Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 9

Kia ora whānau,

We are now nearing the end of Term 3 and we are so happy to be enjoying the lovely Spring weather!

Talent Quest

Over the past few weeks, Kathryn has been auditioning the Kōwhai talent quest hopefuls and it was great to see so many Kōwhai children take part! Kathryn was very impressed with everyone's different talents. This week, we held our own Kōwhai Talent Quest and 3 finalists were chosen to take part in the whole school Talent Quest next Friday afternoon. Congratulations to comedian, Leo Hynes; gymnasts, Chloe Sayer, Lucy Lee and Vienna Aldridge and singer, Meera Verma, also known as Cupcake. Everyone who took part was outstanding so well done to all of you!

Writing

We are currently focusing on writing information reports. The children are learning about the structure of an information report and how to present the information they gather in a clear and organised manner, making it easy for the reader to understand. This will be our focus until the end of term. Please do take the opportunity to ask your child what topic they have been writing about.

Technology

We are approaching the end of our technology inquiry and have been incredibly engaged in designing and creating balloon racers. Students have been testing out their models and making modifications to see if they can get them to travel even further. It has been really interesting to see which features on our balloon racers help or hinder their progress, and how this relates to the key science ideas we covered in our ramps and marbles learning earlier this year. 

Big ideas: 

• Environmental factors can change how an object moves (e.g. wind, moving down a ramp or rough surface etc.), as can changing the materials or shape of an object.

• Forces include pushes, pulls and twists.

• Air can be used to create a push (e.g., a leaf blower) or pull (e.g., a vacuum) force.

• Friction is another force that can slow things down. Wheels help overcome friction. 

• Scientists complete more than one test of a design or experiment to make sure their findings are accurate and can be trusted. Scientists record their results.

PB4L

Our PB4L focus this week is LEARNING and we are particularly focusing on being in the right place at the right time, actively listening and taking pride in our work, making sure we do our best every single time. Our word of the week is CO-OPERATION and the children have been watching various videos on teamwork. We have been talking about how cooperation means working together to get things done. 

Some of the Kōwhai children demonstrating co-operation:

Fleeces/Jumpers

We are experiencing difficulty in returning fleeces and jumpers to their rightful owners as the names are not always legible and sometimes the name of the previous owner is still written on the label. We would love your support with naming all of them clearly. If they are second hand fleeces or jumpers, please score the previous names out and clearly write your child's name in. We also have students who are missing their fleeces and jumpers. Please can you also check that your child hasn't inadvertently taken the wrong fleece or jumper home. We really appreciate your help with this.

Hats

We are now starting to prepare for Term 4 and we are back to wearing hats outside at all times. Please could you ensure that your child has a named hat ready for the first day of Term 4 as they will not be able to participate in outdoor activities without it. Thank you so much for your support with this.

Library Visits Next Term

We are currently organising visits to the South Library next term to learn about our local community, explore the Canterbury Stories exhibit and to hear the story of the South Library, from the days of the Māori up until the upcoming rebuild and the effect this has had on Beckenham as a community. It will be a very interesting and informative experience. 

We would love some parent help for this so we wanted to give you a heads up regarding the dates involved. Each homegroup will be going on a different day. Please see below for the different dates involved:

• Monday 16th October 1:25-2:50pm = Anna R

• Tuesday 17th October 1:25-2:50pm = Anna M

• Wednesday 18th October 1:25-2:50pm = Rowe

• Tuesday 24th October 1:25-2:50pm = Charlotte

• Wednesday 25th October 1:25-2:50pm = Nick

If you are interested in coming, please let your child's homegroup teacher know. We only have a certain amount of spaces so we will get back to you at the beginning of next term to confirm if you will be needed or not. Thank you! N.B. This trip is not suitable for pre-schoolers.

Athletics Day

On Thursday 26th October next term (Week 3) we will be running a whole school Athletics Day to which you are welcome to come and support your child/children. There will be more information to follow next term.

Structured Literacy Books

Finally, we are needing all the structured literacy books that have been sent home to be handed back by the end of this term. Please make sure that all of them are returned as soon as you can. 

Thank You

We would like to take the opportunity to thank your children for all their hard work this term. It has been a busy time but there has been a lot of fantastic learning along the way. Thank you to you as parents and caregivers for all you do to support us and your children. We get there together!

Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 7

Kia ora whānau,

It has been another busy fortnight in the Kōwhai Team.

Keeping Ourselves Safe

Over the last two weeks, most homegroups have had a Keeping Ourselves Safe lesson with Constable Meg Moynihan, our local Police School Community Officer. The children were excited to see a police officer in the hub and had many questions for her.

Our current Keeping Ourselves Safe focuses are:

Focus area 2: My body is my own, Nōku tōku tinana 

In this focus area, students learn the names of body parts and that no one should touch their genitals unless it is for health reasons. They consider touch that they like, touch that hurts and touch that is confusing. 

Focus area 3: Unwanted behaviour and touch, Kore e hiahiatia te whanonga me te pā kino

In this focus area, students learn about saying “no” confidently, moving away, and reporting what has happened to an adult they trust. They also learn the difference between good secrets and bad secrets.

Balloon Racers

The children have been busy using the design process to plan and construct balloon-powered racing cars. Here are the steps of the design process that the children are following:

1. Define the problem/need.
2. Research your problem and come up with ideas you have for solving it. 
3. Create a prototype. 
4. Trial and improve the prototype.
5. Reflect.

Here are some photos of their progress:

Reading Books

If your child is in a reading group that takes a reading book home, please support them to return their book to school on time. One easy way to help with this at home is to coach your child to always put their reading folder and book back in their bag as soon as they have finished reading their book. This way their book should always come back to school. Thanks for your support in this.

Positive Behaviour For Learning - Friendship

As part of our Positive Behaviour For Learning (PB4L) programme, the children learn different strategies for maintaining positive behaviour, improving their well-being and increasing their educational achievement.

We have a different PB4L focus each week. This week's focus has been on friendship. As part of this, the children have been learning about what a good friend looks like, sounds like and feels like.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team

Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 5

Kia ora whānau,

We have had another very busy fortnight completing our calendar art and many more activities.

Keeping Ourselves Safe

We have started teaching Keeping Ourselves Safe (KOS), a safety programme from the New Zealand Police. These lessons will be taught by your child’s homegroup teacher, with support from Constable Meg Moynihan, our local Police School Community Officer. As Anna Reid is away, her homegroup will start the KOS programme at a slightly later date.

What will children and young people learn?

• to work out when their safety is at risk
• how to keep safe when they meet and mix with other people
• who and how to ask for help if they, or someone they know, is being abused
• to go on asking for help until someone does something to stop the abuse
• that it is important to make and follow personal, family and school safety rules

What part do parents, caregivers and whānau play?

Parents and whānau are strongly encouraged to support Keeping Ourselves Safe. You can also talk with your child about what they have learnt in Keeping Ourselves Safe and help them with any KOS activities they bring home. Visit the whānau section of the NZ Police Keeping Ourselves Safe website for more information and frequently asked questions.

If you require more information about the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme or wish to discuss the learning, please speak with your child’s homegroup teacher in the first instance.

This programme is divided into focus areas and this week we have discussed the following:

Focus area 1: I am unique, He taonga ahau

For safety reasons, students need to know their name, where they live, and the names of the people they live with. When they can verbalise their feelings confidently, they can report times when they feel safe and unsafe. We also discussed online safety so the students have an understanding of what personal information should not be shared on line.

PB4L and Wellbeing 

Our school uses the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) schoolwide framework, to help our students understand and grow positive behaviours such as kindness, responsibility, respect and positive attitudes towards learning. We have a school-wide Word of the Week, and this week's is respect! Our students loved this song. We also have a learning focus, and this week's is mindset. You might enjoy watching this short video at home.

Gymnastics 

We loved our second trip to the Christchurch School of Gymnastics last week! The students were once more engaged in a variety of activities including swing ropes, trampolining, swing bars, balance beams, rolling, foam pit, rock crawl and more. The instructors were fabulous and were very impressed by the positive behaviour and listening skills of our students. We were all captivated by the dusting of snow on the hills on our ride home in the bus. 

The Christchurch School of Gymnastics offers after school and weekend classes if you wish to pursue this for your child.

Book Character Day

Last Friday was our Book Character Day and numerous book characters came to life.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team

Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 3

Kia ora whānau,

We've enjoyed another fun fortnight at school. Find out more below!

Wellness

A big thanks to families for sending children with warm clothes, jumpers, jackets and gumboots on our wetter days. We continue to monitor temperatures, air flow and ensure frequent hand washing at school, to help everyone stay well. Thanks also to families for keeping unwell students home.

Maths

Our students have embraced learning about fractions over the last three weeks. We are really impressed with their abilities to have a go at new, often challenging learning, and to justify their thinking through mathematical discussions. Key learning focuses include: 

• Know words and symbols for fractions: ¹⁄₂, ¹⁄₃, ¹⁄₄, ¹⁄₅, ¹⁄₁₀ and fractions greater than 1 
• Find halves, quarters, thirds and fifths of sets by equal sharing
• Find halves and quarters of shapes using objects
• Order fractions and explain which is bigger

Feel free to work on these at home too.

This is one of the problems that some of us have worked on recently: 

I picked up a handful of M&M’s. 

1/3 of them were red. 

What might a drawing of the M&M’s look like?

Photos from a class who completed a 'fraction friend' activity...

Gym Trip

We loved our trip to the Christchurch School of Gymnastics, and are looking forward to returning next week! The instructors were kind, and the activities were varied and included swing ropes, trampolining, swing bars, balance beams, rolling, foam pit, rock crawl and more.

Keeping Ourselves Safe

Our students will soon be teaching Keeping Ourselves Safe (KOS), a safety programme from the New Zealand Police. These lessons will be taught by your child’s homegroup teacher, with support from Constable Meg Moynihan, our local Police School Community Officer.

What will children and young people learn?

• to work out when their safety is at risk
• how to keep safe when they meet and mix with other people
• who and how to ask for help if they, or someone they know, is being abused
• to go on asking for help until someone does something to stop the abuse
• that it is important to make and follow personal, family and school safety rules

What part do parents, caregivers and whānau play?

Parents and whānau are strongly encouraged to support Keeping Ourselves Safe. You can also talk with your child about what they have learnt in Keeping Ourselves Safe and help them with any KOS activities they bring home. Visit the whānau section of the NZ Police Keeping Ourselves Safe website for more information and frequently asked questions.

If you require more information about the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme or wish to discuss the learning, please speak with your child’s homegroup teacher in the first instance.

Discovery Fun

Kōwhai Gymnastics Trip and News Week 1, Term 3

Kia ora e te whanau, nau mai hoki mai.

We hope that you enjoyed the break. It has been lovely to hear students share stories about their holidays. It sounds like lots of fun was had whether they stayed in Christchurch or travelled elsewhere. It is hard to believe that term 3 is here already! The students have had a great first week and have started settling back into the routine.

Gymnastics Trip - Parent Helpers Needed

As a team, we will be teaching a Health and PE unit about our bodies and how we move these, focusing on gymnastic movements. During weeks 3 and 4, the Kōwhai team will be travelling to the Christchurch School of Gymnastics for a couple of sessions. Working with a professional gymnastics school will help us educate the students in a safe environment with expert help. The dates and times for the trips are as follows:

Thursday August 3rd 2023

• Charlotte's Homegroup: 9:00-11:30
• Rowe's Homegroup: 10:30-1:00
• Nick's Homegroup: 12:30-3:00

Thursday August 10th 2023

• Charlotte's Homegroup: 9:00-11:30
• Rowe's Homegroup: 10:30-1:00
• Nick's Homegroup: 12:30-3:00

Anna M and Anna R's classes will be divided up and spread amongst the 3 groups. We are looking for some keen parent helpers to attend and help out. If you are available and would like to come along and help, please complete this form by Monday, 24th July.

Calendar Art

This term, students will have the opportunity to explore the iconic artistry of Romero Britto and create their very own calendar art, bursting with Britto-inspired brilliance. From his playful use of vibrant hues to his distinctive patterns, Britto's artworks radiate joy and positivity. We are very excited to get creating and can’t wait to see the finished product!

Balloon Racers

This term, our inquiry focus is on technology and revisiting forces and motion. The students will embrace their inner inventors and set their imaginations soaring as they construct their very own balloon racers. Through this hands-on project, they will explore physics, discovering how forces shape the world around us. As students engage in the process of designing and refining their racers, they will build collaboration and reflection skills.

For the balloon racers, we are after some construction materials. If you have any of the following, could you please send them in as soon as possible?:

• cardboard
• small boxes for construction (e.g. cereal boxes/boxes smaller than a shoe box)
• small plastic containers (e.g. recycling)
• milk bottle tops

Tēnā rawa atu koe – thank you.

Here are some photos of what's been happening this week. 

From the Kōwhai team