We are a New Entrant – Year one class. We have a very strong whanau feel and always welcome new tamariki into our class with a bright smile and inviting atmosphere.  Learning includes mat times where we sing, learn about social and emotional skills, and learn writing and reading.  We love listening to books being read to us.  We love talking together and learning how to read through structured literacy, and how to write and count.

Powerful Play is a term used in education and psychology to describe how a child can learn to make sense of the world around them. Through play children can develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments.  They also take time to practice new skills as teachers provide ‘provocations’ special equipment and activities to the children will use to learn with.  There is a beautiful ‘dance’ between the teacher and the learners where both work together to learn new things.

Children are encouraged to lead their learning throughout the day and Powerful play is another opportunity for them to do this. They use a variety of equipment (natural resources and manmade resources) to create, build, explore through play. The children are gaining valuable social, oral and learning skills that enables our learners to integrate all of the curriculum.

Toby, is practicing counting on using a set of animals he choose.

Parents at a working bee last weekend. Adding river rocks into the outside kitchen. Thanks to Bunnings for their kind donation of rocks and sand.

Digging in the new tyre sandpit. Thanks to the Kennedy’s for the tyre and Bunnings for the sand. Thanks to all the parents who contributed their Saturday to make this happen.

Toby, Kingston and Atlas, writing about the little yellow digger that helped us dig a hole for our Creatives in Schools installation. Children love to write at Waitati School.