Category Archives: Kowhai

Kōwhai Sensory Spelling

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Sensory Spelling

We are inspired by a wonderful resource to help our tamariki learn words and concepts. Follow this link to explore more...


You can enjoy using these ideas at home. Learning concepts can be difficult. Research shows that all learners need to experience new learning in a variety of ways until it is permanently remembered. 

This technique is extremely hands and a powerful way to understand and learn new words.
Below are some photos of our Clay Experts hard at work.
Feel free to contact Dorinda or Paulette should you want to find out more about this method and how you could run it at home.




Kōwhai Newsletter Term 2 Week 6

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Hi everyone,

Wow! What a change in temperature this week! We have been so happy to have the underfloor heating on!

Learning Conferences

Please remember that learning conferences are being held next week on Tuesday 11th June and Thursday 13th June. School will finish at the earlier time of 2 pm on both days to allow for the learning conferences to take place. These conferences are an opportunity for you to meet with us to discuss your child’s current achievements and their next steps for learning.

If you would like your child to stay at school between 2 pm and 3 pm on one or both of those days please fill in this google survey so we can plan ahead.
To book, please go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and use the code yucbe.  

We are looking forward to sharing your child's progress with you!

ART

The children have been busy creating wonderful artworks this week. Rowe and Kate's home groups created Kandinsky Circles and Dorinda's home group painted some Diane Adams inspired art while Nick's home group made some incredible silhouette art.  Here are some examples.




Lunchtime Activities

We are so lucky to have many innovative thinkers in our team. Over the past few weeks, a group of students have provided an activity table for children at lunch. They have provided crafting, drawing and origami to name a few. Look at them having fun!

Phonics/Word Study

One of our word study groups has been using a multi-sensory approach to help them learn how to spell some of their high-frequency words. One of the activities has seen them making words with clay which has helped their visual memory. In each session, they need to create and read the words. We have noticed a huge improvement with their retention of these spelling words.


PTA DISCO

The PTA is having their annual Disco, next Friday 14th June. The children in our team have the option of going to either the NE-Y3 disco from 4.30pm-5.30pm  or the Y4-6  disco from 6pm-7pm. This is a really fun event and we are so appreciative of the PTA for organising it.

Up and Coming Events

11th and 13th June- Learning Conferences. School closes at 2pm on these days.
15th and 16th June- Pūkaki Working Bee Let Jacky at the school office know if you can come along and help.
21st June- Shortest Day Breakfast. Come in your PJs and have breakfast at school. Bring along your own plate and spoon and have some yummy breakfast in the hall. The breakfast is being provided by and served by our wonderful PTA.
2nd July- Y0-4 Cross Country. This is for the children who placed in the top 3 at our school cross country.

That's all for now. Have a wonderful weekend ahead!
Kōwhai Teaching Team






Kōwhai News Term 2 Weeks 3 and 4

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Swimming

What a fabulous two weeks of swimming. We have seen our children demonstrate 'We Love Challenge'.






We Love Learning

We see our tamariki inspire each other every day - here are some children working out at an exercise class that have set up themselves. Impressive!

STEM

We have been exploring Innovation through Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Challenges. Check out our Build a Nest Challenge and Learning.


Kōwhai News Week 2 Term 2

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Swimming

Reminder that Swimming Lessons start next week and run for two weeks. Make sure you bring your togs, towel and swimming cap to school on Monday.  For full details look at our previous blog posts.

Staff Only Day reminder

School will be closed on Monday 20th May for a Staff Only Day. BOSCO is open for the full day and has spaces available for this teacher only day.
Bookings/Queries can be done via www.bosco.org.nz, or contact Yvette on 0276456632.

Book Amnesty

This term we will be doing a stocktake of our reading books at school.  Please, would you have a really good look for any readers that may be lurking behind the bookshelf at home, under a bed, or (as in our case) the toy box! Please send these books back to school as soon as possible.

Cross Country Photos

What a stunning day we had for the Cross Country - below are some of our wonderful athletes showing "We Love Challenge." Well done to all who competed. Here are our results...

Year 3 Girls - 1st Camryn Inglis     2nd  Holly MacIntosh    3rd Bonnie Hopkinson
Year 3 Boys - 1st Spencer Ingram  2nd Oliver Breitmeyer   3rd Finn Breitmeyer
Year 4 Girls - 1st  Jayde Inglis       2nd Isabelle Inglis          3rd Bobbi Gover
Year 4 Boys - 1st Archie Arnott     2nd Cahlen Stace           3rd Daniel Webster

There will be a Year 0-4 Cross Country Champion Competition, held at Hillview Christian School in week 10 for children who finished in the top placings.















Autumn Fun


Discovery Learning

Our mornings start with exploring and learning through play. There is immense value through talking, problem-solving and making connections with what we know and what we are learning. At this time, children are agents of their learning where they have the opportunity to decide what they want to learn or explore. The role of the teacher is to extend children's thinking by asking questions, providing opportunities to 'dig deeper' though researching, experimenting and testing. 






Passion Fridays

We have started our Passions on Fridays. Here are some photos of our Thorrington Rest Home Group. Making beautiful connections in our Community.





Kitchen Science

Check out our budding scientists exploring how everyday materials found in our kitchens react and change when mixed together! Be prepared - they may want to repeat these experiences at home!

Non-Newtonian Fluid - Oobleck!!!
Is it a Solid or is it a Liquid?



PTA DISCOs Save the dates
Friday 14th June: KIDS DISCO
Saturday 15th June: ADULTS 80s/90s DISCO. More info to come, start practising those moves!!!

That's it for another week in Kōwhai
Kōwhai Teaching Team


Cross Country on Monday

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Our school cross country is on Monday 6th May. The Year 3 race will start at approximately 2:15pm and the Year 4 race will start at approximately 2:20pm. The children will need to wear appropriate footwear and are welcome to wear their house shirts on Monday.

Here is the map of the route that the Year 3 and 4 students will take:


The route is as follows:
  1. Start at the cricket pavilion facing school
  2. Run towards school
  3. Turn right to run parallel alongside school
  4. Turn right to run away from school and in front of the tennis courts
  5. Turn right to run along the back fence behind the row of trees.
  6. Turn right to join the gravel path that runs in front of the cricket pavilion. 
  7. Stay on the gravel path and follow it along the ponds and back up to the school for a second lap of the park.
  8. Turn right and run behind the tennis courts.
  9. Turn right to run along the back fence behind the row of trees.
  10. Turn right to join the gravel path that runs in front of the cricket pavilion. 
  11. Turn right, guided by the cones into the finishing shoot.