Sunday, March 18, 2012

Aquarium Trip

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

Here are the key details of the trip which came home in a newsletter 3 weeks ago.

This term the Year 8 children will be studying the ‘Rocky Shore’, and as part of this unit we have planned a visit to the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre at Portobello.

During this visit the children will be able to view and learn more about a range of marine plants and animals. They will also have the thorough scientific knowledge of the aquarium staff at their disposal.

Our classroom unit will be largely based around the visit to the aquarium and this visit will ensure the children develop a full understanding of the rocky shore. This year we have also extended the focus at the aquarium and will also have the excitement of dissecting a shark! This extra session is simply named, “Sharks, inside and out!”

Room 23 is scheduled to visit the Marine Studies Centre on Tuesday 20th March. We will be leaving school at 11:45 an expected return time of 3:30. The course at the aquarium runs from 12:30 to 3:00.

For this day, your child will need to bring, a back pack, a hearty packed lunch and two drinks. They can dress in sports mufti. It is often cool and windy on the Portobello peninsula so children need to dress warmly. They also need to wear sturdy shoes with covered toes inside the aquarium (gym shoes).

The cost for this trip is $10.00 per student. This includes the charge for the Marine Studies Centre and a small donation towards petrol for the parents/caregivers who provide transport.

Please return the permission slip and let me know if you can help out with transport and supervision.

Yours sincerely

Terry Tarapi

Term 1 Week 8

Kia ora Parents and caregivers

What an exciting and rewarding week we have just had at Berwick.

One of the key messages I gave was that last week focused on challenge, whether overcoming a personal focus or working as a team to overcome an obstacle. It was pleasing to see all the children apply themselves to all activities. The opportunities to develop team work was invaluable and as a class we will reap the benefits of this over the entire year.

No doubt your child is still recovering and catching up on sleep. The success of our camp was due to the wonderful parents who gave of their time to make this possible. A big thank you to all these helpers, we all appreciate your contributions.

This week we are back into the swing of things with a trip to the Aquarium at Portobello. If you are able to help with this trip as a taxi driver then please contact me ASAP. The details of this trip are also posted on this blog.

A notice about parent interviews will come home this week. They are scheduled for Wednesday the 28th and Thursday the 29th of March.

Kind regards

Terry Tarapi

Monday, March 5, 2012

Term 1 week 6 Blurb

Final Camp Preparation

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Only 1 week to go.

The children will need to be at school by 8:45, on Monday 12th March, as we plan to leave school by 9:30 a.m. We will meet outside the hall if it is fine (at the back of the hall if it is wet). The children will require a large packed lunch, to be packed in their shoulder packs, for the first day.

Please leave fizzy drink, lollies, i-pods, game boys, cell phones… at home.

Each student is asked to provide baking; these donations can be placed in the large boxes provided outside the hall.

Sturdy footwear is required at camp. Three pairs of shoes would be great if possible, as it will be very wet underfoot and a very old pair is required for the Assault Course. At camp, the programme is very much dependent on the weather but we hope to complete as many of the outdoor activities as possible. Please refer to the ‘Gear List’ when packing and remember those winter woollies and the essential waterproof jacket. Please label clothes clearly with your child’s name.

There is a phone at Berwick Lodge – Ph: 4862 714. The children will not be allowed to use the phone unless it is absolutely necessary or under special circumstances.

Children who require medication are to hand it to me, along with instructions for its use and I will take responsibility for administering it.

You are most welcome to visit us at any time throughout the week. We would particularly like to see parents and families visit on the THURSDAY, for tea and the camp concert. Please bring your pot luck contribution for tea which will be ready at 6:00. The concert will be lots of fun.

Please note that the camp fee needs to be paid to the office by Friday.
If you have any last minute problems please contact me at school, ttarapi@balmacewen.school.nz or Ph: 466 7251.

Regards

Terry Tarapi

Monday, February 27, 2012

Week 5 - Home Learning

Home Learning - Term 1 Week 5

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Camp Gear List

The weather for our camp is going to be unpredictable and so you must be prepared with plenty of warm clothing and plenty of changes!!

NOTE: All clothing should be clearly NAMED!!!!!!!!

 Suitable footwear for walking (2 pairs) and a pair that will get wet.
 Suitable clothing for indoors
 Socks - PLENTY and WARM
 Long trousers, and track pants
 Warm underwear, including thermal wear / polyprops
 Warm tops, jerseys / sweatshirts / polar fleece
 Gloves, sunhat and beanie
 Waterproof jacket
 Shorts and T-shirts
 Warm PJ's
 Swimming togs / wet suit (canoeing)
 Sun hat and glasses (for those bright sunny winter days!!!)
 Toilet bag, towels and personal gear
 Plastic drink bottle and lunch box
 Small day pack
 Torch
 Sleeping bag, pillow and blanket
 Plastic bags
 Baking (named container please)
 Slippers
 At least 1 set of Clothes for roughing it – it may get ripped

NB: Avoid designer gear and leave all electronic equipment at home (Cell phones, Game boys, i-pods...)

Term 1 Week 5 Blurb

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Wow Week 5 already!

First of all thank you for the offers of adult help for camp. The response so far is 3 adults who will be with us for the entire week. I would like another adult who is able to stay either a Tuesday or Wednesday night. Please let me know if you are able to help with this.

Tuesday is the activity day during which the children rotate around numerous activities in small groups. These include abseiling / rifle shooting / outdoor cooking / archery… We have had a fantastic response of 12 helpers for this day.

There will be a meeting at 6:00pm in the Staff Room for all camp helpers on Wednesday 7th March. This will be a grand opportunity to meet each other and discuss the camp in detail. I will hand out the helper’s pack; discuss the role of the adult helper and answer any questions these helpers may have.

The cost of this camp is $135, which can be paid in instalments. A number of parents have taken up this option and will pay the trip off over the next 2-3 terms. If you have a concern with the payment of this camp fee then please contact Andrew Hunter or myself.

Over the next 2 weeks we will begin our camp build which will involve learning a number of social dances, preparing safety action plans, completing a people savers course…

Kia Ora

Terry Tarapi

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Week 4 - Home Learning Sheet

Home Learning - Term 1 Week 4

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Term 1 Week 4 Blurb

Kia Ora Parents and Caregivers

A very warm welcome to families and friends of our Year 8 Community.

I have all been delighted with the enthusiasm and positivity that the students have displayed over the last 4 weeks. A major focus has been the implementation of a caring and friendly manner to ensure the Year 7 seven students feel welcomed at their new school. It has been wonderful to see Room 23 students display the maturity and leadership skills to ensure this has happened.

The start of the year is often a chaotic time with so many events on the timetable. We were fortunate to have Anna Frost, world champion up hill runner, as a guest speaker for the year 8 students. This was part of our triathlon build up, which is, having an elite athlete talk about their passion. An important message that she reiterated was for the students to engage in multiple experiences as you never know what passions may develop and consequently where that will lead you.

Our integrated theme for this term is called ‘Survivor” and the key question we will refer to is ‘How and why do we adapt to our changing environment. The main emphasis here is that your children are now the leaders of the school and with that comes new responsibilities. As discussed above developing a family culture has been a major focus thus far.

For the remainder of the term we will be…
- Developing our team building skills by performing a traditional Samoan Sasa and then creating our own to perform at a year 8 Assembly. This will be held in Week 6.
- Investigating how creatures have adapted to survive in a very rugged and inhospitable environment, that is the rocky shore.
- Delivering personalise programmes to develop literacy and numeracy skills for all students.

We look forward to meeting you at the up-coming parent teacher interviews.

King Regards

terry Tarapi

Sunday, February 12, 2012

HOME LEARNING SHEETS

Kia Ora Parents / Caregivers

Home learning is a wonderful opportunity for you to keep in touch with your child’s learning at school. As mentioned at ‘Meet the Teacher Evening” your child will be in groups for Math, Reading and Writing and they will know what the next step in their learning is. From my experience your help with this is crucial in both your child’s attitude and success with in this area.

There are 2 parts to the home learning programme.

Part 1 - Drill and retention of key skills
This will include daily reading, math and writing. This is an area that you can assist in, especially if your child has any gaps. These activities are completed on a weekly basis. This will begin next week.

A home learning sheet will be given out each Friday and it is due the following week. This is helpful for some students who have a lot on after school. Time management skills are the key and I will stress to the pupils that they need to spread the workload over the week and definitely not leave it all to a Thursday night.

At the end of the week your child will show you their book and ask you to write a comment about their home learning efforts and results. The students will also reflect on their weekly efforts.

Home learning is the responsibility of your child, and you as parents can encourage this obligation. At times your child may not complete the worksheet (family commitments, sporting events, music exams…) in this case they are required to write a note in their books and then obtain your signature.

Part 2 - Room 23 Home Learning Award - Optional
This is where students complete a variety of independent challenges. Many students are incredibly busy and spend hours participating in swimming, gymnastics, paid employment, learning an instrument… This will be a great way to gauge all of their home learning activities. This home-learning activity is completed over 3 Terms and it allows the students to direct their own learning.

Please refer to your child's learning folder for a copy of these activities.

Kind Regards

Terry Tarapi

Term 1 Week 3 Blurb

Hello everyone

We are all set for another exciting week at school. We have alot happening and a few up coming high-lights are...

- Monday = Swimming begins so remember your togs as we leave school at 9:20
- Monday = Kiwi golf session at school
- Friday = School Powhiri

On Friday we had the music itinerant teachers showcase their talents and skills. It was a fabulous assembly and the students have the opportunity to take part in a host of music lessons. Return the music note ASAP to confirm your involvement in a lesson.

For fitness we are building up to our Year 8 Triathlon (Only 12 days away), and the goal for students is to be able to run for 10 minutes at their own pace. Thanks to those who have returned their participation forms. Can the remainder be returned early this week, thank you.

It was wonderful to see so many parents / caregivers at the meet the teacher evening, and I look forward to meeting you once again at the Term 1 Interviews in Week 5 (27th Feb to the 1st March). A newsletter will come out this week with the times available for these interviews. I will have early assessment samples to share with you and your child will discuss their Goal's Folder.

Thank you to those parents who have returned the camp forms, can you please return these ASAP as it will help immensely with pre camp planning.

Have a great week.

Terry Tarapi

Monday, February 6, 2012

Room 23's Introduction to Camp Newsletter

Room 23’s BERWICK CAMP (12th – 16th March)


Dear Parents and Caregivers

This is the first of several important newsletters pertaining to our class camp. Over the next 4-5 weeks you will receive important notices about the Berwick School Camp. Please take time to read them carefully and respond as soon as possible. Hopefully this advanced information sharing will help with your planning for this camp.

There are many worthwhile reasons for taking students on school camp. The primary objectives for this camp, along with getting to know the students better, are for the students to:

 Build upon their own personal growth and relationships in a variety of settings e.g. sharing bunkrooms, helping with chores, trust games, problem solving, team challenges etc.

 Experience and interact with an environment different from their home in the city.

 Use the outdoors as an enjoyable place for leisure and recreation.

During the weeks prior to camp, the classroom programmes will be closely linked to camp preparation with the children learning about safety in the outdoors, basic first aid, team work….

The cost for each student to attend camp is $135. This covers food (40), accommodation (40), transport (20), activities- abseiling / archery / rifle shooting … (20) and operational cost (15). There is no cost for adult helpers to attend this camp.

The beginning of the year is a very expensive time. Last year automatic payments and staggered payments were made by numerous families to spread costs over the whole year. If you are experiencing financial hardship then please contact myself or Andrew Hunter as there avenues available to ensure all students get to go to camp.

If you can come out for part of the week then Tuesday would be a great day to help out, as this is our activity day. On activity day the students are split into 5 groups and rotate around a variety of events, including abseiling, archery, rifle shooting (slug guns), group problem solving challenges and outdoor cooking.

Please contact me if you are able to help at camp.

Kind Regards

Terry Tarapi

Term 1 Week 2 - Blurb

Kia ora Families and Friends of Room 23

What a fantastic first week we have just had. The students have out done themselves to ensure everyone knows each others name and that everyone is happy. Our class programme has focused on getting to know each other and completing a variety of team building activities. One of these is the small talk challenge where 2 new students chat away to each other. This has proven to be very successful.

I am looking forward to meeting you all at the "Meet the Teacher Evening" on Wednesday. It will be a grand opportunity to showcase Room 23 and for you to ask questions. After this we will meet as a year 8 group to discuss our Berwick Camp programme for 2012. Room 23 is the first class to attend camp and several newsletters will come home in the next few days.

Our class programme for this week is to continue getting to know each other and to work on our "It's all about me!" project. At the end of this week we will begin our home learning (homework) programme.

Take care and have a great week.

Terry Tarapi

Monday, January 30, 2012

Stationery Required For 2012

Room 23’s Stationery List

To help with the buying and or naming of stationery, the materials required for 2012 are…

Year 8 Stationery Pack
1B8 x 11 Home Learning x 2
Theme x 2
Reading
Writing
Word-study
Technology x 3

Project Book Art

Note Book 3B1 x 2

MA4 x 2 Math Books

20 Page Clear-files x 3
1 x 200page refill paper
12 pack - colouring pencils
3 glue sticks
2 pencils
Ruler
Pencil sharpener
180 degree protractor
Highlighter
Rubber
Blue and Red Pen

A Pencil Case is required to ensure that your stationery is easily found.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Term 1 Swimming Notice

February 2012

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Once again Balmacewen Intermediate has decided to use Moana Pool’s ‘Swimsation’ programme for our swimming lessons this year. We feel this is more beneficial for your child’s swimming development.

Swimsation coaches will take a half hour session with each class at Moana Pool, four times during the next four weeks. The school swimming sports will be held at the conclusion of these sessions on Monday 12th March.

Room’s 23 swimming sessions are as follows:

Session 1 Monday 13th February 10:00 to 10:30
Session 2 Monday 20th February 10:00 to 10:30
Session 3 Monday 27th February 10:00 to 10:30
Session 4 Monday 5th March 10:00 to 10:30

As a class we will be walking to and from the pool, and we require 2 adult helpers per class in order to meet safety requirements. Please contact your class teacher if you can help here.

Children will need to bring their togs and towel to school and they will walk down to the pool and return to school in their correct PE uniform.

The total cost of the swimming sessions is $13.20 and this could be paid in conjunction with the Golf fee ($3.00) before the first session. The total cost for swimming and golf is $16.20.


Kind regards

Balmacewen Sports Team

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Welcome to Room 23

Balmacewen Intermediate School

January 2012

Kia ora students of Room 23

Welcome to Room 23! I hope that you have had a restful and relaxing holiday break.

I am really looking forward to getting to know you over the next few weeks. I have very high expectations in all areas of our classroom. This means I expect you to …
 Do your best at all times with both class studies and home learning.
 Display the maturity and social skills required to respect your-self, others and the class environment.

For some of you, this year is the chance to continue to implement positive work habits and display mature social skills. For others it may be a time for a fresh start.

I am here to facilitate, lead and guide you in your learning. I will support you, encourage independence in your learning and provide help when you need it.

I believe that if you really want to achieve something then you will! Having a positive attitude is the key to your learning. We will be developing our own class expectations, concerning your learning, over the next week. These will be shared with your parents / caregivers at our meet the teacher evening.

This year I hope that you make the most of all the opportunities that Balmacewen has to offer you.



Your new teacher

Terry Tarapi