Year 5 & 6 Syndicate

Term 4     2021

Welcome to Term 4 in the Year 5&6 Syndicate. We hope that you have all had a good break, are well rested and ready for an exciting term ahead.   

Year 5 & 6 Team -Teachers   

                    Team Leader  - Mrs Abby Ritete  - aritete@terapa.school.nz 

Room 12 – Miss Georgia Gilmore - ggilmore@terapa.school.nz 

                       Room 13 – Ms Penny Jackson - pjackson@terapa.school.nz

                         Room 14 – Mr Shaun Wright - swright@terapa.school.nz    

Room 15 – Mrs Tammy O’Hallahan - tohallahan@terapa.school.nz

Room 16 – Mr Mike McCurry - mmccurry@terapa.school.nz 

Becoming an Independent Learner

A major goal for the students in the Year 5 and 6 Syndicate is to work towards becoming an ‘Independent Learner.’ This encourages them to take charge of being ready to learn and also helps them to monitor their own learning.  This learning will help to ensure that they will be prepared for future years of learning. 

Criteria for being an Independent Learner: 

An Independent Learner would do these things: 

Ask these questions frequently, ‘Do I know what I am supposed to be doing?’  ‘Am I doing it?’  An independent learner would answer ‘Yes’ to both questions. 

Plan time on a task carefully so that it can be finished on time. 

Look after all personal learning resources. If I misplace something, it is my own learning that suffers. 

Be ready to start at the beginning of the day, with a clear and organised desk as well as a clear and organised frame of mind. 

Know the best way to learn is to ask questions of others when unsure.  

Work quickly and quietly on set tasks to maximise learning but is also conscious of the learning needs of others.  

Set realistic goals and work hard to achieve them as it is clear that education plays a very important part in my future.

Team Behaviour Process 

We have many ways in which we encourage positive behaviour, with house points, classdojo points, Incentive coupons and certificates.  Sometimes this isn’t enough and a different consequence is needed. The following  is the procedure we will follow as a team for unacceptable behaviour. This rarely applies to most students but it is important to recognise that this is the procedure we will follow.    

 Minor Issues   

 First  Occurrence      Reminder                               

Second Occurrence   Name on board 

Third Occurrence       1 beside name 

 Fourth Occurrence    2  beside name 

Fifth Occurrence         3 beside name and sent to Team Leader

Home Learning

We will continue ‘Home Learning Activities’ which will be done over a 2 week period and will begin as soon as we start back. This will consist of activities which are the priority activities to be completed. The other activities on the list will be optional. This will consist of activities which are the priority activities to be completed. The other activities on the list will be optional. Within these activities will be Reading at home. Your child is encouraged to read regularly at home, record this on the Home Learning Activities Sheet and have it signed by a parent or caregiver after each time.

Reading regularly is about encouraging reading mileage and helping your child to develop vocabulary and comprehension knowledge. Reading a variety of materials such as newspapers, comics, magazines, novels and recipes helps to develop a broader understanding of texts. Part of the activities will be having your child read aloud to someone to practise this skill. It is important that this is encouraged to support their learning at school.  Reading aloud can be included as a part of reading activities.

Learning Basic Facts will also be an important part of the activities. The number of times per fortnight your child practises these will depend on their ability to recall basic facts in all four operations with speed and accuracy. Some suggestions of ways to learn these are: Using dice or counters Apps that can be downloaded onto your child’s device Flashcards (can be purchased from $2 shops or printed off the internet) Time tables poster Rock/Paper/Scissors activity Practising with an adult, saying the answer or question out loud.

 Along with these two focus areas there will be other optional activities on the Home Learning Sheet. In some fortnights there will be a little competition within the activities for an optional task.  Those children who complete the required tasks, with signatures and evidence if required at the end of each fortnight will be rewarded.

Up and Coming Events for Term 4 

For more detailed information, please see your child's room page.