I am a Scientist
The whole school will be working on this unit this term through the focus area ‘The nature of science strand’.
This term we will be looking at the ‘Nature of Science’ through a variety of hands-on investigations. Our students will be ‘Investigating Science and developing their Science Capabilities’. We will …
- Use our senses to help us investigate, notice, discuss and explain what we see, hear, smell, feel and sometimes taste.
- Building on prior experiences, work together to share ideas and knowledge.
- Ask questions, find evidence, explore simple experiments and carry out appropriate investigations to develop our science capabilities.
- Increase students’ interest and supports students to explore the human side of science.
Reading
Reading: Guided or independent books will go home every night from Monday – Thursday. You may find that your child is given the same book more than once or they may only read a specific part of their book in relation to their current learning goal.
The reading books your child brings home should be relatively easy for your child to read as they have been previously read in a guided lesson with the teacher or have been selected from an “independent box” of familiar readers.
The Kōwhai Syndicate classes use a yellow reading log book to encourage home reading communication. Please ensure you sign the reading log and return both the reading book and reading log to school the following day.
The final day for class ‘Guided Reading Lessons’ will be :Wednesday 8th December. Please over this last week of school please can everyone have a good hunt around the house for all ‘Ngaio School Reading Books and Resources’ and return back to school – no questions asked.
Writing
This term the 3 main focus areas in writing will be integrated into our Science Unit : we will continue to develop the skills to structure a Recount of an event, Describe in detail using adjectives and topic specific vocabulary and finally a focus on how to structure and set out, write and sequence a series of Instructions.
Mathematics
Our ‘Number’ knowledge coverage will include: reading and recording numbers (2 and 3 digit numbers), identifying numbers ‘before’ and ‘after’ in this range, skip counting in 2’s and number sequencing. We will also develop the knowledge, strategies and skills of addition and subtraction and solving basic facts equations.
Also integrated throughout the term the students will also explore 2 mathematical strand areas : Geometry (positional language and movement e.g. moving forwards, backwards, sideways, ½ and ¼ turns, left, right, up, down and diagonal) and Statistics (look at the concepts of probability : how likely, unlikely or certain we are that something might happen).
The Arts
This term we will be exploring a range of multimedia challenges. We will use our senses to help us create and explain what we see and feel as we create artwork. The students will explore a range of materials and use a variety of art tools. By being motivated to explore art techniques the students through using close observations to create using their imagination
Health
This term we are very lucky to have The Life Education Trust Van coming to Ngaio School to visit the students. The Life Education facilitator will support the teachers and students to explore the human body and create opportunities for the students to ask questions.
Te Reo
During Term 4 our key focus area will be exploring and learning about our body and together we will explore how to pronounce, identify and label our body parts in both English and in Te Reo Māori.
Physical Education:
Term 4 will see us revisit our skills using the Sportstart Physical Education Programme. Our specific focus area will be “Athletics” which will help the students to learn how to explore the skills and techniques for the 3 core components of ‘Run, Jump and Throw’. At all times in Physical Education, we teach the importance of participation and positive play by taking turns, showing patience, encouraging others and having ‘a go’.
Digital Technology:
In the first 2 years of school, as part of the Digital technology Curriculum most of the learning is taught through mainly offline activities. The students work to explore and understand the vocabulary of the curriculum e.g. planning, instructions, sequencing, identifying errors (bugs) and repeating a sequence (looping). We work hard to integrate this vocabulary into a wide range of activities throughout all areas of our learning.