OTATARA SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Some reflections from our students on their mahi for Term 3.
Kahikatea

Learning how to write lists and sharing them with the class
Learning how to follow a set of instructions
Working hard on teamwork and kindness
Learning to read numbers up to 100 and count to 100
Learning how to jump along a number line
We love writing and drawing on whiteboards, we even have a huge one we can share
We really like marble runs and are hoping for warm weather next term to make them in the sandpit
Alistair (Grandad of Theo, Xavier and Taylor) comes to do building with us, he gave us some pea and bean seeds to grow.....inside a bag!
Doing fun things with Mrs Maw (foundational movement skills, turn taking games, reading, maths)

Kotukutuku

Learning about halves and quarters - Eleanor Clinckett
Learning with Mrs Graham and planting the trees - Andre Fuller
Learning how to play help the doctor in maths - Finley Prue
Learning about tens and ones so we can make different numbers - Ruby-Lou Young
Doing the scrap paper questions in maths - Sundae Hunter-Noad
Learning how to play race to 20 with the numicon equipment - Mya Bradshaw
Fractions - Ruby Maw
Umbrella Art - Maci Tohiariki
Learning with Mrs Graham - Brydie Latta

Mātai - We have had a wonderful term in Mātai with lots of exciting learning! Here are some of our highlights
- Celebrating 100 days at school by sharing our collections of 100
- Polyfest- we were proud of ourselves for doing our best and overcoming our nerves!
- Dance with Miss Williams and sharing this at assembly
- Being in the reserve and looking for fungi
- Growing mushrooms in our class and cooking them!
- Learning about printmaking and making mushroom prints

Tōtara - There are lots of things we have enjoyed this term!
* Conservation Week activities and being kaitiaki of the garden
* Planting the Tōtara tree and growing beans in the classroom
* Music with Miss Williams
* Learning about photosynthesis and the water cycle
* Performing at Polyfest
* Mufti day because the teachers wear uniforms
* Sing Out rehearsal and having a new person join our class
* Writing
* Learning a Waihopaitaka game and seeing the Ranfurly Shield
* EVERYTHING, especially maths!
* Learning with Miss Knight

Ponga - In Ponga we have had so many highlights this term. We have learned so much and can't wait for Term 4 to continue this learning. Some of our best times have been:

Letting our imaginations run wild with the narratives we wrote with Mrs Graham
Getting to go to the Sing Out rehearsal
Polyfest- we were all so proud of how we have become more confident
Our reserve learning with Mrs Graham. We found a second set of twin Ponga in the reserve, we planted some baby ferns and are hoping we may get a Wheki Ponga soon, we found 9 fish in our waterways and started our own projects of our areas of interest in the reserve; we can't wait to continue these next term.
The Stags bringing the shield to school
Doing our fungi art with Whaea Sharon
Our dance showcase
Doing dance and music with Miss Williams
Completing statistical investigations of what we noticed in the reserve
Getting to do volcano science for our procedural writing with Mrs Graham
All of the art we have done in the classroom

Pōkākā
- Mastering how to tell the time and getting better at our times tables and fractions
- Exploring our local reserve, working in groups to research native birds and pests
- Leading the Bird of the Year campaign, where we created posters and a video to rally support
- Persuasive writing and improving our handwriting skills
- Creating our drip art, sketching and making feathers from clay
- Learning new fitness games

Tarata - We have had a great term of learning! Here are some of our favourite things...
- Senior Aquatics
- Performing at Polyfest
- Designing and planning how to revamp the Storyteller's hut
- Having Mrs G teach us during maths and leading us with out Kaitiakitanga learning in the reserve
- Starting The Wild Robot Escapes read aloud
- Being creative with art and creating models with recycled materials

Mānuka
- Maths Week - the hovercraft prize was amazing!
- Spelling - we enjoyed learning all the new rules this term
- Senior Aquatics - we loved learning water safety skills and waterpolo was so fun!
- Performing at Polyfest and ILT Sing Out
- Creating the news - we worked really hard to develop our interviewing skills
- Art - we enjoyed building on our blending skills and painting Mānuka flowers
- Maths - we have worked really hard to learn our multiplication and division facts (and The Climb was fun)
- Cricket - we enjoyed this session with Jack
- Writing - we went into role as a reporter and wrote an article based on our read aloud
- Read aloud - we are really enjoying 'Take me to your Leader'
- Money Master and Banqer - has been really helped us learn about money

Tī Kōuka