To the team members of Room 9 parents, care givers and whanau, Welcome, bienvenido, nau mai haere mai

to 2012! I trust you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday, perhaps with some swimming and sunshine in the mix? Its a great way to re-charge the batteries. My holidays seemed to have disappeared with my kids, Luca and Eva keeping me busy, and getting into all sorts of mischief! I look forward to catching up with all of you during this rst term. As you might know Russell Street Schools vision and direction is all about creativity;
The principle goal of education is to create citizens who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done - citizens who are creative, inventive and discoverers - Jean Piaget (1980).

Yes, being creative, experimental, innovative, artistic and expressive are all things that we encourage at Russell Street for teachers and students alike and I am amped to see where we might end up! As well as creativity, we are also concentrating on focusing and re-focusing standards of excellence. As Russell Street staff and kids, we strive for excellence in our work habits, behavior and attitude. Some of the other learning areas we will be looking into this term are as follows: Literacy: Independent reading activities, reading assessments, Creative
Writing, Biographies, Writing about self (built on throughout the term), Language experiences. Writing Applications/Letters, silent letter spelling

patterns, spelling lists. Numeracy: Number Knowledge, Statistics, Addition and Subtraction Inquiry: Who am I as a learner? How can I contribute effectively to our community of learners? Visual Art: Art attack, pastel techniques Physical Education: Swimming, team-building exercises, large ball skills. I.C.T.: Cyber Safety, Art Language: Te Reo, Karakia, Waiata Buddy Class Activities Music: Music with Jen! Camp!!! (13 - 16th of March, Highland Home in Week 7)

House-keeping Rules, Rights and Responsibilities: Every single person in our class and at Russell Street School has 3 fundamental rights; the right to feel safe, the right to be respected and the right to learn. Each and everyone of us therefore has a responsibility to make sure that those rights are protected and respected. Attached is Room 9s Behavior Management Plan. Please have a read and contact me if you have any questions or queries. Hats: We have a no hat no play policy. Please remember to look after your hats as they are an extremely effective way to protect your faces and neck from harmful damage from the sun. Also, as seniors at our school you need to be a positive role model for others. Swimming: During this term we will be swimming every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please be organised with togs and a towel for these days. P.E: From Week 4, every Monday and every second Tuesday we will be targeting our large ball skills, so please come dressed appropriately for that. Email and mobiles: These are an effective way to send and receive information quickly about up and coming events, reminders, or general conversations about your childs learning. Please send me a text or an email with your name. Baking: Are there any keen bakers out there who would like to spend some free time baking with a group of 4 children? Baking is a delicious way to learn about time and measurement! Text or email if youre keen! Gardening: Im wanting to spruce up some of the garden boxes outside our classroom and x up the sandpit. If you are keen to lend a hand please text or email me. Well, thats it for now, I am really looking forward to tackling 2012 with you! Make sure you check out and subscribe to our class blog: http:// fuse711.edublogs.org/ Nic 021 10 39 387 nic@russellst.school.nz