Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Welcome to Room 5 for 2016!  It has been wonderful to meet your children and put faces to names after preparing the classroom in January for them.

What's happening the first week or so?
We are getting to know each other, learning classroom routines and the activities we will be doing independently throughout the year. At lunchtime students can choose to participate in various activities if they do not want to play outside.  

Twice a week at Break One Juniors can choose to go to Reading Eggs (logins and passwords are currently being organised for new students), Jump Jam or Indian Dance.  Books are read out loud in the library every lunch time.

Hats
Please remember all students must have a hat as the sunshine is very strong.  From next week the 'no hat, no play' rule will be implemented meaning students without a hat must stay in the shade.  

Meet the Teachers
Thursday, 11 February is our 'Meet the Teachers' evening when you are able to meet all the team and have a look through the classroom.  More information will come home in a newsletter very shortly.

What will my child bring home from school each day?
a) Books to read
Monday to Thursday, each student will bring home a reader (small book) each night from next week that they need to practise by reading out loud to you.  Three of these days it will have been discussed or gone through with me; one day it will be chosen and read independently.  

b) Book Bag
Book bags went home today and will be used every day until the last day of school.  If your child does not have one yet, please arrange for one as they are help students' learn how to manage their belongings and work.  

c) Notebook
This went into their book bag today and contains sheets with  the alphabet and sounds, blends, numbers and sight words they will be learning.  Please practise some of these with them at nights.  For example:

- Have them say the letter and the sound; 
- Ask them to read the words they can (the ease and number they can do will increase over this term);
- Count up to 20 and count back (using the number chart to help is fine).

There is also a list with the words of colours (they can colour the corresponding box with the right colour if they would like to) and numbers (digits and words).  They will be learning to spell and recognise the words for colours and numbers over the year.  

When Reading Eggs logins/passwords have been arranged these will be glued into the cover so they can access their account at home.  

Thank You!
We are remembering to be polite, considerate, sensible students using 'please', 'thank you', 'excuse me' and 'I'm sorry' as a matter of course when talking with each other.  Related to this is listening to each other when someone is talking and waiting our turn to speak and use equipment.  Many students have already shown they know how to do this and are being very good role models.

I wish to thank you, the parents and caregivers of my lovely students, for ensuring everyone has stationery and is coming to school on time, ready to learn with a good lunch and a drink bottle. 
The days are hot and the students are quite weary by the afternoon but they are already working hard and putting a lot of care and effort into their work.

And Finally...
We are learning two songs at the end of school: Baby Animals (for oral language and the correct names) and Mixing Colours (so they see and sing the words of colours and learn about how they are created).

Students may like to sing along to these at home or might tell you about them so here they are for you to see too.  There is usually a lot of giggles at the end of the Baby Animal song.  They find the baby very, very amusing for some reason and always end up laughing.






Warm regards  
Miriam


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