Sunday, July 22, 2012

Term 3 Newsletter


Dear Parents and Caregivers, 

 I hope you all had a relaxing break. It sounds like the children all had a great time with friends and family.
It was fantastic meeting with all of you at the end of last term to share the progress the students are making. It’s always good to touch base and celebrate the successes they have made. All the teachers were thoroughly blown away with the outstanding effort put into the science fair projects last term. It certainly was a massive process and we were very proud of many of the students. It was excellent to see some sound work ethic developing and students continuing to strive to reach their potential. Thanks again for all your support with this process; we realize it wasn’t an easy task for you at home either! We have several students representing our school at the NIWA Science Fair next month so we will keep you posted on their achievements.
We are now full swing into Term 3 and as usual, it’s set to be a busy one. Below is a run down on what your child will be focusing on.  
Literacy.
 Our major writing focus for the term is studying the classic play by William Shakespeare – Romeo & Juliet. We will use this play to teach the components of narrative writing plus thinking deeply about the themes of the play and how they relate to modern day life. We will be viewing scenes from the old and new versions of the movie and making comparisons. The students will also have the opportunity to re-write scenes from the play in another genre or time.

 Inquiry.

 Our major focus this term is of course ‘The Olympics’. We will start by studying the similarities and differences with the ancient and modern games. From week 3 the Senior School will be preparing to co-ordinate a school wide ‘Muritai Mini Olympics’. During this process the students will need to work in groups to develop a fun, challenging yet achievable event for the mini Olympics. They will be required to work through a design and testing process to make the event run smoothly. In week 6 we will be hosting the Mini Olympics for all the students and teachers at the school – no pressure!!
Towards the end of the term the students will be carrying out an individual inquiry based on the Olympic values and how they have brought about change in the modern games.
School Production
Of course Term 3 is always the ‘production’ term. This year we will preform a show based around the picture book ‘Uno’s Garden’ by Graeme Base. As usual the Year 7 and 8 students will have the opportunity to take a major involvement in the show from acting to prop design, lighting and backstage work. There will be more information coming home regarding the school production throughout the term.

Mathematics.

We are continuing with cross grouping this term. We start the term with a Number unit; focusing on fractions, decimals and percentages. Later in the term we will be focusing on Geometry and Measurement with an emphasis on area and angles. 
 The 'Mathletics' programme is proving a success throughout the school. Each child now has their login details and their maths teacher is regularly assigning them tasks to complete each week. The tasks that are set by the teachers relate to work that is happening in the classroom so it provides you with a useful platform for seeing what your child is focusing on in the class.
Digital Literacy
Throughout the rest of this year we will be dedicating 1 or 2 sessions a week on digital literacy. In these sessions we will be focusing on a range of themes including online citizenship and safety, cyber bullying, online privacy, information literacy and media awareness. I’m sure you’ll agree, these themes are highly relevant to our students. There will be many opportunities to discuss these themes at home.
The Arts.
This term we have a painting focus and will be looking closely at the works of Lichtenstein for motivation. This unit will have strong links with our Romeo and Juliet unit.
Physical Education.
The start of the term is focusing on Gymnastics. Our hall time for gymnastics is on Mondays so please remind your child to wear appropriate clothing on these days. Later in the term we will be focusing on games involving large balls. Our sport rotation programme will continue on Wednesday afternoons.

Other things to note...

Homework: 
 Now that our Science Fair is complete we will be going back to a more structured programme for homework. This will usually include, spelling, grammar (proofreading), reading, mathletics and a small inquiry task. Please remind your child they should be reading for at least 15-20 minutes a night and they will have at least 2-3 mathletics tasks to complete each week.
Abel Tasman:
The planning for this end of year adventure is well under way. All Year 8 students received their first newsletter last week which asks for expression of interest from parents who wish to assist for the week. Thanks to all that have replied so far. If you are able to assist with this trip please let me know by Friday 10th August.  I will then get you to complete a form which will give me an indication of your outdoor experience etc and how you may be able to support the activities. There will be further notices throughout the term giving you more information regarding the trip.

Wet Weather:
While we are still stuck in the winter months, many of us start to get a bit hairy being stuck indoors all day! Wet lunchtimes can often be difficult so we welcome students bringing to school indoor games, such as board games or cards.
Finally if you have any concerns or questions regarding our classroom programme or your child's learning, please don't hesitate to make contact with us. Feel free to pop in before or after school or the easiest way to touch base with us is email:

Melissa: coton@muritai.school.nz

Lisa: allen@muritai.school.nz
Stu: devenport@muritai.school.nz

Thank you again for your support,

Stu Devenport
Associate Principal