Term 2 Week 9
Principal's Message
Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I was lucky to be able to attend the Catholic Convention held at the TSB Arena in Wellington. The theme of the convention was Tuhono Whakapono - Together One Faith Community, and was attended by 750 people from all around New Zealand who work in Catholic education, work in dioceses or simply wanted to look further into our faith. We listened to key note speakers and attended workshops, celebrated Mass together and spent time with like-minded people.
I will share some of what I learnt with you, the children and staff over the next few weeks. One simple thing that stuck in my mind that I can share quickly was about the word aroha, something I have never had pointed out to me before. 'Aro' means to look deeply at/ pay attention to and 'ha' is life force/ energy, and so in effect 'person'. Therefore, in order to truly show aroha to someone, as Jesus taught us, requires us to look deeply into who they truly are as a person and love the whole of what we see.
Uniform
We have had some new families join us recently and have more due after the next break. Please have a look at home and see if you have any uniform items your children have grown out of so we can pass them on and maybe find the next size up for your children.
Lisa Small
Principal
Faith News
Wednesday Mass
Please come and Rm 2, along with members of the parish, for Mass this Wednesday morning at 9am,
in Room 3.
Parish Newsletter
This week’s Parish newsletter is available here
Celebration of Learning
This Thursday, June 27, at 2pm in the hall we are holding our Celebration of Learning. Each class will share what they have learnt during the term. We will then head back to classes for you to have some one on one time with your children.
Anyone is welcome to join us- mums, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, au pairs, etc.
Teacher Only Day - 05 July
Just a quick reminder next Friday 5 July, is a Teacher only day, so Term 2 will finish at 3pm next Thursday 4 July.
School will be closed on Friday July 5.
School Photos - 25th July
Our school photos are being taken on Thursday 25 July at 9am (the first week of Term 3.) A flyer from Photolife is coming home today explaining how their online system works.
Photolife will then provide each child with a shoot key code and instructions a couple of weeks after the photos have been taken to enable on line orders.
If you would like a sibling photo please sign the permission slip on the back of the information flyer and return it to the school office.
Photolife will not take a sibling photo without a signed slip.
Please make sure your child is in full uniform and wearing the correct shoes on photo day. Thank you.
Birthday Wishes
Happy Birthday to Biqiltu and Sammy. Biqiltu turns 7 on Friday, and Sammy turns 9 on Sunday. We hope you both have wonderful, fun filled birthdays.
Winter Illnesses - Covid
Please be aware that there are a variety of illnesses going around the school at the minute.
Covid is once again doing the rounds. If you or your child have flu-like symptoms please consider testing and staying home until the symptoms disappear. If you or any family member tests positive please let us know, as we have a child in the school who had a past serious reaction which required hospitalisation and the parents would keep them home if necessary.
We are working with the children to remind them of healthy habits. If your child is under the weather the best place for them is a warm bed. Thank you to those parents who have been keeping their sick children home, we appreciate it.
We have plenty of adult and child sized masks if you would like some sent home.
Absences
If your child is sick or unable to attend school for all or part of the day, please either send a notification via the school app (skool loop), email the school office on office@stbernards.school.nz or phone 3899377 by 9.00 a.m. so that your child's absence can be accounted for.
Children who are late need to report to the office in case they have been marked absent by the teacher who takes the roll first thing in the morning.
If an absence is planned for a special reason, a note or telephone call to the school in advance is appreciated. In cases of prolonged absence, e.g. a family trip, a written note is required.
Room 1 Learning
For our shared reading last week, Room 1 read the big book "A Safe Place".
It is set on a tropical island and is a story about a hen who is looking for a safe place to build her nest. We really enjoyed it and at the end of the story, we wondered what might happen next? So we decided to be the authors and write the next part of the story about the hen and her chicks. We've displayed it as a wall story so everyone can read the different versions that we created.
We have been focussing on the settings and characters in stories we read so we tried really hard to add details to our illustrations to help tell the story. We are proud of our mahi ( work).
Room 2 Learning
last week, Room 2 learnt more about different graphs for our mathematics focus on statistics. We have been practising line graphs and pictograms. For our pictograms, we have been learning about the importance of looking at a graph's key for important information relating to the icons used (i.e. one icon might represent more than one unit). For our line graphs, we've looked at the difference between the horizontal and vertical axes. We have also been understanding how line graphs show data that changes over time.
Some of the class have also been revisiting our previous learning on place value, including the importance of understanding that our counting system is based on units of 10 (base ten). We used our wooden base ten blocks to help us with this learning.
Room 4 Learning
Last Thursday, Room 4 ran a probability investigation into the game Snakes and Ladders. The children had to answer - 'Is this game fair - are you equally likely to win?'. Once the children wrote their answers - they paired up and played Snakes and Ladders. After this, we looked at some reasons why Room 4 predicted that the game was fair or unfair. These included the number of snakes and ladders on the gaming board, including the positioning of snakes and ladders. We discovered there were three ladders on the board in the first two rows of numbers and the first snake did not pop up until square 29. We also observed there were 2 snakes in the final row - from 91 to 100. We also examined the percentages of landing on a snake or a ladder each time the die was rolled. There were 8 snakes and ladders on the board, so there was an 8% chance of landing on a ladder or snake during each die roll. Within the first squares, the percentage of landing on the ladder in the number 2 square was 16% using a standard die (1 to 6). Overall, Room 4 decided Snakes and Ladders was a fair game and children as young as 5 or 6 could play it and have an equal chance of winning. Here are some comments from the children about our Snakes and Ladders investigation.
Alna Is Snakes and Ladders fair? (are you equally likely to win?)
Yes - Snakes and Ladders is fair because there are 8 ladders and 8 snakes. This game is all about luck because the die picks the number for you - not you.
Vincent What is more likely landing on a ladder or landing on a snake? Is that what you found when you played the game?
I was more likely to land on a snake because they are more densely packed in the middle of the board compared to the ladders.
Clara What is more likely landing on a ladder or landing on a snake? Is that what you found when you played the game?
It depends where you are on the board. At the start of the board there are more chances of landing on a ladder. If you are on the top row then you are more likely to land on a snake.
Danica Is Snakes and Ladders fair? (are you equally likely to win?)
Yes, because even if you are behind you can still move up a ladder to catch up or even go ahead of them.
Inigo Is Snakes and Ladders fair? (are you equally likely to win?)
I think it is a fair game because it depends on the die rolls and you have a 50/50 chance of winning.
Intermediate Programme
This term our intermediate students chose creative writing, Science Badges and creating a website for their options programme.
Danica wrote some tanka poems. A tanka poem is an ancient Japanese form of poetry that is categorised by the number of syllables in each line, totaling 31 syllables. These poems traditionally are about seasons, nature, desires, or feelings, and often include many different types of literary devices, such as personification, metaphors, and similes.
Library
It is so quiet
This place is very peaceful
What is this setting?
This is the library
You have got to be quiet!
Nature
Nature was quiet
Nature was a peaceful place
Now it’s not peaceful
People are ruining it
Will it be peaceful again?
Food
Food, glorious food
Food is full of nutrients
Food is so yummy!
It helps me have energy!
Do you like glorious food?
Alna worked very hard to create a poster showing the grams of sugar in 100g or 100mL of popular drinks and treats. She chose ten different products and researched the amount of sugar. Then she weighed the amount of sugar of each product into ziplock bags to display on her poster. She also created a labelled diagram of the eye with explanations of how the eye works. She will be presented with the Human Biology badge.
Riley and Mason recorded and graphed the different rates of physical activity in two different positions in basketball and football. They conducted an experiment to track the accuracy of basketball shoots over time and graph the results. They drew a diagram to show the physical forces involved in downhill skiing. Riley also explored the difference between wide and narrow bike tyres. They will be presneted with the Sports Science badge.
Community Notices
Holiday Programme
Harbour City Gymnastics are running a gymnastics holiday programme during the Term 2 break!
Your little gymnast will experience unique & challenging circuits, specific coaching tailored to their skill level, creative activities, and fun free play in our fully equipped facility.
For ages 5 - 12, 9 AM - 3 PM
Monday 8th - Friday 12th June, Monday 15th - Friday 19th April
$45.00 per day. Spaces are limited so be in quick!
Email us or use this form to register.
