Spider Unit and Reading

We have just started an exciting unit on SPIDERS! During the next two weeks, our reading will be focussed on whole class reading and using the spider reading centre questions - as well as researching the features, habitats and adaptations of different spiders - instead of guided reading. I won’t be bringing books home regularly during this time. Here’s what I can do at home instead:

O Go on a spider hunt - note the spider’s habitat, how big its web is and the spider’s features. I can  use the information at school to work out what species of spider it is.

O Visit the Halswell Community Library for spider books

O    Read information on spiders on the internet (see links on this page)

O Read for enjoyment, for 15 to 20 minutes each night.

O Continue learning my spelling words on www.spellingcity.com and using www.studyladder.co.nz

New videos

We have 2 new videos coming soon - slide shows of our final softball session held on Monday and the Bugmobile visit on Tuesday. Unfortunately, we are experiencing technical difficulties (or Mrs Woolford may have saved them in the wrong format!). Hopefully we'll have them up to share with you in the next day or so.

We have added some links to spider pages - great for those spider enthusiasts out there!

Welcome to our new readers!

It's great to see we have had so many visitors to our blog recently. The year for us has started well, with Constable Ross coming in for 2 sessions about identifying bullying and getting help, for our Kia Kaha topic. We have also started softball lessons, and have Suzie from the Art Gallery coming in tomorrow for a lesson about portrait drawing.

It's going to be a busy, but fun term for us all. We hope you'll keep checking back as we post more of our learning activities.

Last week we welcomed Mrs Bartlett into our class. Mrs Bartlett will be teaching in Room 20 every Wednesday morning this year. We are so lucky to have her with us!

Today we had our first of five t-ball and softball lessons. We had such great fun learning how to grip using our 'doorknocker knuckles', and to use our whole bodies by 'squashing the bug' with our back feet!

Welcome to our 2012 blog!

Welcome to our blog! We now have 28 children in our class. Georgia is happy and excited to be back at school. Sophie thinks it feels good to be back at school. Please keep watching our blog for more updates as we have lots of fun learning new and exciting things.

From the Room 20 kids and Mrs W

Happy holidays!

What a year we have had Room 20! Amongst all of the challenges we have faced - earthquakes, snow, and loosing power to our classroom - you have all managed to make such amazing progress in the academic, sporting, cultural and social aspects of your lives. I am so proud of each and every one of you and will cherish the close bonds we have all had with each other this year. I hope you all have a wonderful break. To those of you leaving us for an exciting adventure in a new class - we wish you all the best, and hope to have you back for a few visits! To the rest of you - I will see you next year, ready for another year of exciting learning activities.

A special congratulations to Julie and Harriet for being voted the most ACTIVE members of our class in 2011. What a special acknowledgement of all your hard work!

Well done to our members of the Year 3-6 choir, who managed to raise over $200 from their visit to Barrington Mall. You are all stars!

Thank you Julie, Tristan, Harry, Caleb, Millie, Xanthe, Ben, Jorja, Zara, Summer, Harriet, Jaimee, Luke, Jess, Caitlin, Ryan, Liam, Georgia, Sterling, Eli, Grace, Caleb and Jessica for a fantastic year! I have been blessed with an amazing class this year, and really appreciate the hard work you have put in this year. Keep up the great work over the holidays, while also enjoying the time with your families and friends.

Happy holidays everyone! - Mrs W