Elm Park School Newsletter - Term 4 - Week 3 - 1st November 2013

Friday 1 November 2013 – Term 4 Week 3

Value Focus for next week: Initiative / Perseverance

FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Kia ora tatou katoa, Talofa, Malo e lelei, Bula vi naka, Kia orana Nga mihi nui ki a koutou, Namaste, Nihao, greetings to you all.
Welcome to Week 3 Term 4. We are well into the Term and everyone is extremely busy around the school.

Athletics - Last week we held our Year 4 - 6 Athletics which were very enjoyable as the weather was kind to us.

Talent Show - This week we have had the Talent Show, organized by Mrs Taljaard. Well done to all those children who put in so much practice. Thanks to all the teachers who were involved and Mrs Taljaard’s daughter Rae for all her help as well.

Inquiry Show Case - Our teachers and children have been working hard on our Inquiry Study “Enterprise” the last two terms. We will be setting up all the children’s work in the Auditorium for parents and families to view next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. You are welcome to come in and view the displays during these two days from 8.30 am – 3.30 pm.

ERO (Education Review Office) - We are expecting 3 members of ERO to visit on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week to look at what our students are learning and what our teachers are doing.

Choir - Next Wednesday evening our choir is performing at the Town Hall at 7.00 pm along with choirs from many other schools across Auckland.

Student Led Conferences - A reminder that our Term 4 Student Conferences will be held on Wednesday 13 November (Year 4 - 6) and Thursday 14 November (Year 1 - 3). Information to follow.

Uniform - Please ensure your children are wearing the correct school uniform and shoes at all times. Please also note that term 4 is a hat term, children must have their hat if they wish to play out of the shade during break times.

Have a great weekend Kind regards


Trish Plowright 
Principal


LOOKING AHEAD

CLASSES FOR 2014 – We are in the process of forming classes for 2014. Please note that no staffing is confirmed and it is not possible to request a specific teacher for any year level. If you have information you would like us to consider when placing your child in a class, please write to The Principal in confidence by 22 November and we will consider this information when making placements.
Can you please notify us in writing if your child is not returning to Elm Park School in 2014.


GALA 2014 - Sunday 2 March 2014. A day of fun and excitement for the whole family! We would love your help and your participation. Please contact the office on secretary@elmpark.school.nz or Karen Allen at karen@elmpark.school.nz or Karen Lusis, dean.karen@vodafone.co.nz if you are able to help or if you have any questions.


CHILD RESTRAINT LAWS - Information is now available regarding changes to child restraint laws that are coming in to force on 1 November. At that time, the mandatory use of child restraints in vehicles will be extended by two years, with all children required to be correctly secured in an approved restraint (this includes booster seats) until their seventh birthday. Children aged seven will continue to be required to be secured in an approved child restraint if one is available in the vehicle, and if not, in any child restraint or safety belt that is available. These changes will help reduce preventable deaths and serious injuries to children travelling in vehicles. More information is also available at www.nzta.govt.nz/childrestraints


ANZ BANKING – A reminder that there is ANZ banking with Mrs Kerr and the ANZ school bank tellers. The school bank is open on Wednesday mornings, before school in the Library.

THIS WEEK IN REVIEW


2014 Changes for e-Portfolios and Cybersafety Procedures - Following a successful trial with two classes this year we have made the decision to move our e-Portfolios from KnowledgeNET to Google for 2014. Each student will have their own public blog to share their learning along with a private Google Site for teachers to share confidential feedback and assessment data. The content of the e-Portfolios will not change - you will still have access to all the same information that you've had this year. We will be providing more detailed information about the change at the beginning of next year.

To align our increasing use of e-Learning practice with our cybersafety expectations we are making some changes to our procedures. While feedback and assessment data will continue to have access restricted to the student and their caregivers, student blogs/e-Portfolios will now be public although no personal identifying information will be used other than the student's first name. The purpose for the public nature of the blog is to motivate our students to engage with learning tasks more actively and this is supported by recent research and best practice in other New Zealand schools. Again, more information will be provided early next year but please contact Belinda Johnston, Deputy Principal and e- Learning Facilitator, if you have any specific concerns (belinda@elmpark.school.nz or 5770194).

KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

Thur 13 Dec ........... Term 4 Ends
Thur 24 Oct ............ Y4-6 Athletics day
Thur 31 Oct............ Talent Quest - Auditorium
............................... 12.30 pm & 6.45 pm
Tue 5 Nov .............. Inquiry Learning Show Case Wed 6 Nov ............. Inquiry Learning Show Case Mon 4 Nov.............. ERO visit commences

Fri 8 November....... Push Play Day
Wed 13 Nov............ Student Led Conferences
Thur 14 Nov............ Student Led Conferences
Fri 15 Nov ............... Character parade
Tue 19 Nov ............. Athletics Field Day (Interschool) Sat 23 Nov.............. Garage Sale Fundraising
Fri 29 Nov ............... Celebration Concert

POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTION WINNERS
Congratulations to the following students who were selected and acknowledged this fortnight for their responsible, friendly behaviour.

PERSONAL PRESENTATION

The following students were voted as the overall fortnight’s winner in their year level for the most neatly presented in their uniform.

FOCUS ON CHILDREN
Room 14 has been studying butterflies as our Enterprise Inquiry. We found it very interesting and hope that the Red Admiral butterfly will come and visit us at school.

Butterfly Creek
Flowers-wild flowers, nettles, swan plants.
Food-plates with fruits and they drink nectar.
Life Cycle-egg larva pupa adult butterfly.
Parts of a butterfly-antenna, wings, 6 legs, head, abdomen, compound eyes. Habits-a mix of flowers.

The train is called the Red Admiral.
The butterflies like warm weather.
The eyes are compound which is like a kaleidoscope. They like sunshine.
Birds are predators of butterflies.
There are lots of species of butterflies.
The Red Admiral larvae like stinging nettles.

Camouflage, pond, warm, plants, sweet water, different types, nectar, Red Admiral, colourful wings, shiny, flowers, sunshine, nettles, compound eyes, life cycle.
By Cindy Lin

Madame Butterfly. Things that we learnt what type of flowers do we use? marigolds, roses, high pollination,flowers, Use bright colourful flowers, make sure that flowers are not neatly planted.
wild flowers, don’t put flowers in certain spots that are neatly made, attractive flowers, pollination, talk about red admiral, nettle from nurseries, female, male, females lay over 200 eggs, some butterflies live up to 2 terms but the monarch butterfly lives up to 9 - 10 months, butterflies camouflage to make predators not see them, they have compound eyes, abdomen, thorax, antennae, head, proboscis, legs, feet, wings, nectar drinker, egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult, lifecycle, pupa, larvae, imago, laid, hatchling, hatch. nectar.
By Eden Wood