Happy holidays

We had our last class chat session today. This @chat tool will be switched off at 4pm today. We'll use it again after the holidays. I am super proud of our class in the way they have been respectful in our new online areas.
Reminder: Students need to turn in their W8 tasks via our Google classroom, even if they are not quite finished. It'll be ok.  It's in their 9 dots as shown below.

Reading logs are in student Google Drive Reading folders. Students can record their reading on these docs during the holidays. Set up a routine so you have a specific time each day just for reading - parents you might want to role model this e.g. no devices while students are reading (unless your run out of books and need to read online).

This video might be useful over the holidays.


Look after yourselves and your whanau over the break, email me if you need my help with anything. I'll send out a blog post nearer the end of the holidays.

Message for Friday 27 March

1. Only use the Friday 27 March @chat thread. Nobody to @chat before 9:45am, please. 
2. Let's have an online check-in at 10:00am. I'll post it in our Friday @chat thread.
1. Wear a bright hat - there's a special occasion. 
2. Be ready to share a clean joke with the class. 
3. Follow the @chat rules at all times
3. Your W8 learning tasks are due to be handed in tomorrow in Google classroom - any time. We'll talk about this in our chat. 
4. Make sure you check-in on this page using the check-in form. 

Message for Thursday 26 March

For students:

1. Only use the Thursday 26 March @chat thread. 
2. Let's have an online meet up at 9:00am. I'll post this in the Thursday @chat thread.
3. Keep working on your Learning tasks which are in your Other Learning Areas folder in your Drive. 
4. Make sure you at least check-in via the daily check-in form on this page. 

See you soon. 

Mr J.

TOTARA TEAM YEAR 5/6 ADVICE TO PARENT DURING SCHOOL CLOSURE

CURRENT TERM DATES FOR ONLINE HOME LEARNING 

Term 1 - 25th - 27th March
Term 2 - 15th - 17th April (based on current advice from the Ministry of Health and Education - please note this may be subject to change).

Now that we are going to be operating in a remote learning environment, we would like to outline how we can make it work for teachers, students and whanau.

We understand that each student is going to have a unique set of circumstances. Our aim is to offer the best possible learning opportunities for every child. Please understand that while our intentions are based on best practice and our experiences, at times you will need to decide what is best for you and your child. This could be a great opportunity for you as a family to learn a new skill or a new card game. Be creative, innovative and have fun!

How will we communicate with you and your child?
Class notices via our class blog and learning tasks will be shared with students via our Totara Learning site. Students are confident in accessing learning tasks and material via this site. We will also use other tools that students have used at school, particularly the Google suite.

Your child’s wellbeing
Your child may be feeling anxious please read the Government’s Covid-19 website for advice on speaking with your child. We will be checking in with them each teaching day and each teacher will have a system in place for them to share their feelings. Please remember children need a balanced learning environment; this means a mixture of online, offline and outside learning.

Parents contacting the teacher
Should you wish to contact your teacher please tick the box on your child’s Google form which they will complete each school day (not during the holidays). We will respond to your request within 24 hours.

Learning at Home
Your child has taken home a pack of books for reading; we may also use these for learning tasks over the coming period of time where the school is closed. All learning tasks and resources will be posted on the Totara Learning site.

Monitoring of Digital Learning
We have turned on new digital tools so that we can make contact as easy as possible with our students. Teachers will initiate this contact with students. Children can chat with one another in a room the teacher has created. Children must not start a new room or a new thread. Any discussion is able to be viewed - children need to keep discussion learning focussed and around checking in on each others wellbeing.

Please be aware that teachers are also able to view the student screens and open tabs on a device when they are logged into their school account between 9 am and 3 pm. If someone else needs to use the device during these hours please make sure your child is logged out of their school account. It is very important that students realise we can view anything they write, even if they have deleted it. The use of the school Google account, at all times, is for learning purposes.

Here is a link to our school protocols during this Lockdown period. 

We are ready to go from tomorrow morning, get your child to check the following place each day, we will streamline it as we go. 

https://sites.google.com/stmarysrotorua.school.nz/totara-2020/room-4 (Might need to be logged into a School Google account to access this).

W8 T1 Remote Learning Tasks

Kia Ora,

I have posted remote learning tasks in student Drive folders - Other Learning Areas.  Students should have a go at the tasks and check in on this page each day.

I will be sending more information to parents later today. However many students have been keen to get started so now they can go for it.

Week 8 Term 1

Camp was great, here are a few photos, there are many more on the School Facebook page. All of the students got stuck in and made the most of the opportunities. I am very grateful to the parents who offered to come, as well as those who did come. Special mention to Dom and Maclyn who led prayers for our group at camp.

According to the Ministry of Education guidelines we will be open for business as usual this week. We do have plans in place, there will no Assemblies or Masses and we will not have any larger gatherings beyond our class. We have extra cleaning measures in place, there is soap in the bathrooms, sanitisers in the class and our tables and door handles are getting cleaned multiple times a day.

If your child is sick please keep them home. Beyond the Covid-19 virus, this time of year there are usually common colds and flu going around, I appreciate your help with this.

Please make sure you have the school app and/or access to the school website so you can stay up to date with information from both our school and the Ministry of Education. We have plans in place for online learning should we need to close school. The programme we will offer will not be solely online, the last thing we would want is for your child to turn into a screen-zombie. I'll be sure to include chores and other similar tasks ;-)

Please contact me should you have any concerns or questions and keep praying for the health of everyone.



This week:

Monday

Tuesday
Library - bring books to exchange.

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Let's all be like this guy - happy.

We are aware and prepared

This morning we had a little science lesson on the transfer of viruses by touching things. We compared how much a finger with soap on it picks up compared one without soap. You can see the results below.

And, have you ever seen a class table this clean? Our table cleaners, who have been employed for a number of weeks now, are doing a great job of cleaning at each break time. They are well worth their pay rise in Banqer. 

Our new hand sanitiser has also been installed in class today. 

Week 7 Term 1 Camp week

At the bottom of this post is information regarding Corona virus.

We are going to camp on Wednesday. Students bring all their camp gear and some home baking to share for supper to school between 8:30-8:45am. I'll be talking to the students in class more tomorrow and Tuesday. All the information is on the school website here . Students wear sensible mufti, they'll be taking part in outdoor activities throughout the day

Packing for camp is a chance for parents to allow children to develop independence. Parents, please back off a bit here. 

Monday

Tuesday
Library - bring books to exchange

Wednesday
Camp departure 8:30-8:45am

Thursday
Camp

Friday
Camp return approximately 4pm.


Stronger border restrictions were announced yesterday which effectively mean, as of midnight, tonight all travellers to New Zealand must self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, other than those from Pacific Islands. This will be reviewed in 16 days. Cruise ships are also banned until 30 June. Products and cargo are still coming in so no need to rush to the supermarket!

At this point, no further advice has come from the Ministry that impacts schools. We are ready to implement our Pandemic plan if necessary. We'll keep you all updated if there is any further advice from the Ministry.

Right now, here's what we can all do to help stamp this virus out (taken from the Prime Ministers statement today):

"So here's my request to New Zealanders.

1) Wash your hands

2) If you don’t need to travel overseas, then don’t. Enjoy your own backyard for a time.

3) Wash your hands

4) If you’re sick, stay home.

5) If you sneeze, do it into your elbow

6) Wash your hands.

7) Stop handshakes, hugs, and hongi - I know this is counter to who we are as a nation, but the best thing we can do right now to show love and affection to one another, is to switch to the East Coast wave.

8) Please be mindful of the older citizens in your life. Check in on them, but if you’re sick, keep your distance.

Finally, we are a tough resilient people. We have been here before. But our journey will depend on how we work together. We are taking every measure we need as a government, and we ask that you do too.

We all have a role to play. Look out for your neighbours, look out for your family. Look out for your friends."

Week 6 Term 1 Notices

Swimming sports tomorrow (Monday)

The swimming sports is for our middle and senior school students.Years 3, 4, 5, 6.

Years 3 – 6 students need to be dropped off at the Aquatic Centre tomorrow Monday
to meet their teacher by 8:45am.
Swimming sports will finish at approximately 2:30pm. Children need to be collected
from the Aquatic Centre by 3:00pm at the latest.
Children may come to swimming sports in their house colours. They may wear their swimming togs under their clothes.
Children will need – togs & towel, sunhat, sunblock, warm clothes, lunch & a drink. There
will be NO sausage sizzle at the swimming sports this year. Children need to bring their lunch and a drink.
Should the event need to be cancelled, this information will be put on our website by
7:30am on the day, and a notification sent via Facebook, EDUCA, class blogs and
the school phone app.

This week

Monday
Swimming sports

Tuesday
Rats Duathlon (some students only)
Library
Swimming
Bring a painting shirt to protect uniform during art classes.

Wednesday
Rice day
Swimming

Thursday
Swimming
Pita Pit fundraiser - see below.

Friday
Swimming
Sausage sizzle

Resilience videos

Tonight your child is coming home with a yellow booklet and they need your support to complete a few pages. Below are two videos that we watched in class this afternoon. The key message is to celebrate our differences and not be too hard on ourselves.







Here are the spelling words for this week.