Week 7, Term 4

This week we had a trip to the Elmer Turner Library. A lady called Margo read us some cool stories and taught us all about the library. You can take 35 books out at a time! Those of us who had our library cards were able to take out some books. There was also a bin of books for sale for only 50c! So Neroli bought some for Renwick 3.


On Wednesday we had a pyjama dress up day. It was an excellent day. A special thanks to Astrid who dressed up Humph and Humphrey in some pyjamas too! At morning tea time we had a special treat with fruit kebabs, popcorn, chips and crackers. After lunch we treated ourselves to a juicie because we had been working and behaving so well!


After morning tea we read to our teddies!

Customize your own free slideshow design

Next week...

The formal reading programme has ended for the year however this week we will continue reading in the form of Christmas poetry and songs. Each night the poetry book will come home with a new poem and will need to be returned the following day.
During maths we will continue to explore shape.
On Tuesday 20th we have our Big Day Out to Founders Park. Please ensure your child's consent form is signed and returned with $3. We will be leaving school about 9.45am on that day and returning after lunch.
The school pool is open and some classes have started swimming. They tell me the water is 'quite' warm. Naturally the children of Renwick 3 would like to be part of the action! I have booked a slot for Wednesday at 2.30 for a swim. Please send your child to school with their togs on that day. If they decide it is too cold and they don't want to get in I am happy for them to sit and watch.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 7, Term 4

Over the term we have been busy learning about bees!

Take a look at our digital movie to see what we have learnt.

We have had a wonderful time over the last 4 weeks learning tennis skills at Grasshopper Tennis. Suzanne our coach taught us some excellent games which we can keep practising at school and at home.

Next week...

Our sound will be 'ue'.

Our tricky word is school. We are also working on our capital letters and full stops.

At maths time we are learning about 2D and 3D shapes.

On Tuesday we are going on a class visit to the Elmer Turner Library. Please ensure your child brings their booster seat to school as we will be travelling there in cars.

Have a happy and safe week!

Week 5, Term 4

Twice a week we go to Jump Jam! On Monday we have Jump Jam in the hall with the big screen. We love to join in and sing the songs too!


During P.E. this term we have been learning to throw the ball using an overarm throw. It is quite tricky but we are doing our best!

Free picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

Next week I will be sending home a notice in regard to a class trip to the Elmer Turner Library. The Kowhai Syndicate want to promote and encourage children to maintain their reading over the summer holidays. We will be going on Tuesday the 6th of December leaving school at 1.15pm and returning for 2.45pm. I will need parent help with transport for this outing.

Our next big adventure will be our BIG DAY OUT. This will be on Tuesday the 20th of December. We have planned a trip to Founders Park for a ride on the trains and various activities. More information will follow. I will also need parent help with transport for this outing.

Next week...
We will be revising some diagraphs and looking at capital letters and full stops for literacy.
During maths we will be adding and subtracting groups of ten.
We will be attempting to finish off our Brilliant Bee topic. The children have really enjoyed this unit of work.
Many thanks for your support. Have a happy and safe week!

Week 3, Term 4

On Monday afternoon we had Cathy come to talk to us about bees. Cathy has her own bee hives at home which produce yummy scrummy honey (We know this because we got to taste some). She brought in her big box of equipment with hive tools, protective clothing and trays. Cathy is truly an expert when it comes to bees and she was able to answer our questions.




This week we went to Grasshopper Tennis with Suzanne. It was really tricky stuff for us but we didn't give up and had a great time.
Firstly we played a game called Bumper. We had to balance the ball on our racket while knocking other people's to get their ball to fall off. The last person to still have a ball balanced on their racket was the winner. Well done Jessica and Ayla!
Then we had a turn at hitting the ball over the net. This is is a work in progress for most of us!

This free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Next week...
Our sounds will be digraphs ea/ee.
Our tricky words are please and ask.
During maths we are looking at groupings within 10 and 20. These groupings and patterns are crucial for the children to understand in order for them to move onto new strategies.
We will have Grasshopper Tennis on Thursday again for the next 3 weeks.
We are in the process of planning an end of year Big Day Out for the Kowhai Syndicate. More news will follow in regard to times and dates when we have these confirmed.
Caroline will be teaching in Renwick 3 on Friday as I have a Classroom Release Day.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 2, Term 4

We have been busy bees this week learning all about brilliant bees. We have created a 'Word Hive' with all the new words we have been reading.
We have discovered the body parts of bees and now know that bees have 5 eyes!


This week we have been learning about the importance of drinking lots of water. Helen and Nikita came to talk to us from the Public Health. During the summer months it is particularly important to make sure we are well hydrated. We have made posters to put around the classroom to remind us to drink! Drinking helps us learn!






Next week...
Our sounds will be long vowels.
Our tricky words will be want/their.
During maths time we will continue to look at the number before and after a given number.
On Monday we are having an expert come to talk to us on bees. We are very much looking forward to this and have made a list of questins to ask.
On Thursday we are having a 'Grasshoper Tennis' lesson. We will be introduced to some skills of tennis.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 1, Term 4

Welcome back to the last term of the year. Where did the time go? I always feel a little sad at the beginning of this term as I know it is my last with these wonderful children. They have come such a long way on their learning journey. I feel very proud and honoured to have been a part of it.

On Friday we gave an impromptu folk dancing display for our buddy class. They thought we were fabulous. We got them all up to do the birdie dance with us!

Photo slideshow created with Smilebox

We have started our 'Brilliant Bee' topic which I am sure is going to be a lot of fun. The children all ready have a considerable amount of knowledge and vocabulary which is fantastic.

Next week...

Our sounds will be long vowels a and i.
Our tricky words will be made and nice.
During maths we are looking at the number that comes before or after any given number.
During topic time we will be looking at the parts of a bee.
Please remember sun hats for this term.
Sam will be teaching in Renwick 3 on Monday as I have Jury service.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 10, Term 3

Supreme Award Winners!
What a fabulous job we did. I was so very proud of everyone. The children's behaviour was faultless, they walked and sang beautifully... even contributing to other groups songs too! Well done to everyone and a special thanks to Carole, Haidee and June who helped measure, cut and glue!



Nibbles Comes to Visit!
Ayla brought in her new pet rabbit, Nibbles, to meet us. We were all so excited. Nibbles was extremely cute, soft and fluffy. We wrote some magnificent stories using lots of quality describing words.


Next term...

Our sounds will be ow/ou.
Our tricky word will be always.
During maths we will be ordering numbers to 20 or 100.
Our Inquiry Topic this term is titled 'Brilliant Bees'. The key concept is how plants and animals work together.
For P.E. our fundamental skill focus will be the overhand throw.
Hope you are all having a safe and happy holiday. I look forward to seeing everyone next week!

Week 9, Term 3

On Monday we nervously headed down to the hall for our Folk Dancing Display with Room 11. We each performed 2 dances and then ended with an old favourite 'The Birdie Dance'. The jumping frogs and fluttering butterflies soon disappeared!

Personalize a slideshow design

On Tuesday we were invited by our buddy class to watch their drama performance. They created freeze frames and then put them together to tell a fairy tale story. It was our job to guess which one it was. Take a look and see if you can guess!

Photo slideshow generated with Smilebox

We thought they did a terrific job too!

Next week...

We will be revising our sounds and tricky words.
Our literacy focus will be punctuation.
During maths we will be looking at fractions.
Please note that the Mask Parade is this Friday 7th of October @ 5.30pm. We hope that all children will be able to be there on the night. Assembly is from 4.30pm in Montgomery Square. Wet weather day is Saturday 8th.
Please note:
* Our enrolment number is C5
* Look for the Nelson Central School Sign.
* Children will be accompanied by teachers.
* We will return to the same spot after the parade where you can collect your children.
* DO NOT TAKE YOUR CHILD AFTER THE PARADE WITHOUT INFORMING THE TEACHER
* Teachers, not parents, will accompany the children during the parade.
* We are having a final rehearsal on Friday 7th at 2pm in the front field which you and your family are warmly welcome to attend.

Thank you for all your support over the term. The children are a dream to teach and I appreciate your input.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 8, Term3

As a grand finale to our Castle Connection Inquiry Topic we had a Medieval Day at school. We all dressed up accordingly and had a shared kai for lunch. What a feast! We were still eating at 2.55pm! We had a terrific day. Thank you to all our mums and das for helping us with our costumes and for providing such wonderful food.

Slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Another highlight for the week was our involvement in the Rugby Parade for the re-enactment of the first game of rugby in Nelson. We raced down to the front field to enjoy the extravaganza!

Customize your own picture slideshow

We have been pressing on with the preparation for the mask parade. Our bits and pieces are coming together. We will need some parent help towards the end of next week to help putting the masks together.

Next week...

Our sounds will be u/oo.
Our words will be put/because.
During maths our focus will be the number before any given number.
We have our folk dancing display on Monday at 2.30pm in Trinity Hall. It would be lovely to see as many parents, friends and family there to enjoy the children's learning and success.
Thank you to all those parents who purchased calendars, cards or diaries. This is an excellent fundraiser for the school so your support is very much appreciated.
As those summer rays are hitting upon us it is a timely reminder that sunhats will be required for term 4. I note that some children are already starting to wear their sunhats which is fabulous.
Our social skill we are currently working on is courtesy. I have to say that the children in Renwick 3 have impeccable manners which I can not fault. It is very rare that I hear unkind words being spoken by the children. Well done all!
Have a happy and safe week.

Week 7, Term 3

This week in Renwick 3 we have been learning to instantly recognise patterns to ten using our hands and blocks. This skill is really important because it helps us to solve problems quickly using a variety of strategies.


Spring has come to Renwick 3! Using our 3-D art we have created a beautiful spring display of flowers and butterflies.


Next week...

Our sounds will be ow/oa.
Our tricky words are school and before.
During maths time our class focus will be skip counting in 10's and 5's.
We will be starting our mask creations this week in preparation for the Mask Parade.
On Thursday we are having our Medieval Dress Up day and shared lunch. Please do not go to any expense in creating a costume. The children are very much looking forward to this event.
On Friday Caroline will be teaching in Renwick 3 as I have a release day.
Calendar orders have been extended by a week so it is not too late to make an order.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 6, Term 3

This week in Renwick 3 we were putting all our knowledge and skills together to design and create a castle using 'junk'. In teams of 3 or 4 we built castles that any King or Queen would be proud of!

Personalize a free photo slideshow

Please take time to come and look at our calendar art which is displayed in the class room. You will need to complete the order on the envelope that was sent home and return it with the correct money.

In week 9 we are planning to have a folk dancing display with Room 11. This will be in Trinity Hall on Monday 26th of September at 2.30pm. All families and friends are welcome.

Next week...
Our sounds will be y/ie.
Our words will be why and adding ing.
During maths our class focus will be doubles to 10.
We will soon be preparing for the Mask Parade which we are a part of this year. The actual parade is on the last Friday of term. It would be terrific to have all of Renwick 3 there on the night. More details will follow later. The Kowhai Syndicate will be making 'Fish' masks to represent the water element. I will be asking for parent helpers closer to the time to assist in the making of the masks.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 5, Term 3

Wow! We are half way through the term already!

This week we put together our Junkyard Dragon! This was a fantastic learning experience for the children. In groups of 3 the children had to plan and create various body parts of the dragon which we joined together. After we had completed the process I asked the children what they found the most difficult. While some children found working with the materials difficult the majority agreed that communicating with each other to be the most challenging!




Congratulations to all those children who completed the Food for Thought challenge.
Oliver raised an amazing amount of $161. Tracy was sooooo happy!



We thought we needed a pat on the back for all the brilliant work we have been doing in Renwick 3!



Next week...
Our sounds will be igh/i - e.
Our words will be many/night.
During maths our class focus will be doubles to 10.
On Monday I have a classroom release day so Caroline will be teaching in Renwick 3 for the day.
On Thursday we have a dress up day for the Rugby World Cup. Children can dress up in their favourite team's colours. There is a gold coin donation which is being donated to a school in Christchurch.
Have a happy and safe weekend and Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful dads!

ICT Wednesday 31 August. Click on Image:

Week 4, Term 3

This week we had a lot of fun making dinosaur puppets using paper, straws and string. In groups we made up our own shows to perform to the class!


We have also completed our calendar art which will be on display outside the class towards the end of the week. Order forms will be sent home if you would like to purchase calendars, cards or diaries. This is a great fundraising activity for our school.

With much excitement next week we will be making our 'Junkyard Dragon'. Our Inquiry topic is leading us to discover the most appropriate fastenings in various scenarios.

Next week....
Our sounds will be ph, kn.
Our words will be have/known.
During maths our class focus is counting backwards.
Please remember if your child participated in Food for Thought the money is due back now. I have donated $5 to each child who completed the challenge...so I have a wad of money to hand out!
The Junior Disco is this Friday in Trinity Hall starting at 5.30pm. Tickets are avaliable for purchase outside the library before school.
Have a happy and safe week!

ICT Wednesday 24 August. Click on Image:

Week 3, Term 3

Marble Run
The girls have been busy making the tallest marble run to date!


Charge!
This week we have been busy making our own shields. It was part of our 3-D art and our Inquiry Topic Castle Connections. We tried our best to look ferocious as we charged the 'enemy'.

Personalize your own picture slideshow

Buddy Time
We were looking at our buddies blogsite and discovered they had done a science fair project on making paper planes. We left a message on their site to ask them to teach us how to make a good paper plane that would travel far. We had mixed results....but a lot of fun!

Free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

Next week...

Our sounds will be oo/ew.
Our tricky words we include looking at word endings s, ing, ed.
During maths our class focus will be skip counting in fives.
For our inquiry topic we will be classifying items in regard to the materials they are made from. The following week we will be taking a closer look at fastening materials together. I plan to make a 'Junkyard Dragon' so I would appreciate any spare empty foodstuff boxes such as cereal, toothpaste, teabag boxes etc.
Thank you to all the parents who came for parent teacher interviews.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week 1, Term 3

Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you all had a restful holiday.
This week we started our topic 'Castle Connections'. We are looking at the properties of materials. We had to rescue Humphrey from the fort using only the materials we could find in the playground. After much discussion and testing we decided to use Oliver's idea of making a parachute out of rubbish bags and flax.

This free picture slideshow made with Smilebox

Folk dancing has been a big hit with everyone. We have danced nearly every day! We are planning to put on a display for parents, family and friends at the end of the term so we will keep you posted.

During maths we have been learning about time. We have made our own clocks and next week we will be learning how to tell the time using an analogue clock.

Well done to all those children who are doing 'Food for Thought'. It is not too late to get involved if you haven't done so yet. This is a great cause. The children in the orphanage benefit greatly from our support.

Next week...

Our sounds will be ee and ea.
We will be recapping on the words like and that.
During maths time we will be learning to tell the time (hour/half hour).
Sam will be teaching in Renwick 3 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Please remember that parent interviews will be next week. If you haven't made an appointment please come and see me to arrange a convenient time or email me on nerolis@nelsoncentral.school.nz

Have a happy and safe week!

Week 11, Term 2

Humphrey has had a very busy term watching the children of Renwick 3 learn and grow. He has been particularly impressed with the manners and non quitting attitude of the children!

On Thursday we had a special treat and went to the Suter Art Gallery to view an exhibition called 'Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue. We had a wonderful time exploring the artwork and evaluating each piece. We created our own art with using some of the lines and patterns we identified in the artwork. You can take a look at this in our classroom.





Next term will be slightly shorter, being 10 weeks. We have reports and parent interviews within the first couple of weeks so please ensure you make an appointment.
Our topic is a technology inquiry unit looking at fastenings and properties of materials.

Hope you are all having a safe and happy holiday. I look forward to seeing everyone Monday morning!