Parent Newsletter Term 3 2008
Welcome back to Term 3. This is our third class newsletter of the year. If you didn’t catch the first two or you want to catch up with the latest in Room Two or just see what’s happening with homework this week, please visit our blog at http://www.r2mountbiggs.blogtown.co.nz/.
There have been some minor changes to our classroom with two extra bookcases and a new shelf. Thanks to the Home and School for providing our room with a data projector and to Mr Ellis and Mr Crawley for installing it during the holidays.
The big changes are to the toilet areas and back corridor. Alterations are almost complete. The bathrooms are much nicer to use and Room 1 pupils will be excited with their new computer suite.
Thanks to Mrs Marshall who has bought us a series of new board games. We will also have access to table soccer, table air hockey and a small pool table on those wet days. (In addition to the 6 table tennis tables purchased last year.) Mrs Marshall has also purchased (from the Police Auction) three BMX bikes for the BMX track constructed by our children last term. The children must wear their bike helmets when using the bikes. If you have old helmets at home that we could use it would be most appreciated.
We were very excited to pick up our lighting equipment during the holidays. We have state of the art theatre lighting and a lighting desk. The lights are LEDs which use very little power and give off next to no heat. However they are very flexible and will allow us to stage even better productions. Thanks to Mrs Marshall for raising the funds.
We are selling small wooden boxes for a camp fundraiser. They would make great gift boxes for presents. They are available from the office for $5 each or you may like to check them out on this blog or on Trademe. We have sold 35 but have heaps left. Thanks to the Carthew family for donating the boxes.
Camp
Preparation for the school camp is well underway with some fundraising still happening. A raffle was sent home on Tuesday 29 July for those wishing to take part. A notice was sent home last term with information about required equipment and the proposed itinerary. This notice is also available on our blog at… http://[email protected]/. There is a safety briefing for camp parents at school on Thursday August 14 at 7.00 pm.
Theme – We have started the term with a study of the Buffalo Hunters of the American Plains. This study looks at the daily lives of the Sioux Tribe and how they exploited the vast herds of buffalo that inhabited the Great Plains. In particular the study looks at the social change brought about by the advent of the horse, and later European settlement. The topic is very rich in terms of research work, report writing and contexts for narrative. It also lends itself to opportunities for Art (bead work and woodcuts based on Native American motifs) and Craft (construction of tepees, travois, bows, moccasins, fire lighting equipment etc). We started by viewing selected excerpts from the movie ‘Dancing with Wolves’ following a morning’s work investigating the buffalo hunt. We will also be looking at how the people used fire. We had a session yesterday when the children tried to use two pieces of wood to start a fire – we made smoke but not enough to trigger the smoke alarm!
Literacy – There is a wealth of reading and writing involved with our study. The children will also be preparing for the Kainui Speech Contest soon. In addition they have to continue to read novels with the goal of three novels read this term. (Most children exceeded this goal last term with the most novels read by any one child this year being 12 – an impressive effort.) This term the focus is more intentional with a requirement to choose between a number of genres – Adventure, Animal, Fantasy, Humour, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction and Realistic Fiction.
Kainui Speech Contest- This is scheduled for 22 October but we will be starting to work on this in class shortly. The topic is …’The most inspiring person in my life”. The contest is for Year 7 and 8 pupils but our Year 5 and 6 pupils take part in the school run offs.
Mathematics – We have started a unit reviewing the four operations with particular emphasis on using algorithms to solve problems with large numbers and decimals. We will then spend time studying ‘Angles’ and then ‘Time’. Some children will be selected to attend Kainui Mathematics extension classes and others will take part in the Mathletics competition coming up in August.
Music – The Kainui Concert is scheduled for August 27 and preparation is going well. Each child was given a CD of the songs and a songbook to learn. The school band is going very well with a drummer and percussionist, bass guitarist, two electric guitars and 8 acoustic guitars.
The ‘Be R.E.A.L’ Financial Literacy Programme
For two terms the pupils of Room 2 have been involved in The Money Game in their class. This has developed real life skills and knowledge of financial matters. We have been given the opportunity to take this one step further.
The Freedom Education Trust has invited us to take part in a pilot programme called Be R.E.A.L (Responsible Entrepreneurs and Aware Leaders). The Freedom Education Trust is represented in the Manawatu by an ex parent of our school. Mrs Briers has a background in primary and secondary teaching, has been a lecturer in Mathematics at Massey College of Education and has been a long time colleague of Mrs Marshall. She is currently a successful business person. The group she represents is made up of business people from around the country who are interested in promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship in our schools. This ties in nicely with the New National Curriculum which also encourages the development of entrepreneurship as part of its core values.
The Be R.E.A.L programme creates an authentic learning opportunity which involves creating real mini businesses so that the children can experience the management of small amounts of real money in both business and individual situations. Similar programmes operate in secondary schools under the Young Enterprise Scheme. With a lot of support pupils investigate and create their own businesses. Businesses are encouraged to be environmentally friendly and social responsible, giving back to the community or chosen charity a portion of profits made. The children are asked to follow a 70 – 10- 10 – 10 principle. That is, 10% of profits are saved, 10 % pays off any debt, 10% is donated to charity and 70% is kept by the pupil to be used as they wish. Small start up loans are available on the preparation of an acceptable business plan. The loans are paid back, although the Trust will underwrite them if things go wrong.
Yesterday we had our second session where the children discussed their business ideas with the coordinator and some received small start up loans. We will now see what comes of their ideas.
Regards,
David Wardle (Contact me at [email protected])