our staff letters to parents term 1

8/9/2019 Our Staff Letters to Parents Term 1

1/12

Learning

Letters toOur

Class Parents

andCaregivers

Dear Parents/Caregivers.


2/12

Over the last year the teachers at Huntly Primary School have been given several worthwhile learning

opportunities to enhance our knowledge and skill surrounding the use of ICT in the classroom. This has

meant there have been several important changes to our school and class programmes.

We have taken part in courses and professional development which have given us many valuable

ideas/resources and free internet programmes that we can use to enhance our teaching practice andengage our students. It has also made us aware of the huge range of technologies available to enhance

our classroom programmes and our students learning.

In room 3 we have been using ICT in all areas and it has meant that the students are excited about what

they are learning. They have been given the chance to learn through the use of ICT or reinforce other

areas of learning.

The classrooms of today need to interest students and get them motivated to learn. ICT is not only

giving us the chance to reach all our children but is preparing them for their futures.

New technologies are being created every day and ICT is becoming a huge part of our childrens and

our everyday lives.

Our children need to be able to explore, inquire and create new ideas and we are teaching them the

skills to do this through the use of ICT integration.

Here are some examples of how our classroom have taken advantage of this new learning and to show

you that the time the teachers have taken to up skill our selves has been worthwhile

In room 3 we have learnt camera skills, used many fun and educational math and spelling programmes

to reinforce and practise our learning. We have used the projector and watched slide shows to begin

topic studies and the children have been given scenarios to help them inquire and take ownership of the

learning process. The children have created images using paint and added text to illustrate and publishstories or to create pages for learning books. They have learnt to use the programme photo story which

has allowed them to take photos, insert them into the programme and add text to explain the photos or

create stories. The students have come up with their own questions about topics and as a class we have

used search engines to research this. They have also learnt to use the library search to find topical

books. We have been down the mines using an educational website that visits places around New

Zealand and the list goes on!

The next step for us is to get more ICT gear so that our children can have experience with a larger range

of ICT technologies and be even more capable to work with, understand and use these technologies. At

present we are doing the best that we can with what we have.

We will continue to improve in this area. The children are excited by the changes and the new ways oflearning and we hope that you are too

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Williams, Room 3.


3/12

Dear parents and caregivers,

This year has been moving along fast, and it has been filled with

many learning challenges for the students and teachers alike. The purpose of this letter is to let

you know where education is moving, how the teachers at Huntly Primary School are moving

with it, and what this looks like for your childs education.

At the start of the year and during the term 1 holiday we have attended intensive professionaldevelopment in the area of ICT (Information Communication Technology). We have had

national and international experts in this area share, interpret and guide us through the

implementation, uses, and educational purposes of using equipment and thinking tools that

create innovative, and deep thinking learners. It has been a real eye opener to see these ideas

and tools being incorporated in classrooms around the world.

For me the starting point is using the thinking tools to create a sequence of deep and

perspective based thinking. Tools like the thinking hats, Blooms questioning models, and

Solos thinking taxonomy create the platform for comprehension and reflection of a concept.

Once the students have moved through the knowledge and remembering steps of learning, they

can synthesize information from a range of sources, create and share their thinking with other

students via computer tools, and reflect on the outcome according to the purpose and audience.The beauty of these thinking tools is that they are created for students to learn and embed in

their own minds, creating tools for life.

The next step for our school is to collect and utilize the hardware needed to access the vast

amounts of written, audio, and visual information there is to offer in this world. The good news

is that we have some of these tools available and the students are already becoming fluent in

using digital cameras, power points, and the like. The next step we are in the process of is to

use the tools in all the curriculum areas to integrate the thinking skills and tools to engage,

empower and create effective learners in room 5.

I am excited about the learning we have done this year, and I can see it already positively

impacting on your childs learning. If you have any questions of your own about ICT, or

anything for that matter, come on in and I would be happy to share what I know with you. Seeyou on the web!

Yours sincerely,

Mike Moriarty

One cant believe impossible things.I daresay you havent had much practice, said the Queen. When I

was your age I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimesIve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. Lewis

Carroll, Alices Adventures in Wonderland


4/12

Dear Parents

When I first heard about ICT integration I responded resoundingly with Thats

impossible! But, like the Queen, I am believing in, and accomplishing "the

impossible". The children in Room 4 have busy and inquisitive minds. I soondiscovered that I needed to learn myself and keep myself up to date with the

latest technology and programmes which are available. In 2009 I attended the

U learn Conference in Christchurch and came back with many new ideas and

implemented some immediately. This year, we as a staff went to Rotorua to

attend the Learning@school Conference. This was an amazing experience for me.

My children benefit daily from my increased knowledge. I am so excited to share

with you what we have done in ICT so far this year and now that we have started

on this exciting new road there is nothing that will stop us. Room 4 is proud to

share the following with you. We wrote a story and inserted a picture behind the story. We learned how to do

Text Wrapping.

We made Power Point Presentations about Planets and worked in groups to gather

information. We typed the stories and added photos to support our writing. Some of

the groups even added sound.

We made colourful brochures about activities in and aroundHuntly and copied and pasted some

photographs, writing and contact details. We used Microsoft Office Publisher.

We use the digital camera daily and we used photographs and added speech bubbles with

writing

to explain the Virtue Jellies that we made.

Some of our classmates receive their homework letters

via email.

We use the computers during reading time and doonline story reading and writing.

We do online maths, practice our basic facts and other

activities. We are currently making our own

movies.

Every day is a challenge for us and we are very fast learners. You are welcome to pop in

at any time and we would love to share the ICT workwith you.

I like lime, raspberryand

mango jellybecause if you

mixit all together it makes

rainbow jelly. My Rainbow

jellyvirtuesare Service.

Responsibility, love,kindness,

Gentleness,Consideration.

I am awalking rainbow jelly

virtue!


5/12

Kind Regards , Rina Pretorius

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we are living in a changing world, with technology that is evolving at arapid pace, it is vital that our students are equipped with the skills andknowledge to become the best that they can be and reach their dreams.I have been involved in very exciting professional development relating toICT (Information communication technology). Not only have I learned abouthow to use a range of programmes and digital technologies that willenhance the learning of your child, but I have learned interesting ways toexplore all areas of the curriculum. I have learned about how to use digitaltechnologies to give the students ownership and allow them to exploreideas in a variety of ways. Your children are now able to express theirlearning and ideas in fun and interesting ways, which enhance theirknowledge and understanding.In room 7, we will be learning skills to be objective about the informationwe are gaining, and to cross-reference sources of information to ensure theaccuracy of the knowledge being acquired. The students in room 7 havebeen using a range of technologies, such as differing computerprogrammes that enhance learning, and reiterate concepts and ideas. Wehave been using digital cameras to capture various aspects of the learningthat occurs within our classroom. When using programmes that thestudents are already familiar with, we having been using a different

approach.The students have been involved in inquiry approaches to their learning,meaning that they have been able to lead the learning, and explore variousaspects of programmes and technologies that are interesting to them. Wehave been exploring power point presentations as a way to express ourlearning. We expressed our knowledge of procedural writing by creating apower point that showed the steps we took to create a minute timer inmathematics. Students took photos of the steps, and these were insertedinto the power point presentation to show what was involved.The knowledge and skills I have learned, will assist me to enhance thecreativity and enthusiasm of the students in room 7. Once the students

have been taught the skills for using a range of technology, they will beable to work collaboratively to create original and exciting pieces of work ina variety of ways and forms. We are currently working on getting moretechnology that will increase the access your child has to technology andenhance the learning occurring in the classroom. I look forward to sharingthe students learning with you throughout the year.Yours sincerely,

Samantha StewartRoom 7


6/12

Dear Parents,

As part of our Schools Professional Development I have been attending

courses and studying the uses of computers and the hi-whi world of the

World Wide Web. www.

What an amazing world it is in the cyber space and the

children of today are getting in at an early age to

experience things that we thought were only for

those people who were lucky. Not now its available for

everyone.

Part of the skills that are important for our children to learn is the

importance of cyber safety.

Keeping away from sites, knowing how to evade using the wrong words,

when researching resources for amazing up to date data rather than

struggling through old encyclopaedias with out of date

data.

Things are moving so fast now that the skills our

children are learning are essential for their survival inthis ever developing world that we face daily.

Scary, but a lot of fun.

Our children have no fear in this world which is okay at some levels but

needs to guided and checked on as they become more adventurous.

Your guidance and support with children being able to access a computer at

home will help us immensely as it is another avenue for learning available

to us.Not far down the track, contact will be done over the airways more often as

reports, newsletters and assessments, childrens work and contact between

teachers and parents become more immediate and on line.

For me I find it a challenge but very exciting.

I hope you join me and the children in this Journey of learning.

Alex Ayerst Teacher Room 12

Tena koutou matua ma,


7/12

I am writing to give you an update on how my professional development as a

teacher of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is being integrated

into your childs classroom experience.

First of all, I am fortunate to have your child in my classroom. We work togetherin a positive learning environment and always set high standards for ourselves.

Huntly Primary School has provided opportunities to upgrade my ICT skills and

now it is my turn to integrate what I have learnt at conferences, workshops and

seminars into my classroom practice. One reason for my ICT development is that

we are preparing children with the skills and tools for jobs that havent yet been

invented. A very challenging task!

I have learnt that children of the past have had to use their imagination to keep

themselves entertained. Todays children function differently, are stimulated

differently and need instant gratification. This is one of the many reasons whythe integration of ICT in our programmes is essential for your child to succeed.

Examples of ICT being used in Room 9:

Creating visitor brochures about Huntly using

Microsoft Publisher and learning about its many

features

Daily computer time to edit and publish samples of

learning

Using digital cameras in the classroom and uploading photos to class PC

Creating Virtue Award Certificates for peers using Microsoft Word

Exploring Google Maps to view Huntly and its surrounding features

Exploring the use and many functions available in Microsoft Word

Learning about ANZAC history through the use of the internet and class

data projector

Room 9s own internet page to post messages and keep in contact with

other class members. (www.wallwisher.com/wall/Huntly9)

We are also in the process of updating Room 9s page on the Huntly Primary

School website. We are excited about having the chance to upload examples of

our work so that it is readily available to you and the wider community. There are

many other fun and exciting ICT experiences in the pipeline for your child, we

look forward to sharing our journey with you.


8/12

Naku noa,

Whaea Kellee

Dear Parents/ Guardians

I am writing to let you all know about the work that the classand I have been doing in ICT since our school professionaldevelopment began. The staff as a whole has attended a 3-day conference, earlier in the year, in Rotorua and aTeachers Only Day, during the holidays, at MorrinsvilleIntermediate. We covered many aspects of InformationCommunication, as well as looking at how we as teacheroperate in the classroom.

Since attending these days, the class and I have tried outnew ways of using computers and organising our learning.We have used the computer and projector to work as a classon such things as Goggle Earth, Google Maps when lookingat Huntly, Youtube clips when looking both at ANZAC andinspiration for our upcoming Wearable Arts topic, andviewing photos for inspiration when planning our Art project.The children enjoy using the projector as a class, as they canhelp to guide each others learning around the websites that

we use.

We have also used other programmes to present work, forexample Publisher to create our Huntly brochures, Wordusing the shapes to create their reflection thought bubbles,Word to publish our writing and they are currently usingPaint and Photostory to create Storybooks.

Along with using various ICT applications, I have worked hardat getting the students to lead and plan their own learning.

This has meant that they feel more in control of what ishappening in the classroom, and are leading their learning tofulfill the desired outcome. This has meant that some havedone extra ICT, with taking photographs and using the webas a research tool to help the whole class progress towards a

positive outcome.

We have big plans for the rest of the year, including usingthe video camera to record interviews, placing these intoMovieMaker and trying out other Google applications. There

are still many areas to explore and the children are lookingforward to this adventure.


9/12

The school website is currently being updated and we willendeavor to have examples of your wonderful childrens workfor you to view online.

If you have any questions about what we are doing, or have a

suggestion of something that you think will assist thechildren and I in our ICT journey, please do not hesitate tocontact me. I would love to hear from you.

Yours sincerely, Judith Gribble Room 11 Teacher

Dear Parents /Caregivers

I would like to share with you what I have been learning aboutwith ICT and what I am working on for programmes for students.Firstly I have been amazed by the other language involved inthe world of computers and this language keeps growing. Atevery course and interaction with others more knowledgeablethan me, I find out more terminology and better ways of usinghardware, software and information eg google docs andexploring other features of google. The exciting opportunitiesavailable for sharing learning and communicating with others

were highlighted at conference when we able to skype peoplenationally and internationally in a 2 way conference.

It is important that we continue to be lifelong learners andensure our students know that learning is forever and how toutilise skills to achieve this. Accessing Information is instant andcell phones make communication available constantly. Studentstoday quickly learn to utilise new technology. Learning is studentdirected and involves students.

Most of the workshop sessions I attended were focussed on thetheory and information which has been useful for backgroundinformation and reflection on where education is heading andwhy we teach the way we do.

Practical sessions have proved that I have more skills andcomputer knowledge than I was aware of. The learning of newweb sites which allow exciting ways for students to express whathas been learnt and also demonstrates their understanding ofthe technological tools used. I have improved my ability toproduce school data in a variety of formats including a variety of


10/12

graphs. I am working on creating interactive learning activitiesfor ORRS students and using paint and clicker for ORRS studentsto record their work. I can teach students how to use a digitalcamera and record their photos and written ideas using various

soft ware programmes.

Lorraine Bristol.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,As we are living in a changing world, with technology that is evolving at arapid pace, it is vital that our students are equipped with the skills andknowledge to become the best that they can be and reach their dreams.

I have been involved in very exciting professional development relating toICT (Information communication technology). Not only have I learned abouthow to use a range of programmes and digital technologies that willenhance the learning of your child, but I have learned interesting ways toexplore all areas of the curriculum. I have learned about how to use digitaltechnologies to give the students ownership and allow them to exploreideas in a variety of ways. Your children are now able to express theirlearning and ideas in fun and interesting ways, which enhance theirknowledge and understanding.

In room 7, we will be learning skills to be objective about the informationwe are gaining, and to cross-reference sources of information to ensure theaccuracy of the knowledge being acquired. The students in room 7 havebeen using a range of technologies, such as differing computerprogrammes that enhance learning, and reiterate concepts and ideas. Wehave been using digital cameras to capture various aspects of the learningthat occurs within our classroom. When using programmes that thestudents are already familiar with, we having been using a differentapproach.

The students have been involved in inquiry approaches to their learning,meaning that they have been able to lead the learning, and explore variousaspects of programmes and technologies that are interesting to them. Wehave been exploring power point presentations as a way to express ourlearning. We expressed our knowledge of procedural writing by creating apower point that showed the steps we took to create a minute timer inmathematics. Students took photos of the steps, and these were insertedinto the power point presentation to show what was involved.

The knowledge and skills I have learned, will assist me to enhance thecreativity and enthusiasm of the students in room 7. Once the students


11/12

have been taught the skills for using a range of technology, they will beable to work collaboratively to create original and exciting pieces of work ina variety of ways and forms. We are currently working on getting moretechnology that will increase the access your child has to technology andenhance the learning occurring in the classroom. I look forward to sharing

the students learning with you throughout the year.Yours sincerely,

Samantha Stewart Room 7

ICT & Learning

Kirsten McOnie

I found the conference extremely enlightening. I realised that future of

classroom learning will include a large amount of computer skills.The children that are in our classrooms will need to know ICT and

most; if not all of their future employment will have some type of

computer skills involved.

I have realised that as the classroom teacher I need to upgrade my own

skills to teach, and benefit children to succeed in future life choices.

Recently I have gone to computer conferences where I have seen

firsthand how to incorporate computer skills into every day teaching,allowing children to build upon their reading and writing skills as well

as their computer skills.

Children in Room 2 are learning how to write, edit and publish their

own stories using the computer. They are also learning how to illustrate

their work using PAINT and clip art.

Children are beginning to extend their skills into researching the web

as part of their topic studies, looking for and watching short videos onfrogs. They have found, with support, several websites with specific

information on the frog life cycle and what frogs eat.

I would also like to extend the childrens knowledge and use of e-

mails. Sending them to friends and family members as part of their

writing programme, and sending them to specific professionals as part

of research for our WOW topic.

I have recently started taking computer lessons, not only to upgrade myown skills but to pass skills onto the children in Room 2. I hope to


12/12

teach these children a firm foundation in ICT that they can build upon

in their schooling and use in their future.

Greetings to all Parents and Caregivers

This small publication is to give you some idea of what my ideas on

ICT are about and how they will affect your childs learning in Room

10.

At many of the ICT conferences I have attended over the past four

years, there is a strong belief that the future of computers is via globallearning. Children will develop skills that can only be seen to build

confidence; skills that will enable children to communicate via

computers to others on a global scale. Global learning creates

opportunities for children to display their work, ideas, and photos.

Blogs and websites are common means of interacting with global

knowledge. This interaction teaches children how to be selective in

what they are researching and what they may write on an open (for all

to see) page.Our class has a page on the school website and now that I have some

idea of how to change and update it, my aim is to have the children

learn to do this for themselves (under my supervision).

We have used the internet as much as we have had time for, to research

information, download pictures and photos onto documents they have

been producing. Most mornings we use the data projector as a tool to

display images from News sites and Youtube dont worry it all links

to our topics .The class has some experience with creating powerpoints, using

Photostory 3 and Im about to start a new program called Paint.net.

These involve the use of photos and text and a little creativity.

These programs are all compatible with our classroom learning.

So when your child comes home from school and says Guess what we

did today on the computer? youll have the answer!

hehehe =]

our staff letters to parents term 1

Documents