WHAT NOW??

Melissa Mitchell (Georgia's Mum) has organised a group of children from Kohara to go to the recording of  "What Now." on 03 July. She has another 12 places which she is opening up for any other Kohara kids that are interested. Please either telephone or email Melissa within the next two or three days  to grab a spot!
Melissa ph. 021329366
Email -MILLSMCD@yahoo.com

Week 5 (30 May - 3 June)

Talofa and welcome to Week 5!

Welcome
This week we welcome Khori to our class. We hope she enjoys being part of Kohara. If you see Khori and her family, please say hi and make them feel welcome.

Classroom Release
This week Room 19 have PE with Mr Lukes on Tuesday from 11-12.30pm.
Room 18 also have PE with Mr Lukes on Wednesday morning from 9-10.30am.

Matariki Show
This Thursday we are attending a performance called 'Little Eyes in the Sky' which links into the upcoming Matariki celebration. This Court Theatre group performed last year for us and they were absolutely fantastic! The cost for this will be billed to the end of term activity fees.

Library Day
Please return library books to the class containers before Friday's library session.

Kapa Haka
Junior Kapa Haka is on Friday.

Lunchtime Clubs
Sewing club is on Tuesday lunchtime 12.45 in the room off the library.
Chess Club is on Wednesday lunchtimes in R21 from 12.45.

Junho
This is Junho's last week in Kohara. It has been lovely to watch Junho interact with the children in Kohara in such a warm, kind manner and they have enjoyed working with him over the last few weeks. We would like to say a big thanks to Junho and wish him well for his future teaching career. Junho finishes with us on Friday.

PTA News
Chocolate boxes have now been issued and money can be returned each morning before school in Room 21. You are also able to return part boxes if you can't sell it all or get more boxes if you need. All money raised goes towards buying new reading books across the school so a great way to help fundraise.

Marathon Drinks Station
We are still urgently needing about 5 more helpers to assist with running a drinks station at the Chch Marathon this Sunday 5 June (from approximately 7am to 12 noon). If you can help please let Monique know asap.

Disco coming up in Week 8 - Friday 24th June.

Library Tomorrow

Remember your library books for tomorrow (Friday).

Teaching French by Shyla

I went to school and I went on the stage and I taught some french. I am learning music. I was scared and then I did it! I was happy and I smiled. Georgia taught everyone a song.

By Shyla

Sky Tower by Thomas

I was making a sky tower. First I got a bucket then I coloured the bucket in. Then I put the buckets on top of each other and it was really tall. Next I painted it black. Then I put the blue bit on the top for the pointy bit on the top. I got the idea because I've been to a real sky tower.

By Thomas

My Kitten By Connell

On Friday I got a kitten! We called her Kiko. She was sweet! It was a girl. It was a moggy which mean an ordinary cat. She likes walking on the window sill. I learnt that if she is playing leave her alone. Sometimes she tries to pick up the carpet. She has a new toy, it's a fishing rod toy. If you throw a ball on the ground SHE CHARGES at the ball and chases it. She does good skills. If you pat her a lot she purrs and purrs a lot. I love Kiko a lot. Her face looks sweet. She hangs out with me. She sometimes climbs the clothes dryer. Kiko isn't even 1 yet.

By Connell

Week 4 (23-27 May)

Goodness, Week 4 already! This term is positively speeding by!

Classroom Release
This week Room 18 have Art with Mrs McHaffie on Tuesday from 11-12.30pm.

Reading Returns Roster
Thank you to our helpers so far this term. The rest of this term's roster is looking rather empty so if you can please spare a few minutes just once a week to shelve some books, we'd really appreciate your help with this. It's also great if we can share the load over the term so the same parents aren't always doing it. We are more than happy to show you what to do so if you've never done it please just let us know and we'll talk you through it.

Pam Hook Staff Development
At Waimairi, we are so lucky to work with Pam Hook who comes down every term to work with the staff on SOLO taxonomy. A lot of what we do in the classroom is based on SOLO so it is always fabulous to work with Pam aligning our teaching practice with this. Mrs Campbell and Mrs O'Sullivan will be released for our time with Pam on Monday from 9-10.30am and then again as part of our Maths Inquiry group from 2-3pm. While we are attending our sessions Mr Joe Allert and Ms Kate Webster will be running our usual Kohara class programme.

Lunchtime Clubs
Tuesday lunchtime - sewing club
Wednesday lunchtime - chess club
Great fun for all ages. Really neat to see so many Kohara children going along and having a go.

Kapa Haka
Our first session with Maaka on Friday was fabulous. Looking forward to our next junior school session this week on Friday at 10.20am.

Library
Please remember books for Library on Friday. Books can be returned to class any day leading up to Friday - just pop them in the class library containers. The children know where these are.

Singing with Ali
Last week we were very lucky to have Ali Harper (Thomas's Mum) come in and do some singing with us. The children really enjoyed it and it was rather special having Ali sing to us as well. We look forward to some more singing with Ali over the term.

Social Studies Inquiry
This term we are looking at Celebrations and what is the same across cultures when celebrating. If you have a particular cultural tradition in your family, please let us know as we'd love to learn more. It could be anything at all to do with birthdays, Christmas, New Year, weddings, funerals, Diwali, coming of age ceremonies etc. Feel free to email us or pop in and have a chat. It would be great to include traditions that Kohara families use to celebrate. Likewise we'd love to share any photos, pictures or special celebration objects from other countries.

Headlice
Headlice has been doing the rounds at school - keep checking for those pesky headlice!

PTA Marathon Help
We are urgently needing some more helpers for an upcoming PTA fundraiser which will provide the school with over $1300 of funds. All that's required is some willing helpers on Sunday 5 June (Queen's Birthday weekend) from 7am to approximately 12 noon helping run a water station at the Christchurch Marathon. If you or anyone you know can help out please let Mrs O'Sullivan know asap. Children aged 13 and up, friends or family are also able to volunteer with you.

Chocolate Fundraiser
Hopefully you have all returned your notices - chocolate boxes have now been ordered and will be issued this Friday to all those participating or to those who have not indicated otherwise. these should be sent home with the eldest in the family.

Have a wonderful week :)

Kapa Haka Change

Starting this week, Kapa Haka will change to a Friday morning instead of Thursdays. We also welcome back Maaka who is returning to work with the children. Due to the new timing of our sessions, morning tea on a Friday will also change to 10.45-11.10am for the whole school. Junior Kapa Haka will run from 10.20 - 10.45am.

Friends Who Love Drawing

Thomas and Leon spent a lot of time drawing this very detailed picture on the whiteboard. They worked cooperatively and added lots of details. It is an imaginary drawing where there are birthday cake fireworks and other creative surprises!

Travelling in Style

Look at these fabulously comfortable travel cushions. Just perfect for travelling a long way by car or even by plane. Amy and Sophie designed and made their own, hand sewing them and using stuffing to make them soft.

If only Mrs O and Mrs Campbell had an overseas holiday planned... We could have borrowed them. Wishful thinking!!

Don't fall asleep girls!

Our Mathematicians

Today Matthew, Noah, Harlen and Eddie had a go at a maths puzzle. They had to use 9 counters, 3 red, 3 blue and 3 yellow. They had to place them on the grid so that each colour only appeared once in each row and once in each column. They had to persevere and put their problem solving to the test! As they completed the grid they found that sometimes they had to swap counters around a little bit. They all managed to complete it and are now able to teach other Kohara children how to do it. Next time they are going to grow their brain by trying it with four colours on a 4x4 grid.

You could try this at home by drawing up a grid. You could use counters, game pieces, buttons or even bits of paper coloured in to make the counters. As long as you have three groups of three things the same it doesn't matter what you use. Leave us a comment if you have a go and let us know how you went. Did you have to think like a mathematician?

Mainland Soccer

We had a wonderful time getting stuck in to mini games of soccer, playing different teams of 4 in a rotation. Then we learnt about the frozen lake which was a good game to practise using the space and spreading out (so you didn't crash through the ice with too many players standing too close together during the game)! We were quite puffed by the end of it but it was lovely to see the resilience of the Kohara children growing through having a go.

Headlice Alert!

The dreaded headlice are back doing the rounds. Please take time to check your child's hair and treat if needed.

Week 3 (16-20 May)

Welcome to Week 3 :)

Football Skills
On Monday afternoon Mainland Football are running a soccer skills session with Kohara. Children will need suitable running shoes.

Classroom Release
Room 19 have PE with Mr Lukes on Tuesday this week.

Staffing
There are a few changes this week due to us both having staff development/meetings during the week and with Mrs Campbell being on leave from Wednesday to Friday. Ms Jill Kelk will be teaching in Kohara for Tracy on Wednesday and Thursday and Ms Tania Stott will be relieving on Friday. We will update you via the classroom whiteboard as to any other changes during the week!

Reading Roster
Thank you to our helpers who have added their names to our reading returns roster. If you can spare a few minutes during the term, we'd love a few more names to spread the load over the term. You can find the roster on the noticeboard just outside our classroom doors. Thank you to our helpers for the last two weeks - we really do appreciate your time.

Kapa Haka on Thursday.

Library day is Friday. Thank you to the children who are remembering their library books each week and their library bags.

PTA
All welcome to come along to the PTA's monthly meeting on Tuesday. We meet in the library at 7.30pm - and we always love seeing new faces!

Parent Evening - Nathan Mikaere Wallis
Grab your FREE tickets before the 19th May (after that date they go on sale to the public). Each family can have up to 2 free tickets to hear Nathan speak on Wednesday 25th May at 7.30pm in the school hall. If you would like tickets sent home via your child, just let the office know and they will arrange that for you, otherwise pop in to the office and grab yours.

Have a great week.

Parent Evening

We are very lucky to be hosting Nathan Mikaere Wallis on Wednesday 25th May (7.30pm) as the guest speaker for our Parent Information Evening. Nathan is a fabulous speaker, entertaining and thought provoking and has a vast knowledge on the neuro science behind children and their learning. I have been lucky enough to hear Nathan speak on several occasions and cannot recommend him highly enough.

At Waimairi, we are offering you the chance to hear him speak for FREE but tickets are strictly limited to 2 per family. If you are able to attend, please collect your tickets from the office asap or let the office know if you can't come in to collect them and they will post them out to you. Any remaining tickets will be sold to the public after the 19th May so be in quick to grab yours. We look forward to seeing you there.

Friday Reminders

Friday Reminders

Please have your library books at school to be returned. We have a number of children with quite overdue books and Sue in the library is really keen to have these returned asap.

Poetry day as well - please make sure these are returned to the green containers in Room 19.

Thanks - have a fabulous weekend :)

Taila's Fantail

Wow! Isn't Taila's fantail detailed! We love the way Taila used real feathers to create the tail and thought about different ways to make the wings. Taila worked really hard to make his stitching neat and close together so that when he turned it inside out there would be no gaps. We think it looks fantastic.

Edward's Holiday

I am going on a holiday. There is a hydroslide and a movie theatre and a pool.
By Edward

Patterns

This term we are focusing on how to make and continue repeating patterns. Noah, Baxter and Paddy all had a go at creating their own pattern. We started off with an easy pattern that repeated in 2s, but then tried a three and four repeating pattern. Paddy made a really tricky pattern and was really challenging himself. We wonder who else in Kohara can make a repeating pattern?

Maybe you could try one at home using things around the house. Here's one to start you off...

Knife, fork, spoon, knife, fork, spoon, knife ...

Sophie's Cat

Look at this gorgeous cat creation that Sophie made. We love the details that Sophie has added especially the whiskers. Sophie persevered over quite a few weeks to keep adding more details to produce a really high quality project.