Kids love...

The mascot for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games - this afternoon we watched the story of Clyde the mascot.
Here is the clip to show Clyde's story and also a game - the children really wanted this on the blog so they could do the activities.

http://mascot.glasgow2014.com/#/

Monday morning hint...

Morena, I love this little tidbit....fits in nicely with our Inquiry & Library studies...

Find that Country!

The next time you watch the news or read the newspaper with your child, talk about the countries that are mentioned. In particular, ask whether he knows where they're located. If necessary, help him find various countries on a map or globe. As an extension activity, create a dream journal together and write down all the places you'd like to go!

Welcome back - term 3....

Kia ora Room 7 whanau,

Wow - term 3...and a great start back with 3 way conferences & goal setting. Thank you for attending your child/ren goal setting & celebrating their successes! VERY PROUD!

THE ipads are here...showing off their photography skills =)

As a teacher I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful class & for you too as the parents who have been nothing but supportive. So thank you!

SHARP STUDENT Week 1 - term 3.

Isaac for showing RESPECT for the environment - helping to keep the class & cloakbay tidy/clean.
Well done Isaac. Oscar G-T also was a SHARP recipient by Oscar was sick all last week. 

We have had a really good first week back - very SHARP behaviour & attitudes. 1 highlight for me during the week was with our new Inquiry topic "DESTINY, DREAMS & WISHES..." the children started a title page for this - plus a brainstorm...for a few mornings this week some children have come in and continued doing their title page/brainstorm. It's so awesome seeing them take charge of their self management and using their time to carry on with work.
The children enjoyed this clip - the song "Stand by me" This track features over 35 musicians collaborating from all over the world.

Our lil visitor Miss Arna Hopkins. Arna is Claudia's little sis and starts school in August. 

A very precious moment for me this week was getting an email from Thimira's mum. When I read the email to the class I said "let's email them right now" and there was a big reply (from the majority of the class) whom said "Can we write to Thimira?" - that is that picture perfect moment of teaching where what I had planned went out the window....and became writing for a real purpose.
The children all wrote a letter to Thimira - they included jokes and a name poem.
I will get the letters in the mail this week.

Thumbs up to Thimira - busy writing away to our friend.

Here we are Thimira - happy as usual - LOL.

CRAZY Room 7 - love this!

The rocket experiment - Get 1 film canister, 1/4 fill with water, add 1/2 alka-seltzer tablet - quickly put the lid on tightly, turn the film canister over - and move back! Wait - ka-boom - the canister will fly into the air.
NB: we talked about the pressure building up - (a bit like a volcano)...

Theo & Cameron showing their film canisters.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO - IT'S OUR FILM CANISTER......

Setting it up ......upside down - watch out!

Our Inquiry topic fits in nicely with our Library studies this term...OUR WORLD AND NZ.
We explored the map of NZ and we had turns showing our favourite place in NZ on the map.
In pairs we talked about our favourite place and why.
Here are a few pics of some of the children showing where on the NZ map is their favourite place.

Archie showing us his favourite place, Taupo.

Amy pointing to Palmerston North.

 Miss Burt showing where she used to live in Auckland.

We talked about the East Cape - and the first place where the sun rises in NZ.


Homework this week - 5 spelling words and then a list of tasks the children can do at home. BEING SHARP AT HOME!
They don't have to do all the tasks, they can choose some - be really fab if they did them all. Let's see who can be the SHARPest.......
Remember to read, read, read!!
And practise those multiplication facts (& the basic facts step you are on).

So a busy week for us all but a very good week - here's to another great week this one. 

Take care all!!

Rachel

Day 1 - term 3

IMPROMPTU speeches...Room 7 had fun doing some of these today. 
(More information to come..but at the end of the term each child will be presenting a speech).

We sat in a concentric circle and had a turn speaking for 30 seconds to our buddy - we moved around the circle - and had a variety of speech topics.

Afterwards the children wrote down 10 impromptu speech ideas - I gave them a range of what the idea had to be based on: eg: Funny, sad, to do with the class, interesting, silly, favourite etc..

I have chosen 1 speech topic from each child and have written up a list (more to come..) the children can use these to do impromptu speeches. We will start with 30 seconds and as we get better we will move onto 1 minute. As their end of term speech will be 3 minutes long.

Here is the list (you should read some of the ideas in their book - eek!).

If my eyeballs fell out and flew around the room…

If I was a bird I would...

If I went to sleep all day I would dream about….

If the Lego movie came to life…

If I was in charge of the school I would…

The funniest joke someone played on me…

Today I had to wear a clown suit…

If I could run around I would…

If I was a spy I would…

The day I slipped on a banana…

I got really mad…

If children could vote for a Prime Minister…

When I left somewhere I loved…

If the class could take a day off…

If I was the teacher for the day…

The day I got two jobs…

One day I jumped in the biggest mud puddle…

I cut my arm open…

If I could put my socks on my ears…

The day I poured ice down my t-shirt…

My favourtie country is…

If I could go to America…

My friend moved away…

If I could do a SHARP lesson it would be…

The day I fell out of bed…

The day I tried to look cool and fell off my bike…

If I got lost I would…

If I had to babysit bad kids…

If I could drive dad’s car…

If I made something I would give it to…

My favourite thing to eat (and why?)...

The best friend ever...

Good reading for you =)

Kia ora - with your child's mid-year goal setting coming up this week I thought you might be interested in having a read of the following:
From the parents section of the Ministry of Education site:

"You play an important part in supporting your child's learning.
 To help you do this here is information about the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics and how they work in a school context, and tips on how you can support your child’s learning during their third year at school through interactive, fun, easy, everyday activities that you can do at home, and while out and about."
After 3 years at school

By the end of year 4

ENJOY THE LAST weekend of the holidays - phew - time surely goes fast (big smiley face!!).
Take care & I'll see your gorgeous child/ren on Monday morning. (I have the 8am meeting Monday morning re: if I'm not in class).

Week 2 holidays =)

Hi all - here's a link to the school website - and if you go to the right hand side you will see a link to Room 7 with the year 7's doing Matariki legends. Brilliant!
http://www.greytown.school.nz/room-7-matariki-with-year-7s

Also - next term we are doing mult/div - Studyladder have good revision and new mult/div for your child to give a go.

Have a look at this site - I had a good and HAD to beat the penguin!!
Penguin Multiplication: Click on the correct answer  to make your penguin jump onto the iceberg.
 Make sure when you get to the end click FINISH - so your penguin jumps to the finish line. =)

Take care and enjoy the rest of the hols =)

I'm in school at the mo - and feel very excited about next term's Inquiry (topic). . "DESTINY, DREAMS AND WISHES" based around the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. . More to come.....

Hello to all your children =) Miss Burt =)

The importance of reading aloud to your child

Kia ora,
I really like this read: it tells how reading aloud to your child is still so important.
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/parent-child/importance-reading-bedtime-stories-to-big-kids?eml=PCM/smd/20140709/Facebook/bedtimebigkids