Welcome+and+Information

 //Dear Parents and Caregivers,//

//It is great to see all the Year 1s back this term and a warm welcome to new students and families to Kairanga School. This letter is an outline of some of our ‘happenings’ in Room 1 .//

//There are a lot of routines to learn when your child starts school. Please encourage your child to organise themselves when they arrive at school with support. The simple routines of taking off shoes, putting book bags in the box and hanging up their own bag gives them a sense of independence and promotes self-management skills.//


 * //Our library session is on Monday. Children will be encouraged to select two books to share with their family. Please ensure books are returned the following Monday to the labelled book box in the class. Bringing new books home is very exciting!//
 * //At 9.00 every Monday morning we have a short assembly in the library to share notices and news from the weekend. Please arrive with enough time to let your child get prepared for the school day and line up for assembly. Our Friday assembly starting time can differ from week to week so please check times in newsletters or on the whiteboard outside the office on Friday morning. Families are welcome.//
 * //A water bottle to be used throughout the day can be left in the ‘Brain Juice’ tray in the class. Please ensure it only contains water.//
 * //Children are to leave their shoes in the shoe box at the door so they are easily found.//
 * //Book bags containing their reading book and reading log need to be returned to school every morning to the book bag box. A reader is sent home every night including Friday. Please ensure that when your child reads to you, or a family member, that you are patient and encouraging. Keep in mind that your child has only seen this book once before, if however a book is sent home a second time there will be a reason for this. The child may have selected their own reading material to take home from their browsing box or the book is reread at home to gain reading confidence.//
 * //Newsletters are handed out to the youngest family member every Wednesday. This is a very important job for 5 year olds. Please check your child’s book bag and let me know if your newsletter didn’t make it all the way home. Spare notices will be found in the notice stand by the front door.//
 * //Please advise the office if your child is to be absent.//
 * //Homework will be given every Monday to be handed in on Friday. If the week has flown by and homework hasn’t been completed just send a note or let me know and return on Monday morning and it will be returned to your child the following day. Homework complements our learning in the classroom and content varies week to week.//
 * //Sight word cards are sent home to assist with your child’s instant recognition of basic high frequency words. Please encourage your child to become familiar with these words. Put them up on the fridge, make a matching or memory game, make the words with magazine letters or just learn a few at a time as flash cards. Instant recognition of these words is important to assist in their reading fluency and confidence. Lists will be regularly tested at school with a new list issued when a list is mastered. Once your child is familiar with all 12 Sight Words lists they will have spelling words issued that are taken from Essential Spelling lists or errors made at writing time.//

//If there are any questions or if there are any concerns or issues that arise during the course of the year please don’t hesitate to come and speak to me. Either come in casually before school to touch base or we can make a time that suits after school. Please feel free to pop in and let your child take you for a tour around the room and through their books. Kids just love ‘showing off’ their learning achievements.//

//I look forward to seeing you all soon.// //Regards// //Jo Lark//