Friday, August 5, 2011

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Monday, August 1, 2011

Term 3 Newsletter


Dear Parents, Caregivers and Learners in Room 2.

Welcome back. I hope you have had a restful break and had lots of fun in the snow.
This term we have an exciting programme ahead. This includes:
  • Pubertal Change Inquiry Unit. This unit will include the physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty, positive strategies on how to deal with these and cybersafety. 
  • AVAILL Reading Programme. This is a multimedia reading programme which is highly engaging and very successful in terms of achievement.In mathematics we will be revisiting the number strands and mathematics and moving into measurement later in the term.
  • For writing we are moving into writing narratives.
  • Year 8s have a big term of fundraising and preparation for the Wellington Trip in Term 4
  • The Friday Winter Sport programme will be continuing
  • Winter Sports Tournaments
  • Cantamaths Problem Solving Team will be competing
  • The CARE value we will be focussing on for this term will be RESPECT. This will include looking at how do we show respect for ourselves, others, and our communities.

The CARE value we will be focussing on for this term will be RESPECT. This will include looking at how do we show respect for ourselves, others, and our communities.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Puberty and sexuality unit

Dear Parents and Caregivers.

This term has been a very exciting one for the Supernovas. Some of the highlights have been:
Our inquiry unit. The growth in scientific understanding about the cause of earthquakes and building design has been fantastic. In addition the children's research skills have come along way. Check out your child's e-portfolio for examples of their learning.
Some excellent academic achievement especially in reading and maths.
Children taking charge of their learning and deciding to make a difference in this world. We have had children raising money for charity, children working with a publisher to get student's writing about the earthquake published and students collecting cans to give to the Red Cross.

On Monday we planned a very exciting Health unit around puberty and sexuality. The deep understandings we will be teaching will be :
Everyone experiences puberty at different times and in different ways.
Our thoughts and actions have an impact on others. This deep understanding is part of the Respect Value of our CARE programme.

As part of this topic we will be covering:
How the body changes - wet dreams, periods, etc
How feelings and relationships change.
How to meet these challenges positively.
Reproduction (year 8 only)
Cybersafety and how other media influences young people.

If you have any questions about this unit then please contact your child's classroom teacher.

Stay safe, have fun and have an excellent holiday.












School Newsletter

Here it is



Thursday, July 7, 2011

Inquiry - Where are we at?

The end of the term is fast approaching and we are trying to finish our inquiry. We have been looking at redesigning the Christchurch CBD. This has included learning about:

  • the effects of earthquakes
  • the causes of earthquakes
We have been currently learning to analyse what makes a building earthquake proof. This has involved students researching about earthquake proof buildings, which materials are best? which designs? Then the student had to take this knowledge and apply it by designing a building, justify why they think it is earthquake proof, construct the building out of popsicle sticks and glue.

Once the building had been constructed they put it on our earthquake simulator. See examples below:
http://youtu.be/EIy_m4TH_Ks
http://youtu.be/VpdnaBjTXVM


School Newsletter

Here it is