Term 4 Week 3
Principal's Message
Uniform
A reminder that if children wish to wear a thermal under their uniform it must be plain black.
As we are in the summer term, children may wear sandals to school. These must have a strap around their heels and be plain black. Crocs are not acceptable school footwear.
Talented Parents
It isn't just our children who are amazing, we have some cool parents as well. Cameron Ombler-Vrey, Nicky and Amelia's dad, is a drifter. I know, I didn't know what that was at first either! Below is a clip that Cameron has recently made to help him gain some sponsorship. Please watch the video and like it if you want to support him.
Swimming
Thank you to those parents who have been helping at the pool on Fridays. If you do join us and would like to take your child home from the pool that is fine with us, just let us know so we can bring their school bags on the bus to the pool.
Lisa
Faith News
Wednesday Mass
Please come and join us as a school, along with members of the parish, for Mass this Wednesday morning at 9am,
in the school hall
Parish Newsletter
This week’s Parish newsletter is available here
Swimming Lessons
All children will be taking part in our swimming programme this term. Lessons are on Fridays. Children will travel by bus to the Kilbirnie Aquatic Centre at 12.15pm. Lessons will be from 12.45 to 1.45pm. Parents and caregivers of younger children are welcome to join us at the pool and assist with changing.
Please ensue all items of your child's clothing and footwear are clearly named. Children must remove all their belongings from the changing rooms during lessons, check that the bag your child will take to swimming is large enough for them to fit all their clothes, footwear and towel into while they are swimming.
Children are to wear their P.E uniform on swimming days.
Birthday Wishes
Happy Birthday to Imara who turns 9 on Friday. We hope you have a wonderful, fun filled birthday.
Brooklyn Library Visits
This term we will resume our termly visits to Brooklyn Library. If your child wishes to borrow a book during the visit they need to bring their personal library card with them. We will return books on the next visit if they are brought back in time. Books not brought on the day of the visit will need to be returned by yourselves. If you would like to leave your child's card in the classroom between visits then teachers will find a safe place to keep them.
Room 1: 13 November
Room 2: 30 October 20 November
Room 4: 06 November 27 November
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
Well last week Room 1 was taught by most of the relievers that Mrs Small mentioned in the Principal's comment in last week's newsletter! This was due to Ms Parsons needing time to recover from a knee injury.
So, Room 1 mapped treasure islands on grid paper with Mrs Connor-Wills and learnt about animal life cycles with Ms Williams - focussing on frogs. Lots of new vocabulary, ask your child about the frog life cycle. They had lots to tell me when I was back in class on Thursday!
With Mrs Harper, Room 1 planted bean seeds and have been keeping a watchful eye on them, looking for any changes which are then recorded in their bean diary. We are hoping that this year's bean seeds are more successful than last year's attempt. Fingers crossed!
Room 2 Learning
Last week Room 2 started their new writing and reading project for Term 4. Our project is based on New Zealand birds. We are exploring reasons as to why New Zealand's native wildlife became so dominated by birds. This includes learning about the history of New Zealand's geography and unique biodiversity. We will also be learning about the lifecycle of some of our special bird species (such as the kiwi), and why they are either endangered or have become extinct. This unit will also cover introduced pests and ways in which we can protect our beautiful birds from these pests. Of course, this unit will help us identify the names of New Zealand birds, along with learning to recognise them in the wild.
The photos are of some beautiful 'scientific' artwork we were doing. The class were asked to look carefully at all of the little details in these flowers. We then had a go at making a detailed picture of our flower.
Room 4 Learning
Transition Sessions
Last Tuesday our Year 5 students had their first transition session in Room 4 with our Year 6 students. They played Game of Awesome, a card based game that helps improve oral language and writing. A real favourite with the children.
Country and Culture Research
Our country and culture for the fortnight was South Africa. Room 4 worked in groups and pairs to learn lots of information about South Africa. Here are some of the amazing facts they have found out:
Dara, Quest and Blake:
The population of South Africa is 62 million. The capital city of South Africa is Cape Town. The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Two famous battles were the Zulu victory at Isandlwana and the British defence at Rorke's Drift.
Erin and Danica:
South Africa is located on the African continent and is in the Southern Hemisphere. South Africa is surrounded by the Indian, Atlantic and Southern Oceans. South Africa is a coastal country. The languages of South Africa are Afrikaans, Xhosa, Tswana, Zulu, Southern and Northern Sotho, Venda, Tsonga, Swati South African Signa, and Ndebele.
Mason, Joshua and Inigo:
The top 7 sports in South Africa are golf, rugby, horse riding, cricket, surfing, athletics, and boxing. The national dish of South Africa is bobotie (pronounced Ba Bo Tea). This is a spiced meat based dish with an egg topping.
Vincent and Riley:
South Africa is located on the African continent, in the Southern Hemisphere. Half of South Africa is inland (next to other African countries) while the other part of the country is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Currently, there are 186 individual cities in South Africa and 3 capitals. The country has a population of 63 million people.
Joan, Clara and Alna:
South Africa has a lot of delicious food. Some of South Africa’s cultural food is:
Biltong, air dried meat such as beef or ostrich.
Bobotie, a pie with spicy meat and egg.
Bredie, a tomato stew with mutton and spices.
Boerewors, a type of sausage.
The most famous dessert in South Africa is Malva pudding. Malva consists of apricot jam, milk, flour and vinegar. Some other desserts of South Africa are:
Milk tart, a pie that has a custard filling.
Peppermint crisp tart, layers of coconut biscuits with cream filling and peppermint crumble.
Koeksister, a traditional fried dough dipped in syrup and honey.
Public Notices
Get Kids Moving, Learning, and Thriving at Bigair Gym!
Is your child keen to learn cartwheels, handstands, flips, trampolining tricks, or parkour? Bigair Gym is the ultimate place to explore these skills and more! Classes combine fun, focus, and fitness in a supportive environment where kids can build confidence and master new techniques. Catering to all levels, from beginners to advanced, with safety and technique prioritized.
At Bigair Gym, kids participate in structured classes with a 1-10 level program, designed to encourage progress, celebrate milestones, and promote achievement. A variety of classes are offered, including Gymnastics, Trampolining, Tumbling, Free Running (parkour with flips and tricks!), and Cheerleading. Weekend Birthday Parties are also available and highly popular!
Join Bigair Gym and watch your child thrive! Term 4 Class Bookings are open online now at www.bigairgym.co.nz
Bigair Gym Owhiro Bay: ph. 383 8779, e. wgtn@bigairgym.co.nz at 14 Landfill Road, Owhiro Bay.
