Week 8, Term 4

Here we are again at that special time of year!
We have started to decorate our class to fit with the festive season.


This week we have been very busy focusing on our production. Steph and I are very proud of the children and their patience. As you can imagine there is quite a bit of sitting and waiting for our turn.

There will be no more reading books coming home now. For the next week we will be sharing christmas poems instead. Please ensure your child returns their poetry book each day.

During maths time we are learning about 2D and 3D shapes.

Please note the earlier time of our production. We will now commence at 1.30pm on the 8th and 9th of December. There is a gold coin donation at the door. If you have not sent your childs costume along to school please do so for Monday as this is our dress rehersal.

We also have our Big Day Out for the 14th of December. Thank you to those parents who have offered to help with transport.

Have a happy and safe week!

Week 6, Term 4

Have you ever seen such a good looking bunch of children! We love it when all of our friends are at school so we celebrated by taking some 'crazy' photos.



On Friday afternoon we were lucky enough to attend a concert put on by the Nelson College for Girls. They played a range of songs by the Beachboys. Steph and Neroli said they were too young to recognise any of the music too, but we still had a great time!!


In art at the moment we have been learning about design. We looked at some work by Gavin Bishop who has a special design style. He uses lots of different lines to fill the pictures. We have drawn pictures to the song 'Dragons Under My Bed' using Gavin Bishops design style.



Next week...
Our sounds will be 'tch' and 'ay'. Our words are now and no.
During maths our class focus will be counting backwards.
Next week Steph and I have two days release time to write reports. Caroline will be teaching in Renwick 3 on Wednesday and Friday.
Time is ticking away very quickly with only three and a half weeks left of school this year. Please remember to keep Monday 14th of December free for our Big Day Out. We have confirmed the train rides at the beach. There will be a cost involved and a notice will come home shortly. You are more than welcome to bring your pre school children.
Our social skill we are working on at the moment is 'No Put Downs'. As the end of the year approaches we appreciate that the children are tiring, however, we continue to have firm boundaries in place. Respect and courtesy for each other is paramount to ensure we are all happy and safe at school. We encourage the children to remember to say only positive things to our friends.

Have a happy and safe week!

Week 5, Term 4

During creative dance we having been making up our own routines that involve leaning, turning and contact. Hunter and Ben created an excellent dance using their imagination.

On Fridays we get together with our buddy class. Here we are doing some arts and craft related to Guy Fawkes.

Next week...
This week we are having a break from phonics and tricky words! We will be looking at signs and symbols to see how messages can be portrayed in a variety of forms.
During maths time our class focus will be basic facts.
Production is going well and we will be continuing to work on our songs and dance routines.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 4, Term 4

Excitement is building for our end of year production 'Over the Rainbow'. As one of our reading activities during reading time we have been learning the songs on the listening post.


As part of our stream study we visited the Brook Sanctuary Stream to find out if it was a healthy stream.
We found that the water was clear and clean, we could hear the stream bubbling so there was lots of oxygen and there were plenty of trees to provide shade. We found lots of interesting 'critters' in the stream. We used nets and ice cream containers to catch them. When we had finished looking at them we gently put them back into the water.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Next week...
Our sounds will be ll and ss. Our words are day & all.
During maths time we will be having a class focus of ordering numbers.
As christmas draws nearer our calendar is starting to fill up! There are two important dates for you to put in your diaries.
8th & 9th of December ... Our production 'Over the Rainbow'. We will be performing at the Nelson School of Music in the afternoons. The time will be confirmed closer to the time.
14th of December ... Kowhai's Big Day Out! As a special treat to celebrate the end of the year we are having a trip to the model trains at Tahuna Beach followed by lunch at the Lions Playground. After eating we plan to come back to school for a swim in the school pool (dependent on the weather).
Steph and I have a day each classroom release to write school reports. Caroline will be teaching in Renwick 3 on the 25th and 27th of November.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 3, Term 4

We had a very short and sweet week this week!
You may have noticed the new netting in the Big Adventure playground.
Here are some of the children having some fun before school.

Next week...

Our sounds will be 'u' and 'ck'. Our words are but & you're.
During maths we will continue to look at the number before and after a given number.
On Tuesday afternoon we have our Stream Study Visit to the Brook Sanctuary. The children are very much looking forward to this event. Thank you to all the parents that are available to assist with transport and supervision.
We have Fiona coming from Swimsafe to talk to the children about water safety on Wednesday. More information will come home after her lesson with the children. Swimming at school is timetabled for this term but it depends on the weather. I have to say it is not looking so good at the moment!!
We are continuing to practise our 'Over the Rainbow' songs. The children adore them!
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 2, Term 4

On Monday we were lucky enough to have a new friend join our class called Zac. Zac has done an amazing job settling into Renwick 3, well done!
This week Iron Brion came to school to talk to us about the four main food groups. They are 'Meat or Meat Alternatives', 'Fruit and Vegetables', 'Milk and Dairy Products' and finally 'Breads and Cereals'.
We had a really entertaining show filled with lots of fun and laughter. We played some dancing games and had a quiz. To finish the show we had a yummy hamburger each.

We have been busy explaining to Zac how things work around Nelson Central. At morning tea and lunch time we have duty teachers in the playground who we can go to if we need help. They are very easy to see because they will be wearing an orange fluro jacket.
Payton, Ben and Paige were role playing a scenario for us.


Next week...
Our vowel we are working on will be 'o' and our word is 'when'.
During maths time we will be working on the number before a given number.
Preparations have started for our end of year production 'Over the Rainbow'. Ruth will be working with each class once a week up until the performance on 8th and 9th of December.
Please ensure your child's permission slip for our trip to the Brook Sanctuary is signed and returned.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 1, Term 4

Welcome back to term 4!
It is great to see everyone back safe and energised after the school holidays. I also confess to a small amount of sadness as this is our last term together! As Steph and I watched the children at the Mask Parade on Friday evening we felt immensely proud of the huge achievements each and every child has made this year.

On Tuesday we had a special treat when our friends from Kelly Sports came back to visit us. We played lots of games using rugby balls, basketballs, soccer balls, cricket bats and hoops.
Kelly Sports is an after school programme that runs on a Thursday afternoon. Anyone that is interested should contact the office for further information.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The highlight for this week was the Mask Parade on Friday night. We had a wonderful time and looked fantastic!


Next week...

We will be taking a closer look at medial vowels 'e' and 'i'. Our words will be what and want.
During maths time our class focus will be skip counting.
Our topic for this term has a science focus. We are doing a Stream Study. This will involve a couple of class trips later in the term and we will require some parent help. A notice will come closer to the time.
We are lucky enough to have Jo back this term teaching dance. The children had a wonderful time last Friday.
On Tuesday we have 'Iron Brion'. This is a show put on for the children by the Beef and Lamb Marketing Board. The show promotes healthy eating and takes a look at all the food groups. At the end of the show the children get a free healthy hamburger.
On Thursday evening Tracy will be putting on a Jolly Phonics workshop to introduce parents and caregivers to how we use Jolly Phonics in early literacy years. I can well recommend it if you missed the first workshop earlier in the year.
On Monday we have a new friend joining Renwick 3 called Zak. He is coming from Wakefield School.

Have a happy and safe week.

Week 9, Term 3

Today we had our folk dancing display for our parents and friends. We had such a lot of fun showing off all the dances we have been learning throughout the term.

This week we have started our topic maths - measurement. We have been thinking about why we need to measure things. We have learned to use non measurement standards, such as string, to find out how long or short things are. We have measured our heights, head circumference using string and learned a new game called 'Tiddly Winks'.

Next week...
Our sounds will be 'ue' and 'er'. Our words will be put and her.
We will be continuing our topic maths and we will be looking at weight and capacity.
On Monday morning at 10am we will be having a powhiri to welcome ERO to our school. Our ERO guests will be here Monday - Thursday.
Steph and the children have been very busy this week preparing for the mask parade, which is the first Friday of term 4. The masks are completed and are on the Renwick 1wall for a sneak preview! They are fantastic! Each class in the school have selected a country to represent. Renwick 1 & 3 decided to make African masks.
Have a happy and safe week.

Week 8, Term 3

This week we had a special visit from Ronald McDonald who came to talk to us about road safety.
He was very funny and made us laugh a lot. He thought he had lost his sock but in fact it was stuck on his back!
However, the most important thing he reminded us was to always stop, look and listen before we cross the street.

Our inqury topic 'Fairy Tale Citizens' is creating lots of valuable discussion on what makes a good citizen! These are some of the words we thought of in our inquiry groups to describe Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf.


At the moment we are at the 'acquiring stage' of the process, which is where we are finding out all sorts of information. We decided that our sources of information might be the computer (internet), the library or our teachers.


Next week...
Our sounds will be 'ou' and 'oi' and our words will be 'with' and 'very'.
For the last two weeks of term we will be focussing on measurement, mass and capacity.
We are fine tuning our folk dancing in preparation for our display. A notice will come home soon with confirmation of the date and time.
Our social skill at the moment is cooperation. The children have many opportunities inside and outside the classroom to practise this skill. We are trying hard to remember our manners and to share and take turns.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 7, Term3

Last week we were lucky enough to visit the Suter Art Gallery to enjoy a touring exhibition by John Bevan Ford.
John had travelled all over the world carving, sculpting and painting. This is reflected in his art work by birds.
We took care to look at the patterns on the art work then we made our own birds. They look fantastic!
To end the visit we put a giant size puzzle back together. We had a wonderful morning.

We have started our new Inquiry Topic ‘Fairy Tale Citizens’. We are looking at the various ways people express themselves. At the moment we are ‘Setting the Scene’ by exploring fairy tales we know, discovering what makes a fairy tale different from other stories and good and bad characteristics of some fairy tale characters. Our next step is to ‘Acquire’ information. We will keep you posted!

This week…
Our sounds are ‘th’ and ‘qu’. Our words are ‘that’ and ‘then’.
During maths time we will be continuing to work on fractions.
We will be making a start on our masks for the annual mask parade which is early next term. We are making African themed masks. At some stage we may need parent helpers. Please let Steph or myself know if you are available.
On Wednesday the 23rd we will be having our folk dancing display at 2.30pm in Trinity Hall. Please put this in your diary now.

Have a happy and safe week!

Our School is for Everyone!

We have been looking around the school to find features that help people who are disabled. This is what we found.

Improvements to Renwick 3's Deck

After looking around the school we discovered that we could make some amendments to improve our deck area. We want to make our school safe so that everyone can use it.

Week 6, Term 3

On Friday we had a Wacky Hair Day to raise money for Cancer. We were looking and feeling rather wacky to say the least!

This week for music we have been learning about beat. We got out our air guitars to keep in time with the beat!

Next week...
Our sounds are 'ch' and 'sh'. Our words are 'some' and 'shout'.
Our class focus for maths will be ordering numbers from smallest to biggest.
On Monday we have a class visit to the Suter Art Gallery. Thank you to all the parents that are helping. We will be leaving school at 10.40am and returning around 12.30pm.
We have now finished our Inquiry Unit on Disabilities. I am very impressed with the childrens learning. Keep an eye on the blog for our digital story which looks at features we have around Nelson Central to support people with disabilities.
Our next Inquiry Unit is literacy based on expressing ourselves. This unit will be explored through Fairy Tales.
The current Social Skill we are focussing on is 'Being in the Right Place'.
Rachel will be teaching for Steph this week. Steph is making a speedy recovery and we hope to see her back the following week.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 5, Term 3

Over the last few weeks we have been using the digital voice recorder. We made a digital story using one of our favourite books.

Next week…
Steph will be away for the next couple of weeks so we are lucky enough to have Rachel teaching in the morning from 9-11.30am while I am teaching reading recovery.
Our sounds this week are ‘y’ and ‘x’. Our words will be ‘how’ and ‘what’.
During maths time our class focus will be doubles to ten.
This Friday the 28th is ‘Wacky Hair Day’ in order to raise money for cancer. We ask that children bring a coin donation as the senior council are making a coin trail.
The following Monday the 31st we have a class trip to the Suter Art Gallery for the Bevan Ford Exhibition. I will require some parent helpers for that day. I will be sending a note home next week.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 4, Term 3

Well the definite highlight was ‘Book Character Dress Up Day’ this week. We all dressed up as our favourite book character to celebrate library week.
We are very fortunate here at Nelson Central to have a fabulous library full of wonderful books for us to read. Val is our wonderful Librarian who helps us each Friday to return and issue new books.
Many of the champions of Renwick 3 also use other libraries in our community. We think this is fantastic!
Here we are looking a little bit crazy in the afternoon! Individual photo's are under the childrens names down the side of the blog.


















As part of our inquiry topic we have been looking at various tools that visually impaired people use to help them see.
We decided to design and make our own glasses!

For writing this term we are learning about transactional writing, that is, writng simple instructions.
We made some pineapple jelly with Steph adn then we had to write the steps how we made it. We got to eat it the following day when it had set!

Next week...
Our letter sounds will be 'v' and 'oo'. Our words are away and where.
During maths time our class focus will be learning our doubles to 10 or 20.
Our current social skill is 'Doing Our Best'. This includes having an 'I Can Attitude.' All of the children in Renwick 3 have a wonderful attitude towards their learning. We never make mistakes in Renwick 3; we merely create learning opportunities for ourselves! When I ask the children what they will do if they make an error they chant in unison... "We won't worry, we will just try again!" They make us very proud!

Have a happy and safe week!

Week 3, Term 3

Hello and welcome to Week 3 of Term 3!

This week during maths some of us were learning how to make teen numbers with a friend. We were then able to solve some addition and subtraction problems.

One of the reading activities we can do is reading 'Big Books'. Here we are using the pointing sticks to read the books.

Next week...
Next week our sounds will be ng and w. Our words will be 'goes' and 'one'.
During maths we will be woking on basic facts to 10.
This week we have been trying to manage our personal belongings, that is, bags and coats on hooks, unpacking our homepacks, books in trays.... It would be nice to think this was flowing through to home life!! As part of our Rights and Responsibilities it is important for the children to have a safe environment in which to work. Their responsibility is to keep it clean and tidy. It is a work in progress!
Have a happy and safe week!