Term 2 Newsletter

Room 11 Newsletter Term 2

This term promises to be another busy one!

Thanks for getting students to school by 8.45am

This gives them time to be Independent and get themselves ready for the school day and get their Brains switched on with Jump Jam. Jump Jam is a Brain Gym getting both sides of the students brains working by having to physically cross over the midline of their bodies.

Food:

Our inquiry continues this term “What is a healthy diet”

We are looking particularly at snack foods that students eat for morning tea and lunch.

Please consider portion size when preparing your child’s school food. A rule of thumb is no larger than the palm of their hand i.e. ½ a banana, ½ a small apple, ½ an orange cut into child sized pieces. A Squeeze of lemon juice or dip into lightly salted water stops fruit browning,  it could save a fortune in your green grocery bill! Keep lunches small until they ask for more, as you would be horrified if you saw the beautifully prepared lunches that end up untouched in our worm and compost bins.

Illness:

Please keep unwell children at home as bugs spread quickly in the classroom. We encourage coughing and sneezing into your elbow and hand washing. This term I would appreciate each family providing a budget box of tissues for class use.

Maths:

We begin this term with Area and length then we will be back into Number Knowledge, Basic Facts, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division.

Homework:

If you do not see your child’s Homework Book Monday to Thursday please check in your Childs Bag. It’s amazing what a “mothers” look can turn up! -Thursday is Newsletter day. If your child is the eldest or only child at DPS it is their responsibility to bring it home for you to read. It contains all the information and dates you need.

Reading:

A great habit to establish is for students to read quietly for 20 minutes before lights out! A town library visit each week is encouraged.

Students are responsible for changing and recording the title in their next home reader. These readers are 2 levels below the level they are reading at in class and are supposed to be easy. This encourages fluent reading with good comprehension.

Let me know if they are too difficult.

Spelling:

Spelling words are from the essential lists that are based on frequency of use not difficulty. I highlight known words on a chart when tested at the end of each term. If not yet known and in their long-term memory, we re-learn them. We begin individual lists this term.

Good luck with the 9 letter spelling square this term.

Maths:

Basic Facts:

These are found in the back of your child’s Homework Book along with a help sheet. What I’m looking for is instant knowledge that just pops out of your child’s mouth without them having to think about it and work it out.

Some great activities to help your child with their Maths can be found on www.nzmaths.co.nz go to the jigsaw puzzle piece families. Next click on activities to do at home. Choose activities from Stage 0-3 first then stage 4 activities.

We have a classroom blog that you can access by going into the Douglas Park School Website.

Please come and see me or email me if you have any questions.

claireblomgren@douglaspark.school.nz

Kind Regards

Claire Blomgren

ANZAC DAY

Ben brought his Greatgrandfathers medals from World War 1 to show us because we were learning about ANZAC Day.

The family keep the medals in a cigarette tin given to the soldiers by Queen Mary. Thank you for sharing your family treasures with us Ben.

Ben will be wearing the medals at the dawn service on ANZAC Day.

The contestants looking very nervous at the beginning of the Competition.

Food Ninja Competition

Paticia taking part in the Food Ninja Competition at the end of Term 1. The competitors had to taste a variety of citrus fruits and name them correctly. They also had to throw an apple to their teacher who had to slice it in half accurately. We did not win.

Healthy Food Inquiry

Room 11s blind food tasting consisted of raw potato, pumpkin seeds, a sugar cube, raw onion, sultanas, granny smith apple, popcorn, rice cracker, Chocolate buttons and grapes. Most students got 7 or 8 out of 10 however Erin was our winner with 9 out of ten and she goes forward into todays Food Ninja competition along with Rylee and Patricia who won the close looking and drawing of a fruit and naming the fruit and vegetable respectively.

Healthy Food Inquiry

More guinea pigs!

Healthy Food Inquiry

Here are too candidates ready for the blind tasting>
Today we had the great food tasting competition.

Close your eyes, open your mouth!

Squeals, yuck, mmm, I don't know! Whats this?