Week 6, Term 3 2018

Hi everyone

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and made the most of the beautiful weather.

We have gymnastics this week on Wednesday so please make sure children wear their sport's uniforms.

Thank you to those families who keep supplying us with boxes, bottles, containers and lids for our construction table at Action Stations.

Also we may need some parents or grandparents to help with sewing simple harem pants for our class for the school production. Please email me at: suewright@stgerards.school.nz  if you are able to help.

Kate will be teaching the class this Thursday as well as Friday, as Sue is in Dunedin.

Have a great week,

Sue and Kate

Week 5, Term 3

Hi everyone,

What a beautiful weekend!  This week is a bit less busy, thank goodness!

The children really enjoyed soccer skills coaching with Tessa last week.

Gymnastics on Wednesday, so please remember sports' uniforms.

We are starting to practise songs for Aladdin Trouble, our musical. 

Keep sending along those containers and lids for our construction table.

And that's about it.  Have a great week,

Sue and Kate

Action Station Focus children Week 3 and 4

Soccer Coaching

Week 4, Term 3

Hi everyone

Hope you all had a great weekend and made the most of the beautiful weather!

Remember school will be closed on Wednesday as the teachers are striking.

This Thursday we have soccer coaching so could children please wear sports' uniforms.

Also on Thursday we are visiting Father Vaughan in the church and he is talking to us about baptism. If you have any photos of your child's baptism or a baptism certificate or a christening gown, could you please send these to school this week to share. (They will be well-looked after).

A big thank you to those families who have sent along construction materials to school.  Please keep these coming, and keep saving lids of any kind.

Have a good week,

Sue and Kate

Week 3, Term 3, 2018

Hi everyone

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and made the most of the beautiful weather yesterday.

Thank you to all those parents that came along to support their child at the crosscountry on Monday.  We were very proud of the children; they all showed resilience and gave it their best!

Well done to George and Freddie for being part of the Alex Under 8 Stormers who won the Miller's Flat Tournament  this weekend. Great rugby, boys!

This Wednesday is gymnastics again so please remember sport's uniforms.

We are getting short of materials for construction. Please keep sending along boxes and containers.  Also please save any type of lid or top eg milk bottle tops, wine lids, shampoo lids etc as the children use these in their very intricate creations. 

If anyone has spare screwdrivers at home, these would be very useful for an electronics station.

The PTA have asked for you to go to this link to complete a survey about the recent cash calendar survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HKYYTVS

Have a great week,

Sue and Kate

Action Station focus children Weeks 1 and 2

Week 2, Term 3 2018

Hi everyone

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend.

Tomorrow is the school crosscountry and here is the relevant information.

St Gerard’s School Cross Country

Monday 30th July (postponement day Tues 31st July)

12.00pm – Early Lunch

12.30pm – Leave School and walk together to the course

12.45pm – Walk the Course

Children will walk the course at approximately 12.45pm and races will
begin immediately following this. The race order will be as follows:

1.00pm (approximately) Races Begin

Race order as follows (Distances may change if the course needs to
be altered due to weather or trail conditions):

Year 7  & 8 Boys (2 big laps and 2 short laps) approx 1.00pm

Year 7 & 8 Girls (2 big laps and 2 short laps)

Year 5 & 6 Boys (2 big laps) approx 1.20pm

Year 5 & 6 Girls (2 big laps)

Year 1 & 2 Boys (1 short lap) approx 1.45pm

Year 1 & 2 Girls (1 short lap)

Year 3 & 4 Boys (2 short laps) approx 2.00pm

Year 3 & 4 Girls (2 short laps)

2.30/2.45pm (approximately)

Last race finished, tidy up of area, return to school.

General Information

All children need to wear school sports uniform.Please bring a drink
bottle, some extra snacks and lots of warm clothing on this day.

Children will walk back to school with their teachers at the conclusion
of the races. If you are there, you are able to take your child home with
you as long as you let me know.

The intended track is the same as last year, as long as the conditions
are good. The children will be starting and finishing on the Rail Trail
just over the Manuherikia Little Valley Bridge where we started and
finished last year. Please park in the car park to your left directly across
the Rail Trail Bridge. The school will be congregating and sitting just along
from here.

This is an adventurous course and we need plenty of adult marshalls.
If you are able to help with marshalling please
let Mr Yeoman know ASAP.

Studyladder Passwords

Following discussion with some parents at the interviews, each child now has a Studyladder password in their homework book. To log in, you just google Studyladder NZ and add your child's user name and password. This is a fun programme for children to practise Maths skills. They play games and earn gold coins which they can spend to decorate their online bedroom. I have included 3 different pods for Room 7: easy, medium and hard - your child probably knows which level best suits them, but if you sit with them you will see if they are managing the tasks. Unfortunately this programme will only work on computers or laptops (it costs $98 extra per family to have access to all the activities and for the programme to work on all devices).

Action Stations

We would like to add a technology station that involves taking things to bits. If anyone has any old electronic devices at home that could be unscrewed, or any spare screwdrivers, could you please send these along to school.

Gymnastics

We have Gymnastics with Kelly Club every Wednesday for the next seven weeks. Children need to wear their sports uniform each Wednesday.

Assembly

Room 2 and 7 are leading school assembly this Friday. If you are free, please join us in the hall at 2.15.

Have a great week,

Sue and Kate

Week 1, Term 3, 2018

Hi everyone,

We hope you all had a lovely holiday and made the most of the good weather.  This term promises to be a busy one.


Interviews are on Tues 24th July and Wed 25th July.
Please go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and use the code dm3gr and then follow the steps to book your interview. We hope you will all take this opportunity to talk with us.
Year 1-3 is optional if you wish your child to be present.

This Tuesday 24 July the school is having a BYO family Matariki breakfast at 7.00am in the school hall. Come in your PJs (bring school uniform to change into).  Toasters, tea, coffee and Milo will be provided. Hopefully if it is a clear morning we can see the stars - Ed Diver is our resource person for this. If anyone has a toaster they could bring that would be appreciated. Some helpers are also needed for setting up at 6.45. Please let Chris Beilby know if you can help.

On Wednesday we have gymnastics so children need to wear their sports uniform please.

The whole school is also beginning a programme called Play is the Way this term. This is a programme that teaches social and emotional skills using guided play, classroom activities and empowering language. The bell will be rung at 12.30 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and there will be a different game taught each week..

If your child is making their First Reconciliation there will be a meeting on Thursday at 6.30 in the chapel.

Have a great week

Sue and Kate

Week 10, Term 2, 2018

Hi everyone,

Well, the last week of term - where has the term gone?

What's Coming Up?

Ice-skating on Tuesday and Thursday - please remember helmets and gloves.

On Wednesday at 2.30, Brent Fairweather, the man behind Jump Jam, is visiting our school and taking the whole school for a Jump Jam session in the hall.  Should be lots of fun!

The school Eisteddfod will be held this Thursday in the hall at 1.30. A big congratulations to all those children who prepared a poem - most were able to recite their poem off by heart in front of Room 2 and 7. Those children who will be presenting their poem at the Eisteddfod on Thursday will be notified on Monday so they have plenty of time to practice.

REPORTS and INTERVIEWS
Your child’s report is almost completed and will be posted home to you during the last week of term. With the cancellation of national standards by the present government, we have used the past national standards and the current New Zealand curriculum levels to give you an indication of where nationally your child is achieving.
Years 1-3 -the achievement is based on their anniversary of starting school.
Interviews are Week 1 next term, Tues 24th July and Wed 25th July.
Please go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and use the code dm3gr and then follow the steps to book your interview. We hope you will all take this opportunity to talk with us.
Year 1-3 optional if you wish your child to be present.

In last week's newsletter there was a note about children taking part in the sacramental programme. In the past this has been for Year 4 students, however Father Vaughan welcomes anyone who is 7 years of age or older. The sacraments in this programme move on from Baptism with Reconciliation, Confirmation and then First Holy Communion. That means children who are 7 in Room 7 are welcome to take part this year if you wish.  The programme begins with a parent meeting on Thursday 5th July in the side chapel at the church. Please register your interest at the school office or for more information contact Loretta Fonseca 4492477 or Father Vaughan 4489615. Please see the school newsletter for more details.

Please note we currently have head lice in Room 7.  Please check your child's hair and treat if necessary. 

Have a great week and a happy and safe holiday.

Sue and Kate

Action Station focus children Week 9.