Te Rapa Primary

Te Rapa Primary School
                                



Room 14 - 2021

Term 1

Kia ora and welcome back to our existing Te Rapa families and those joining us in the 2021 school year. We hope that you have all had a wonderful time with your family and friends over the Christmas holidays and have enjoyed the summer sun as there has been plenty this summer! This term is already turning out to be action packed with loads of opportunities for learning and reflecting…and of course, CAMP.   

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:
  1. 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. 
  2. Plan time on a task carefully so that it can be finished on time.
  3. Look after all personal learning resources. If I misplace something, it is my own learning that suffers. 
  4. Is 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. 
  5. Knows the best way to learn is to ask questions of others when unsure. 
  6. Works quickly and quietly on set tasks to maximise learning but is also conscious of the learning needs of others. 
  7. Set realistic goals and work hard to achieve them as it is clear that education plays a very important part in my future.

Learning Experiences in Term 1 

Written Language – Recount and Instructional Writing, consolidating basic skills to improve writing 

Reading – Guided Silent Reading and questioning and Shared Reading 

Maths – Maths knowledge (basic facts, place value, fractions), PRIME Mathematics Programme 

Inquiry/Big Idea –  Becoming a powerful learner - How can I be a learner and a teacher? We can learn how to learn 

Maori – Pepeha, Kapahaka, Numbers

Arts – Identity Art and visual art related to camp 

Health & PE – Swimming and Fitness Circuits 

H.E.A.R.T.– Learning Logs – Reflection on learning 

Assessment – Running Records, Journal Reading Assessment, Writing Samples, PAT’s, Basic Facts, IKAN

Orientation Evening: Thursday 18th February    

Yr 5/6 Papamoa Camp: Tuesday 2nd -Friday 5th March     

Class Photos: Wednesday 10th March 

Year 5/6 Swimming Sports: Friday 19th March         

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences: Wednesday 14th April and Thursday 15th April

Camp

We are in the final planning stages of our Week 4 (2nd-5th March) Camp to Papamoa. Another gear list will come home with this newsletter so please ensure your child is beginning to prepare the necessary gear for their time away. Also ensure the parent contribution of $150 is paid to the school office by Monday, 16th  February. 

This year, in the Year 5/6 Syndicate, we will have ‘Home Learning Activities’ which will be done over a fortnight and will begin in Week 2. 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.

Year 5 & 6 Team - Teachers 

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 Abby Ritete - aritete@terapa.school.nz 

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