Harakeke

Harakeke is the New Entrants reception class. Students start on or soon after their 5th birthday, and usually remain in the class for 2 - 4 terms.

Themain teacher in Harakeke is Kerry Annett. Other teachers who regularly work in Harakeke are Emma Johnston and Amanda Thornton. As the roll grows over the year a second teacher will work in Harakeke on a regular basis. Teacher aides Claire and Tanya also regularly work in Harakeke.

Kerry Annett Harekeke

Emma Johnston Harekeke

Amanda Thornton Reading Recovery

Claire Orchard Teacher Aide

Tanya Barrett Teacher Aide

Focus for learning

The focus for learning in the class is the acquisition of early literacy and numeracy skills, alongside the social and behaviour skills needed to make progress at school.

Students enter Harakeke throughout the term, so the class composition changes constantly. Students are assessed using a variety of school entry and literacy/numeracy assessment tools as soon as possible after they have started.Their needs are identified and where necessary the class programme is adjusted to cater for them.

Our daily schedule

This remains much the same every day, and is displayed on a large visual timetable. Reading,writing, oral language and inquiry learning happen every morning, and in the afternoon maths, art, health and physical education are the focus. We'll be exploring and researching what it means to be a learner at Clyde Quay School in term 1, along with an investigation of the rocky shore using the skills we’ve identified as helping us to learn.

As students settle into Harakeke they quickly learn the class routines, and are able to support and welcome new class members. At break times they can choose to play in the small area outside the recently remodelled classroom, or in the junior or senior playgrounds. During Term 1 the junior playground (top block) is out of commission due to building work, so students will be encouraged to play close to Harakeke.

If you want to know anything more about Harakeke, come and ask a Harakeke kid-they’ll happily tell you all about it!

Parent Help

It’s always great to have an extra pair of hands! If you want to help out in Harakeke occasionally or on a regular basis, just let Kerry know.

Homework

Harakeke students will bring home a reader every day to share with their family. These will be books they have read that day at school, or favourites they have read before. They'll also bring home an Alphabet Sheet once a week, which can be done at any time during the week then returned to school to share with the class.

Students with access to the internet can also practice Maths, spelling, and letter/sound knowledge at the following websites:

www.bitesize/ks1

www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/numtums

www.spellingcity.com

www.coolmath-games.com

If you know of any other good ones - let us know!

2013 Inquiries

This term we're focusing on the key competencies from the New Zealand Curriculum.We’ll be finding out about it what it means to be a learner at Clyde Quay School, along with an investigation of the rocky shore using the skills we’ve identified as helping us to learn.

Term 2's inquiry is all about our environment at school, as we investigate what it means to be an Enviroschool

In Term 3 we'll be finding out about different kinds of weather and how it affect show we live.

The 4th term's inquiry is all about taking care of me - it will include safety and anti-bullying programmes as well as activities aimed at building self confidence and resilience. 

This term we're finding out about the different jobs people do, and drawing and writing about what we'd like to be when we grow up.

Term 2's inquiry is about inventors and inventions.

In Term 3 we'll be finding out about Space and visiting the Carter Observatory.

The 4th term's inquiry is about Civil Defence and disasters.

Our Inquiries from 2011

In term 1, we found out about Wellington, past and present. Why do people live in Wellington? Where have they come from? What jobs do they do? We're learning about the special things about our city, and how it's changed over the years. Your child should know their address, which suburb they live in, and they should be talking with you about their Wellington - the places that are special to them.

In term 3 we investigated sound and music. How do we make sound? How do we hear sound? What makes sound into music? We did lots of sound experiments, making and playing instruments, went to see the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and did lots of other activities to increase our understandings of what sound is.