Maths, Literacy, Structured Literacy, Guided Reading , Integrated Learning, E-Learning, Physical Education, Garden to Table, The Arts, Visual Art, Extra Curricular...

Maths / Pāngarau: We will continue to participate in Maths Professional Development in 2023. This term we will be focusing on Number Knowledge, Number Strategies and Collaborative Problem Solving. We will have a focus on multiplication, division and fractions. Support your child at home by talking about their next steps in learning and find activities to do together to help support this learning. “Listening to a student talk about their mathematics is just as important as listening to a student read in literacy.”

Literacy / Te reo matatini: Our students will work on a range of writing purposes. Writing is widely taught across the curriculum. The students will be writing to inform, explain, describe, persuade and entertain at different times throughout the Term. It is very important that the students develop a love of writing so always encourage them to notice what is happening in the world around them. Expose your child to other authors writing by reading a range of literature to, with and by them.

Structured Literacy / Te Reo Matatini kua Hangaia: We will be continuing with structured literacy and guided reading this term. The Junior team will use a structured literacy approach to provide a solid foundation for students just starting school, as well as to fill foundational gaps that students have missed out on due to long absences from school due to Covid in the foundational years.

As a school we have high levels of reading and writing achievement. However, to equip students even more for reading and writing, this teaching approach builds teacher knowledge and practice and aligns with the science of reading and is evidence based. A structured literacy approach ensures we explicitly teach to develop strong reading and writing skills.

This does mean that students will be reading texts that they can read because the text aligns with the sounds and letters taught beforehand. These texts will not be sent home.

Guided Reading / Panui arahina: In any literacy programme, guided reading has a central role in leading students towards independence in reading. The focused small-group setting enables the teacher to give strategic instruction in making meaning from and thinking critically about increasingly complex texts (and to teach or reinforce decoding strategies when necessary). These texts will be sent home.

Home learning will involve:

• Reading to and together with discussion around meaning and vocabulary (high interest books, library books, buzz box books etc).
• Guided Reading books.

Book Bags / Puke pukapuka: Students need to bring their book bags each day so that reading books and library books can be sent home.

Integrated Learning / Te ako whakauru: “Learning to make sense of ourselves, our world, and our place in it.” We will have an integrated approach with the inclusion of Matauranga Maori - “Mātauranga Māori is about a Māori way of being and engaging in the world – in its simplest form, it uses kawa (cultural practices) and tikanga (cultural principles) to critique, examine, analyse and understand the world.” This term we will have a focus on the performing arts.

E-Learning / Ako-e: We will continue to use Seesaw to share and communicate our learning with our families. Seesaw allows students to engage, enhance and deepen their learning across our guided integrated learning as well as other curriculum areas. Seesaw is private; you will only see posts created by your child so they can share their learning with you. Your child will have this Seesaw account until the end of Year 4 so you really do need to sign up for it.

Please sign up now:

1. Click on this link: https://app.seesaw.me/s/650-456-879
2. Choose your child from the list
3. Create your account
4. Once we approve you, you can see content from your child

After you sign up, download the free Seesaw Family app on your mobile phone and sign in. You will be able to see all the updates and learning we do on Seesaw. You can also access Seesaw from a computer at https://app.seesaw.me.

Year 4 students have been assigned a Hobsonville School email account this year which they will use to sign in and access their seesaw account to post learning. Students spent time in term 1 learning how to use this process as it differs from how they accessed seesaw in previous years.

Please be aware that Seesaw, like your child’s book, is a learning tool and not a publishing tool. In a student's work you may see spelling errors. This is because we are using this tool to capture your child’s critical thinking and teacher focus is on depth of learning rather than on publishing. Thank you for supporting your child's learning! We appreciate you leaving comments on your child’s work.

Physical Education / Whakaako tinana: Our focus for the start of Term 3 will be cross country training. The students will learn to build resilience, endurance and strategically plan for a long distance race. Students are encouraged to bring a change of clothing and running shoes to school daily. In the second half of the term we will use the school's fleet of bikes. The students will learn - how to fit a helmet correctly, conduct a simple bike check, braking, signalling and a variety of riding techniques through the use of games. The students will be catered for according to their skill level. These skills will be extended from previous years that they have engaged in biking at Hobsonville School.

Gym Kids: We will be attending Gymkids in Weeks 5-8, to develop the students' fundamental movement skills. This is an optional "pay to attend'' activity, as it is extra to the curriculum. The cost is $8.00 for 4 sessions. We would like all children to attend if possible please.

Garden to Table / Maara ki te tepu: All groups of students will have the opportunity to learn different kitchen skills by participating in measuring, chopping and baking in the kitchen. They will also get the opportunity to further develop their gardening skills and help Mrs Blair take care of our school garden. Students will be planting, learning about what is in season and using these ingredients as part of their kitchen recipes.

In our Garden to Table sessions, all students will be learning about how we can take care of our environment by reducing our waste. We at Hobsonville School want to reduce our waste. We are promoting Waste Free lunches every day of the week. This encourages all students to bring no waste to school and to empty their food out of their individual packets. This will help our school reduce its overall amount of rubbish in our bins and rubbish that is left outside during break times.

The Arts / Ko nga mahi toi: The students participate in the Arts programme each term and will be working with our specialist teachers Mrs Ina-Marie Nel and Mrs Hayley Yoon. The students will be engaging in the following:

Whakatauki of the term: He waka eke noa - We are all in this together.

Remarkable musicians: We will talk about what a prodigy is: a young person with exceptional qualities or abilities. We will look at Avery Molek and Grayson Nekrutman as examples of outstanding drummers.

Music appreciation: We will watch “Try Everything” (Disney song from Zootopia) and talk about realtime artists (Shakira) singing an animated character’s role. Then we will compare the version of this song by the One Voice children’s choir and discuss what is different. (More than one singer, no animation, added piano, added cajon drum, clap hands, soloists take turns singing).

Form: We will sing and watch “Kiss the Girl” and “Under the Sea” (The Little Mermaid) and identify the introduction, chorus, verse, instrumentals, repetitions in the music.

Sing and move: We will sing and dance ”The Rattlin’ Bog”, an Irish folk song and learn a new folk song. We will continue practising our dance for the production. We will sing songs from the One Voice Children's Choir ("Go the Distance", "Photograph"), and discuss how the original music was arranged.

Waiata: "Ka Pioioi", “Nga Tohutohu” and new song “He Manu Rere” and songs from the movie “Coco” (translated into Te reo Maori).

Pasifika songs: Niue welcome song with sign language, “Savalivali “(Samoan).

Rhythm and games: “Hi Low Chicalo” Game and “Four White Horses”.

Music genres: Students will be introduced to Musicals, which are stories told through songs, speaking parts, acting and dance. They will watch a clip from “Annie, The Musical”.

Music-making: Based on the international music teaching method of Kodaly: This year we started using a new teaching method that is based on systematic singing and rhythmic games. In Terms 1 and 2 we completed the Year 1 and 2 syllabus. In Term 3 we will do the Year 3 syllabus and by the end of the year we will be working on Year 4 requirements.

Specialised music lessons: Year 4 Choir: 34 members who are very dedicated and enthusiastic. Recorder: 18 keen students started descant recorder this year and 15 of them progressed sufficiently to continue in Term 3. Violin: 6 students who can already make a good sound on the violin. Ukulele: 10 students.

“Birds of a Feather” Whole School Production

A basic introduction to the concept of Tangata Whenua and the Protection of the Environment. 8 Songs (in Te Reo/English), written by Aro, with choreographed dances.

• Dress rehearsals: (9:00am-3:00 pm) - Monday: 18 September, Cast 1 / Tuesday 19 September, Cast 2.
• Matinee performances: (11:30 am-1:00 pm) - Wednesday 20 September, Cast 1 / Thursday 21 September, Cast 2.
  
• Evening performances: (6.00pm-7.00pm) - Wednesday 20 September, Cast 1 / Thursday 21 September Cast 2.
  

Strike Performance on Monday, 31 July 2023 during school hours.
Strike Percussion are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their STRIKE TO SCHOOLS concert tours in 2023. Strike to Schools is an interactive, high energy 45 minute show that introduces a broad range of modern percussion styles from around the world. "Highly entertaining and amazingly skillful!!!”

Cost - $7.00 per student
Duration - 45 minutes (approx)

Visual Art / Toi ataata: Visual art is a powerful form of expression that recognises, values, and contributes to the unique bicultural and multicultural character of Aotearoa New Zealand, enriching the lives of all New Zealanders. In Term 3 the students will be creating a mask that represents their selected New Zealand bird that they will represent in the whole school production - ‘Birds of a feather’.

Extra Curricular / Te marautanga taapiri: There are many extra curricular activities that your child can participate in at Hobsonville School including the Junior Choir, Lewis Eady Music Lessons, Marrzipan Drama classes, badminton and out of school sports. Look out for more information on these opportunities.