Kia ora e te whānau,
Welcome back to Term 4! We trust everyone has had a refreshing break and is ready for what promises to be an action-packed term filled with learning, growth, and community engagement. As we settle back into our routines, our tamariki are busy setting personalised learning goals in maths, reading, and writing. These goals are designed to challenge and motivate them, ensuring they make meaningful progress in their academic journey before the year ends.
Term 4 Learning Programme
Our mathematics focus this term will be on consolidating key skills while introducing more complex problem-solving strategies. Students will be engaging in group work and individual projects to apply these skills in real-world contexts, fostering both independence and collaboration.
Our reading and writing programme will continue to focus on strengthening comprehension, fluency, and creative writing. We’re encouraging our students to set ambitious goals in these areas, and we’ll be providing them with rich, diverse texts to deepen their love of reading through a structured literacy approach.
The junior students will be participating in our swimming programme, where they will not only develop water confidence but also learn essential water safety skills. This aligns with our commitment to ensuring our students are equipped with life skills that keep them safe and healthy - especially for the summer season at the beach or pool.
Inquiry Focus – The Rocky Shore
This term, our inquiry is all about the Rocky Shore—a fascinating dive into ecology and sustainability, specifically focusing on protecting our coastline. Our students will explore key concepts such as:
Understanding the relationships between living organisms at the shore and how they interact with their environment.
- Learning how we can protect and preserve our coastlines for future generations. This ties into our school’s commitment to kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
- Students will investigate the unique habitats that exist at different tidal levels and the creatures that live within them.
- We’re planning a visit to Mairangi Bay beach where students will engage in fieldwork, observing first-hand the various species and tidal zones they’ve been learning about in class.
This inquiry not only connects with the New Zealand Science and Social Studies Curriculum but also provides valuable lessons on environmental stewardship that we hope will stay with our students for life beyond MBS.
Exciting Events
We have a busy and exciting calendar ahead, packed with events that offer opportunities for our students to showcase their talents and celebrate their achievements:
- Our annual athletics days are always a highlight, where our students will compete in various track and field events. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate physical fitness, perseverance, and sportsmanship.
- This year’s Years 0-3 Christmas Showcase promises to be bigger and better than ever. Get ready for some festive cheer that will bring the school community together in celebration.
- As we prepare to farewell our Year 6 students, this graduation ceremony will be a special moment to honour their time at Mairangi Bay School and celebrate the many achievements they’ve made during their primary years. It’s a time for reflection, recognition, and, of course, excitement for the next step in their learning journey.
- A cherished tradition at our school, Grandparents Day, allows our students to invite their grandparents or special older family members to spend time in the classroom, share stories, and engage in learning activities. It’s always a great day that strengthens our school’s intergenerational connections.
Kapa Haka – Rangitoto College Pīpīwharauroa Festival
A huge congratulations to our senior Kapa Haka group for their performance at the Rangitoto College Pīpīwharauroa Festival on Wednesday, 16 October. Our students represented the school with pride, performing waiata and haka with passion and mana. We would like to thank all the staff, whānau, and community members who supported and guided our tamariki in the lead-up to this special occasion. The festival is a beautiful celebration of Māori culture, and our students shone on stage.
As always, we are so grateful for the ongoing support and involvement of our whānau community. Whether it’s helping with events, supporting classroom activities, or cheering from the sidelines, your presence and engagement enrich the learning experiences of our tamariki. A thank you morning tea has been organised for anyone who has helped with any of the above, on Wednesday, 13 November at 10:30am in our school hall to acknowledge our partnership.
We look forward to another productive, joyful, and successful term ahead. Let’s finish the year strong as we learn together to create a better tomorrow.
Our Newsletter Videos can be found
here.
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