Room Four
Teacher:
Maria Ansell-Burnett
Classroom
Release Teacher: Darrin Andrews
Teacher
Aide: Tracy Greenwood
Reading
Recovery Teacher: Annie Simmons
Class:
Year Two /Three
My
school email address is: maria@brooklyn.school.nz
Classroom Timetable: a current copy of the class timetable will be on display
inside the class room. This timetable is
constantly evolving each term to take into consideration specialist teaching
opportunities and subjects on offer like swimming in the summer months.
Copies
of stationery requirements and newsletters are also kept in this area.
Please
remember as a school we are going paperless with newsletters. All newsletters will be available on our
school blog which is also going to have a face lift. If you would like the newsletter emailed to
you or require a paper copy please contact Josie to arrange this.
Reading: Students will bring
home one or two readers/library books/class books to share each night. It will not necessarily be the book they have
read with the teacher that day, they will be titles the child has chosen to
share. Please write in the titles you read each night, sign and return the
notebook and books each day to your child’s individual browsing box.
I
have included a handout of the reading strategies we encourage your child to
use when reading at school. I would encourage you to use these at home as well. Library day is Friday.
Browsing
Boxes: Browsing boxes contain books your child has
read. We encourage your child to bring
favourite titles from home to keep in their browsing box.
Spelling: During class we will be extending and consolidating
our alphabet knowledge, blends and word chunk knowledge. We are continuing to learn
how to stretch words out carefully listening to the sounds we hear when writing
and spelling.
Spelling
will come home every week. Words are sourced from the essential spelling lists,
the children’s writing and the ‘Steps to Literacy’ Programme. Please learn the
words and practise writing and making the words. Playdough, magnetic letters,
stencils, paint, biscuit dough, mud, sand are all great ways to help ensure
that learning is secured in long term memory. (This type of activity helps our kinaesthetic
learners who find this type of learning difficult.)
Our
spelling aims to build a secure foundation.
Handwriting: Please find attached a photocopy of the correct way
children should write and form their letters at school. It is very important that the children learn
at this age where to start writing each letter from. Most letters we start
writing from the top or we circle back anti clockwise (there are exceptions).
We
have promoted the use of triangular pencils and pens in Room 4 which encourage
correct pencil grip.
Maths: All children are learning at different stages. I
have put up a display for parents in the classroom so that you can see the
types of math knowledge and the strategies they are learning at each
stage. The Year 2 and 3 mathematics has a
weighting, we spend 80% of our time on numeracy (number, addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division) and 20% strand maths (measurement, geometry,
statistics).
Swimming:
Please bring your swimming togs
and towel every day. We are timetabled
to go swimming in the afternoon. Can your child please bring a note of
explanation if they are not swimming.
Swim
for Life swimming lessons will take place during February. These are very worthwhile with qualified
swimming instructors taking the lessons.
Assembly:
Friday
2:30 pm in the school hall, all parents, grandparents, and friends are welcome.
Stationery: During the year your child will
require additional stationery. The procedure at Brooklyn is for your child to
receive the stationery from the office and then Josie or Luisa send home a
notice asking for the money to be sent to school.
Brooklyn
Hats/ Sunglasses/ Sunscreen: All children are expected to wear a Brooklyn Sunhat at
play and lunch times. If your child has misplaced or lost their hat, a
replacement can be purchased from the school office.
It
is strongly recommended that all students wear sunglasses during break
times. Please clearly name all hats and
sunglasses. These items can be kept in your child’s desk at the end of the day
or taken home.
Please
apply sunscreen at home.
Reports:
As
required by the Ministry of Education we have a cycle of anniversary reporting
in Years 1, 2 and 3. This means that
your child receives a written school report after 6 months, 1 year, 18 months,
2 years, 2 ½ years and 3 years. These
reports come out at the end of the term. They are followed up by a teacher
conference.
Clothing: Please ensure that all
clothing is named. If your child has misplaced an item the first place to look
is the lost property box that is situated outside the hall. Lost property is put out on display at the
end of the month and any that is not claimed is given away to charity. Any
named items found will be returned to the family.
Any
other questions please do not hesitate to ask or contact me.
