Welcome to Room 12 2022

 Welcome Back!

I am very excited to be coming back in 2022, to Room 12. I hope you have all had a great break and are ready to get back into school.

A little background into myself for those of you that don't know me. I was born and raised in Alberta Canada. I have been living in New Zealand for 16 years. My three boys and I have been calling Rotorua home for the past 7 years. I love to camp, play all sports and spend time with my boys on our farm. I am looking forward to all the adventures that 2022 will bring.

I am a firm believer in reading at home, for the most part, this is the only ask I will have for my students in the form of homework. Reading at home can look different for each person. You could have someone read a book to you, you can listen to audiobooks, read online/device or read to someone else. The recommendation is for 20mins each day. With our very busy lives, this is often not achievable but it is the goal I would like everyone to strive for.

A reading log went home at the end of the school year, if you have miss placed it then just write the books read on a piece of paper. I told the kids on the meet the teacher day that there are prizes to be won from the reading log draw but to encourage this I also take one class person out for lunch. Please get reading so that you can enter both draws. 

Home learning should never be a stressful time for children and their families, so if your child is showing signs of tiredness or stress then it may be best to leave the reading or spelling for another day. Children need time after school to simply play and be a kid, so sometimes the best homework is fun activities. Try playing games with your child, such as cards, board games or solving puzzles. Encourage them to help with cooking or baking and get them to help you weigh and measure ingredients. Fitness and developing physical skills are important too  - so do encourage your child to be active in school sports or outdoor activities such as walking, biking or swimming on a regular basis.  Fun activities help a child’s social and emotional development, which in turn makes a child ready for more structured learning.

My door is always open, if you would like to contact me please do so at jilld@stmarysrotorua.school.nz , and we can arrange a meeting.

Chromebooks:

Chromebooks are a fantastic tool to enhance our students' learning. To get the most out of their chromebooks, students need to bring it to school every day of the week. I strongly recommend that your child's chromebook is charged every night as we don’t want students using their chargers at school. Chromebooks are to be taken home every night. They are kept in the children’s learning trays when not being used and the classroom is locked when we are not in class. I encourage you to ensure you set some boundaries around the amount of time your child spends on their chromebook at home, encourage your child to use their chromebook primarily for learning purposes, and supervise your child when they are on devices at home. If you would like any further information about chromebooks please ask. 

Thank you for your ongoing support - Here’s to a fun and successful year as our 2022 Kahikatea team !

Nga Mihi,