Teacher's Welcome Letter Room 8 2008

Kia Ora, Greetings from ROOM 8’s class-teacher. My name is Mrs. Raman, please call me Kree.
I am glad to be your child’s teacher this year. For those who do not know me,
I am from South Africa and I have 19 years teaching experience at primary school level.
I have been teaching full time at Kelvin Road School since 2003.

Room 8 is a composite class of Year 4 and Year 5 pupils. So far pupils are still settling down into their new classroom and routines and are learning to use quiet voices in class. A concern to me at this early time of year is pupils’ ongoing lateness for class and I am still waiting for 8 children to purchase their stationery. I am planning to start work in books in Week 3.

My philosophy of education is two-fold; as well as advancing childrens’ learning in achieving academic excellence; I want to promote the development of their character.
The former I want to achieve by applying creative and dynamic teaching techniques that match curricular objectives, learners’ needs, different learning styles and the use of teacher modeling. I want to develop a rich resource of expertise, experience and materials in effective ICT use to motivate and engage learners. I want to learn to use assessment tools to assess learners' work thoroughly and constructively, providing regular feedback and opportunities for reflection. I want to create a collaborative relationship between the home and the school so we can work more effectively towards a common goal. Personally, I want to approach educational challenges with optimism to ensure continual improvement and growth as a life-long learner, continually acquiring and developing new knowledge and skills to benefit my students.
In the development of Character, I want to incorporate Values into my daily classroom programme. This will maintain high standards of discipline by creating and maintaining a classroom climate permeated by the Human Values of Love, Truth, Peace, Right-Conduct and Non-Violence. It will enable students to peacefully and effectively discourage harassment and bullying and encourage kindness, tolerance and an appreciation for the unity of all people and cultures.
I want to instill in children a lifelong love for Virtue, helping them to acquire and foster positive values for a righteous character, which will enable them to “do the right thing” and become responsible citizens.
Education, I believe, is illumination and the journey of transformation.

In order to re-enforce what we are learning at school, I will be sending homework every Mondays, which is due back on Fridays. Homework should be a fun time when your child can show you what they are learning. Setting good homework habits from now will help your child cope with greater work load in later years. Please do not allow your child to do all their work on the first day but just a section a day. Readers will only be sent home if your child has a book bag. Also encourage daily Home Reading of Duffy or library books before bedtime. Homework and Reading should take up to 30 minutes each day.

Before eating, I would like the children to say Grace, a short food prayer in Maori, which is less than 30 seconds long.
If you DO NOT WANT your child to participate in the Maori Karakia, please return the reply slip.

This term Room 8 will be doing Swimming on Mondays, Wednesdays and alternate Fridays and pupils are required to bring their togs and towels on these days.
I am hoping that we can work together to make this a fun-filled year of learning for your child. Please feel free to talk to me if there are any concerns. I am available Mondays to Fridays 8am – 8:30 and after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays 14:30 – 15:30. Please ring the school office if your child is going to be absent from school or send a letter when they return.

Thank you for your co-operation and assistance and I am looking forward to meeting you soon.

Kree Raman
Room 8 Teacher
Ko te aroha tonu te tino mea -
There is nothing greater than love -

A Tangi (Funeral) by Hone Year 4

On a Saturday a long time ago my Uncle Frank died. His son and daughter rang us up and told us he had a heart attack.
My mum and Nana felt sad. I didn't know him but he was really close to us. When we went to his Tangi, we had to kiss my uncle. His face felt like spongebob! He felt cold.
It was the scariest experience of my life.

by Hone ~ Year 4

A Tangi (Funeral) by Ngaio ~ Year 3

Last year my dad's mum died at the hospital while she was having a smoke. We were all in her room at the hospital. She was in Room 42. While she was having her smoke, she just collapsed on the floor. My dad was the first to see her lying on the floor. We were all devastated but we said she has gone to a special place now. She died at 1:30pm and at 4:00pm we buried her at Waimanna. My dad said good things about her and that she was a good mother to him. Then we went to the Marae to have a feed. That was a sad day for me and my whole family.


by Ngaio ~ Year 3

Write an explanation for a Robotic Toy of the Future

My robotic toy's name is Raden 360. Raden 360 can make music and it is an MP3 player. It plays any music you want it to play. When it flies, it sprays out perfume in different colours. When you push a button, you can make it do anything you want it to do. It can grow up to one inch bigger than you. There is a switch that makes the robot's arms bigger. The robot glows at night.
It is a great robotic toy of the future.

by Hone ~ Year 4

Poem by Logan adapted from A.J. Hynard

...And a fly swooping to some rubbish,
And dogs barking loudly at people,
And lovely flowers in a beautiful garden,
And smelly garbage waiting to be picked,
And children dancing outside,
And a plane flying high above the sky,
And birds sing superbly in the blue sky,
And green grass waving at us,
And the sound of music coming from the hall,
And a basket ball hoop ready to catch a ball,
And peoples' tagging by the entrance gate,
And soccer posts watching out for a ball,
And a cat having a nap next to a car,
And dogs barking loudly at people,
And a fly swooping to some rubbish...


by Logan ~ Year 3

Poem by Micheal adapted from A.J. Hynard's Poem

...And a plane soaring through the air,
And children screaming as they run,
And a tree waving at us,
And a park waiting to be played on,
And a sandpit waiting to be built on,
And monkey-bars swinging to and fro,
And logs that have been stepped on,
And music singing through the air,
And birds chirping their cheerful songs,
And a mailbox eating up the mail,
And a car waiting in the driveway,
And children screaming as they run,
And a plane soaring through the air...

by Micheal ~ Year 3

Rainbow's End Recount by Jayden - Year 4

Five weeks ago I went to Rainbow's End. I went with Chase and Papakura Fitness Centre.
When we got there the first thing I did was the bumper boats. We had so much fun spinning on the bumper boats and getting wet. I went on the bumper boats about seven times. Both of our pants were soaking wet! After that we met a boy named Jake and we asked him for a game of bumper carts and he accepted it. So it was a challenge for Chase and I but he said there's a bunch of teens going in there and we should challenge them. So that meant that we were a team. Chase and I said lets do it!
So it was teens vs kids. I was shaking like a leaf! Then we made a plan and Jake said I'm red, Chase is blue and he's green. So the bumping started. One teenager really packed a punch to me and I flung backwards driving in reverse and then it was over! Kids won!
The kids congratulated us for a terrific game. It was a splendid day at Rainbow's End.

Whanau Evening Recount by Britelle - Year 3

On Thursday 8th November, Kelvin Road School had a Whanau Evening at 4pm - 7pm. The PTA was raising funds so we can upgrade our school.

Room 12 made a delicious Boil-up. Some parent helpers came to help. In our boil-up we had vegetables, meat and watercress. Destiny, Rahera and I sliced the cabbage. Some boys and girls scraped the carrot's skins off. There were dough-boys in the boil-up. After we cooked the boil-up we went back to class and we had developmental. It was nearly hometime so we packed up, went home, got changed and then came back to school at 4pm.

At 4pm the Whanau Evening started. There was popcorn, ice blocks, drinks, lucky dip, games, sausage sizzle, boil-up and a darts game. The coolest thing of all was the Kapahaka that was so amazing and great. To watch the Kapahaka, you needed two tickets. I saw it twice. When the boys were stomping their feet it was going bang, bang! I was eating my popcorn as well as watching the Kapahaka.

It was great fun, amazing and cool. I liked it so much at the Whanau Evening. I really enjoyed myself.


by Britelle ~ Year 3

Duffy Award - Caught Being a Good Grandparent

At this morning's school assembly, Eruera's grandmother, Teone, received the Duffy Book Award for "Caught being a Good Grandparent". The book she got was called "Paradise" which is a photographic journey through amazing New Zealand. Teone was overjoyed and almost in tears to receive the award. I chose Teone because she supports Eruera and Room 12 with our school activities. She accompanied Room 12 on our field trip to Sky Tower and Motat this year. On Thursday 8th November Teone helped Room 12 to cook a boil-up for the Whanau Evening's fundraiser. This morning she surprised the Staff of Kelvin Road School with a scrumptious cake that she baked herself. Teone really deserves the award for being a good grandma - we all could do with a grandmother like Teone.
Thank you Teone :-)
Kia ora
Mrs. Raman & Room 12

Thank You Letter by Britelle - Year 3

Dear Ellen,

I would like to thank you for coming to Motat and looking after our group.

My favourite thing at Motat was the mirror-maze. My second favourite thing was the shadows. I liked making the simple machines. I also liked the earthquake cafe. I liked going into the olden days houses and the jail. I loved it when we took a photo standing by the painting of the Town Hall because it looked like we were really in town. I loved it at Motat and I liked having you with us.

Would you like to help us at our Whanau evening on 8 November? We will be making a boil-up.

Yours sincerely
Britelle
Room 12