Te Wiki o te Māori

Last week we celebrated Te Wiki o te Māori- Māori Language Week. Room 4 have been using EP for Learning this term to learn and practice using te reo in the classroom. I am so proud of the amount of knowledge the children have picked up and are becoming so comfortable using. Room 4 enjoys singing the song 'A ha ka ma' to practice their pronunciation of the Māori alphabet. 

Trusting Balloons

Today Room 4 participated in a trust and strategy building activity. I partnered the children up and gave them a balloon to work with. Using one index finger each the children had to get the balloon from the ground to above their heads without dropping it. Everyone was really good at it! After the task we had a discussion about it, I asked the children what they had had found difficult or easy about the task. I also asked them what it was like to have to rely on another person to complete the task with. The general consensus was that it was a bit hard to know how to make it work when they didn't know what the other person's ideas were. We discussed that it meant we needed to talk to each other to decide how to work together to be successful. Talking helps us to gain strategy while also helping us to build trust in each other through working together. We had so much fun doing this!

Alert Level 3

Hello family and whanau of Room 4!

Today marks the first day of Alert Level 3 in NZ while we continue to work to beat the Covid19 virus. While I am sitting in the classroom on our Teacher Only day I thought I would post to our blog to keep everyone up to date on what is happening for Room 4. Tomorrow will be the first day that children are allowed on site. I understand Mr Clark has sent emails to all of our families as well as posting to the Blaketown School Facebook site to give everyone a clear understanding of what Level 3 at Blaketown will look like. While our bubbles are still quite restrictive in Level 3 it is advisable to stay at home if you can. This means that the Home Learning will continue online as we have been doing already during Level 4. The children that have to attend school will continue using the content that is on our Learning Site, there will be no differences in what is available except that I will be here physically to assist them as I am online to assist children learning at home. The Daily Timetable will be the work that is set and the links will allow you to access what you need from the Room 4 Learning Site. 

During this time I hope that you are safe, happy and well. The next two weeks will be crucial, as important as Level 4, to get us closer to what we consider normality. Let's treat it with respect and do what we must to get us back there safely. Kia kaha, be strong! 

Miss Brownlee.

2020

Well hasn't this year got off with a bang!

I'm Miss Brownlee, the Room 4 teacher for 2020. The first term was all go for Room 4, I can't thank you all enough for being so patient with me while I learn about a Digital Classroom! It is a lot to take in after being a preschool teacher for so long and I think that you all deserve to give yourselves a huge pat on the back for the way you have helped, guided and suggested to me things to help me learn about our Digital Classroom. You are all so knowledgeable!

In the first term Room 4 had swimming sessions at Cobden School Pool on Fridays. I really enjoyed taking a group for lessons, I used to be a Swimming Tutor before I became a teacher! The children in Room 4 showed off their skills in the pool and then everybody got a chance to have free play in the pool before getting back on the bus to go back to school. I managed to get some photos which I have posted in the Photos link on the Home page of our Learning Site.

Term 2 has started with us all learning from home. Covid-19 has affected the whole world and the lockdown in New Zealand came at the right time. This action made by our government has meant that we can all play our part to try to completely stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus in our country. It has been hard on everybody and I know that the children in Room 4 miss each other and their other friends at school a lot. It is also so hard not being able to go and see other family members who are not in our bubble. Just know that you are all doing your job so well and when this is over we will be able to see each other again. For now, Hangout with me! The link to my Hangout is on the Home page of our Learning Site. Just let me know if you want/need to talk by sending me an email.

For now, kia kaha- be strong, stay home and be kind, to each other and to yourselves.
See you in the Hangout!

Miss Brownlee.