WELCOME
We would like to extend a warm welcome to all those students and their families who have joined the Middle School this term. This is going to be a busy and exciting term.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school if there is an issue or problem at school or at home.
Room 12 Debbie Rist Year 4 debbie@bbps.school.nz (Team Leader)
Room 13 Cherry Wong Year 3 c.wong@bbps.school.nz
Room 14 Jacinta Howie Year 3 jacinta@bbps.school.nz
Room 16 Anushka Patel Year 3 a.patel@bbps.school.nz
Room 16 Alan McInally Year 4 a.mcinally@bbps.school.nz
Room 17 Charlotte Wilson Year 3 & 4 c.wilson@bbps.school.nz
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Uniforms
All students are expected to wear the correct uniform items every day. This term the winter uniform is to be worn. This includes a school shirt and culottes for girls, and black shoes for all students. Please remember that shoes are to be black and be suitable to run and play in.
Students are also reminded that they are expected to wear the correct uniform for sport and PE. They are to wear school uniform to and from school and then get changed at school into their blue shorts, sports t-shirt and suitable footwear.
PE
All students have a PE lesson with Mrs Trotter on Thursday. During the first 5 weeks of term on Tuesday, the students will take part in dance, and for the remainder of the term they will take part in a rotation that will include gymnastics, sports games, and music. It is important that your child brings their sports uniform on each of these days. Mrs Trotter has asked that the students wear sports shoes for their PE session.
Home Learning
Throughout this term the students have been reading a variety of texts that range from non fiction information reports, recounts and narratives, and weekly poems. The children have been learning to use comprehension strategies to help them to read a wide range of texts and to gain meaning from these texts. They have also been encouraged to issue books from the library that they enjoy reading. For some these will be simple picture books, for others they will be graphic novels or early chapter books. There are books available in the classrooms that the children can choose to take home to read as extra reading.
Reading is a very important part of their home learning each week and they are asked to read each night. This could be a chapter from a novel, a book given by their teacher, a book from the library, or from a box in their classroom.
We would be grateful if you would listen to your child read the text more than once at home. This helps deepen their understanding of the story. As part of their reading at home you could ask them to talk to you about what they have read, ask some questions about the text, and ask them what they are learning about in class.
Your child will also enjoy and benefit from listening to an adult read to them. By listening to stories read aloud, children learn about book language and can gain ideas about how print works.
Please come and talk with your child’s teacher if you would like to find out more about the reading we do in Year 3 and 4.
Term One Highlights
Class Treaties
During the first few weeks of the term classes worked on preparing treaties outlining the expectations for behaviour and relationships in the class. The classes presented and shared their class treaties with each other at their assembly. The treaties are displayed in the classroom for all to see.
Photos to go here They are on the website. I can show you which photos are which.
Room 12
Room 13
Room 14
Room 15
Room 16
Room 17
Body Systems Inquiry
Last term the Middle School classes learnt many new things about how our body systems work. The learning over the term culminated in presenting information reports in posters, coding, kahoot games, videos, and google slide presentations. You can see the work the students have done on classroom walls, on iPads where they have made presentations, and in their google docs.
Term 2 Focus
Inquiry Focus
This term middle school students will be conducting an inquiry unit investigating change in the different states of matter. We will conduct experiments to inquire into:
- Basic chemical actions and reactions
- How common substances interact when they are mixed
- The science investigation process
- The properties of food materials and their place in our lives
- Causes of change
Over the term each class will be involved in conducting experiments using common kitchen substances and observing the physical and chemical changes that take place.
The Science in a Van presenters will deliver a science show to us in week 6 to support our learning in this inquiry. This is to enhance learning. If you would like your child to attend Science in a Van, there is a $5 cost that can be paid on Kindo.
If you are able to help in any way for this inquiry, please talk to your child’s teacher.
Throughout the term, our maths Strand focus will be measurement and geometry, or map reading and orientation. The students will be continuing to increase number knowledge and strategies. In literacy we will focus on procedural writing, explanations, and narrative writing – telling a story.
STOMP
During the first five weeks of Term 2 teachers from the STOMP dance group will give lessons in the hall for all of the BBPS students. All students will participate in five dance lessons over this time and are taught fun, energetic dance routines. There will be a separate lesson for each year group.
Cross Country
In week 9 of this term all students will take part in the school cross country. We will be practising distance running during class time and each child will be encouraged to continue their running in their own time.
3-Way Conferences
At a later date all students will have a chance to share their learning with their families and whanau through a 3-way conference. There will be further communication about this later in the term. Online bookings will be done closer to the time.
Important dates for this term
- Week 1 – 5 STOMP dance lesson
- Week 3 – Science Week
- Week 6 – Science in a Van
- Week 6, 3 June – Queen’s Birthday (School is closed)
- 31 May – PTA Disco
- Week 6 – Scooter training
- Week 9, 24 June – 3 April – Matariki
- Week 9, 28 June – school cross country
- 5 July – Last day of term. School finishes at 3pm
Thank you.
Middle School Teachers
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