Week 1: What a week!

Good evening all,

What a busy and productive start to the year! The children have already worked so hard, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are exhausted this evening. I know I am!

CLASSROOM
This week we completed some key activities that have helped set the environment we want to create in our Year 4 classroom. One of these activities being our goal setting for the Term. The students were required to identify the learning traits they would like to develop to be a successful learner and then apply the ‘SMART’ acronym to write meaningful goals. Be sure to quiz your child on what the acronym means or pop in to see the goals they’ve set!


We also took the opportunity to review our school values and create a Value’s Wall that depicts how we can show CARE in and outside the classroom. From here we created our class guidelines to keep our class safe, I especially loved the suggestion of naming it ‘Hanging 5 in Yr4’.


HOMEWORK 
We will be starting homework in Week 2, I will post it each week on the blog. Once the iPads are in the class, I will endeavour to load it onto Office365 (software that the students will use more often to store and access some of their work). This will be discussed at our information session coming up.

WEEK 2 -
1. Reading - 10 minutes each night. Students are to use a home/library book for this week and complete the appropriate section of their Reading Log after their reading. The book is to be a chapter book. We ask that you initial the Reading Log each night.
2. Mental Maths - Think Mentals 4 Student Book, p.1: students are to complete a column each night. These willl be marked the next day in class, so we are able to discuss the more challenging concepts.
3. Spelling - Complete LOOK, SAY, COVER, WRITE, CHECK with their given spelling words. They are to also complete one spelling activity into their homework book from the spelling grid. 

Everything they need will be glued in their Homework book Monday morning.


NOTICES
iPad’s - A Note From Mrs Johnson
iPads obtained through the school will be available for collection on Monday 12 February. Information will be sent home early next week about booking a collection time.

SWIMMING

Just a reminder that our lessons start Thursday 8th February and finish on Wednesday 14th February. Students need to wear their bathers under their sports uniform with their sports shoes each day. They also need to bring to school a pair of thongs, goggles, towel, rashie (optional), underwear and plastic bag for wet clothes. Please ensure your child has applied sunscreen before coming to school. During the week of lessons, the students will need to bring their recess to the pool, therefore it needs to be put in a plastic bag LABELLED with their name on it.

COVERING OF BOOKS
In the busyness of the day, I forgot to send the books home to get covered. For the people who haven’t sent in plastic covers, I ask that you cover the books to ensure they stay in better condition throughout the year. I will leave it up to you as to when you want to cover them: during the week or on the weekend, just organise with your child when they need to bring them home. All books are to be covered by Monday 19th February.

TISSUES
Thank you to those who have brought in their tissue box donations, we are still waiting on many more boxes  to cope with the winter colds!


I loved getting the chance to meet some of you throughout the week, I look forward to meeting those I missed in the weeks ahead. I ask you to keep an eye out in the post, a surprise is on its way😉

Have a lovely weekend with your children, enjoy the sunshine whilst it’s here!

Sandy Ricciardone 

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