Room 3 Newsletter

Term 2, 2015
Monday 20 April 2015
Kia ora koutou ng whnau,
I hope you have had a refreshing holiday after a quick but busy term! It has been great getting
to know the many personalities in Room 3 and begin to work together as a team. Last term we
talked a lot about teamwork and still have this as a class focus. Room 3 is now down to 26
students after saying farewell to Sam and Finlay, whose families both moved up to the Nelson
area during the term. This term we have exciting events including wheels day in week 1, the
cross country, a couple of long weekends and a presentation on our work around The Arts. Below
is an overview of some need to know information as well as what we will be covering in Room 3.
Theme - God is Calling Us! This term we are looking at Gods call. He is calling us to walk with
Him. To walk in obedience and to follow Jesus example. This term we will be looking at
what Gods call is, examples in the bible, choices people (bible characters and us) make
and how we can walk with God today.
Communication books - It is your childs responsibility to bring this into the
classroom each morning. This is a communication tool to keep in contact with day-to-day
contact between home and school. Your child hopefully is showing you their home
communication book when there are notices, but this is also a space for you to write
notes to me. I attempt to check these each day and hand back out each afternoon.
Please initial any notes or notices sent home so that I know you are receiving them and I
will do the same.
Office365 - At the end of term 1 children set new passwords for their online Office365
account. This is where children will be saving any work they complete on the computers
during class time. I will be putting a sticker with your childs login into their home
communication book alongside a notice about home to log in. This is so that you, as their
parents also have access to their accounts from home.
Topic ANZAC Celebrations and Ceremonies (Social Studies)
Digital Citizenship (Technology)
Performing Arts (The Arts)
Stewards of our Bodies (Health)
Maths - For the beginning of the term we are continuing with Addition and Subtraction
before moving into Geometry and Multiplication and Division. Students are grouped
according to abilities and levels and will be learning new strategies and skills to help
them with Maths problems.

PE -

Our PE day will be FRIDAY.

The children need to wear their sports uniform to school on this day.

Reading - Children are split across the classes for reading. Reading in the classroom by
this level is primarily focused on comprehension strategies (ensuring understanding of
what the children are reading). This means that the children may not be bringing a text
home each night to read. The children may be reading journals, short texts or novels in
class time which means the text may be ongoing. Home reading could be what they bring
home from school. However, if your child does not bring a book home on any given night,
their 20-minute home reading, is any book of their choice from home or the library.

Reading logs are at the back of your childs communication book these are not
compulsory for Year 5/6s but may be a helpful tool for your child to keep track of what
they are reading.
Homework - Working together we achieve greater gains for your child!
Due to positive feedback homework is continuing as a fortnightly worksheet handed out
on a Monday and marked the following Thursday.
This term the sheet will consist of must do and can do activities. The must do
activities are 20 minutes of reading, a basic facts Maths worksheet and Spelling. Your
child is to tick off what they complete and then this needs to be initialed by you to show
that it is completed. The can do activities are there as a challenge for children who are
up for it. There will be a mixture of activities that the children can choose from and can
complete as much or as little as they wish.
Spelling - Mrs Stowell gives each child personalised spelling words that are sent home each
week on a Thursday. They need to complete the tasks including writing the words in
sentences as a part of their homework. They are then tested on those words the
following week and given a new list.
Note:

Homework and Spelling book needs to be at school every Thursday!

Library - Thursday 30th April R3 1.30-2.30

Thursday 21st May R3 1.30-2.30

Thursday 11th June R3 1.30-2.30

Class website -

www.acsroom3.weebly.com

School begins at 8:50 daily. Monday begins with a Whole School Devotion. Your child needs to

be here by 8:40am daily. This allows them time to unpack their bag and prepare for the day
ahead. If your child arrives at school after 8.50am please remember they go to the office to be
marked off for the roll and to not interrupt class devotions.
Ng mihi nui,
Melissa Wenmoth