Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 1 Week 9

In the post

  • If away
  • Kauri Learning
  • Supporting your child's maths learning
  • Basketball
  • Outdoor education
  • Technology photos

If away

Many thanks to those families who are letting the school know when you are isolating. We would also like to know if a child tests positive. Can you please keep us up to date with your situation by emailing or calling Jacky or Reihana in the office? 


Kauri Learning

Learning in the Kauri hub is ticking along nicely, despite substantial numbers of children being away. A reminder that if your child is at home unwell, or isolating then learning can be accessed via Google Classroom (literacy and Kauri classrooms), Maths-Whizz and activities outlined on our learning at home page. It has been great to see children and parents emailing home-group or maths teachers when they have questions. It is also good to see children using their at-home learning time as an opportunity to get some blogging done for their kete badges.


Supporting your child's maths learning

  • We operate a basic facts programme at school which sees the children learning about and practising sets of basic facts each week. This looks different for each child, based on where they are at. In the early stages are addition and subtraction facts, through to multiplication and division facts, and on to finding factors of a number, converting between fractions, decimals and percentages and many other facts in between. We teach understanding of these facts in class and make connections between the facts and key maths concepts. For example, knowing the lowest common multiple is needed to add fractions with different demoninators. 

    The children have a basic facts tracker that indicates what they have achieved and four areas that they are working on. In the next week we will photocopy each child's tracker and send this home, so that you can see what they are working on. Practising these facts at home each week will greatly help their progress with acquiring mastery of basic facts. Below is a video of a strategy that is a great quick daily practice for learning times tables. A few children are using this at home each day and they are making great progress. 

  • Children should also be spending 30 minutes at home working on Maths Whizz each week.


Basketball

In the anticipation of the basketball competition at Pioneer going ahead next term, we need to start putting teams together. If your child is interested in playing basketball, they need to fill in the form on Kauri Google Classroom.  The competition runs after school on a Monday or Friday afternoon with 30 min games falling between 3:30 and 6pm. 


Outdoor Education

With camp not happening this year, we are looking at having outdoor education opportunities each term. We are starting to look at options for a term 2 experience and will provide more details once we have something booked. 

Looking ahead to term 3, we have booked in our ski day at Mt Hutt on Thursday September 1st. Now we just need to keep fingers and toes crossed that the Covid situation settles down enough so that the trip can go ahead. Early next term we will put out a form asking for parent help with this trip.


Technology Photos















Monday, 7 March 2022

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 1 Week 6

 In this post:

  • Tuesday mornings
  • Learning at home
  • Guest speakers

Tuesday Mornings

We are now into a new rhythm on Tuesday mornings, while technology at South is on hold. We received great feedback from the children last week after their first Beckenham science and technology sessions. In science, the children are learning about body systems with links to first aid. In technology, the Year 8s are exploring electronics and robotics. It is great to have Kate join our teaching team for these sessions. The Year 7s are learning about wet felting. 


Year 8s created a foot-operated controller.


Learning at Home

With the current Covid-19 outbreak, attendance numbers at school are down, as was excepted. Our 'learning at home' site is up and running and the children know how to access this via google classroom. 
  • Their literacy work is accessed through their literacy google classroom. 
  • Maths is via MathsWhizz. 
  • There is also a selection of sustainability activities on the learning at home website. 
  • On Kauri google classroom they will find the weekly quiz and a science activity, called 'organ systems'.
If your child has any questions about their learning from home, please get in touch with their home-group teacher. 

Guest Speakers

This week the children will be listening to two highly motivating guest speakers. On Monday and Tuesday we have Attitude.inc coming in to deliver their 'Who am I?' presentation. On Thursday a speaker from 'I Am Hope' will talk with our team. Their presentation has the aim of normalising mental health, encouraging young people to reach out for help, and gives examples of tools to keep themselves well.