Week 1 (30 April-4 May)

Welcome back to Term 2. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday break with your fabulous children. This term is all about Science so we are looking forward to learning more about the Living World this term.

Classroom Release
This term the class groups have swapped over so Room 18 has Art with Mrs McHaffie on Wednesday from 9-10.30am. Room 19 will have PE with Mr Lukes on Thursday from 9-10.30am.

Parent Help
This term we would love some regular parent helpers to help out with literacy and numeracy activities, working mostly with individual or small groups. Unfortunately this is not suitable for preschoolers. We are hoping to start this from Week 2 so if you are able to help on any of the days/times below please let us know or flick us an email to tracy.campbell@waimairi.school.nz or monique.osullivan@waimairi.school.nz

Monday 11-12.00pm
Monday 1.30-3pm
Tuesday 9-10.30am
Tuesday 11-12.00pm
Wednesday 9-10.30am
Wednesday 11-12.00pm
Thursday 9-10.30am
Thursday 11-12.00pm

Because this will be a regular weekly time, all parent helpers must be police vetted prior to working with the children. This can be done by popping in to see Sandra in the office with some photo ID/Drivers Licence and she will give you the form to fill in. This is a strictly confidential process. If you have been vetted already, then you are good to go :)

Blend of the Week
This term we are focusing on a different blend sound each week. Our poem and classroom activities will also be based around the weekly blend. We would love it if you could talk about the blend at home each week - maybe have a scavenger hunt around home to see what you can find that starts with the blend sound.

This week our blend is Ch

Kapa Haka

Junior Kapa Haka is on Tuesday after lunch.

Library

Our Library day is Friday. Holiday books can be returned any time during the week to our yellow library containers in the middle space of the classroom.

Chess Club

Mr Lukes is keen to get the lunchtime Chess Club up and running over the winter months. We will let you know the day once it starts up as we know there are some very keen chess players in Kohara.

Have a great week - see you at Monday Meet Up at 8.50am for our Science Term ignition!

Olly Searches for the Giant

Olly had a fabulous time in Akaroa searching for the Giant that lives in the Giant's House!! He couldn't find him today but he did find some things that belonged to him...

Can you spot Olly sitting with Mrs O in the Giant's chair?

Can you see his Giant piano?

I wonder where he was? Maybe Olly will find him next time! In the meantime it's off to enjoy the view of Akaroa Harbour and maybe squeeze in a banana ice cream!

Not long til Olly gets to see your smiley faces again - he can't wait. He's missed you all.
Have a lovely weekend and see you all on Monday.

Olly

Olly, what are you up to?

As you can see Kohara, Olly is enjoying his holidays so far and has found himself a new favourite place to hang out. We had to go grocery shopping yesterday to buy more bananas for him! Olly says he is missing you all and is hoping you are having fun on your holidays.

This afternoon Olly tells me he is going to practise his word cards as he really wants to get better at his reading. He is also planning on visiting the Papanui Library so he can get more books out on monkeys, orang-utans and gorillas!

Friday Reminders

Please remember to return library books on Friday so the children can get new books out to enjoy over the holidays.

The children will also have their reading books from this week that they can re-read over the break as well and most children should have their high frequency word cards that we sent home earlier in the term to work on as well.

Have a great holiday with your fabulous children :)

Message For Izzy

Hi Izzy,

Thank you for the awesome pictures you sent us of your holiday from Dustyn.

 Mrs Campbell would like to know are those glow worms in the cave photo?

It looks like you are having a fun time because the photos looked like fun from Lucia.

Anika asks "Is it warm there?"

Tom wants to know was that a boat you were on with the girl and the water in the background?

Who are the people in the photo? Are they new friends? from Luca.

Sarah said she hopes you get to go there again.

Caleb and Pippa said they hope you have a good time.

Kohara hopes to see you soon love Tess.

Dustyn wants to know what is the big mountain in the back?

Anika wants to know if you have enough money to fly all of Kohara over there?
Jokes!!!!

Mylo wants to know where you are staying? Is it in a hotel?

What's been happening at Waimairi School while you've been away...

We have finished making all our butterfly lollipop creatures and we sold them at our fair on Saturday. They sold out they were so popular. We also sold out of our beautiful butterfly bags.

We have finished swimming at school now because it is getting colder here.

There was a boat race at the fair in the swimming pool!

At the fair Mrs Campbell LOVED having sponges thrown at her face while she was pretending to be a mermaid... check out our blog photos below!!

Please send us lots more photos and email. We loved hearing your news.
Love Kohara, Mrs O and Mrs Campbell
xxxx

Week 11 (9-13 April)

Welcome to Week 11 :)

Fair
Wow what a wonderful turnout on Saturday to our school fair. It was so lovely to see our community enjoying themselves and soaking up the atmosphere. A huge thanks to our hard working PTA and Fair team who have put in so many hours behind the scenes to ensure the success of the big day. Be sure to be at Monday Meet Up to find out how the grand total which will be going towards a new playground in the rebuild. To everyone who came along - a big thank you for also supporting the day.

Quote of the day goes to one of our Kohara children who said whilst helping on our class stall "This is the best day of my life."

The stormtroopers enjoying the fair!

Some of the Canterbury Rams players with Harry who was in Kohara last year. Nathan (Mrs Campbell's son is the one in the front on the left).

Thanks Mrs Campbell for representing the Kohara teachers at the sponge the teachers stall. Mrs O might owe you one :)

I wonder what was Mr Campbell's favourite part of the fair????

Sam enjoying the funny side of throwing sponges at his teacher!

Even Mrs Campbell's daughter Helen got in on the action! Poor Mrs Campbell!









Library
Please ensure books (and library bags) are returned to our class library containers before Friday as we'd love all the children to be able to issue new library books to enjoy over the term break.

End of Term
School finishes for the term break at 3pm this Friday and restarts for Term 2 on Monday 30 April.

Holiday Learning 
* Keep practising those high frequency words
* Enjoy reading your library books, favourite picture books or take the opportunity to visit your
  closest public library.
* Writing - why not send an actual letter or a postcard to someone.
* Check out a game or two on our class blog (plenty of maths and literacy games on there).
* Play a board game (great for adding dice patterns/numbers, counting etc).
* Do a random act of kindness for someone!

Have a wonderful break :)

High Frequency Words

If your child needs the next list of high frequency words to practice at home please let us know (List 1-3). Keep up the practise especially over the term holidays as it is really important to keep revising known words to consolidate them. We are really noticing an improvement during our reading lessons so keep up the great work!

Try cutting them out and mixing up the order or reading them up and down the columns instead :)

Float Your Boat Competition

There are some creative boats being made at home in preparation for the Float Your Boat competition at the Fair. This event will start at 11.30am on the day of the Fair so make sure if you are entering you bring your boat to the fair and meet at the swimming pool at 11.30am.

Our Fair Creations

We have been busy in our River groups creating some neat items to sell at the Fair on Saturday. Check out some of our lollypop creatures that we will be selling at our stall in Ara Atu on the day. We think they look pretty cute!

Mufti Day Friday 6 April

Remember Friday is mufti day - another great way to support our school fair. Instead of monetary donations, the Fair Committee would appreciate a donation of baking to sell at the fair. This can be dropped off to the music room in the hall before school. If you are unable to send baking, don't worry, the children can still come in mufti :)

We previously mentioned you could alternatively bring a chocolate bar - if you would like to donate a bar instead, these can be given to class teachers for collection.

Social Event

Nik Henshaw (Luka's mum) is planning on organising a social night out for keen Kohara parents early in Term 2. At this stage Nik is thinking of evening drinks at a local venue. We will post more details as they are confirmed via our class blog.

Thanks for the great initiative Nik - what a lovely opportunity for our Kohara parents to connect with each other.

Reading for Wednesday

Today the children have a poem for reading called "A Fish Story Nursery Rhyme". Please enjoy reading it together.

Poetry Folders

We have talked to the children about bringing their poetry folders back to school after they have had a poem. The poems that we share are part of our reading programme and it is important that the children have a poetry folder. If your child has lost theirs please replace it and please give a gentle reminder for it to be bought back to school and put in the green containers before the bell goes.
Many thanks
Tracy and Monique

Canterbury Rams Help

We would love to have a couple of parent helpers to assist Tracy in looking after the members of the Canterbury Rams basketball team on Saturday at the fair between 1pm and 2pm.

This involves collecting money and letting groups of children in for their allotted time with the rams players.

If you are able to help with this please let Tracy know asap.
Many Thanks.

Week 10 (4-6 April)

Welcome to Week 10 :)
We hope you all enjoyed a safe and happy Easter break with your family.

The Fair!
This Saturday 7th April is the highly anticipated Waimairi School Fair! The children are so excited and we are all looking forward to seeing you all here between 11am and 3pm on Saturday to check out the activities and stalls.

For those who offered to help out with our Rakaia River stalls, we will be in touch this week to confirm times. Even if you are not rostered on to help, you and your child are welcome to call by our site (located in Ara Atu, Room 14/15) and lend a hand during the day. The more the merrier! We will be selling our butterfly bags, t shirt bags, painted rocks, and lollypop creatures. There will also be face painting, hair braiding, nail salon and a nerf target range. We are also hosting players from the Canterbury Rams in the hall during the middle of the day.

Remember if your child would like to enter the float your boat competition, then bring along a small homemade boat and for a gold coin donation you can enter to see if you can make it across the school pool first! You can sign up on the day or else just let Tracy or Monique know if your child is keen to enter. This event is being hosted by the senior children from Whanaketanga (Room 7/8).

Mufti
This Friday (6 April) is a mufti day in support of the fair. Children can wear their favourite clothes and please send along either some home baking or a chocolate bar which will be used at the fair.

Swimming
The school pool has now closed for the season so no more class swimming until the end of the year. If your family purchased a pool key, you can now take it to the office and get your bond money returned.

Lost Property
There has been a huge pile of lost property in recent weeks - items that are named have been returned to bag hooks for the children to take home. Unnamed items have been placed in the school lost property container in the hall. Please ensure items are well named as this makes it easy to return clothing to the right owner.

Classroom Release
Room 18 have PE with Mr Lukes and Room 19 have Art with Mrs McHaffie on Wednesday afternoon from 1.30-3pm.

Library
Library day is Friday. Books can be returned any time to the yellow library containers in the middle space of Kohara. Thanks for remembering to send the library bags along as well.

Lester Flockton Parent Information Evening
This Wednesday 4 April from 7-8pm in the school hall. FREE
A great speaker - come along and hear all about our NZ curriculum.

Have a great week.

Have you put this in your diary?

Dr Lester Flockton
Reconnecting with our NZ Curriculum
Waimairi School
Wednesday 4 April
From 7-8pm
Cost: FREE

Please see front page of our newsletter. A really interesting speaker that will help us better understand the NZ Curriculum and its goals for your children.