Dana & Katherine.
January 2014
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Welcome to Room 19
Our names are Dana Turner and Katherine
Watson and we are pleased to be your child’s classroom teachers this year. We
are very much looking forward to getting to know you and your child more and to
have an exciting and productive year ahead.
Dana Turner: Has a Bachelor of Education
from the University of Auckland. My strengths lie in Literacy, Art, Physical Education and Numeracy.
Katherine Watson: Has a Bachelor of
Education from the University of Auckland. My strengths are in Numeracy,
Writing and Dance.
Term One is an exciting term and we are
looking forward to getting to know your child and settle them into their schooling
career. The first year at school is such an important one and we will work
alongside you to assist in easing the transition from pre-school settings to
full-time Education. This year Room 19
will be your child’s second home , and we endeavour for it to be a “home” where
it is a fun learning environment where each child is valued and respected and
most importantly each child is excited to arrive and see what the day will
entail.
Routines and timetables
The beginning of the year is focused around
settling the children into new routines, new environment, meeting new friends
and feeling happy in the classroom and at school.
We suggest you to arrive with your child in
the morning no earlier than 8.30am as this gives us a chance to prepare
everything we need for the day. We encourage the children to greet us when they
arrive in the mornings. It lets us know who is in the classroom and is a
positive start to the day. Please also encourage your child to hang their
school bag on the hook with their name on it. They can put their named drink
bottle in the water bottle box, and their hats and book bags in their cubby box
inside the classroom. All reading books, read the night before please put them
into the reader return box on the mat, book-bags into their reading group box.
After they have completed their morning routines they are encouraged to find
either a quiet activity to play, or alternatively have a run around outside
until the bell goes at 8.55am. If you arrive at school after 8.55am please
inform the office that your child has arrived.
Morning Tea is from 10am until 10.30am and
lunch is from 11.50am until 1pm with a shorter afternoon break from 1.45pm
until 2pm.
Lunch
Please let me know if your child has
ordered their lunch through the school lunch order system so that I can ensure
they collect it. Please do not send to much lunch for your child as staff do
check what they have eaten and encourage students to eat all their lunch. We
also encourage a healthy lunch that has a variety of sweet and savoury items,
with fruit and plenty of water. It is appreciated if the wrappers are able to
be opened by the children. A reminder that children are encouraged to take home
their lunch rubbish, when possible.
This allows you to monitor what has been
eaten during the day and to reduce the rubbish at school.
The school day ends at 3pm. The children
remain in the classroom and will only be released when the teacher has made eye
contact with the parent or guardian. Please let me know if an older sibling or
anyone different from the usual arrangements is to collect your child. All
children not collected by 3.10pm will be taken to the office and we will try to
contact you. If you know that you will be late please phone the office and they
will relay the message to me. I can then relieve the anxiety for your child as
they do worry if they are left alone and do not know what is happening.
Library
Our class library slot is every Tuesday
from 1pm until 1.45pm. During this time children are allowed to select one book
and have this issued in their name for a period of 1 week.
Assembly
Syndicate assembly is held every even week on a Friday
in the hall. During the year, Room 19 will be hosting a joint assembly. I will
let you know about this closer to the time is you wish to attend.
Parent Help
We really appreciate and encourage parent
help, especially in the areas of literacy and numeracy. We have placed a parent
help information sheet sign up on the parent notice board. This will fill you
in on what we need help getting done in the classroom. If you ever have any
spare time and feel like popping in to help out, you are more than welcome.
Behaviour
Please refer to the Arahoe School
Expectations of Behaviour, which outlines the policy throughout the school to
maintain consistent expectations and procedures. We run a behaviour management
system called “ Monster Manners ”. Each child is a Magnificent Monster and we
refer to our monster manners display in the classroom. When the children make
positive “ above the line” behaviour they receive a magic pebble to put into
their tables pebble jar. When each table has 30 magic pebbles they get an extra
privilege such as bringing a toy to school, sitting on a special pillow, a
treat from the mystery box. Alternatively if the children make silly choices
magic pebbles will be taken away from their tables jar and if silly behaviour
continues they have to spend five minutes on the thinking spot. This is a place
where children can still see the mat area, however they are removed from the
other children and encouraged to think about he decisions they made, and what
they will do differently next time. If silly choices are made again, the
children will be removed from Room 19 and will spend time in Room 20’s thinking
spot. I will let you know if this happens.
Sick Children
If you know your child is unwell we would
really appreciate you keeping them home so that they can get well quickly.
Remember to phone the office to leave a message informing us they are sick. We realise
this can be difficult at times due to work commitments, however having a unwell
child in the classroom comprises the health of not only your child, but other
children and the teacher as well. If your child is clearly unwell at school I
will send them to the sick bay and the office staff will contact you to collect
them.
Home Learning
Children will take home the book they have
read with us during their guided reading session. Please record the name of
this book in their reading notebooks each night. We would appreciate your
support in encouraging the children to keep their reading logs and reading
books inside their book bags. This helps to keep them nice for the next reader.
A brief description of how best to read with your child can be found on the
class blog under Reading.
Cyber Safety
All parents and students are required to
sign an Internet Safety agreement concerning the operation and use of the
internet and ICT equipment in the school. This agreement will be reviewed by
the students at the beginning of the year.
Communication
We work on an open door policy and believe
that strong links between home and school create a successful learning
environment. If you have any questions or concerns please email us at danat@arahoe.school.nz
or katherinew@arahoe.school.nz
or alternatively come and speak to us.
The mornings are a very busy time, however after 3.15pm will suit for a
catch-up most days, when we are not involved with staff meetings. Alternatively
an appointment can be made for a more convenient time. Please let us know if
there are any changes in routines at home.
It is really amazing how small changes can reflect in learning
behaviours. Likewise, if I have any concerns I will contact you to make a time
to chat.
Little Extras
Please remind your child to put his or her
hat in their book bag before school each day as these are compulsory during
term one and four. If your child does not bring their hat they are required to
sit on in the shade during morning tea and lunchtime.
The children are settling into the expectations
and routines of school very well and I am looking forward to a great year
together.
Yours sincerely
Dana Turner & Katherine Watson
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