Room 19 - 2015

The Survival Guide for Room 19

 February 2015

Welcome to Room 19.  I am excited to be teaching Year 4 this year.  I consider it to be an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be teaching your child and I am looking forward to getting to know the class over the next few weeks.

A little bit about me:

I am born and raised in Christchurch. I have taught in both the UK and New Zealand since finishing my studies.  I have been teaching for approximately 15 years and have experience in both ECE and Primary. My two passions other than teaching are reading and travel. I am lucky enough to be travelling to South America later this year.

Some key dates for Term 1 are:

·       Aquagym - Week beginning Monday 16^th February

·       Senior Swimming Sports - Wednesday 5^th March

·       Gaol setting interviews – 25^th  & 26^th  February

·       Big Day Out - Wednesday 11^th March (Provisional Date)

School Curriculum:

Our first Inquiry focus for the year is ‘ Learning to Learn’.  The focus for the first week at school will be on learning class routines and expectations, building friendships and working together as a class.  We will be working on “Me” activities as well as “Learning to Learn” and setting personal goals for each child to work on and achieve.

In Literacy, we will be focusing on both Transactional (diary writing) and Narrative     (creative) writing this term.

The Reading programme is designed to scaffold and support the learning of the individual child.  This term I will be using a specific programme designed to build upon the children’s reading skills.  This includes buddy reading and guided reading sessions at reading time.

In Maths, the children will be involved in an interchange programme across the Year 4 classes, starting in week 4.  This will enable us to teach more specifically to individuals Numeracy stage and ability.

Library:

Our class book exchange day is Monday – please ensure your child brings their book back after the weekend.

Homework expectations:

The children will have weekly spelling, basic facts and reading.  Each week I will send home a class notice.  I hope this will keep you up-to-date with what is happening in Room 19.  I would really appreciate a parent signature at the bottom of the note to let me know information and home learning is making it home!

Reading: Is the most important task to do every night at home.  A reading book for the week will be used at school.  The children are free to take this home and share it with you but my preference would be your child’s personal choice of reading material at home. The idea is that this is the time to practise fluent reading and that is should be fun.  As adults we choose to read easy material for our recreational reading and therefore this is the habit we are seeking to create.  It is time to practise using funny voices and expression and talk about what is happening in the story.

Maths: Basic facts or a timetable will be sent home each week and your help in assisting your child to commit these to memory so they are able to recall them almost immediately is a great advantage to their maths learning in the classroom.

Swimming

Our class swimming days are: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please ensure your child has their togs on these days (named!)

Clothing

We have a full school uniform at St Albans that each child is required to wear.  As it is term 1 (and very hot!) children are required to wear a school hat. I find it much easier if these are left at school on your child’s hook or in their desk so you don’t need to remember it daily. If a child does not come to school with their hat they are required to stay in a shaded areas during break times as opposed to being allowed to play around the school.  This is for their own safety.  Please sunblock your child before school daily. If you want to leave sunblock at school for your child I am happy to reapply it before lunchtimes. Please make sure all items of your child’s clothing are named.  There is a lost property box located outside Room 1.

Contacting Me

You are more than welcome to contact me via e-mail kim.scadden@stalbans.school.nz. Please remember if you wish to discuss sensitive issues then after school by appointment is the easiest.  I have meetings after school every Monday & Wednesday but I am usually free any other day.

Please do feel free talk to me if you are unsure of anything related to the classroom or your child.

Kind regards

Kim Scadden