Welcome to Room 5 2022

Kia ora koutou and welcome to Room 5!

I'm so excited to be starting at Hamilton East School with a class full of beautiful Year 1 and 2 children. My name is Laura Stewart and I live in Hamilton East with my two daughters, Mila and Macy, and my husband Pete. I love reading, sewing, flowers and going for bike rides and bush walks. 

Unfortunately, the wall coverings for Room 5 are stuck off shore and so our classroom is not ready for our first day of school. Until it is ready, we will be learning and having fun from the library.

I hope you saw Pippa's recent update for school's Red Level requirements. If your child is reluctant to be dropped at the gate, or with one of our leadership team, you will be able to bring them to the classroom until they feel comfortable doing this on their own or with a friend. Please remember to wear a mask and stay outside of the classroom (the library).

I hope you have had a lovely long weekend. I look forward to seeing our new class and meeting you on Thursday.

Ngā manaakitanga, many blessings,

Laura

End of an era

School's out for summer!

Last day of school for Ms Jones forever.

Farewell to everyone. 

Kia ora koutou,

Well, we have reached the end of 2021. What a momentous year.

I am leaving school and leaving teaching tomorrow, after 22 years at Hamilton East School. I'm heading off into the wide blue yonder in my Princess Minor caravan, to travel the wilds of the South Island and to finish the book I've been writing for several years now.

It's been a bonus to have been able to finish my teaching career with such a lovely class of children. Thank you for all your support and kindness this year.

Here are some photos of the last few weeks with Room 5 and Room 6, based in the library.

Haere Rā

Olive

I learned to topiary heads. Here is Oscar and Elmo, who live in the garden outside the library.

We made wrapping paper in the hall.

Here are our beautiful pots we made the paper to wrap.

Presents wrapped.

In the library, doing phonics practice.

Decorated pots.

In the garden

We planted our kumara: "Grow, kumara, grow!"

Back at School again!

 Kia ora!

It is wonderful to be in level 2 and have everyone back at school.

Our students have come back motivated and eager to engage with their learning, as well as spending time with their friends.

Big changes for both Room 5 and 6 with out classrooms being refurbished.

We are in the library, with Mrs M from Room 6 and Madeleine being our lovely assistant.

This is what Room 5 looks like now. ...

Here are some photos of us in our new setup in the library:

Lachlan brought his weta house today. We found a spot to put it up on Te Ara ō te Ngāhere:

Down on Putikitiki we saw the new amphitheatre that has been built to be an outdoor classroom.

Week 5

 Kia ora tatau,

Well, that was a surprise hearing we are moving to level 2 tonight at midnight!

If you haven't done the slides on Seesaw, today is your chance to finish those ones you left.

Otherwise, here are some ideas for home learning today:

Spring arrangement

Check out the creations by the sculptor Andy Goldsworthy:

Andy Goldsworthy

Now go outside and find a variety of shapes and colours and forms and create your own Andy Goldsworthy masterpiece.

Writing

Write a story about the best and the worst of being at home for all these weeks of Lockdown.

Check you have:

At least three sentences.

Start with a capital letter.

Put full stops in.

Add some exciting words to describe the best and worst things.

Reading

Read from Sunshine online, or the books you have at home, and write a book review. 

How many stars rating would you give it? (5 is the top, 1 is the least).

Draw the best part of the story.