Week 9 Update

It's all about the Jubilee this week as we have 4 days until kick off. Students this week will be involved in planning, organising and show-casing some of the learning that goes on in the class and some of the opportunities that weren't around 25 years ago. We will be showing our chicken journey and things like Toko TV, the drone, the 3D printer, the robot and the science trolley. During the Jubilee, those children that are helping, will be explaining and demonstrating how these things work.

Thank you to those parents and grandparents that commented on their child's learning on their blogs. It really helps the children lift the level of work output when they know that others will see and comment on it.

Reminders

* If your child is participating in the Weet-bix Triathlon on Wednesday please make sure the office is aware that they will be absent from school.

* Run, Jump, Throw skills session on Wednesday

* Those going to the EPro8 Challenge will have notices sent home today that need to be returned asap.

* School is closed next Tuesday after Easter.

Check Out Your Child's Blog

We have finally found time to get some of the awesome learning we have been doing, up on our blogs. Students should have posts and videos about their Waitangi Day learning,  a presentation about Averages - Mean, Mode and Median, a piece of art related to our book Refugee, and a metaphorical poem about themselves. Despite all the short weeks and interruptions they have been working really hard and I am proud of them all. It would be great if you could find time to comment on some of the learning your child shares on their blog. 

Refugee art - dictator facts 

Matthew's Metaphor Poem 

Metaphor Poetry

We have been learning about literal and figurative language in class recently. Students have looked at different types of figurative language and have discussed when and how they might be used.
Then we focused on metaphors in more detail. We have written a poem about us as a class, using metaphors to describe us.
Students are now writing their individual metaphor poem - so look out for that on their blogs.

Room 6 is a Toyota Hilux racing through tough terrain,
flicking mud at other cars with all 31 kids in the cab and
Mrs Hancock driving.

Room 6 is a pine tree with each branch representing
a person climbing through the challenges.

Room 6 is the local pub bringing everyone together
and SHOUTING free drinks.

Room 6 is a lamb and beef sandwich with Watties
tomato sauce, NO 50% less sugar and sausage and
bread to top it off, NO cheese.

Room 6 is a Hunting and Fishing singlet and
shorts with red band gumboots and an ammo belt to TIE
us all together.

Week 8

Wow would you believe we actually have a full week of school this week! It's been such a mucky term, that it will be a novelty to have a uninterrupted week of learning!

Last week during math we began a unit on Averages - mean, mode and median. This week I will introduce 'range' as the last of the 4 types of averages. Students will be demonstrating their learning by completing a short presentation and sharing it on their blogs.

Last week we also finally finished our Waitangi presentations. These will be uploaded to blogs this week as well. The presentations weren't as high a quality as I would have liked but the learning the children gained about the Treaty and Waitangi is evident, so that is the main thing.

I was really proud of all the Year 7 and 8 students on Friday during our school triathlon. They all completed their own triathlon and then went and helped the Year 1 and 2 students to complete theirs. They were true Toko Learning Stars with their participation, their attitudes and their willingness to help.  So well done to everyone!

    

This week we get further into our poetry unit and start putting those figurative language features that we learned about last week, into practice. We finish off averages in math and start working through what our class will present on the Jubilee open evening in our class.

Have a great week.

Week 7 Update

Hopefully everyone had a nice long weekend and enjoyed Taranaki Anniversary. This week is of course another short week - seems to be the theme this term!

In math we will be learning about averages - mean, median and mode. We will be doing this through our chickens. We will be weighing them and then using the weights to work out the different types of averages. A way to help at home would be to ask your child to explain the three types of averages, that will help check their understanding and make it clearer in their minds. There is a video that has been shared to all the students that explains averages. 

In writing we are beginning a figurative language unit based around the poetry of Iain Sharp. We will be unpacking and learning about the different types of figurative language and then writing poems about ourselves based on them. 

Both the figurative poems and an explanation of averages should be up on student blogs by the end of the week, or early next week. 

Reminders

* Turnbull Cup - Wednesday night for those involved 

*  Run, Jump, Throw - Wednesday 

*  Basketball Trials - lunchtime Wednesday and Thursday 

* Triathlon - Friday 16th 

* Union Meeting for teachers is on Wednesday afternoon - parents are asked to pick up children at 1.30pm. If you are not able to pick up your child earlier there will be some staff here to look after them. 

Week 6 Update

It's a short week in the class this week, with Swimming Sports on Monday and Teacher Only Day on Friday.  But during the 3 middle days we will be investigating how our Maths Hub works in greater detail and learning more about how our learning game - Prodigy - works. In reading we continue to get deeper into our class book, Refugee, and in writing we begin a short study on one of the three dictators that impact on the story. We are also still reading a chapter a day of Make Your Bed, which we continue to link to our Learning Stars and our class treaty.
Our Waitangi drama's are coming along and should be shared next week. The prop making was taking over from the script writing, so we have put prop making on the back burner until groups actually have characters and a script!
Our chickens continue to be popular, in fact the class think we should have several 'snuggle time' sessions timetabled into the day. We are still waiting for our leg bands to arrive so the real learning can begin.

Reminders 

Swimming sports is on Monday for all Year 4-8 students. Toko tops, black shorts need to be worn and  togs, towels, water and food need to be packed.
Town pool boat safety on Wednesday again. We are back at school by 1pm, so students that want hot lunch can still have one.
Friday is Teacher Only Day and the following Monday is Taranaki Anniversary.