Week 7, Term One

On Monday we had our first visit to the Nelson Museum to discover more information about fossils. Imogen had lots of really interesting fossils for us to look at and to hold. One of the highlights was going into the cave where moa bones were once found.

Before we started our printing on Friday Funday we warmed up the muscles in our hands by popping bubbles using our 'pinching fingers'. We are working very hard on getting our pencil grips correct. Simple exercises such as this help to strengthen the muscles required to hold our pencils.

Next week...Our sounds will be ng, v, oo, y or e, h, r, m
Our words will be these, were / was, for.
During maths time will be focussing on number knowledge to 20.
Thank you to all those parents who have made appointments for parent interviews. This is an excellent time for us to catch up on where your child is at and to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
On Monday Sam will be teaching in Renwick 3 as I am on a Fundamental Skills course at Saxton Field.
We have started our cross country training in preparation for the big event which is early next term. Please ensure your child has suitable footwear to run in.

Have a happy and safe week!

Week Six, Term One

As a special treat this week we made some jelly. We have been learning about the letter j and this was a good excuse as any! We all took turns to stir the mixture and enjoyed the delicious aroma. Many of us thought it smelt like marshmallows.

We are really enjoying our topic ‘Buried Treasure’. Here we are completing out dinosaur pictures. Keep your eyes on the classroom walls to see our master pieces.

During maths time we get to 'play' lots of really cool games to help us learn.

Next week…
Our sounds will be ee, or, z, w / p, n, c, k.
Our words will be put, made / go, me.
During maths time will be focussing on number knowledge to 20.
Thank you to all those parents who volunteered for the trip to the museum. As we had so many I have put some people on reserve for our next trip which will be to the Botanics.
Next week I have 2 days on classroom release. I will be at school completing assessments on the children. Sam will be teaching in Renwick 3 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Have a safe and happy week!

Week 5, Term 1

Each Wednesday morning we excitedly race down the hill to Room 4 where we have ICT. Over the last couple of weeks we have been exploring a programme called Tux Paint. This is free to download off our school website. You can take a look at some of our work by clicking on the children's names to the right under 'Our Work'. We have incorporated our topic theme 'Buried Treasure' into our ICT.

This week will be the last week for swimming. The temperature seems to have dropped and our little bodies cool down too quickly. For the remainder of the term we will be focusing on balancing and also beginning cross country training.

Next week...

Our sounds will be ai/s, j/a, oa/t, ie/i.
Our words will be like/look or when/walk.
During maths we will continue to have a class focus of counting backwards.
Thank you to all the parents who have responded to the notice about our class trip to the museum. I will catch up with you before next week.
This week I introduced 'Humphrey' to the class. He is our resident teddy bear. He is part of our positive behaviour programme. Each day Humphrey selects a student who he catches doing the right thing. They then become 'Star of the Day' as a special treat. Humphrey's special treat is a sleepover at their house! So if Humphrey comes home to your house ensure you drown your child in praise, phone their Grandparents,
Aunts & Uncles, Prime Minister...
Have a happy and safe week!

Week Four, Term 1

The highlight of this week has to be Purple Cake Day on Tuesday. Not only were we celebrating our own lives but raising money to help those children less fortunate than ourselves. Our love and aroha was focussed on the children and families in Christchurch and Haiti who has suffered many losses.
The Nelson Central School Purple Cake Day Choir entertained us with 3 magical songs. This was followed by eating delicious purple cupcakes and having our hands and faces painted. A special thank you to all the adults who helped to make this day so memorable.

We had the pleasure of meeting Andrew and Sam this week form the Nelson Rugby League. We had a wonderful time 'working out' with these guys!

Next week...
Our sounds will be u, l, f, b.
Our words will be see/come or where/there
During maths we will be counting backwards.
If you are wondering why there has been no library book come home this week it is because we have changed our library slot to a Friday. This fits better with our timetable.
I am so pleased with the way the children are reading. At this early stage we are looking for one to one matching, i.e. pointing to each word as they read. You can help by encouraging your child to 'bounce' their finger along the words. You could also ask them to find various common words such as, the, here, I, am, is, etc. Ensure you give lots of positive encouragement..even just for trying.
Next Monday Emer joins Renwick 3 which means we are full! All new entrant children arriving at Nelson Central will now be joining Room 12A or Room 10.
Have a happy and safe week.

Week Three, Term One

This week we had a special visitor come for news! Lucy is Ayla's new kitten. We had lots of cuddles and giggles during her short visit.

We also had another group of visitors on Thursday. Some ELTO students came over to see us from NMIT. These 'students' are adults from South Asia who have come to our country to learn english and our NZ culture. They sang us some of their national songs from their childhood. We sang them an excellent rendition of the Nelson Central School song 'Ki Runga Rawa'.

Next week...
Our sounds are... m, d, g, o.
Our tricky words are... to/the or was/of.
During maths our focus will be on knowledge of numbers 1-20.
Swimming will continue as per normal. As swimming is part of our curriculum it is important for your child to bring their togs.
We hope to start our inquiry topic 'Buried Treasure' where we will be studying fossils.
Things to remember...
Tuesday March 1st is Purple Cake Day. Please dress your child in purple if possible. Cup cakes and face painting will be on sale for $1 each.
On Tuesday we also have rugby league training with some experts. Kindly ensure your child has suitable shoes.
Wednesday evening 7 - 8.30pm Tracy is running a Jolly Phonics evening in Room 11. All welcome.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week Two, Term One

This week we have been learning to make and interpret pictographs during maths time. We decided that Judy would need to order more blue home packs as they are the most popular in Renwick 3.
We have also been grouping a variety of objects by colour, shape and features.

We have been having a great time in the pool this week and making great progress. We only have a short time in the pool so we make the most of every minute.

Next week...
Our sounds will be k, e, h, r.
Our words will be here/my or down/some.
During maths time we will be working on number knowledge.
Our library day is Monday so please ensure your child brings their book back.
You may have seen notices around the school in regard to Purple Cupcake Day. This is on March the 1st. We are encouraging children to dress in purple and bring a gold coin donation to help support children less fortunate than us. There will also be face painting and cupcakes for sale each costing $1.
Have a happy and safe week!

Week One 2011

Welcome to Renwick 3's blog!
We have had an extremely busy first week. I am very pleased with the way the children have settled into school life. Class routines and expectations are becoming established smoothly.
The purpose of this blog site is to share our learning with you and to keep you informed of up and coming events.
Here are some pictures of the children this week at school!

Next week...
Our sounds will be, i, p, n, c.
Our words will be I,a/ay family.
During maths we are learning about statistics including, grouping, pictograms and how to interpret them.
We will be continuing swimming as part of our P.E. programme.
Please remember our library day is Monday.

Thank you for your support in your child's learning.
Have a happy and safe week!