The week that was...

2 weeks to go.. what a long term! A bit under the weather, I had Monday off. The reliever left a note: 'They worked really well, but they were rather noisy'.. so NO surprises there then!

Maths
We finished off division (for now) and moved onto looking at fractions of whole numbers.
eg.

What is 3/4 of 28?
Strategy:

1. 28 / 4 = 7
2. 3 x 7 = 21

The above is something we have covered before and something that most of the children get. However, based on the gloss results, the following wording throws them:

12 is 3/4 of what number?
Strategy:

1. 12 / 3 = 4
2. 4 x 4 = 16

So we shall be focusing on the above. If you want to reinforce this at home, it really helps to draw a picture (eg. for the above, a circle split into quarters because the 4 in 3/4 means 4 parts) and then work out how to put 12 into the 3 parts equally... that should lead to the logical conclusion that 4 should be in the final quarter too.

Writing
More work on proofing and editing via Free Writing; this seems the popular type of writing in class. The children enjoy letting their minds wander and this exercise leads to creative pieces. I only allocate 12 min's of actual writing time and then 8 minutes for proofing and trying to spot and correct mistakes.. ie. the mistakes they can easily spot. The children then share with the class.. well, as many as we can fit in.

We also did persuasive writing as this tied in with Inquiry. The children had to write a piece persuading their potential customers why they should buy/try their products.

Inquiry
We are nearing the end of this term's work. As you probably know, the children are creating healthy food/drinks and putting together marketing/sales strategies for their products. I'm hoping the children can make these at home and then bring them in for a tasting session in the final week. The children are mainly working in groups, so hopefully, not all parents will be pressurised into trashing their kitchens.

Reminders:
 
Constable Campbell is coming in on Tuesday to talk to the children about Cyber-Safety (this starts at 11.45am).
Talent Quest Finals: this Thursday from 1.30pm in the hall.

IMPORTANT: Matariki Lanterns: We are making these this Wednesday afternoon. All of the children will need one tin can - with the label washed off.