This week I …

This week I …

Want to work on  speaking confidently when talking to the class at news time. Natasha.

Will give news to the class. Nathan

Want to get organised when I arrive at school. Allan

I will get my food organised at break time. Aidan

Will bring news to the class once a week. Brenann

Play games from my list at break times. Vikki

Will remember to bring my P.E gear every day. Bradley

Three Red Ribbons by Vikki

On athletics day I was very excited because I was very ready to do my events. First I did the 100m them 200m and lastly the long jump. I got three first places and I was extremely happy. My parents was also very happy when I told them and I am going to put the three red ribbons on my wall.

Check out the photos of our new sport Badminton on the Media Page

Check out the photos of our new sport Badminton on the Media Page

Gardening Report for February and March 2014

Gardening Report for February and March 2014

Our Maths Garden Term 1 2014

We cleaned our garden by pulling all the weeds out.

We started a big compost heap.

We turned the soil in our vegetable beds.

We measured our flower beds and the trellis.

We planned our garden and decided to buy weed killer, Blitzem, compost, fertiliser, blood and bone  and vegetable seeds.

We spread compost, blood and bone and Blue Fertiliser on our garden beds.

We turned the soil again.

We planted sweetcorn, beans, butternuts and cucumbers in our garden beds.

We watered all our newly planted seeds.

After they started to grow we counted the ones that came up and measured how high they grew.

Sports Day by Aidan

Athletics day was fun.  We were there all day and we wore special Sommerville sports uniforms.  I did the 50m walk and I came 5th. That made me very happy.  I did the softball throw too and did well in that.  I really enjoyed throwing the javelin.

Acrostic Poem by Brennan

Check out the free new music on Sound Cloud

Click here to check out the free new music on Sound Cloud

Allan's 5

Learning a New Sport by Nathan

We played Badminton. We hit the shuttlecock hard with the racquets.We hit it over the net. I enjoyed playing badminton. It  was fun.

Bat-man-tin Ambition by Bradley

On Friday the 7th of March, we went to the Edgewater gym to practice playing a new sport called Badminton. Although the game was different from tennis, we quickly got used to playing the game and knowing how to play it.

Instead of using a tennis ball, we had to use what is called a shuttlecock. A shuttlecock is made of plastic and is a very light object. The reason why we had to use a shuttlecock is because when we use a normal tennis ball, the badminton racket would break under the weight of the ball.

Towards the end of the session, Kevin divided our class into teams of two. I was in the same team as Nathan. As I was enjoying the game, I felt like badminton would be my new number 1 favourite sport.

Measuring

If you are interested in measuring click the link below to learn about the metric system.


http://www.mathsisfun.com/measure/metric-system-introduction.html

Fynn's 5

Our First Badminton Lesson by Natasha

We learned to play Badminton in the gym. We first tried to balance the shuttlecock on the racquet. Then we practised holding the racquet down and hitting the shuttlecock towards the ceiling. I chose a partner and practised hitting the shuttlecock over the net. It was hard hitting the shuttlecock over the net, but I got it after a while.  We played who could hit the shuttlecock the furthest. Then we had a competition to play against  another team. Me and Allan played against Vikki and Brennan. Me and Allan won the game. I am getting good at Badminton and I can’t wait to play Badminton next week and it will be one of my favourite sports.  

Compost and Fertiliser by Vikki

We went to Bunnings shop to get garden supplies. I was taking lots of photos. That was fun. Where was Mr B’s group? I found them and and took more photos. Then I looked for Mary’s group but Mary’s group was hard to find because I didn’t know where they had gone. I saw Elly’s group and I took more photos. I like taking photos because it is fun. We got Blizem and garden bags and spray. We bought compost and it was heavy. I went to the checkout and we used Kevin’s card to pay.

Garden Shopping

Edgewater 3 Seniors Class Newsletter

Edgewater 3 Seniors Class Newsletter

Dear Friends and Families

We have made an absolutely fabulous start to the school year. The staff and students have settled in quickly. We are all working hard and having fun.

The Edgewater Senior Satellite Class has eight students they are Bradley, Natasha, Allan, Fynn, Vikki, Brennan, Nathan and Aidian. We have four staff members they are Mary, Elly, Riaan and Kevin.

If you would like to contact us…

ü  Please write a note in the Home/School Communication Book

ü  Call our Class Cell Phone: 0272513891

ü  Leave a message at Sommerville Special School. Phone: 5709787

ü  Email: kevin@sommervillespecial.school.nz (our email is not very reliable at this time)

ü  Or write a comment on our new class and individual blog sites. We would love to read your comments about our work. Class Blog: http://ssskevinm.blogspot.co.nz/

This year our Senior School Key Competency focus is “Managing Self”.

This competency is associated with self-motivation, a “can-do” attitude, and with students seeing themselves as capable learners.

Students who manage themselves are enterprising, resourceful, reliable, and resilient. They establish personal goals, make plans, manage projects, and set high standards. They have strategies for meeting challenges. They know when to lead, when to follow, and when and how to act independently.

As part of the “Managing Self” focus the Edgewater 3 students have worked together to plan which “Headway” learning units they would like to study. We have picked four units to study. (This is double the minimum requirement!)

Our students chose:

Headway Leisure: Art

Headway Life Skills: Safe Traveling

Headway Leisure: Sports

Headway Vocational: Techno Tools

The students have also worked individually with staff to identify some “Personal Goals” and they are currently talking with Kevin and the Therapy Team to identify the best 2014 I.E.P (Individual Educational Plan) goals.

Kevin would like to meet with families to discuss your students’ progress and to hear your ideas about the 2014 I.E.P goals. Please fill in the appointment form at the end of this newsletter and send it back to school or email your preferred times to Kevin.

Special Thursdays:

Kevin will be visiting other schools to support students on Thursday mornings. Gabrielle will be the teacher every Thursday morning and for several Thursday afternoons this term when Kevin has classroom release to do other school jobs.

                   

Every Thursday our Special Music Teacher Steve will give us a music lesson to start the day then we will travel to Sommerville’s Tamaki Campus to use the I.C.T Room with Fiona our Special Google computer tutor and then our Specialist Art teacher Gabrielle will open up her Art Room for us.

Our Class Timetable is attached to let you know what else is happening at school.

Absences: Please call, text or email if your student is going to be late or absent. We worry if we don’t know where they are. Please advise the Taxi drivers if they are not required.

Sign in/Sign out: All students need to see the duty/taxi teacher in the morning and afternoon to sign in to school and sign out. (We need to know where you are.)

We will participate in these events: 

Athletics Ribbon Day @ Mt Smart Tuesday 18 March

Ten Pin Bowling either Mondays 12,19 and 26 May or Wednesdays 14, 21 and 28 May at Panmure Superbowl.

Football Ribbon Day Thursday 19 June Neil Ave Te Atatu Peninsular or at TheTrusts Stadium Henderson if wet.

Basketball Ribbon Day Tuesday 16 September at The Trusts Stadium Henderson

Aquatics Ribbon Day Tuesday 4 November at West Wave Aquatics Henderson.

Money: We will try to keep all costs as low as possible. Payments for items can be spread over several weeks to make your budgeting easier. During this year Sommerville School will ask for money for the Headway/Spec units, Ten Pin Bowling and perhaps money for a small class trip.

This Term we ask if families could please contribute $25 for Stationery and $25 for Cooking/Occupational Therapy Supplies. (Total cost $50) Students will be supplied with all stationery supplies they require.(Pens, pencils, rubbers, folders, felts, books, paper, pads etc) The Cooking money will cover all the materials for their Life Skills, Cooking and Occupational Therapy work. Please pay when it suits your budget. Your student will not miss out on anything if you have not paid yet.

Regards,

Kevin Mellon (Class Teacher)