Greetings All,

We are now preparing for Term 2 and everything winter brings.  Our Year 6 students are very excited to be leaving for Lakewood Lodge from the 3rd– 6th May. We are all hoping they experience fine weather and have lots of fun.

 

Term 2 Organisation

It is important that all children are ready for the term with new pencils (or a blue pen if they have their pen licence), red pen and ruler. Some children will need to replenish their supplies. Please could you ask your child if they need any new purchases. Those sitting ICAS Maths/ Science Competition will require a ruler for this.

(All Year 5s will be sitting Science ICAS).

 

Rhythm Interactive

During Week 2 on Tuesday 10th May BBPS is having an interactive drum show in the hall. Children are asked for $4.00 for this quality musical experience to return a permission slip as well. (This can either be on the form which was sent home last term or the form at the bottom of this page.) The show is just next week so we ask all forms are brought back this week.

 

Inquiry

Our next unit will be viewed from a Science and Technology viewpoint.

The central idea will be: Exploration can lead to discovery and can develop new understandings.

 

Our lines of inquiry will be……

 

  • reasons which cause humans to make new inventions/innovations
  • types of inventions/innovations
  • testing and comparison of products/inventions
  • positive and negative effects of new inventions/innovations (enviro/economical change, etc)

 

All inquiry units have key concepts which drive the inquiry. During this unit our key concept will be FUNCTION – How does it work? The understanding that everything has a purpose, a role or a way of behaving  that can be investigated.

We will also be focusing on the values of innovation, curiosity and scientific honesty.

The students will also be developing the key competencies of thinking and using scientific language.

If you are an inventor or scientist who could speak to our students we would love to hear from you. We will be focussing particularly on testing products and identifying which products work the best.

Motat

The Year 5 students will be visiting Motat on the 26th May in order to participate in workshops which teach about inventions and innovations. If you are able to help on this trip please sign the form below. The first parents to sign up with get a free pass :).

 

Science Roadshow

The Science Roadshow ties in nicely with our unit of inquiry.  We will be travelling by bus to the Science Roadshow on two different days. The Year 6s will go to Botany Downs School on Thursday 9th June. They will leave school at 9.00 am and return around 11.30 am. The Year 5s will go to Elim College on Monday June 13 th and will leave school at 12.00 pm and return around 2.30 pm. This Roadshow will be particularly helpful in motivating our students to create their own science inquiries and to test scientific ideas at school and at home. We will require some parent helpers so if you are interested, please fill in the attached form.

 

ICAS Competitions

During the term we will be holding our ICAS competitions. This will be for the children who have already paid. 

The dates for ICAS are… ICAS Digital Technologies Tuesday 17th May, ICAS Science Tuesday 31st May, ICAS English Tuesday 2 August, ICAS Mathematics Tuesday 16 August. Please be mindful of these dates when making appointments as the students must sit the exam at exactly the same time as students from other schools. In order to minimise the disruption to our normal school programme all students sitting ICAS exams need to be at school at 7:30 am on these days.

Please note the ICAS Science time will be different for all Year 5 students. BBPS is tracking this cohort of children to see if it is making a difference in the teaching of Science in our school. They will therefore all sit this exam in school time, not at 7.30 am. The Year 6 and Year 4 students will however sit their science exam at 7.30am.

Science in a Van

The school is excited to have a visiting Science show on the 18th May. This will be part of our NZ Science week celebrations. You can read more about this van at www.scienceinavan.co.nz. The timetable will be as follows and will be taught in the school hall…

9.00-9.20:     FREE Science Stunt for the whole school

9.30-10.15:    Move It! (Years 3 & 4)

11.15-12.00:  What’s the Matter (Years 5 & 6)

1.45-2.30:      Billy Goats Gruff (Years 0-2)

The cost per child is $4.00. We have had this Science duo visit the school last year for the first time and we were very pleased with their show both in entertainment value and in the educational learning content. Please talk to your child at home and ask what they learnt from a science perspective.

 

NZ Science Week

The NZ Primary Science week will be the 16th-20th May. The focus this year is soil.

Soil means life. Without soil we would be hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless and breathless.

Soils are all different. They vary by location and are a range of colours.

Soil is a habitat. A teaspoon of healthy soil is home to more living things than there are people on Earth!

If you have any bright ideas around teaching the school about this topic or know someone who is a soil expert, please let your child’s class teacher know.

 

Senior School Science Rotation

During term two and term three, on alternate Friday afternoons (alternating with school assembly), the senior school will be participating in a learning rotation. The children will be in mixed Y5/Y6 groups and will spend the term working on one aspect of Science with a teacher of the senior school team. The choir group and extension Mandarin group will also meet during this time.

 

E-Learning

The Senior School is committed to embedding the use of iPads into our class programmes. Please keep a regular check on the new school website as your child will be publishing work on this and important notices are also regularly updated here. Look under ‘NEWS” on www.bbps.school.nz to find newsletters.

 

FundRaising Dates

Our fund raising days will be ….  Friday 6th May, a mufti day with a gold coin donation for Westpac helicopters, Sausage Sizzle 24th May and 5th July. Year 6 Bake Sale Wednesday 22nd June.

 

Winter Attire

The winter weather has thankfully not yet set in, however when it does, please can you ensure your child has suitable clothing and shoes for the elements. On cooler days the students will need their fleecies and raincoats in their bags. Please can you ensure these are named as then they can be easily returned if they are misplaced. It is particularly important that children have warm clothing for school trips. We have had occasions in the past where children have arrived unprepared and damp, we therefore ask that you support your child in preparing for the day.

 

Physical Education

During the beginning of this term we will also be selecting students to represent our school in the gymnastic competition in Term 3. The students who are trialing will require flexible shorts e.g. bike pants and a sports shirt. Students can purchase our new snazzy sports uniform from John Russell Menswear in Howick and we hope that  children representing the school can look smart in the new uniform.. Children will require their PE clothing for their weekly Thursday session with Mrs Trotter and on Wednesday afternoons for the Senior School Sport Rotation.

 

Sporting Dates

Children who are selected for a winter sport will have their field days on the following days…..

Soccer Field Day   17th May             Saving day 19th May

Hockey                 30th May               Saving day   4th June

Netball                    14th June

 

Interschool netball competition begins Week 2, Term 2.  We have one team that competes against other schools, with a developing team that will train with them.  We will also be organising games against other schools for the developing team throughout the season.  

 

Three Way Conferences

All Year 5 and Year 6 children will receive a written progress report on the 1st July. Three Way Conferences for students and parents will be held on the 5th/ 6 th/7th July. Bookings online will be available closer to the time.

 

Maths

Our topics for this term will be Fractions and Decimals, Geometry-Angles, Addition/Subtraction -when these strategies are fully understood the students move into multiplication/division strategies, Geometry 2D/3D shapes – creating and drawing nets.

 

Mathletics

Mathletics and learning of the Basic Facts will continue to be our key Maths homework for this term. Please can you ensure your child has regular sessions on Mathletics during the week. This programme is designed to meet your child’s individual learning level and a report is given each week.

 

Reading

Every class has a specific library book changing time during the week. Please can you ensure your child has their library book bag and their issued books at school on the correct day. New library book bags can be purchased from the School office for $6. Senior School students should be reading regularly as a leisure activity at home. We highly recommend the online reading site “EPIC” if your child is not using this already.

 

Mandarin

The senior team is very fortunate to be having the opportunity to learn Mandarin from Ms Chen, a Mandarin Language Assistant (MLA) from the Confucius Institute and/or Mrs Siming Hu ( A Mandarin teacher from Macleans College). Each class will be given half an hour a week in the afternoons. We encourage you to ask your child to count in Mandarin and teach you some basic Mandarin.

 

Queen’s Birthday

Please remember that 6th June is a public holiday.

 

Knowledge-a-thon/Spellathon

In Term 2 our school will be running a Science Knowledge-a-thon.  Each team will have a set of questions which the children will learn the answers to. More details re the questions and sponsorship forms will come out during Term 2.  

The Year 5 / 6 students will also be looking at competing in a spellathon which will involve learning to spell 30-50 words over 4 weeks. This will not involve money for sponsorship.

We are all looking forward to another busy and productive term in the Senior School.

Regards

The Senior Team

 

Year 5

Mrs Chilvers Room 2,  Mrs Wilshire Room 3,  Ms Redpath Room 4 (Team Leader)

 

Year 6

Mrs Riach Room 1,  Mrs Griffin Room 19,  Ms Corderoy Room 18

 

Term 2 2016 Senior School Permission Form

Dear Parents,

The Senior School will be incurring these costs for the Term 2 programme.

 

Year 6

Science Roadshow    (at Botany Downs School)

$11.50 (show + bus)

Science Van   (at school)

$4.00 per child

Rhythm Interactive   (at school)

$4.00 per child

Total Year 6 for Term 2 activities

$19.50 per Year 6 child

 

Year 5

Science Roadshow    (at Elim College)

$11.50 (show + bus)

Science Van   (at school)

$4.00 per child

Rhythm Interactive   (at school)

$4.00 per child

Motat Trip (Year 5 only)

$16.00 per child (entry + bus)

Total Year 5 for Term 2 activities

$35.50 per Year 5 child

 

  • Please remember all payments can now be made online under “Parent Shop” on the school website www.bbps.school.nz. Payment is considered as full permission for your child to participate.
  • However, we are seeking parent helpers for both the Science Roadshow (Years 5 and 6), and the Motat trip (Year 5 only), and ask that this signed form is also sent to school in this instance as this will make it easier for the class teacher to identify parent helper numbers.

 

Please fill out the applicable sections below and return this page to school

 

I give permission for my Year 5 child  to travel by bus to and from MOTAT

YES / NO

I would be willing to be a Year 5 parent helper at MOTAT on the 26th May

YES / NO

I give permission for my Year 5 child  to travel by bus to and from the Science Roadshow at Elim College  

 YES / NO

I would be willing to be a parent helper at the Year 5 Science Roadshow at Elim College on 13th June

YES / NO

I give permission for my Year 6 child to travel by bus to and from the Science Roadshow at Botany Downs School.  

YES / NO
   

I would be willing to be a parent helper at the Year 6 Science Roadshow at Botany Primary School on 9th June

YES / NO

I give permission for my child to participate in the Science Van activities on the 18th May.

YES / NO

I give permission for my child to attend Rhythm Interactive in the school hall    

YES / NO

 

 

I have enclosed $ __________________ to cover the costs of the above activities.

 

OR I have paid $ ____________________________ online                                                         YES / NO       

 

                                                                                       

 

Signed _______________________________  Name ______________________________        

 

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