Kia ora whānau, 

A big welcome back to school for Term 2! We have begun the term in full force with the extreme weather last week. Our students managed very well being indoors for a longer period of time. Here is an update on what has been happening in the last two weeks.

Technology Inquiry

This term, we have begun our inquiry learning on how technology has changed over time. We have been exploring the types of technology that we see in our classrooms and this has produced some exciting conversations. Our students have been working on using their imaginations to create illustrations and labeled diagrams of what a classroom might look like in the future with new technology.

Cross Country

In Week 4, we will be hosting our whole school cross country event on Friday 23rd May from 9am until 12pm. In preparation for this, we have been going for regular runs every day, building up our stamina for the actual event. We would really appreciate if you could make sure your child wears appropriate shoes to school for running. Thank you!

Jean Miro Art Project

We are currently learning about the Jean Miro style of art and will complete this unit by creating a sculpture in the style of Miro using recyclable items from Creative Junk. If you have any popsicle sticks, disposable spoons and forks, or any other smaller items such as buttons and bottle tops that we might be able to use, please bring them in!

Library

Just a reminder about library times:

Monday: Hazel and Rowe's Literacy groups

Tuesday: Georgia and Anna M's Literacy groups

Wednesday : Anna R’s Literacy group

New Zealand Sounds Video

Below is a link to a short video about the sounds in our spoken English language which we wanted to share with you as it relates to the structured literacy that we teach. This video discusses: 

1) What all the consonant and vowel phonemes (sounds) of NZ English are; and 

2) How to say them clearly when you are supporting beginning or struggling learners to hear and use the sounds during phonological awareness, reading and spelling.

Please click on the image below to watch.

Book Character Day

We are now one week into our Readathon fundraiser. We hope you have all been busy reading! Next Friday, we are celebrating our Readathon by having a Book Character Day when everyone can come to school dressed as their favourite book character if they want. If not, can you ensure that your child comes to school in their school uniform as it is not a day for casual dress.

Headlice

Just a heads up that we have a case of headlice in the hub so please be vigilant of any scratchy heads! If your child has long hair, we recommend that they have their hair tied up to prevent the spread of headlice. Thank you!

Random Chat Online

How do random chat websites work? And what are the risks for tamariki using them?

Random chat websites, like Chatroulette, pair users randomly through text or webcam conversations. The appeal is getting to talk to someone new that the user would nev
er meet. But these websites are designed for adults and often allow nudity and other inappropriate content from users.

If you’re concerned that your young person might be exposed to these sites or you want to introduce parental controls, you can find out more on Netsafe’s Random Chat Websites page. 

Have a great weekend!

From the Kōwhai team

Kia ora whānau,

Wow! It is hard to believe that we have got to the end of an 11-week term with lots of highlights to look back on. We started the year with Slip 'n' Slide afternoons and then we also had Top Team come and visit with lots of fun team activities to particpate in. We have been doing lots of amazing chemistry experiments, looking at chemical change and how different substances react in different conditions. We have also been enjoying Discovery, with lots of different activities to get stuck into, such as making your own board game, deconstructing electronic equipment and learning how to play French Cricket. On top of all that, we have been making good progress with our learning in literacy and mathematics and have really got into the swing of things. Your tamariki have been working really hard and I'm sure they all looking forward to a holiday break.

Kōwhai Services Club

Megan has started up a Kōwhai Services Club with volunteers who do good deeds around the school and particularly in the Kōwhai hub. They have special lanyards which they have made and they wear these when they are taking on different responsibilites and carrying out jobs around the school. Their first job has been to sort and tidy all the games and activities in the hub and have done a great job of making everything look neat and tidy. They really have been showing how they care and how they make a difference at the school. Thank you!

Pizza Friday 

Kia ora e te whānau,

Welcome to our week 9 blog. What a busy term it has been so far! 

This week, our school-wide PB4L focus has been on Tidying, as well as our words of the week, Co-operation and Responsibility. It has been great seeing our tamariki working together during learning times and at break times, and we are also seeing tamariki taking responsibility for their things and our equipment within the hub. Ka pai koutou!

Library Reminders

We would just like to send out a reminder about library folders. In order to take reading books and library books home, your child/children will need to have a reading folder OR a library folder to put these books into. It is important that your child/children put these folders back into their bags every day after using them at home. 

We visit the library in our literacy groups, and our library times are as follows:

Rowe's Literacy: Monday

Hazel's Literacy: Monday

Anna M's Literacy: Tuesday

Georgia's Literacy: Tuesday

Anna R's Literacy: Wednesday

Thank you for your help and support with this!

Construction Boxes

A plea - if you have any boxes that you would like to donate for our tamariki to use for box construction during Discovery time, this would be greatly appreciated!

Police Officer Visit

On Friday of week 8, the tamariki and kaiako of Kōwhai were fortunate enough to have Police Officer Jo come in and visit. Jo was incredible and answered all questions the tamariki had. Jo showed us the ins and outs of what a police officer carries and needs, as well as letting all tamariki have a look inside the police car. They were also fortunate enough to sit inside! Thank you so much for coming in, Jo. Your visit was absolutely fantastic! Some photos of the visit are below:

House Games

This week, we had our first House Games for the year. It was awesome seeing the tamariki joining in, working together and giving the games a go!

Cyber Safety: Awareness of Online Harm

Many parents didn’t grow up with the internet, so it can be hard to imagine how tamariki may use it. But these days, digital technology is a key part of our young people’s lives. They use it for learning, communicating and entertainment.

Netsafe has released research that looked into parental awareness of children’s experiences of online risks and harm. The research found a mismatch between parents’ awareness and their children’s experiences of upsetting online content.

To check out the research, and other Netsafe resources, visit this link.  

Have a wonderful and restful weekend!

Ngā mihi nui,

The Kōwhai team

Kia ora e te Whānau, 

Welcome to the Week 7 Kōwhai blog. 

Top Team 

Last Friday, Top Team came to Beckenham, and the Kōwhai children had a great time trying lots of different team building activities out on the park. They worked in teams of 6-8, competing against other teams as they rotated around a variety of tasks. They showed amazing co-operative skills and really embraced the school values 'Nau mai te wero - We Love Challenge' and 'Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe - We Get There Together'. It really was wonderful to see, and we are so grateful that the weather turned out so well for us. Have a look at the photos below:

Science 

This term, our inquiry focuses on science, specifically understanding chemical and physical changes. Students have been exploring this concept through hands-on experiments. So far, they have investigated the reaction between Mentos and Coke, and some classes have done a fruity-sweet colour-mixing experiment. Throughout this inquiry process, students will be developing their scientific thinking by forming hypotheses, making observations, recording results, and reflecting on their findings. We look forward to continuing to explore this topic.

NO Nuts Reminder

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 or 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_ev1RSDQ

Kia ora whānau!

Over the past two weeks, we have been very busy establishing routines, engaging in learning activities and having lots of fun along the way. We have also started going to kapa haka with whaea Cath. Every homegroup will be given the opportunity to try kapa haka this term. Anna R, Rowe and Hazel's homegroups are going to kapa haka from weeks 3-5 and  and Anna M's and Georgia's homegroups are going in weeks 7-9.

Home Learning

Our literacy groups are well under way now. If your child is on the Structured Literacy programme, they will be taking home one book every week to practise reading at home. Once your child has completed the Structured Literacy programme, home learning will consist of reading a chapter book or non-fiction book of their own choice each night. Some students will bring home a journal story or article that they have read in class. All students visit the library once a week. 

Reading/Library Folders

We would just like to remind you that in order to take reading books and library books home, your child will need to have a reading folder OR a library folder. This does mean that your child will need to keep their folder in their bag so they are able to take reading books home during the week, if needed.

Our library days are as follows:

Monday = Rowe's and Hazel's literacy groups

Tuesday =Georgia and Anna M's literacy groups

Wednesday = Anna Reid's literacy group

Maths 

We will shortly begin our focus on teaching addition and subtraction strategies for the rest of the term. All groups will be working on place value, number knowledge and basic facts. Each week, students will complete exercise and application tasks, open-ended and unfamiliar problem-solving tasks, games and teacher focus groups. The akōnga especially love our introductory 'Rapid Routines'. These are fun maths thinking tasks, such as Which One Doesn't Belong

Geometry

Currently, our students are enjoying lessons and activities based on the geometry strand of mathematics. These activities are based on learning 2D and 3D shapes and their properties. The students are being introduced to vocabulary associated with these properties, e.g., faces, edges and vertices.

There is a Geometry section in Mathematics Games on the intranet which they can use as well. Try getting the children to identify the names of common household shapes or send them on a scavenger hunt to locate shapes.

Staying Safe Online

All You Need to Know About TikTok
Tiktok is one of the fastest growing social media apps. It’s a platform for creating, sharing and discovering short
videos – and many young people love it! From new dance crazes to funny clips to animal videos, Tiktok can
inspire creativity and bring joy.
But it’s important that parents and whānau help their tamariki navigate Tiktok safely. Today we’re sharing the Netsafe Tiktok Family Safety Toolkit so you can help guide your whānau to a fun and safe digital experience.

Toys

We have noticed a large number of toys being brought to school lately. This includes keyrings, Pokemon cards, special notebooks etc. Please could you ensure these stay at home. It might help to check the backpack in the mornings. Thank you for your support with this.

Top Team

 Art

The focus this week for Art has been creating a self-portrait. The children have been following the rules of facial proportion and have achieved some outstanding results.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team - Anna R, Anna M, Hazel, Georgia, Rowe and Megan.