Newsletter 37 2013 - reddamwaterfall.co.za
Transcription
Newsletter 37 2013 - reddamwaterfall.co.za
Junior Preparatory Term 4 Newsletter Dear Families, We are very busy writing reports and preparing for the end of the year and our BIG MOVE! Judging from the positive responses that the parents have sent me it is clear that the process for the ordering of the books for 2014 went well. A big thank you to Trevor from Pinnacle Books for the efficient service that he provides to our school. Please note that if you were unable to purchase your child’s text books this week, you can do so online at www.pinnacleeducation.co.za. It is imperative in this heat, that the children wear hats. Please ensure that hats are sent to school as we will enforce our “No Hat No Play” rule during break time and during Extra Mural Activities. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Warm regards, Amy Goodlace 15th November 2013 Reddam House Waterfall Estate Important Dates to Remember: Last day of extra murals is on Friday the 22nd of November. Last day of school is on the 4th of December and there will be No adventure zone on that day. End of year Report: Your child will be issued with their fourth term School Report on the last day of school. Enclosed with their report will be: An information Brochure A Letter to your child from his/her new teacher A Digital portfolio The children will also be bringing home a memory box containing the year’s workbooks. Information for 2014 Our first term of 2014 starts on the 15th January 2014. The first lesson of the day starts at 8:15 am. All teachers will be in their classes from 7:30 am. each day. The school day will end at 2:00 pm. Karate Demira Naran in Grade 2 competed in the Karate-no-Michi Dojo Competition. In her age group and category she won two gold medals, for the Kata and Kumite. She also won two trophies, one for the best performance and another as the Grand Champion for winning both categories. She said that ‘all the other opponents were bigger than me. I was in 8 fights and I have an orange belt because I have won a grand slam.” Poetry in Grade 1 By Gillian Gerazounis We have been investigating poetry in Grade 1E. To start the project I asked the children what a poem is? Michela said: “A poem is a whole lot of words that can often make you laugh and they end with words that rhyme.” Parul said: “Poems are words that are put together that sound like a song, except you aren’t really singing.” Shyal said, “You don’t always need picture to tell a story, sometimes words bring up a picture in your head.” Ksusha said, “Poems are magical it’s like seeing what is in some ones imagination.” “Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.” [Fox, M. (2001). Reading Magic. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.] There are a number of reasons why poetry is so important and an aspect of literacy that should not be neglected. First of all rhymes assist in Language development. Rhymes make it easier for kids to learn new words. In many of the Grade 1 readers learning new words appears effortless, because the rhythmical structure of a line creates a familiar context for new words. “Poetry provides a relaxed and pleasant way for students to practice language skills” Source: Nancy L. Hadaway, Sylvia M. Vardell and Terrell A. Young. The Reading Teacher Vol. 54, No. 8, Embracing Pluralism Worldwide, Part 2: Classrooms in the U.S. (May, 2001), pp. 796-806 Poetry also assists with the physical development of children. This is because, breath coordination, tongue and mouth movements, are made easier by the musical structure of the rhyme. It was so interesting that Parul said “Poems are words put together that sound like a song.” When saying a rhyme you automatically understand when you need to breathe, and for how long, with no need for theory or an explanation. In Grade 1 phonemic awareness is very important. This is the ability to hear, and identify different sounds or phonemes when a word is said. The children learn beginning, middle and end sounds. Our spelling program is based on similar endings assisting the children to read and spell many new words. Through poetry children also understand patterns and what a sequence is. Poetry not only assists with Cognitive development but also assists in the Emotional development of children. Through poetry the children are able to learn more about themselves. Their parents, their friends and often situations they find themselves in, these poems are often in fun setting thus open the door to discussing all sorts of topics. When children experience feelings of loneliness, anxiety, or need to be comforted they can recall poems or verses that they have learnt thus talking themselves out of a potentially negative situation. Our Journey using poetry in the Grade 1E started by getting the children to choose from a select group of poems, a poem the children wanted to present to the class. They were given the opportunity to either read or recite their poem. They were also allowed to go in pairs. We talked about voice projection and expression. We then discussed using gestures as a means of enhancing how we say a poem. The children presented their poems with poise and confidence. Realeboga Modiba and Lorelai Cathie presenting their poems to the class. Our project did not stop there, the children now wanted to write their own poems in pairs. We talked about choosing a topic for our poems. Aqil suggested that we use our string pictures we had made in Design and Technology as a starting point. His picture was a ghost thus he said his poem would be a “ghosty poem”. Enjoy reading the following poems composed by these young aspiring poets. By Parul Govender By Sahir Dharamlall By Zoe Goss & Realeboga Modiba Design and Technology in Grade 3 Space Kelsey and Ashton with their alien and its ship. The current theme in Grade 3 is “Space”. Each class decided on a selection of things they needed to make that would represent “Deep Space” with a variety of materials. Each class decided on different requirements ranging from rockets, to space stations, UFO’s, aliens, and planets within galaxies. After discussing what we needed and how we were going to make it all the children began making projects in groups. The rocket teams led the way with a fury of excitement. As we came to the end of the term there is now a collection of ‘Space-like’ objects. There is a tiny minion of plastacine aliens, tin foil satellites with radio receptors and we even managed to make a few glue-galaxies with black holes and floating beaded planets. The children took ownership of each stage in the planning, design and final painting or decoration process. It exposed them to a wider variety of materials, differing types of glues and team work. Mrs Osterloh Our Glue-galaxies made with glue, paint, ink, glitter and beads. Proudly held by Sima, Jayna and Kirsty in 3E. Moon buggy with satellite transmitters. Rocket by class 3D Hugo’s satellite invention. Nearly finished Rocket by 3E Sima, Jayna and Kirsty’s UFO Space station with side guns by 3R Ndebele Dolls Grade 2 Design and Technology The entire 2D Class contented and captivated by beading their doll’s necklaces. Lavanya using a special tool to bead thick wool for her doll’s hair. This term the children have been learning about South Africa and its provinces. In previous Art classes we had looked at patterns and focused on Ndebele patterns. We decided to make our own Ndebele dolls for our Design class. The children were shown a real Ndebele doll and we discussed its shapes, materials and how we could make one. The basic materials were provided and the class worked carefully with beads and fabric, making conscious decisions about design and placement of the parts. There was a high element of technical experimentation from cutting fabric, stapling inside a toilet roll and working with small beads. Each child was fully capable of making their own doll and managed all the stages involved. It was a longer project and took some time to complete. The children enjoyed making their doll unique and especially meaningful for themselves. Madyson showing her beaded pattern for her doll’s necklace. Michelle chose to carefully sew her woollen hair on rather than simply gluing the hair. Brandon and Kaitlin showing us their completed Ndebele dolls, with beaded necklace and folded blanket.