Koru News: Term 1 Week 5, with a Focus on Digitech

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 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 

What are some of our areas we have focused on in the first 3 weeks of our Digitech learning in the Koru team?

  • 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.)
Below are some images of your wee ones, hard at work programming and problem solving, using Bluebots and the Scratch Jr. app on the iPads:



















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

Kahikatea News Week 5 T1 2022

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Kia ora Koutou!
What a fabulous and busy 5 weeks we have had in team Kahikatea. We have been very impressed with the hard work from all of our Tamariki. Thank you for continuing to support us at this time, especially by keeping up to date with information being shared via HERO. If you are having any trouble with this or you are not recieving notices or news from school please let us know. 

Kete Focus 

This week we have been focusing on using good manners, including waiting for our turn to talk, waiting patiently in a line to wash our hands, saying thank you and being polite to each other. When we do this consistently we are showing our school values: We Care & We Make a Difference. 

You can ask your child/children: how and when do you show your manners at school? 

Kinetic Letters Handwriting Program

We are very excited to be starting our Kinetic Handwriting lessons. Keep an eye out for the Bounce and Skip monkeys as they may come home with your child. If Bounce and Skip come for a visit they will be accompanied by a book with instructions for their visit home.

Jerseys and Hats 

A reminder that as the weather starts to cool down, please ensure that your child’s jersey is clearly named.

Every child is expected to be wearing their hat when they are outside. If your child has lost or misplaced their sunhat please encourage them to look for it here at school first and if it cannot be found please replace it.

Literacy Groups

Our team is in the process of carrying out our assessment schedule for literacy and once completed we will look at our groupings. 

We are continuing to with our oral language programs, shared reading with follow up activities, poetry, writing, spelling, phonemic awareness, handwriting and spelling activities. 

PLEASE NOTE: your child will not bring a decodable text home everyday. These are teaching books which are used many times by the teacher. Only when we know your child can read it fluently and with expression will we send it home. 

CONTINUE to read to your child/children at home, enjoy reading aloud and encourage them to explore books in all forms, such as picutre books, nursery rhymes, poems, non-fiction, chapter books and magazines. 

Contributions

We love having recycling (boxes, newspapers, empty egg cartons ect) for box/construction activities. If you have any spare please send it in with your child - we would greatly appreciate it!

Finally, here are some photos of our hub and our gorgeous tamariki: 
































Arohanui, Team Kahikatea 


Kōwhai News Term 1 Week 5

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Kia ora whānau,

What a busy couple of weeks we have had! Everyone is fully ensconced in their learning now and working really hard.

Discovery

For Discovery, we have had the opportunity to do gardening with Charlotte, working in the garden behind our hub, weeding and picking all the juicy, ripe apples. Some of the children have put their heads together alongside Charlotte and Sonya and they have come up with some wonderful ideas for creating more outside play options in the garden. Charlotte would love donations of:

  • Old trucks and cars, large and small  
  • Old bowls 
  • Old trowels and sand pit toys 
  • Old bowls, pots, muffin trays and so on
Also, if you have any old boxes or tubes etc. at home, we would love some donations for our construction station. Thank you!





Here they are brainstorming ideas for the garden.



We have also been busy creating new games with chalk, hoops, balls and cones and we also put together some amazing obstacle courses!



Just look at this tower too!



Sonya, our wonderful teacher aide, has been busy in the kitchen with some of our tamariki, baking cupcakes and icing them. As you can see, they were extremely focused on brushing up their icing skills!








The other week, we had a special visit from Mitchell's mum. She brought in some newborn chicks for us to meet. Mitchell did a great job of introducing them to us and he is also doing a great job of looking after them at home. 

Maths

For maths, we are just finishing off our focus on geometry and here are a few more geometric creations that the children really wanted to share with you.




Reading

Just a heads up that we have started sending reading books home with some children at the end of each week, depending on their reading level so it would be great if you could read with your child at home and then remember to bring the books back again. If your child is in a higher group (Stage 7 and above), they may not be given take a book home. In this case, we would encourage them to read a book of their own choice. Thank you so much for your support with this!

Writing

We are just launching into a new focus for writing, creating slideshows on various topics. The children are really excited about it!

Art

For art, we are still working hard on our self-portrait collages and we are nearing completion. Here are some examples of our creations so far.






Kete Certificates

Congratulations to this week's Kete certificate recipients!


Learning @ Home

Finally, a reminder that if you are needing to access the Learning @ Home site, it is on the school website and there is a link on the left hand side under the photograph. Alternatively, here is a link straight to the Kōwhai site. You will find a wide choice of activities in all curriculum areas. Some are online activites but there is also a range of activities that can be done offline.

Have a great weekend! 

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 1 Week 5

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 In this post:

  • Technology on hold
  • A great week of challenge and leadership development

Technology at Christchurch South Intermediate

Due to the current impact of Covid, technology classes at Christchurch South Intermediate are currently not happening for both South and Beckenham students. We will be filling this space on our timetable with science and technology learning. Technology will resume at South once the impact of the pandemic on schools has reduced. 

Leadership Week

We have had a great few days developing our understanding of the '7 habits of highly effective people' and how these impact us as leaders, both of ourselves and others. Many thanks to all of the parents who have helped out, either on our walk or supporting with activities on the Year 8 leadership day. Without your help, such opportunities cannot happen. Below are a few photos from the last few days.

Builders and architects - Seek first to understand and then be understood.



Inspiring activist, Lucy Gray, got our Year 8s thinking about how they could make a difference.




Ending our Year 8 day with pizza and ice-cream.

Think win win - building elevated rafts to rescue apples from a sinking ship!





Group Initiative Challenges






Time to 'sharpen the saw'!






It was a challenging climb for many and we enjoyed chilling out at Vic Park.







Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 1 Week 4

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 In this post

  • Leadership week happenings this week
  • Great start at technology
  • Mark Inglis talk
  • Great initiative to make a difference

Leadership Week is this week

In last week's post, I explained our plans for leadership week this week.  Below are key reminders.

On Wednesday, Feb 23, we have our Year 7 leadership day. The Year 7s can wear activewear (instead of uniform) that day and will be involved in practical activities that put the '7 habits of highly effective people' into action.

On Thursday, Feb 24, we have our Year 8 leadership day. Again, the Year 8s can wear activewear (instead of uniform) that day and will be putting the 7 habits into action in a practical way. Usually, this day stretches to an overnight stay. Instead this year, we would like the children to stay on at school until 7pm. We have some fun activities planned for after 3pm and will finish the day with a pizza dinner. The fun activities include water, so togs, rash tops (or a change of clothes) and a towel will be needed. We also encourage the children to bring a water-propelling device. This could be a water bottle. 

On Friday, Feb 25, the whole hub will head for the hills. We will be walking up Bowenvale track to Victoria Park. We have had four parents offer to join us and would love a few more. If you are available between 10 and 3 on Friday and are up for a walk in the hills, please fill in this form.  All parent helpers will need to have vaccination passes. Activewear can also be worn instead of uniform on Friday.

Sunhats are a must for each of these days (and every school day), as we will be spending a lot of time outside. 

Technology

The children had a great start at technology last Tuesday. Remember to set those alarms for an early start so that all children are at Beckenham by 8:30 on Tuesdays. Tamariki who are doing food tech and hard materials need to have long hair tied up.






















Mark Inglis

Hopefully, your child came home on Thursday afternoon with lots to share after listening to a presentation by Mark Inglis. The children looked to be enthralled by his story and there were many takeaways to apply to our own lives.
Below are some of his key messages:
  • It’s all about how I react to what happens.
  • I think of new ways of doing things when people say I can’t.
  • It’s really important that I take care of myself.
  • Sometimes in life, you just have to get on with it.
  • It’s how we look at things. ‘The death zone’  should be renamed ‘the must do zone’
  • If you're bored - then you're not thinking hard enough.
  • Disability does not define my life.
  • Fear is about knowledge; knowledge eliminates fear.
  • It’s about how we look at things. (I will never get frostbite in my feet again. A broken leg is no big deal)
  • When stuck, don’t feel sorry for yourself - work out what you can do?
  • Give all people the opportunity to be their best.



We make a difference

Concerned about the possibility of damage to phones with our current phone collection system, two Year 8s researched and created (in record time) a system to make our phone storage safer. We love seeing such initiative and innovation!