Y7&8 Syndicate Newsletter
Term 4 2024
Welcome back to Term 4. We hope you have enjoyed a well earned break and some time together as a family. We have a very busy term ahead of us with the first major event being our syndicate camp at Motutapu Island during Week 2!
Outlined below are important reminders, major learning focuses for the term and key dates for syndicate events.
Important Reminders
Motutapu Camp dates: Monday 21st October - Friday 25th October.
Please ensure your child has a spare pair of clothes for athletics training at school each day.
Year 7 students need to be at school by 8:30 each Thursday, ready to leave on the bus for technicraft. Year 8 students depart school at 11:45 for their afternoon session at St Andrews Middle School/ Te Ao Tamatea
Focuses for Term 4
Mathematics - Each class will cover the following Strand: Geometry, with continued focus as well as revision of Algebra and Number. Homework will differ from class to class; in order to focus on the needs of its students.
Writing - Students will be working on Narrative and Recount writing skills, developing paragraphs and using detailed descriptions. We will also look at some viewing/understanding/creating for Poetry Writing.
Spelling and Grammar -We will continue to develop knowledge of spelling patterns, word origins, sentence structures and vocabulary development. We will also be focusing on proofreading & editing skills.
Reading - Our focus for Guided Reading is Inference and Evaluation and later in the term we will combine our reading and writing through discussing and discovering common themes, sophisticated plots with hidden messages and meanings, and comprehending unfamiliar texts. .
Inquiry - Through the Social Sciences curriculum area, our inquiry topic is Aotearoa NZ Histories - ‘First Encounters’
Big Idea: Relationships and connections between people and across boundaries have shaped the course of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories
Compelling Question: How did the first new explorers and settlers interact with Māori?
Physical Education - We will be preparing for Athletics Day which is Wednesday, Week 5 at Porritt Stadium (More information will be shared about this soon).
We will focus on techniques for shot put, sprints, discus, long jump and high jump. Towards the end of the term we will be starting our summer swimming programme, focusing on survival skills.
Art - With the Te Rapa Primary School Art competitions to enter, students are invited to enter their best pieces from over the year or can complete a new piece either at school or at home.
Key Dates for Term 4
Week 1
Monday 14th October - Term 4 begins
Preparation for Senior Camp
Japanese visitors arrive
Week 2
Senior Camp - Motutapu Island
Week 3
Monday 28th October: Labour Day
Japanese Visitors Depart
Dabble Day
Arts Performance: Revel Band
Week 4
Year 8 Leavers’ Photo
Ultimate Frisbee
Looking to Lead (Student Councillors 9am - 12:40pm)
Teacher Only Day (Friday)
Week 5
Wednesday Yr 7/8 Senior Athletics Day (Porritt Stadium)
Friday : Full school Assembly
Week 6
Book Day
Swimming Instruction may start this week (weather dependent)
Week 7
Friday 29th November :WFPS Athletics Day
Week 8
Looking to Lead (Student Councillors 9am - 12:40pm)
Ultimate Frisbee
Week 9
Monday 9th December - : Big Day In
Friday: Full School Assembly
Week 10
Monday 16th December -: Year 8 Leavers’ Dinner
Wednesday 18th December - : School Prize Giving
Friday 20th December - : School finishes @ 12pm
If you have any queries or concerns please contact classroom teachers through email, dropping into school or for longer discussions through appointments.
Remember to check out our class pages on the school website: www.terapa.school.nz
Kind Regards,
Y7/8 Syndicate Teachers