This document provides information from the Wai Pod teachers for parents. It introduces the teachers and their roles. It outlines the pod's vision for the year which includes working together effectively, giving children a student voice, providing effective communication, and teaching self-management. It discusses various learning activities and programs like Dojo points, basic facts, inquiry-based learning, literacy and spelling homework. It also provides ways parents can support their child's learning at home.
2. Wai Pod Teachers
Joe Bailey - Team Leader/Wai 1
Megan Happl - Wai 2
Aimee Keenan - Wai 3
Grant Hammond - PE/Fitness
Lisa Moore - Performing Arts
How you can you help?
The Purpose is to inform you of what we are doing and importantly
explain how you can support your child’s learning
Joe
3. Our Vision for the Year
Work together effectively
Give children a ‘student voice’
Provide effective communication
Teach children to be self-managing
Joe
4. Working Together Effectively
Discussing work and helping each other
As a team meet regularly to discuss Dojo winners and why
they won, and to discuss our inquiry
How you can you help?
Work with them on their home learning to show that it is effective
i.e. peer assessment of writing - part of our process
Joe
5. Student Voice
Circle-time
Create systems and routines with them
Inquiry - authentic real purpose
How you can you help?
Support their Inquiry home learning tasks
Show enthusiasm!
Joe
6. Effective Communication
Mornings at 8.30
Email
Website
Diary
Weekly Newsletter - displayed in Pod
Letters home
Reflection workshop on Friday
‘we want it to be worthwhile’
How you can you help?
Inform us immediately of any worries or concerns
Share your thinking
Let us know what you would like to know more about.
Joe
7. Self-Management
Encourage children to take ownership and responsibility
Children take control over their own learning e.g. goal setting, choosing the right
tool to assist their learning
Organizing themselves during the day quickly and efficiently
How you can you help?
Encourage to sort bags out
Working to a deadline
Routine for home learning to encourage independence and develop good habits
Aimee
8. Dojo Points
Point reward system based on behaviours we want to encourage in class
Links to the Summit Points
It is flexible
Megan
9. Basic Facts
Links to Numeracy Strategies
Repetition
Recall within three seconds
Variety of activities
How you can you help?
Set a routine to practice and support a variety of activities
Mathletics Live - Mathletics Courses
Aimee
10. Inquiry
ThinkingHow do weworks best for us?
- what learn best?
Thinking - what worksus learnfor us?
Finding out what helps
best
Identifying our intelligences
Trialling ideas and measuring it’s success
Create an effective learning environment within the class and
the pod i.e. design a Da Vinci space
How you can you help?
Discuss their thinking - refer to the real world - what do companies do to encourage creative/deeper
thinking
Would love to reach out and visit a business
Joe
11. Literacy - Home Learning
Book
Children should select an appropriate book for their level
Read for about 20 mins everyday - record in the diary
How can you help at home?
Hear them read and ask questions - not so much decoding more about
understanding
Inform us if you feel the book is inappropriate
Listen to audio books
Joe
12. Writing
Our current focus for this term is:
Capital letters and full stops
It makes sense - spotting missing words
Essential spelling
Vocabulary - using their green pen - make it
great
Celebrate their hard work - identify the positive
How can you help at home?
Any work in their diary needs to be peer assessed by you!
Megan
13. Spelling - Home Learning
Spelling words based around essential words and
words they are spelling incorrectly in their own writing
Try a variety of strategies as suggested in the diary such as:
Writing the word four times in different colours
Write the word in a meaningful sentence
Find words within words
Scrabble letters
Aimee
14. Photos of what’s been happening - great to start a discussion at home
Reflections
Website
How can you help at home?
Discuss photos on website - help refer back to learning
Encourage use of Ultranet - there will be questions to discuss and opportunities to
support each other - effective eLearning
Megan
15. Leadership Opportunities
Encourage taking on responsibility
Year 4
Librarians
Kiss and Drop
Year 5-6
PE Shed monitors
Rainy Day Rangers
Bus Monitors
Office Angels
Aimee
16. Nuts and
Bolts
Camp - more info and a meeting is coming!
Children need to wear appropriate shoes for fitness
Parent Help is always appreciated and if you can
offer any help please see the class teacher
Joe
17. There will a Pod Termly Newsletter
revisiting key information on how you can
help etc.
Please see us if you have any particular
questions.
Thanks for coming!
Joe
Hinweis der Redaktion
DEBBIE Welcome Vision / Mission Statement Links to our logo New school set up The key message is that we will transition your child into the school with care and support. The next key message is to share our programme. What will we do for kids that are struggling, that need extending? What support will my child get?
Post it notes
Post it notes
Post it notes
Post it notes
BRIDGET & KATHRYN
BRIDGET & KATHRYN
BRIDGET & KATHRYN
BRIDGET & KATHRYN Therefore we will be gathering words from children’s writing, using commonly mis spelt words and using words focused on a particular sound or pattern that is being explictity taught.
BRIDGET Show an example of a class page - Darran’s Class, this is how we will integrate Learning Beyond the classroom. Your child’s class will have their own These sites are all safe! The children will have a log in given to them at the big day out so that they can access their class page.
GRANT
GRANT CLOTHING Our clothing items are an optional uniform that we encourage all pupils to wear. These can be purchased through Mrs Murray in the school office. We are developing a hire system for sports tops with an option to purchase. STATIONERY In an effort to be resourceful and save you money, we are asking that your children bring their current stationery along with them next term. We will then let you know asap of any further requirements you will need to purchase. SAUSAGE SIZZLE SCHOOL DIARY This planning diary is intended to provide a centralised source of information for both students and parents. It will assist you with your daily organisation and time management. Parents are encouraged to use the diary as a communication vehicle between home and school. Students will use the diary to note important class or school events and record the learning that has taken place ‘ Beyond the Classroom. ’ LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Learning beyond the classroom celebrates all learning that takes place outside the school environment. Students will be given a menu of activities, some will be expected to be completed, such as reading, others will depend on the students interests. Each evening your son/ daughter will note down with your help and support the activities they have completed. The main objective of learning beyond the classroom is to move away from the negative connotations of homework and celebrate true learning; that homework can be all emcompassing. Reading - As part of our learning beyond the classroom children should be reading every night. School readers go home every night and these are books the students can read to you. Students should be having a different book every night. Please let us know in the diary if this is not happening. Students can also be reading from their library books or from home in addition to this. Please sign the diary each day and write any feedback for your child and/or the teacher. Maths and Statistics - We will suggest a number of interactive websites that will reinforce basic facts and number knowledge aligned to what is being taught in the classrooms. Spelling (At RPS we call word study) - The children will continue to learn misspelt words from their writing in class. These can be found in the student diary. Please practice these each night from the spelling activities sheet or go to www.spellcity.com CLASS PLACEMENTS – Holidays Class groupings will depends upon roll numbers Weekly newsletters should be receiving on Mondays – just let Mrs Murray know Letter in holidays outlining the 19 th July
GRANT Mornings are devoted to Literacy and Numeracy. A fitness break helps children to let off built up physical energy so that they can quickly refocus into the core teaching and learning areas in the morning. Bridget and Kathryn will outline these areas in more detail shortly. Our specialist afternoon programme ’ s will shape and grow as the school itself develops. Inquiry incorporates Science, SS, Technology and Health The focus for the first two weeks will be on really getting to know your son or daughter. To understand them and talk to them about their interests as well as provide learning opportunities for them to engage in cooperative learning and to look at how they learn, what hooks them into learning. As we are a new school, they will be creating the right environment and culture just like any new business development. The children will work with our vision and play a key role in ensuring that it comes alive. Our Year 1 and 2 children have been doing this and we will continue to work with our Year 3 and 4 students in doing this – Learning about learning. The children will be creating the environment- children feeling part of the learning- developing ownership and independence but also given strong routines. Eg Enviroschool focus Research implies that when children feel comfortable and at ease in their new environment there is an increased chance that they will perform to their true potential. Therefore, we will be collecting assessment information with the children in Weeks 3 and 4. We recognise the importance of sharing with them how and why we test so they will undertand the process and be able to perform and show their very best. From this staff will work with each student to develop their stepping stones to milestones and Pathways to learning
