Relationships – Whanaungatanga, Resilience – Manawaroa,
Respect – Manaakitanga, Responsibility – Tiaki
A community of agile and collaborative learners – Proud of who we are, empowered to make a difference
We would like to extend a warm welcome to all those students and their families who have joined the Middle School this year. We are looking forward to a successful year.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHING STAFF
Welcome back to Debbie Rist, Jacinta Howie, Anushka Patel, and Philip Duncan. A special welcome to Marlene Jackson and Samantha Millar who are joining the middle school team in Rooms 16 and 17.
Team Leader and Room 12 Debbie Rist Year 4 debbie@bbps.school.nz
Room 13 Philip Duncan Year 4 p.duncan@bbps.school.nz
Room 14 Jacinta Howie Year 4 jacinta@bbps.school.nz
Room 15 Anushka Patel Year 3 a.patel@bbps.school.nz
Room 16 Marlene Jackson Year 3 marlene@bbps.school.nz
Room 17 Samantha Millar Year 3 s.millar@bbps.school.nz
Swimming and PE
We have once again been fortunate to secure funding to engage Farm Cove Swim School to take lessons on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please see below for the day your child will be swimming. Swimming is part of the school PE curriculum, therefore it is important that your child brings their swimming gear for each lesson. It would be appreciated if all swimming togs, towels and goggles are named.
Room 12 – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Room 13 – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Room 14 – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
Room 15 – Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Room 16 – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
Room 17 – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
We have Mrs. Rebecca Trotter in our school to teach PE and the Arts to the Middle school students on Wednesdays. Year 3 – odd weeks of the term. Year 4 – even weeks of the term.
Please help your child to remember their PE shirt and a pair of suitable shorts. Students are to arrive at school in their school uniform and get changed into their PE gear once at school, depending on the time of their lesson. Shoes are to be worn during PE, particularly at present while the concrete is so hot.
Bring Your Own Device BYOD
The Year 4 children in the middle school have the opportunity to bring an Apple iPad or a Chromebook to school as a learning tool. It is not compulsory for the students to bring their own device. There are some school devices available in classrooms for students to use. All devices will be stored in a cabinet in the classroom when not in use. It is important that devices are named and that they are charged before they are brought to school each day. All students are given a password to access the wifi and their Google dashboard. The wifi is turned off for students at 3pm and the students are reminded that they are not allowed on their device at school after this time.
You are welcome to come and talk to your child’s teacher about any aspect of the use of iPads or chromebooks in the classroom and the uploading of the required apps. To begin, the most important apps that are required are the Google apps, including Google Drive, and a sketching/whiteboard app.
Home Learning
Students are asked to complete home learning on a regular basis. Home learning encourages the development of good study skills and habits, will provide opportunities for parents to have a sharing time with their children, and will help students to develop responsibility for their own learning. For Year 3 and 4 children, up to 20 minutes Monday – Thursday is sufficient. In the Middle School, home learning will be set weekly. Home learning will usually comprise of daily reading, learning of spelling words and rules, and maths basic facts. These skills support our writing, reading and maths programmes. The same book may be brought home for more than one night depending on your child’s reading ability or the learning focus within the classroom. School readers are to be returned to school each day as they are necessary for your child’s reading programme to continue, and are to be returned before a new one is issued. From time to time teachers will set additional tasks to be completed and these tasks will be explained in the Home Learning book.
Book bags / library bags are to be used to transport readers and library books to and from school and the library. Please take the time to read to or with your child on a daily basis. Reread the class readers with your child, read books from the library or read a book from your own collection. Make it a regular and fun time.
On Fridays, instead of the reader, children will bring home their poem book which will need to be returned to school the following Monday. (Individual classes may have some variation to this procedure.)
Maths home learning will include activities such as number investigations, problem solving, or practising and using strategies that support the classroom programme. The website https://nzmaths.co.nz/families-and-whanau has some very helpful and valuable support and activities for families.
Project Based Learning
During the first few weeks of the term classes will be working on preparing a class treaty, and developing and agreeing on expectations for behaviour and relationships in the class. This will be followed by preparing for our Project Based Learning Inquiry of Wellbeing.
We will be looking at the Te Whare Tapa Whā model of the 4 dimensions of wellbeing developed by Sir Mason Durie. This is for the whole term and will include many areas of the curriculum. The Life Education van will visit our school in weeks 7 and 8. More information regarding this visit will be sent later.
Please remember that we see every child as an important member of our class, team and school, so please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the Middle School team leader Mrs Rist with any queries or concerns.
We welcome your involvement through the PTA, returning readers to the reading room or helping on trips. Please contact your child’s teacher if you are able to help out.
We look forward to a happy, successful year.
Regards,
Debbie Rist & the Middle School Teacher’s
Recent Comments