone number and/or email address) included on the Friendship List, and we'll get this together as soon as possible. We'd like to do this soon, so please email us by the end of this week (Friday, 25th February).

Your children's photos:

Kate, from Code Club (mentioned above), has asked if I would check to see whether parents would be willing to have their children's photos included in any funding applications she might have to make to the Ministry of Education. Kate endeavours to ensure that photos include the backs of children's heads. Please let Elizabeth know if you would prefer that your child's image NOT appear in Kate's proposals.

Below, you'll see some of the photos taken on Thursday when Kate taught the children how to play the Kidbot challenge. So much fun was had by all!!

...and a final few Learning Through Play photos:

Dancing to The Nutcracker Suite

The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy

What treats are being created here, we wonder?

Don't you just love a good book?

These good friends definitely do!

The Family Corner

Someone else who loves a good book

...and who could this possibly be?!

Hats:

A reminder to please ensure your child is bringing a named hat to school each and every day.

Well... what a lot of great times we've been having in our first weeks at school!

Your children are doing a fantastic job, as they settle (back, for some of the children who started with us last year) into the Koru team and learn about the routines at school, and the different activities and ideas for play and learning that are on offer. We hope you all have a wonderful and warm week ahead, and we look forward to seeing all of those happy, smiling, little faces back at school tomorrow.

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou,

A very warm welcome to you all to the start of the 2022 school year, in the Koru team. We are really looking forward to meeting with you all via Zoom, either tomorrow or on Thursday.

Please find below links to some valuable information, to help you and your children as you transition back to life at school:

 Kia ora whanau,

Welcome to the fourth term of the year, and what a busy one it looks as if it's going to be! It was such a treat to see all of those wide and happy smiles back at the school gate this week. We give an especially warm welcome to Hunter, Millie and James who all had their first day at school on Monday. What a wonderful job they're all doing of settling in beautifully at school. Mīharo, tamariki!

All children have returned to the school routines very happily, and are enthusiastically embracing their learning, including those crucial areas of learning like showing 'We Care', embracing challenge, helping each other out when the need arises and making a difference by keeping the learning spaces tidy and well-organised.

A huge thank you goes out to the parents who have created the absolutely gorgeous fairy houses for the Koru team's raised garden area. The children are loving the play in this area, and have been having some great ideas for the things that they could make or bring in from home to decorate the garden even further. Some of their ideas include:

• little plants (flowers, little succulents and herbs)
• tiny terracotta pots
• little beds for the fairies to sleep in
• decorations for the houses
• stones, painted or plain
• a little lake!
• little hollows and tunnels

Kia ora, whānau, 

What a wonderful few weeks we have had back at school since lockdown! The children have shown greater independence and many are now happily walking in small groups or pairs from the gate to Hangere and Kōmanawa by themselves. They are also unpacking their bags independently and making sure that lunchboxes, drink bottles and reading folders end up in the right places. Mīharo, tamariki!

Structured Literacy:

We continue to see fantastic progress in literacy groups, and we would love to see some learning continue over the school holidays, where possible. It is an absolute joy to see the children's excitement when they have learnt to read and write a new letter sound, heart word, or have successfully read a new book. We love seeing the children shine with pride when they realise they have made such great progress in their learning. 

We love books!

Learning Through Play:

The children have continued to strengthen their connections with their friends, both within the classroom spaces and out in the playground. They are making impressive connections between their social and emotional behaviours and our school values. They are encouraged to reflect on their social conversations and their relationships with their classmates, and problem solve together wherever necessary. We are constantly impressed by the level of maturity and wisdom they bring to these situations. 

Showing 'We Care' towards one of our little ones on his transition to school visit.

Getting the dolls ready for bed at the end of the day ('We Care' and 'We Get There Together').

Ensuring that all's tidy and organised in the Family Corner before home time ('We Care' and 'We Get There Together').

What a scrumptious looking meal for the dollies (also 'We Care')!

This week, during our Learning Through Play, the children have also been involved in learning about how wheels have made our lives easier. They have created some amazing roads and bridges, both collaboratively and independently. They have incorporated a wide variety of vehicles, road signs and community spaces into their designs.

'We Get There Together' and 'We Love Challenge'.

Wheels galore. How interesting - abstract art! ('We Love Challenge')

An impressive set up here ('We Love Learning').

A collaborative 'community' created here by two possible future town planners ('We Get There Together').

Rocket ships ('We Get There Together').

'We Get There Together' and 'We Love Challenge'.

Dancing down the cat walk!

Wellbeing:

This week we have continued our Te Whare Tapa Wha learning, with a focus on Whenua (place, our roots and the environment). The children showed great enthusiasm for caring for our environment, when they undertook some weeding in various garden areas around our school. They actively engaged in understanding the importance of caring for our whenua. They also learnt how to plant a seed (soaking it first) and then how to care for the seedling once it has sprouted. Today they planted new little seeds and they will bring these home and take special care of them, over the holidays. They have demonstrated the 'We Make a Difference' kete value, by taking action and contributing to our community. We are proud to see some children taking this even further, by volunteering their time during play breaks, picking up rubbish, then putting it in the correct bin. 

Fairy Gardens:

Our Koru tamariki are very excited to be taking on the responsibility for one of the raised garden beds at the front of our school.  Our plan is to turn it into a fairy garden, and some of the children have begun collecting small items to help with this fun little project. One of our wonderful parents has created some beautiful fairy homes (see below) to get us started next term. Other items such as small stones, shells, gemstones, nuts and seeds, little pine cones, a little terracotta pot or two, tiny furniture and maybe a wee statue or two, would be great additions to develop the fairy garden area. If you Google 'Fairy Gardens' you will find lots of other wonderful ideas. All contributions will be greatly appreciated.

Aren't they CUTE?! Thank you so much :)

Literacy and Maths learning over the holidays:

As mentioned above, it would be really valuable if the children were to incorporate little moments of both literacy and maths practice throughout the two week holiday. Please find links below which might help support the children's learning in these areas.

• Heggerty Phonemic Awareness videos (this is just the first of many videos which you are able to access on Youtube, and Heggerty is the Phonemic Awareness programme which we follow at Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto)
• Ideas to help your child learn and understand the difference between 'teen' and 'ty'
• Subitising - finding out about and having fun with this skill
• Numbers 0 - 20
• Maths At Our House (a link we shared with you during lockdown)
• NZMaths Number plans (for Learning At Home, but well worth investigating again)
• More Maths plans using offline activities (these plans can be carried out without access to computers, and include mathematical problems to solve, projects to work on and basic facts to practise, and they also include notes for parents).

We hope you have a wonderful holiday with your tamariki, and we look forward to reconnecting with you all again in Term 4.

Ngā mihi mahana,

The Koru Team: Elizabeth, Nicola, Chelsea, Tracey and Stacey