This is the first post in the blog that is sure to take the world wide web by storm.
Thats right it's 2012 and things are already well under way in Room 8. Its has been a fantastic experience meeting everyone and being a part of all the students coming together. We are all bringing a great attitude to the classroom, it seems like Room 8 is ready to take on the world! But first lets see what we have planned for Term 1...
Our Rich Task for this Term is based around 'Safety', with a fertile question of 'What makes a survivor?'. So we can fit this in ever so nicely with our camp experience, the four elements of our safety research will be: bush, personal, food and water. Our 4 day camp is in Piha at Steadfast Park (
http://www.stedfastpark.org.nz/). Soon the students will start to plan their own breakfast, lunch and dinner. This means choosing the ingredients, sticking to a budget and sorting out utensils. Surely a great opportunity for them to appreciate their parents everyday efforts!
In writing we are focusing on recounts and information reports. In this short period of time we have crafted recounts that are both informative and entertaining. Hopefully there are many more to come. We have also been looking at exemplars of writing from other New Zealand kids and studying closely the stages great writers go through.
In mathematics our spotlight this term will be on geometry, running along side it will be the long term focus on number and problem solving. Of course it is important that students have a confident grasp on both basic facts and place value. A quick quiz at home is an ideal way to improve children's knowledge.
Finally, there are many extra-curricular opportunities that are already presenting themselves: cricket, rock band, netball, softball tennis to name a few. The Pinnacles tramp is an incredible experience and one that all students should consider. I fully encourage all students of Room 8 to get out there and give it a go, try something new!
I (Jesse) will oversee the blog, but the main duties of running this portal into our class will fall with 2 or 3 selected students.
I am really excited about this class and the year of learning we have ahead of us. I can tell its going to be amazing. See you in class!
