19 May 2017

Tekau mā iwa ō Haratua 2017                

Year 6 Team Newsletter

Term 2 - 2017

Kia Ora Parents/Caregivers

Welcome back for another busy term at Elm Park  for the Year 6 team.  We have an exciting term planned with the launch of a number of units of learning.

Inquiry

This term we will be launching our inquiry into the school-wide theme of Celebrations.  This topic is in support of our school’s 50th Jubilee this year.  We will be looking at reasons why we celebrate and asking some critical questions - what would happen if we didn’t celebrate or commemorate events?  We think that this will be an incredibly relevant unit for our students and look forward to seeing what insights they come up with.

Activity Payments

As you can imagine it takes a lot of money to run a school, and even more to provide the types of experiences we provide here at Elm Park.  The activity payment is $100 per year.  This contributes towards costs such as:

• Google Drive and Teacher Dashboard
• Mathletics
• Reading Eggs
• Sunshine Online
• School Trips
• School Visitors and Events
• Aquatics
• Classroom Resources
• Whole School inquiry activities about ‘Celebrations’ connected to our 50th Jubilee

Later this term and next  there will be schoolwide activities and it is essential that your child’s activity payment is up-to-date.  We would be very appreciative if could you please make a full or partial payment as soon as possible so that your child is able to participate fully in all activities.  

Homework

In Year 6, we have reduced homework to the basics, as we understand that families have commitments outside of school time.  The expectations are as follows:

• At least 20 minutes reading per day
• Mathletics - aim to achieve a bronze certificate (should take approximately 30 minutes over the week)
• Reading Eggs - completing tasks as set by the teacher
• Basic Facts - focus on quick recall for all addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts

These skills form the foundation of success in the senior school. Please support your student by ensuring that they are meeting these minimum expectations.  If access to computers is a concern, students may use computers before school in their classrooms - please ask their teachers.  

Uniform

We ask for your support to help our students show pride in their Elm Park School uniform.  If your child is unable to wear the correct uniform, please send along a note to your child’s class teacher and they will be issued a uniform pass until the issue can be rectified.

The most common issues are as follows:

• Shoes - should be all black (no other colours visible)
• Socks - for boys Elm Park School socks, for girls short white ankle socks or navy stockings
• Earrings - small plain studs in either silver or gold (no other colours or styles please)

Student Wellbeing

Our teachers have noticed that a number of our students are coming to school very tired and as a result are unable to focus on the learning in the classroom.  It is recommended that children at this age get 9-11 hours of sleep each night.  We encourage you to talk with your child about building healthy habits for learning.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 2

Week 5                Tue 30 May                Science ICAS

                Fri 2 June                Fundraising Chocolates to be sent home

Week 6                Mon 5 Jun                Queen’s Birthday Holiday

Week 7                Tue 13 Jun                School Photos

Week 9                Fri 29 Jul                Y4-6 Principal’s Awards Assembly

Week 10        Tue 4 Jul                Trip to Museum for Matariki Workshop

                Fri 7 Jul                        Term 2 ends (3.00pm)

Please support your child and Elm Park School the best you can, by encouraging your child to attend and participate in school events.

Lines of Communication

We are keen to establish strong home-school relationships with our families.  If you have any concerns or queries about any issue, please make an appointment to speak to your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance as soon as possible. If you feel the issue still needs discussion please make an appointment to discuss your concerns with the Team Leader (Anna Graham). Further discussion, if required, proceeds to the Head of the Yr 5-6 Team, Dave Borcher and if necessary, the Principal, Mrs Plowright. Confidentiality, and correct lines of communication are of the utmost importance to us and we value your co-operation in using this communication channel.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s learning, we recommend first making an appointment to meet with your child’s class teacher as soon as possible.  Should you wish to discuss things further, appointments are available with our Deputy Principal, Dave Borcher.

We look forward to a great term and meeting all parents and caregivers over the next few weeks.

Nga Mihi Koutou

Kathy Pittaway, Paul Park and Anna Graham (Year 6 Team Leader)