team work and problem solving

Awesome Learning

Well busy busy busy couple of weeks.
We had school swimming, the girls had self defence and we have been working very gard in our learning time.
While the girls were at self defence our boys joined with Stafford 3 boys for 2 blocks and we did some technology challenges. I was really impressed with the level of thinking shown through the boys conversations and their great team work. They came up with some really interesting devices. I had posted some photos of their work.
Chinese is going really well and the children ahd a great time learning a new song which helped them learn introduction phrases.
We are all really enjoying our fantastic class and looking forward to the rest of the term.

Games for learning

Leadership in our class

Over the last week students have been working hard to gain leadership positions in our team and class.
We have been deciding our House Captains and our Class referees.
Candidates for House Captain had to submit a C.V, outlining why they felt they could fulfil the responsibilities of this role. They went through an interview process. They were given practical tasks to show some of their organisational skills as well as their ability to motivate and inspire other students.
It was a tough campaign and I take my hat off to all the students who participated in this.
It was an even harder decision to choose our house captains.
I am very pleased and proud to share that our very own Maria Te Ahuahu is one of our House Captains.
Fantastic Maria.
Throughout this process we also had students in the class campaigning for our class referees. They needed to show that they could interact with other students possitively. Take a lead role in organising and encouraging students in the class during PE and student engagement. Show their time management by completing class tasks within time frames and show organisation skills by being prepared for learning all the time.
I am pleased to share that Te Kaneri Te Kani, Darcy Rutter-Duckmaton, Amy Proud, and Arahia Faalilo are our Stafford 4 referees.
Awesome everyone.

Stafford 4 operational values

Over the last two weeks we have spent quite a lot of time in groups and as a class discussing how we want the class to operate and what things are important to the students to ensure that we have the optimum learning environment for everyone.
I have been extremely impressed with the thinking and consideration for others shown by all the students in the class as we have worked through this process.
The following is the expectations and values the students have decided are important to them:

• Everyone in the class is constantly and consistency striving for excellence in all that we do.
• We respect everyone's personal values, cultures, and individual experiences and differences.
• We treat other people as they like to be treated.
• We treat each other with kindness.
• Listening when others are speaking, if we disagree we can, but we wait our turn and give our opinion respectfully.
• We take pride in our work and our books, we show this by always striving to do our best work, following the set out guidelines and ensuring our book covers are clean.
• We keep our environment tidy and clean.
• We use safe hands and words.
• We use people's proper names.

What's coming up

Dates to remember for the next few weeks.

Friday week 2  10 February   School photographs

Friday week 3  17 February  School Swimming at Rotorua Aquatic centre. Remember to go to the aquatic centre in the morning - be there by 8.40 and that you will be leaving there to go home.

Monday and half Tuesday week 4 - girls self defense

Tuesday week 5  28 February we go to Tarawera camp. Home Friday. Camp forms will be coming home this week.

Wonderful week 1

Wow. What a fantastic week. Thank you very much to all the students who have been in class this week. I am so impressed with your wonderful behaviour and fantastic cooperation.

We have been working  hard at establishing our class and work environment. Students are producing some detailed and thought provoking art while developing their identity quilts and we are all looking forward to seeing them completed and displayed.

We had our team swimming on Thursday and the kids were fantastic. We will be posting student voice about the day next week.

We have started our writing and maths programme and set our expectations and started our daily routine for these. Thanks everyone in Stafford 4 for making this a very easy task.

Welcome to Stafford 4 2012

A copy of our first class newsletter for you to enjoy

 

Welcome back everyone. I hope you had a great holiday break.

I’m Rachel Hitchens. I have been at Rotorua Intermediate for 6 years.

 I can be contacted through my email,

rachelh@rotorua-intermediate.org.nz or the office phone 3489888. Please feel free to come into class at any time, however if you wish to discuss anything with me please make a time with me that is outside teaching hours. Thank you

We have a very busy and exciting term coming up with a variety of learning experiences and activities in and outside the class room.

 We will be starting our learning programme in week one which means it is very important that our Stafford 4 students have their stationary in the first week. Please contact me if there is an issue getting stationary. My expectation for students is that they take pride in their work and books and they keep them as clean and tidy as possible. 

We have a class blog and students will be contributing samples of their work, sharing ideas, showing photographic mementos of their learning and inviting comment from parents and whanau. The address for the site will come home in the first week. If internet connection is not available at home family are welcome to come into class before or after school to view our blog.

A letter with our daily timetable and what’s coming up over the term for Stafford 4 will come home this week.

The expectation of the school is that all students will arrive at school in the correct uniform every day. We have a visual poster of correct uniform for students in the class and office, a description is also in the prospectus. Please make sure your child’s uniform is clearly named as it is difficult to determine who uniform belongs to when it is not named. Thank you.

Students are also expected to bring the correct PE uniform every day for PE, fitness and student engagement. If a student chooses to wear incorrect uniform to school they will be asked to remove it until they get home, if there is a second occurrence the item will be collected and kept for parents/caregivers to collect. I appreciate your support with this.

Effective and productive learning is a partnership between students, whanau, and the school I will contact all parents/caregivers by phone, letter, or email a least twice a term to touch base.

In the first week forms will come home with your child for camp. Even though the school already has contact information it is important these details are completed  and returned as soon as possible as we take these forms to camp with us.

Rachel Hitchens