Eisteddfod Speeches

Use the time management planner in your homework book to make sure that you will not be trying to write and prepare your speech at the last minute.  Speeches will be heard on Friday 21st September.  We have been learning about the structure of speeches as part of our writing programme, and most people have decided on the topic that would be interesting for the Room 4 audience.  Follow through the planner to help you meet the deadline - no-one wants to be writing their speech the same week as the musical performances. Once your speech is complete, try practising it on photobooth if you have this programme - you can check out what you might want to work on to improve the oral delivery.

Maths Buddy

The free trial period for this site has expired and at the present time Mr Hogue is searching for a free maths site that can be used to support the class learning as a homework activity.
Our  present topic is multiplication and division, and to be able to use the strategies effectively we need to know our basic facts.  Take one set of tables a night to learn.  Count up and back in the multiples of the table as part of your learning. The last 100 tables test showed that many people are making great gains with their basic facts knowledge.  Keep this up.

School Musical

On Friday everyone  took home a note explaining what their part is in the musical and what they need to wear.  Please make sure that you have read this, if there are any problems please let us know.

It's really important that the words to the songs are well known by now - this has been part of the homework for the last two weeks. Going over a couple of songs each night should secure these.  This is a very important homework item over the next couple of weeks as we need to step up with the singing.

Newsletter/Homework Week 6

How this term has flown - hard to believe it's week 6 already.  Congratulations to those people who competed so well at the Central Otago Cross Country in Arrowtown last Wednesday, and thank you to the parents who provided transport.  Your determination and encouragement of each other made me very proud. It was a new and challenging course with a shoe eating bog! A huge congratulations to Will and also Meg who won their respective races in style - all that training paid off - thanks too, to the parents who took those extra lunch time runs.
Today we were lucky enough to be inspired by the author Des Hunt. His use of humour and science to visually explain the necessary ingredients of a great story had us all hooked.  Yes, we will be recrafting our drafts - he did at least 7 times. This session with a real author  is a perfect way to start looking at our speeches.  These too, can be recrafted, so that they will be exciting and interesting for the Room 4 audience.
Thank you Dale for your offer of walking to and from the pool this week and next week, I do need at least one other parent please.
A reminder that next Monday 27th is Teacher's Only Day, where teachers will be further looking at the teaching of writing.
Next week Alan has surgery in Dunedin, and Mrs Donaldson will be teaching Room 4. At this stage I am not certain how long I will be away from school.

Homework

1. Maths: www.mathsbuddy.co.nz work on the multiplication and division activities, also getting your tables and basic facts to 20 really well known. Check that you complete the homework that is set.
2. Reading - record your reading in the log at the back of your book - remember to read a variety of texts - fiction, non-fiction, newspaper articles, recipes etc.
3. Musical: Keep working on knowing all the words to the songs - you have the sheets. This is your opportunity to show leadership with the singing.
4. Spelling: be ready to test on Friday
5. Morning Programme - Group 4 - Zachary be sure that you remind all of your group.
6. Touch Typing: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/  Mrs Moors has found that until we are all faster with our typing skills, we won't be able to successfully use all the wonderful technology that is at our fingertips.
7. Speeches: These need to be ready to be heard on Friday 21st September - don't leave it until the last minute to get yours written - this is the week that we perform our school musical. Fill out the planning sheet in your book - then "Go For Gold!" This week our writing topic is speeches.

River Safety

Remember to come as your Olympic hero tomorrow. Wear school tracksuit over your outfit if you are a swimmer or an athlete.  Tracksuits are the uniform for the following Fridays - much easier to change back into and saves kilts being screwed up in bags.

Cross Country - another challenge while you're fit!

A great effort by everyone today - that training paid off. Since everyone is fit now, some people might want to enter the run organised by the Alexandra Harrier and Walkers Club on Saturday 18th August. For our age there is a 2 km off road race that costs $2 to enter - sounds like that includes afternoon tea as well. I have an entry form if you want one - entries close on Wednesday 15th August.  Entries can be made on the day for an extra cost.

Week 2 Riversafe

Following the need to carry wet clothing in plastic bags which weren't really up to the task last Friday, it would be good to see people using a reuseable shopping bag for their gear.  Congratulations  to everyone who swam so hard to achieve their 200m clothed swim - very tiring, but it was pleasing to see how determined you were to complete the task. "Going For Gold".

This week the Central Swim School has a competition:

"Support your team or sport at the Olympics" - come dressed up and be in to win a prize.

On Friday come dressed for this - don't forget your togs, towel, long sleeved top, pants and socks.

I have 2 parents able to walk with us this week.  Thank you Dale and Gabriela.

mathsbuddy

A few people have been working on this site so far this term. This week we finish our unit on "shapes", there is good opportunity to keep working on this knowledge through the units titled Geometry - shapes.
Next week we start on our numeracy topic of multiplication and division - keep working on your tables knowledge so that this can be used effectively to solve problems. It has been interesting to see who has been doing their homework on this site - this is available to the teacher.  It would be good to see everyone make use of this - there is time available at school as well as at home, especially for those of you who don't have computer access at home.