St Leonards Road School
Junior Syndicate Newsletter
Term Four 2014
Last term was filled with lots of learning and fun, and we can’t wait to see what
this term holds for us! Thank you to all our families that attended our little dance
performance in Term 3. It was great to see our children performing with confidence and
joy.
This term we are learning about ‘A’ for Animals. From the 22nd-24th of October our
Junior Syndicate is off to visit Ambury Park Farm so that we can dive on in to our
learning. Please make sure that you have returned your child’s permission slip and paid
the $12 to the office. This trip is a valuable learning experience and we don’t want
anyone to miss out.
Much of our learning this term will center round farm animals and how we care for
them and keep them healthy. Do you have an experience you can share with your
child’s class? Photos of times you have spent on a farm? How about a chicken that
could come for a class visit?! Talk to your child’s teacher if you think you might have
anything to offer; we would love to hear from you.
Important Reminders
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HATS HATS HATS! Every
child needs to wear a sunhat
at school in Term 4. No hat,
no play.
BOOK BAGS! Book bags
need to come to school
every day so that a new
reader can be sent home.
Good readers read lots.
FOOD, KAI! It’s hard to
learn when your tummy is
rumbling, so please try to
pack a lunch that you know
your child likes to eat. Not
too many sugary treats
please.
SLEEP! Bed by 8pm at the
latest for little people. We
know when your child has
had a late night, they yawn
all day and aren’t interested
in learning!
Important Dates
Ambury Park Farm Trip
Wednesday 22nd Oct – Rm’s 7, 9, 14
Thursday 23rd Oct – Rm’s 8, 10, 12
Friday 24th Oct – Rm’s 11, 13, 15
School Swimming Starts
Monday 10th Nov
Junior Athletics Day
Wednesday 12th Nov 9am – 12:30pm
Road Safety Walking Test
Friday 5th Dec 11am – 12:30pm
Junior Syndicate Fun Day
Tuesday 9th Dec
Christmas Carol Assembly & Last
Day of Term
Wednesday 17th Dec 9am
School Finishes 2pm
Writing
Recounts and Reports
Reading
Guided and Independent
Oral Language
Questions
We are learning to label a
diagram, including all the
important features.
It’s
important that we have lots
of
writing
experiences
everyday.
We read books that are at
the right level for us,
challenging but not too
hard. We love to be read to
and we really love talking
about the books we have
read.
We are learning to ask
questions that relate to a
topic. Some questions are
better than others because
they
give
us
more
information.
Maths
Taha Maori
Number and Measurement
We do lots of counting and
learning
about
how
numbers work. Our teacher
helps us to understand
times of the day such as
morning and afternoon. We
explore volume through
practical activities.
Science
We are learning about the
seven things that all living
animals do – MRS GREN.
We will discover that
animals need certain things
to keep them alive and
healthy.
We are learning to follow
basic instructions that our
teacher gives us in Maori.
Through
singing
‘Old
Macdonald’ in Maori we
also learn the names of
common farm animals.
PE
Athletics and Swimming
We run, leap, jump and
throw like real athletes.
Moving helps us learn
about our bodies and as we
practice we gain more
control of our bodies.
When it gets warm we start
swimming.
Drama
We are exploring famous
stories that have animals in
them, e.g. The 3 Little Pigs
or The 3 Billy Goats Gruff.
We will be movie stars
when we make our own
mini movies acting out our
favourite stories!
Family Project
How do I keep my pet healthy and cared for?
As a family discuss how and why you care for your family pet (or maybe a
relative’s or friend’s pet if you don’t have one.) Make a poster showing how you
care for your pet or help with a pet you know.
Bring your poster to school (hand to your classroom teacher) by Friday the 21st of
November and if your poster is judged the most interesting and informative, you
could win a family pass to…