Year 0 to 2

In the Y0-2 Learning Team we aim to provide a caring, supportive environment for children in their first two years at school. During a child’s first years at school we focus on developing foundation skills in literacy and numeracy along with encouraging the children to begin to develop the key competencies they will need to be successful life long learners.

New Entrant children and parents are supported in the transition to our school community with a programme of three preschool visits. Children spend time in the classroom getting to know their teacher and classmates. During this time parents are invited to attend information sessions covering school routines, classroom programmes and ways to support their child’s learning.

In the Year 0-2 Learning Team we:

Have a focus on literacy and numeracy
Encourage a love of learning through child driven inquiry learning
Use a consistent approach to phonics which builds skills from Year 0 to Year 2. It is based on the “Jolly Phonics” programme
Run the Perceptual Motor Programe
Use a specialist teacher in Music
Recognise the importance of hands on learning and developing the whole child
Have computers in all classes
Support children with a wide range of enrichment and extension programmes
Have a buddy system with senior classes
Try to keep class sizes as small as possible
Have an open door policy and see communication between home and school as an integral part of your child’s learning.
Encourage parent help in the classroom

Supporting your child's learning - Year 1 (pdf) - 3,599kb

Supporting your child's learning - Year 2 (pdf) - 3539kb

Communication

Monday, 30 August 2010 21:03

“Communication works for those who work at it.”
John Powell

Our inquiry theme for the year is “Communication”! This exciting topic will be the basis for learning over the whole year either as a topic of study or as an outcome for our studies. The need to communicate successfully is an essential skill of life whether it is through speech, body language, sign language, or a foreign language, through television, radio, telephone or internet, using dance, visual arts, written language, oral language, maths, music and so on and on. All children need to understand and practise the skills from a very early age. It is for this reason that Communication is already one of the essential key characteristics of our ACTIVE curriculum.

To promote the “Communications” theme, Halswell School is developing its very own radio station! Yes, a real radio station that will be housed on school grounds and broadcast to the local community on FM waveband.

The year 0-2 Learning team will explore the inquiry theme Communication in ways appropriate to their children and the whole school will be coming together early next term to celebrate the launch of the radio station and their learning. Our themes include The Senses, Sound, Kitchen Chemistry, ‘ In the Deep’ and ‘We are the Kiwis’ based on the Rugby World Cup.

Discovery

Sunday, 11 July 2010 21:26

Discovery time is a great favourite for all of our children in our year group. During this time, activities are planned that encourage the children to learn through play and exploration. Play is the natural way for children to learn and children need to be immersed in real situations where they can actively engage, create and problem solve. Students are in control of their own learning as they choose the activities that they are interested in. Activities are more hands-on, activity-based learning opportunities that motivate the children. Favourite activities include fun with science, building, dressing-up and craft activities. Discovery happens at least once each week –ask your child what they choose in the Discovery Time!

ACTIVE

Sunday, 11 July 2010 21:24

We promote our school’s curriculum through our daily programmes in the year 0-2 team. We discuss and explain each key characteristic of ACTIVE.

Achiever –being organised for learning
Communicator- giving a message and listening to others
Thinker – asking questions, solving problems
Interactor – relating to others
Versatile Player – trying new things, accepting challenges
Enjoying lifelong success through learning.

Look around your child’s classroom to see lots of evidence of ACTIVE and ask your child to talk about being an ACTIVE learner.