Week 2, Term 3

We have had a very busy week in Renwick 3!

On Tuesday we had Anne come to visit us with her guide dog called Penny. She talked to us about how she lost her sight, how she uses her white cane and how Penny, her guide dog, is able to help her.
























Kyah and Maddy have started participating in Kelly Sports after school on a Thursday. Here are some photo's of their 'action'!

During maths we have been learning to count backwards. We made a rocket ship counting down to blast off! We decorated our rocket ships using a mosaic technique.

Our social skill we are working on is 'No Put Downs'. We have been trying really hard to only say positive things to each other as we know that hurtful words will hurt our friends' feelings. We believe it is our right to have a safe environment to learn and play therefore it is our responsibility to make sure everyone is happy and safe.

Next Week...

Our sounds will be or/z and er/ar. Our words will be 'too' and 'of'.
During maths our class focus is to know groupings with 5.
Our folk dancing has started with the Birdy Dance. We are having so much fun learning some old dances! We hope to put a concert on towards the end of the term so we will keep you posted.
For topic we have narrowed our inquiry down to discovering more information about the abilities and disabilities of people who are blind. We really enjoyed Annes visit and found out lots of information.
A big thanks to all those parents who came for parent/teacher interviews. Steph and I are very proud of all of the children and their achievements. Well done to you all!
Have a happy and safe week!

Term 3, Week 1

Welcome back everybody to Term 3! It was lovely to see everyone back happy and safe on Monday morning.
On Wednesday this week we had some visitors from the ELTO Group. These are government officials that have travelled to Nelson from Asia to improve their english speaking skills. We sang some songs and shared some of our learning about saving the planet because sustainability is one of their key interests while they are in Nelson.

















This term for topic we are learning about Rights for Everyone. We are looking at how we all have different abilities and disabilities.
Overcoming disabilities takes courage and skill. This week we tried playing and painting without using our hands!

Next week ...
Our letters will be ie/ee and oi/ue. Our words will be went/see and after/made.
During maths we will continue to look at counting backwards as our whole class focus.
Next week is Maori Language week. Youy may want to take a look at this site
www.korero.maori.nz/forlearners/basics/lessons
I am hoping to teach the children a very basic mihi, so that they can introduce themselves. We also have Matua Almas coming for a visit on Friday to share a story..or two!
For our Inquiry topic Steph has arranged to have a lady bring in her guide dog for the children to hear about her experiences.
Steph and I are very much looking forward to meeting with you this week for teacher/parent interviews. If you are still to make an appointment it is not too late!
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 10, Term 2

Kia Ora, I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday!

We had a fabulous last Friday of the term as it was Humphrey's birthday. We all brought our Teddies to school to join in with the fun.
At news time we introduced our teddies. There were all different shapes and sizes. Then Humphrey unwrapped his present.... a jar of honey, which of course is his favourite!
We took our teddies to assembley to sing Happy Birthday to Humphrey. Rachel gave him a sticker too!
After morning tea we had party games such as, pin the nose on the teddy, musical statues and a balloon game. We laughed until our sides hurt!
At the end of the day we all took a big smile and a balloon home!

Next week...
Our sounds will be 'ai' and 'oa' or 'q' and 'ou'. Our words will be this and out/shout.
During maths time we will start back into number. This term I want to really focus on backward number sequence, that is, counting backwards from 20.
For Visual Arts this term we will be in the process of Mask making for the Annual Nelson Mask Parade. Nelson Central enters every other year and this year we are taking up the challenge! We will also be looking at Creative Dance.
P.E. will involve large ball skills and folk dancing. During the first week back we have Dallas coming in from Nelson Basketball for some skills coaching for the children.
Our topic will have a Health focus looking at Disabilities in our community.
Please make sure you have booked in for a parent interview if you have not done so already.
I hope you are all happy and well and enjoying your break. We look forward to seeing everyone's cherry smiles next Monday.

Week 9, Term 2

Meet some of the Renwick 3 Stars of Week 9!

On Wednesday we celebrated Matariki with all our friends in the Kowhai Syndicate. We rotated around three classrooms to participate in various activities. In Renwick 3 we played Koruru (Knucklebones), in Room 13 we did poi dancing and rakau, in Room 11 we did printmaking. To finish off with we all sat and ate our lunch together.

This week in music we have been responding to loud and soft music with body movements!

Next week...
For the last week of term we are going to have a 'b' week. Our tricky words will be 'be' 'by' and 'big'. And it just happens to be Humphrey's birthday on Friday! We will have a special day for Humphrey with a few balloons and party games! All Teddy Bears are welcome!
During maths we will be looking at analog clocks to tell the time.
Have a happy week!

Week 8, Term 2

Meet some of the stars from Renwick 3 for Week 8!

This week we have been very vigilant in washing our hands before we eat, after toileting, sneezing, coughing etc. We did an activity to demonstrate just how quickly germs can spread.
Louis and Theo started off the exercise with yellow paint on their hands (germs). Neroli blew up a balloon which we passed around in a circle a couple of times. Before too long we all managed to have paint/germs on our hands! It was yukky!

During reading time we engage in a variety of literacy activities. Here are some photo's of us reading, writing, listening and having fun.

Next Week....
Our letters/sounds will be 'l', 'f' & 'th'. Our words will be, like,for,they,down.
During maths time we will start topic maths which is 'time'. This will include sequencing activities, days of the week & months of the year. This will last for the remainder of the term.
Next week is Matariki which is the celebration of the Maori new year. We will be having a special day of workshops on Wednesday. The children will rotate around 3 different activities. Unfortunately due to the Swine Flu situation we will not be having shared kai as originally planned.
Steph and I have had a wonderful week with the children and have particularly noticed how well they have been focussing on their learning. Well done to all and a big thank you for your support.
Have a happy week!

Week 7, Term 2

Here are some champions from Renwick 3 from Week 7.

This week in Renwick 3 we have introduced a programme called 'Star of the Day'. It is to reward children who demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning and behaviour at school. This very prestigious title includes many privileges for the recipient, which include...

* Sitting in the grand chair for the day
* Being the leader if we are walking around the school
* Taking notices to the office
* Assisting the teacher with special jobs as required
* Taking home Humphrey for one night with his overnight bag and activities

When Humphrey comes home to your house for the night be sure to drown your child in praise as this is a great honour!

Next week ....

Our letters will be o/u or ch/sh. The words will be on & up or she & shout.
This is our last week of number for the term as for the last 2 weeks we will be working on topic maths which is 'time'. Our skip counting is going superbly well! Most of us have mastered counting to 100 in 10's and we are working on 5's now. We are also continuing to work on backward number sequence, that is, counting backwards from 20 and stating the number that comes before a given number.
For P.E. we have decided to push large ball skills into next term and bring forward skipping. This helps us to share resources with other syndicates as well as keep the children off the muddy grass!

Have a happy week!