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October 2021       |       Oketopa  2021
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Hi  <<First Name>>,
We hope you all had time to relax and enjoy some family time over our two-week term break. We welcome all of our new students starting in Term 4 to Wairakei Primary School.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS TERM
Water Works

Our integrated inquiry “Water Works.” will build on the knowledge students have developed, including the properties of water and Kaitiaki. Kaitiakitanga is the process and practice of protecting and looking after the environment. For Māori, water is the essence of all life. It supports all people, plants and wildlife. Māori relate their identity to a water source (moana, awa) and water is an important part of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Creation Story. 

Each class will consider how we can all be a guardian of the water sources. There will be a social science and technology focus where our students will become engineers and designers. Each class will identify a need in their local school or community environment, then work through the “design process” to create something to meet that need. We will be using the “Robot 6-step Engineering Design Process” which provides a simple, clear list of steps to follow when designing. 

There are six steps:
  • Ask it - what is the problem
  • Research it - look for ideas and make a list of what you need
  • Create it - build your idea
  • Test it - does it work
  • Improve it - can you make it better. Test it again

The key competencies of Relating to Others and Participating and Contributing will be our focus areas. Sharing the designs they create will be part of our celebration of learning towards the end of the term.

Mathematics learning will continue to have a strong focus on learning to recognise, order and identify the number before and after with numbers to 20, 50 then 100 as well as a continued focus on basic facts in each classroom. Our strand focus this term will revisit Pattern and Algebra where students will create and continue sequential patterns using number, colour and shape. 

In English students will learn to use the structure of an explanation to explain:
  • the purpose/function of a water based object
  • how the object works
  • label the parts of the object and what it is made of
  • describe how the object has changed over time.
Our older students will also delve into Persuasive Writing, where they will learn to share their opinion, then provide evidence to support their thinking.

Te Huka Team will continue with targeted phonics instruction during from Week 3 after Contact Swimming lessons have concluded.


In Health and Physical Education Contact Swimming Lessons will help ensure your child is well-prepared to be safe near or in water. Later in the term classes will learn water based cooperative games to teach others. As part of our Healthy Communities and Environments, students will take individual and collective action to contribute to our school environment through our “Water Works” inquiry.

Swimming Lessons 
Swimming for Rooms 5, 13, 14,  started on the first day of Term and will continue until  Friday, October 29,  2021 (excluding Monday, October 25, 2021- Labour Day and Tuesday 19 October due to a Drive through Covid Testing Station). 

Swimming is a vital part of the school curriculum and an essential life-saving skill.  It is great that we get to utilise the A.C. Baths for its swimming programme with trained instructors. These instructors  will provide an excellent programme that will help ensure your child is well-prepared to be safe near and in water. Contact Energy supports our lessons by sponsoring these for us. It is an expectation that each child takes part unless there is a note from parents. 

Students will be taken in a bus to the AC Baths. Please see the swimming timetable following for lesson times. Parents are very welcome to come to the pool and watch a lesson.

Room

Number

Bus departing

school

Lesson

time                                         

13

11.15a.m.

11.30a.m.

14

11.45a.m.

12p.m.

5

1.25p.m.

1.40p.m.

REFLECTING ON LAST TERM
Term 3 started with a Taupo-wide geothermal week

We learned about our local geothermal power stations and how this transfers to what happens when we turn on a light switch or appliance at home. Each class created their own models of geothermal power stations and took photos to enter them in a Taupō wide competition. The students in Room  5 created their power station to show the link between the power that is generated in these geothermal power stations and how it is used at home. Room 5’s creation was awarded a Highly Commended in the competition.

Room 5 Geothermal Week Blog - Steaming Ahead

Room 5
Our Wonder of Wai Celebration day provided the opportunity for the students to share some of their favourite water experiments with our buddy class Room 10.  The morning was centred around “students as teachers” teaching our buddy classes to conduct their favourite water based experiments using the instructions they had created. The students took on a variety of roles including instructor, recorder, questioner and photographer. After the session students had to identify the importance of their role in the celebration, identify what worked well and reflect what they would like to change next time.
 








Room 14
For our Term 3 Passion Project the students decided to design a bird feeder. Laura (Room 5), Sabian (Room 13), and Segev (Room 14) came up with the design which was voted the most popular. With the help of Jenni and Cindy the class was able to screw the bird feeders together. School colours were used and different designs painted. Jenni attached some nails so the students could push down their apple cores, and Segev’s parents kindly gave us a bag of wild bird seed. The bird feeders will be put into the gardens close to the classrooms and the classes will be given a chart of common New Zealand birds so the students can have fun identifying the various species.





Room 13
Room 13 started by celebrating 100 days at school. One of our mums helped the class make a special cake with 100 chocolate buttons in it. All the chocolate buttons sank to the bottom -- although the cake was still delicious.

Geothermal Week saw us creating a model of how geothermal energy is made under the watchful eye of Mr Jackson. The class was divided into teams that had the responsibility for a section of the model. Each team in Wairakei Primary School is named after a geothermal power station, and the students in Te Huka have a better understanding of this now.

Next we came to grips with the water cycle. Learning about evaporation, condensation, transpiration, precipitation and accumulation through hands-on experiments and observations was a lot of fun. Room 13 shared their learning about the water cycle and solids, liquids and gases with their buddy class.

Six60 released their new song, Pepeha, in time for Māori Language Week. Room 13 joined the rest of the school to sing this as well as perform the Jump Jam classic Kotahitanga. Busy hands, busy bodies and busy minds made for happy learners in Room 13.
 










Wonder of Wai Inquiry Celebration - “Students as Teachers”
Our celebration day in Week 10 was centred around “students as teachers” teaching our buddy classes to conduct their favourite water based experiments using the instructions they have created.

Wonder of Wai Celebration Day photo gallery

Check out our Term 3 blog posts for more information on our learning experiences.
5 Top Tips from Room 9
Tall, taller, tallest
Meaningful Maths
Counting to 100 and beyond
Time is Ticking By

The  Te Huka teachers are looking forward to an exciting Term 4.  Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns you wish to discuss.
 
Contact Us
Tracey O'Sullivan Lead Teacher       |      Room 5
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Leanne Jackson Teacher       |      Room 13
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Suzanne Flowers Teacher       |      Room 14
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