Kauri Learning

Te Ao Māori - The Treaty of Waitangi - Waitangi Day marks the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We recall what happened at Waitangi at the time of the signing and who was there. This helps us understand why we have a holiday.

Health Inquiry - Relationships with other people - how to be a good friend. This inquiry will coincide with a visit by the Life Education Caravan and Harold the Giraffe. Talk to your child about how to treat others so that they can develop and maintain good friendships.

These are the Sherwood HEART values that we promote across our school. We refer to these frequently throughout the year.

Other Inquiry Learning Area: Social Science

Big Idea -Water is important to us and our community. Ko Te Wai He Taonga.

Lines of Inquiry -

• Talking about and asking questions about the local area.

• Learning about pollution in our waterways and taking action.

• How people have acted in the past and how we could act today.
  

Literacy: 

Reading - 

We use the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) when teaching reading. This is a structured literacy approach which you may have heard the government talking about. We have been teaching this for the last few years, and have been impressed with the results. 

Your child may also wish to take a daily book from their class browse box.  

Books will only be sent home in their book bag, to help protect them, so please make sure your child has their book bag at school every day.

Writing - 

The writing programme is supported by the BSLA programme and is based on sounding words out. Most of the children’s stories are recounts stemming from a direct experience or reflection.

Handwriting - 

We follow the Casey Caterpillar handwriting programme. Elements of the story book are used to describe the letter shapes based on their shapes and formation. You may hear your child describe the letters in terms of open and closed mouths (c, o shapes), tall and short sticks (l, i shapes), tunnel (as in the letter n), hanging stick (as in the letter p), cup (as in the letter u), and possum’s tail (as in the letter g).

Oral Language - News telling and discussions

Library Day - Friday 

Please remind your child to return their library books on their library day each week, so they can get a new book to read. 

Maths:

Our aim when teaching mathematics is to make it interesting, fun and real, so concepts are taught through the use of materials and solving viable problems that your child will be likely to meet in their everyday life. This year, we will be using the Numicon equipment and programme, as provided by the Ministry of Education, to guide our learning. 

Strand Maths - Statistics  

We will be collecting and sorting data, making simple graphs and answering questions. Talk to your child about similarities and differences between objects and how they could be sorted. For example: Which group has the most?  Which group has the least? Can you sort by colour, shape, size or purpose? Are there groups within groups?

Specialist Subjects: Monday and Thursday

These four programmes will run on a rotational basis on both of these days. Please ensure your child is ‘ready for action’ by wearing trainers on each of these days.

PE - 

Focus: Auckland Cricket Sessions and ‘Mates’

NZ Curriculum Key Concepts:

• Develop a wide range of movement skills, using a variety of equipment and play environments

• Participate in creative and regular physical activities and identify enjoyable experiences

• Demonstrate respect through sharing and cooperation in groups.

• Express their own ideas, needs, wants, and feelings clearly and listen to those of other people.

• Explore and share ideas about relationships with other people

Please ensure your child has suitable footwear for sport on this day. They are also welcome to wear the school PE uniform if they have it, but this is optional. 

Perceptual Motor Programme  (PMP)  - Learning Through Movement  -

Through perceptual motor development the children are able to develop brain functions necessary to plan and make decisions from simple to more complex. PMP builds children's perceptual motor skills to allow them to perform complex and unfamiliar tasks. These are also skills needed in Physical Education (PE). Areas of development include:Gross motor control, Eye-tracking , Fitness balance, Eye-hand coordination, Directionality, Fine Motor Control, Rhythm, Body awareness, Spatial awareness, Auditory and visual Skills

Music - 

Focus: Exploring singing, moving and keeping the beat to a wide variety of songs including waiata, well-known junior songs, dances and drama.

NZ Curriculum Key Concepts: 

1: Practical Knowledge: Recognising keeping in time

2: Developing ideas:Exploring making sounds

3: Communicating and Interpreting: Sending messages through Music

4: Understanding context  for different purposes and cultures. Recognising places and purposes and consequence to their playing

Art - 

Focus: Exploring the art element, Line through the use of wet and dry media. Introducing shape and form with drawing and sculpture.

NZ Curriculum Key Concepts:

• Practical Knowledge through exploring wet and dry media techniques

• Developing ideas through creating their own individual artworks