Week Eight - Inquiry and a Change in Timetable

Kia ora whanau and caregivers,

This week has been an awesome week for change.  The students have taken the amendments in the timetable well and are really enjoying the changes in timetable which allow for different times to consume their sandwiches and water.   Being hydrated is so important, not only for the wellbeing of our tamariki, but also to ensure that their brain is in its optimum state for learning.  The students were all very grateful for the drink bottles which were given to them and are now using them quite sensibly in class.  

This week has been an action packed week for Inquiry also.  We have had a really good opportunity to consolidate all of the knowledge which we have been learning during Term 2.  The students will all have some great energy saving tips that they can take home and share with you!  

See below for some of our energy saving work!

Nga mihi,

Nicholas Shimasaki

Week Seven - Noel Leeming and the Mobile Learning Centre

This week saw Noel Leeming and their Mobile Learning Centre come through the classes at Linwood North School.  It was a very interesting opportunity for myself and the children.  We got to interact with some wonderful devices which have opened up the world of technology for us.  These devices included; virtual reality headsets, innovative iPad and Android apps and games, a programable robot and also a 3D printer!

The students loved these opportunities and took great advantage off them asking some great questions and really showing their pre-existing knowledge around ICT.

Below is a photo of one of our students laughing and enjoying the spelling iPad app!

Week Six - Short Week

This week was a short week due to Queens Birthday and the Staff Only Day however, the students made great attempts to continue with their school work despite the disruptions.  All credit goes to the students for their hard-work and determination in getting down to work, and keeping up the momentum!

In Mathematics we have been practicing our Hotspot of skip counting and basic facts, during the group parts of our sessions we have been focusing on strategies to use when adding and subtracting multiple numbers.  The students are following up the group sessions with reinforcement work around place value, something which almost the entire class showed we needed a focus on when we completed the Measurement (Money) component of our maths unit.

Within writing the children are showing a much better understanding of Explanations.  The topics we have written on this week include explaining what our favourite TV show is, and why, and also why it is important to keep warm in the winter.  The latter of the two topics ties in well with our inquiry topic which is 'Sustainability and Energy'.

Despite the dark and gloomy weather outside, Room 7 continues to produce some excellent student work which we are proud to have up on the walls.  The students are all working very hard to achieve and are making great progress!

A real focus on the integration of e-learning devices has begun this term so please, if you have your own device bring it along as we will be using them a lot in class!

Have a great weekend and keep warm during the cold winter days!

Nga mihi,

Nick Shimasaki

Week Five - Art, Numeracy, and Close Reading of Texts

Kia ora,

I hope that everyone has had a relaxing long weekend and has had an opportunity to rest and relax!  Last week was an action packed and interesting week filled with fun learning activities for the akonga.  There were a number of birthday celebrations last week and the weekend prior including; Ayden and Danica's birthdays.  On Friday we were very lucky enough to get to celebrate with Danica and her whanau with a special birthday cake!

In Art we completed our sunset silhouettes this week.  The students did a great job of blending colours and practicing the different ways which we can utilise the brushes to give different textures.  For those students that finished, or were waiting for it to dry, they got to design a new Class Dojo avatar which they will be painting later this term.   

Inquiry proved to be very interesting this week.  From the questions which the students developed in our explanation session in the previous weeks we were able to really hone in on questions which the children had on electricity and energy.  One interesting question was "where does electricity come from and how does it get to our devices"?  To answer this we looked at how electricity is created, how it is transferred and what devices actually use electricity in the first place!

The students showed self-direction and self-management with this task, identifying and colouring in those things which use electricity.  

Maths this week saw the students developing strategies to work with addition and subtraction problems, and also saw some groups developing their knowledge around place value.

Enjoy the final two days of the long weekend and relax as much as possible!  I look forwards to seeing Room 7 and their whanau on Wednesday.

Nga mihi,

Nick Shimasaki