Next week we will be doing swimming on Wednesday, from 10.00am to 10.40am. This is because our normal swimming time falls on Good Friday and we won't be here!
We've made more headway on the tapa patterns. The kids are starting to come to grips with how tapa patterns work and have made some really beautiful practice sheets.
The kids haven't so far made any further progress on their research topic - we were somewhat thwarted today by the computers being down, and I had wanted to cycle some kids through to search for things on the Net. Instead we did our tapa patterns and then moved the classroom around. The kids got to choose where they would sit, with a few little criteria (the mat remaining where it was, clear path to the cloakbay and no one with their back to the board). They did very well and we'll see how these new self-chosen groups work together.
In the afternoon we learned about Scottish Country Dancing. It involved me getting dressed in my Scottish kit and the kids got to learn two dances. We all had a lot of fun. In fact, as I sit here typing I've still got my kilt and ghillies on!
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and we'll see you next week.
We've made more headway on the tapa patterns. The kids are starting to come to grips with how tapa patterns work and have made some really beautiful practice sheets.
The kids haven't so far made any further progress on their research topic - we were somewhat thwarted today by the computers being down, and I had wanted to cycle some kids through to search for things on the Net. Instead we did our tapa patterns and then moved the classroom around. The kids got to choose where they would sit, with a few little criteria (the mat remaining where it was, clear path to the cloakbay and no one with their back to the board). They did very well and we'll see how these new self-chosen groups work together.
In the afternoon we learned about Scottish Country Dancing. It involved me getting dressed in my Scottish kit and the kids got to learn two dances. We all had a lot of fun. In fact, as I sit here typing I've still got my kilt and ghillies on!
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and we'll see you next week.
There will be swimming tomorrow so please pack those togs, towels and goggles (if they want them). We will be up at the pool hopefully by 9.05, so if you are a parent who wanted to help with swimming, please do come along! An extra set of eyes is always welcome.
During this first swimming lesson I'm just going to be mainly finding out where the children are at, letting them play a bit in the water, and reminding them about rules in the swimming pool area. There probably won't be any teaching of new swimming skills until next week.
During this first swimming lesson I'm just going to be mainly finding out where the children are at, letting them play a bit in the water, and reminding them about rules in the swimming pool area. There probably won't be any teaching of new swimming skills until next week.
Well, it's Meet the Teacher night tonight. We will be meeting at 6.30 in the hall for a chat as a whole syndicate, then we'll be going down to the classrooms where you will have a chance to talk to us.
It's been a week since my last update. Last week we learnt a bit more about greetings in different languages, we learnt some math games and how to look up words in the dictionary. At this stage of the year it's still a lot of setting up routines stuff, really, and book layout.
We've got our Class Treaty finalised, and these are the things we have come up with...
We agree to:
1. Listen carefully and follow instructions.
2. Keep hands, feet and objects to ourselves.
3. Move around in a sensible manner.
4. Respect others and their property.
5. Be kind and fair to others.
Those five rules cover a lot of ground, and there is a list of consequences for breaking them. For more information on what exactly this treaty entails and the consequences, see the red wall in the classroom, near the front.
This week for topic we will pick a different culture (we looked at Chinese New Year last week) to find out about, as well as finishing off finding out what we wanted to know about Chinese New Year.
This Friday will also be our first time swimming. Hoorah! Swimming is so much fun for the kids, so please remember to remind them about their togs. If you're available on Friday morning to come and help out with swimming, please let me know. I would welcome the help. Swimming is a compulsory part of the curriculum, like math and spelling, and children must come with a note if there is a good reason they cannot swim.
I sent home the Home Reading books today with the children who had them. They're quite excited about these books, so please make a big deal about them. They're fantastic little things for helping motivate children, with certificates and stickers for reading 50 times and so on. They'll bring home reading every night, and a poem on the weekends from now on.
Look foward to seeing you tonight!
It's been a week since my last update. Last week we learnt a bit more about greetings in different languages, we learnt some math games and how to look up words in the dictionary. At this stage of the year it's still a lot of setting up routines stuff, really, and book layout.
We've got our Class Treaty finalised, and these are the things we have come up with...
We agree to:
1. Listen carefully and follow instructions.
2. Keep hands, feet and objects to ourselves.
3. Move around in a sensible manner.
4. Respect others and their property.
5. Be kind and fair to others.
Those five rules cover a lot of ground, and there is a list of consequences for breaking them. For more information on what exactly this treaty entails and the consequences, see the red wall in the classroom, near the front.
This week for topic we will pick a different culture (we looked at Chinese New Year last week) to find out about, as well as finishing off finding out what we wanted to know about Chinese New Year.
This Friday will also be our first time swimming. Hoorah! Swimming is so much fun for the kids, so please remember to remind them about their togs. If you're available on Friday morning to come and help out with swimming, please let me know. I would welcome the help. Swimming is a compulsory part of the curriculum, like math and spelling, and children must come with a note if there is a good reason they cannot swim.
I sent home the Home Reading books today with the children who had them. They're quite excited about these books, so please make a big deal about them. They're fantastic little things for helping motivate children, with certificates and stickers for reading 50 times and so on. They'll bring home reading every night, and a poem on the weekends from now on.
Look foward to seeing you tonight!
