Independent Reading & Student Agency

Photos/Video 11 May 2018

During independent reading time students have agency over who they choose to read with and what they choose to read. Some of them chose to engage in reciting the Eskdale School Pepeha and another group worked together to read a poem and develop actions. The children working together are all at different instructional reading levels and they supported and encouraged each other by reading a line again and by developing actions to support others in their group to remember the lines of text or tricky words within the text.  All children were engaged during this time working on reading.

Where to next;
Capitalise on this by discussing with them how they feel during this time and what they like / don't like about buddy reading time. Make explicit all the wonderful skills they are using when they are working together

Working together to recite a poem and inventing actions to match the words. 

Te Reo PD and Integration into Class programme

Term 2  Te Reo PD every Tuesday

Te Triti o Waitangi

Professional Learning

Professional Relationships

As a staff we are participating in P.D. Run by Tineke and Holly to support us with implementing
Te Reo me nga tikanga Maori into our class. We practise speaking Te -Reo with a buddy
and in a small groups. All staff support each other and have fun. Tineke and Holly model
correct pronunciation and  how we can use tikanga in a meaningful and appropriate way within
our class environment. E.g Kariaka and Pepeha. We also learn waiata a ringa.

Week 1

Greetings and feelings

Resource pack supplied

In class I am using Te Reo greetings each morning and have made a "challenge" to add to
independent reading activities for the children to practice . Using the song "Tena Koe" and
during community time on Friday.4th may Tui & Kea classes worked together to make finger
puppets to practise greetings. I started reciting one line of the Eskdale Pepeha in week 8 of Term 1.
This is going really week and I have been surprised at how well the class remembered this after
the holidays
Further actions - This is going well but I need to continue to model, reinforce and encourage
the children to practise this for them to become confident and for the Reo to be used in an everyday
way. Keep working on the Pepeha one adding one new line a week. The children are enjoying this

Week 2

Learning and using numbers and counting within our class. I am now more conscious about finding
more opportunities to integrate counting. I using tekau flashing stars as an alternative to a
pakipaki nui. From this session I have integrated Te Reo counting into our P.E. Activity. The children are counting up to tekau as they throw and catch the ball.

Further action_ Once the children are confident with counting to tekau in Te Reo we will extend this up to twenty. Many of the children are currently working on counting to twenty in English. Develop some independent counting activities for the children to use during independent learning time

Week 3

Class Whakatauki

26 February 2018

Shared this Whakatauki with the class and we discussed what it means.
I shared my goal with them- To be able to say this Whakatauki without looking.
Then I self evaluate my goal and peer checked it with them. This is helping to reinforce that we are all learning and working towards achieving.

Braxton suggested that we display it with our Class Treaty - This has been done.

I have altered the translation to We work together and C A R E for everyone.
I am not sure if this is O.K. -so I do need to check this out

Next Step for the children to say what this means to them
I think this means....

Plant Inquiry/Wonderings

Extension Reading group

This is a group of 2 pupils who are reading at level 22.
They have been working on comprehension of factual texts and making links to the wider world as from observations during reading this appeared to be an area of need.

Both children showed interest in the text Growth and were asking a lot of questions. They also had some misconceptions regarding plants and seeds.

Both children have drawn what they know about plants and what they would like to find out or investigate or what they are wondering. I scaffold them in this task by asking questions to prompt further thinking, e.g. can you tell me some more about ....,


next step children used the question rubric to ask each other questions
making a note of questions they were not sure of or wondered more about.


rank questions to investigate first and brainstorm ideas.

Meet The Teacher Information Evening

Meet the Teacher Parent Information Evening Week Three of Term 1

Jo and I worked together to develop a presentation to show to the parents. This included information about a typical day and what it looked like, our school values, as well as information about how parents could support their child's learning at home.
Link to our google slide presentation
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1e8m9y8LFY7Pan-u6ZnJtmd9a7vejrICh_WMfyh8oqgk/edit#slide=id.p3

We also explained how we would be using the seesaw app this year to communicate maths home work.

This presentation was loaded onto the school website so parents could view it again or those who were unable to attend could access the information.

Evaluation  Term 2 from parent feed back and queries throughout Term 1

In response to several inquires from parents during term one I realized we had not clearly communicated the homework aspect of the basic facts ladders. Parents were also confused that when the child loaded their next step onto seesaw that the child needed to work on this at home.

In response to this need I loaded more information on to seesaw for the parents.

Next year we need to place more emphasis on the basic facts ladders and the fact that these ladders are the child,s home work.

Kowhai House - Tree Planting

Thursday 27 September
Worked Collaboratively with Jo Drager and House Leaders to organise the planting of 20 Kowhai, 2 rewarewa, 4 bottlebrush trees, in the school grounds. This was an action taken in response to the loss of several Kowhai and bottlebrush trees due to the Hall expansion. The children had noticed and expressed concern about there being enough food for the tui. As a house they wanted to take action and plant Kowhai trees. Promoting sustainability and engaging learners in purposeful tuakana taina relationships as they activetly contributed to improving the environment

Code -Commitment to society

Professional Relationships - Notes of key discussion with parents to work collaboratively to support learning and wellbeing of child

Communication with families
Promoting the well being of learners



Tuesday 5 September

Rung Logan's home spoke with James regarding where to next for supporting Logan with saying goodbye and settling happily.
Actions discussed what we could do to support Logan and organised a time to meet with parents and Logan.

Thursday 7 September
Met with Haley and Logan and sorted out a morning routine and 'goodbye' plan.
Logan to travel to school by bus until 15/9 in the hope we break the pattern.


Wednesday 13 September
Rung Sarah, regarding a play time incident. Discussed Ollie's; behavior and spoke about consistency with consequences and lots of positives for solving conflict in an appropriate way.
Also rung Ollie's dad Phil and discussed behaviors. Ollie will walk with duty teacher for morning tea time tomorrow.

E mailed Hayley re Logans involvement in incident, to ensure they are aware in case he is anxious