Middle Syndicate News

By Amy McBeath | Posted: Thursday September 17, 2020

It's hard to believe that we're already at the end of the term. It's been another busy one with lots of exciting things happening around our school.

Keeping Ourselves Safe

It has been great to have Constable Ross in our classes to teach children about all different ways to keep themselves safe.  Hopefully, they have been able to share some of this learning with you at home.  One key thing that we have been working on is being able to say who we are, where we live, and a contact phone number.  One helpful solution for children who have trouble remembering contact details, we have talked about having a card with contact details for an adult at home (like a business card).  Having meeting places when you're out and about, and knowing who to ask for help has also been a focus.  Overall children are encouraged to ask for help or talk to someone they trust when they are feeling unsafe.

PBL (Project Based Learning)

Classes have continued their work creating websites, apps, and videos to help others with wayfinding around our school, and are now looking at how to apply their skills and knowledge to the Dunedin Hospital Rebuild.  The new vocabulary relating to wayfinding that they are using has certainly increased as they have developed more knowledge which has been great to see.

Fundamental Skills

We have been lucky to have Ben and Josh join us from the Otago Polytechnic to develop our fundamental skills.  Children have been working on jumping and skipping, as well as some ball skills.

New Playground

Children have had a fantastic time on the new playground.  We had an official opening in week 8 after some much-awaited anticipation watching the progress beginning the area being cleared and then each new piece of equipment being added.

Term 4 - Swimming

We'll begin our swimming sessions next term.  Each class will have 8 swimming sessions with Jill Clarke Swim School.  Please make sure that you have read the information that has been sent our regarding this and that you contact either your child's classroom teacher or Simon if there are any issues regarding swimming that might affect your child taking part.

Children's thoughts for Term 3:

Only last Wednesday our school had Wacky Hair Day. Not everybody had to do a funny hair style. We all liked everybody's ideas but we especially Liked Isabelle’s and Amelia’s.
Also, last week, we went outside to learn skills with basket-balls, hopping and skipping with Otago Polytech. It was lots of fun!
This term we have been learning about wayfinding. We have been using directions and measurement and making our own videos to put on a website to show people around the school.
Constable Ross came to talk to us about keeping ourselves safe and finding someone to trust if we get lost.
Evie Benoit and Penny Kibby

We have been making websites for our wayfinding project. It was fun making the websites. At first I went on Google to search our school’s logo then I inserted the image, next I linked it to slide 2. After, I inserted word art from Rm.1 to Rm.12.On day two I made four different languages the first one was English, the second one was Chinese the third one was German, and the 4th one was Korean. William 

My website helps people to get to room 1, room 2, room 3, room 4, room 5, room 6, room 7, room 8, room 9, room 1A, room 12. Ted 

We have been learning about Lego Wedos and we have built a windmill and we made it spin and light up, and we made it make a sound. We did all of this with Mr Reid. It was fun. We loved it. Isla, Lexi, & Ava

Room 5 Report by Holly and Jedd

R5 has been focusing on getting better at using and learning the maori language using Education Perfect.We have learnt place names, phrases, numbers, days and greetings.

We have been also working on our PBL projects on Wayfinding using Metaverse(augmented reality app).We have had some room 5 parents and a grandparent coming in and talking about the new hospital.We are finishing up our school wayfinding project and are working on our hospital one.

Outside we have been doing fundamental skills with Otago Polytechnic students. They are teaching us lots of skills like soccer, skipping, basketball and jumping.

Our class has also been spending time with our buddy class. We read, do art and ball skills with them.

Lately we have had Constable Ross coming in and teaching us how to keep ourselves safe. He has taught us what to do when we get lost and parts of our body. He also taught us nice touches and not nice touches.

During times like math time we have a lot of things to do like math books and mathletics.Lately we have been doing tournaments on xtramath.There are the quarter finals, semi finals and the finals.

Image Gallery