Spotlight on Phase 3 - Ōtanewainuku

As we enter week 8, our learning programs in Ōtanewainuku are well underway. Following the thorough analysis of our beginning-of-year reading, writing, and math assessments, we've pinpointed our students' next learning steps. With this data in hand, we've crafted precise and impactful teaching programs tailored to their needs. 

In Mathematics, we are currently delving into the Number strand, with a specific emphasis on multiplication and division. Students are actively exploring various strategies to tackle multiplication problems, including doubling and halving, repeated addition, rounding and compensating, as well as algorithms. Through this concentrated effort, we seamlessly integrate other Mathematics strands such as Measurement, where we delve into concepts like the area of shapes, fostering authentic learning experiences within our workshops 

Our focus for semester one centers around the pūrākau 'Te Toka a Tirikawa.' Students have been delving into its themes, identifying grit, adaptation, resilience, and overcoming challenges as central motifs. We've embarked on project-based learning, with students choosing pathways related to these themes for further exploration. Examples of our project groups include investigating pā sites and historical battles, tracing the evolution of clothing, studying natural disasters and community response, and exploring adaptation. These project-based learning groups also serve as our reading groups, allowing students to engage with authentic texts relevant to their projects.

In our writing program, we are exploring descriptive writing and honing our skills in using sensory and figurative language to enrich our pieces. Additionally, students have been learning about different sentence structures and how using a range of sentence types adds impact to their writing. As a result, we've crafted compelling writing pieces inspired by our favourite places and the people dear to our hearts.

As the end of the term draws near, we're eagerly anticipating upcoming events. This week marks our Tall Poppies event, with 20 students enthusiastically participating in our inter-school swimming sports. Looking ahead to week 10, we're excited to embark on a journey to Mount Maunganui, a maunga of profound importance to our local iwi, where we'll delve into its cultural significance and explore its surroundings.