Welcome to the Pikopiko Team

Welcome to the new Pikopiko Team! We hope you had a fantastic summer holiday and are feeling refreshed and ready for the new year.

Below is the same information you received in hard copy today. If you’re reading it here then you’ve found our blog and are in the right place! Please make sure you also read the important blog introduction in the post below.

As you are probably aware, this year at HVS we are going to be working in collaborative teams. The teachers for Pikopiko will be Jocelyn Wilson and Sophie Lennon, then later in the year as our roll grows we will be joined by Jenny Fowler. We are all excited about our new learning space and have spent many hours talking about, planning and creating our wonderful new environment.

The important message about our new collaborative approach is that we are both responsible for every child and do not have our own classes within the team.

As some of you will have seen this morning, the children hang their bags in the cloakroom and their tote trays are in the space that was Room 1. This room will be used as an art area and extra withdrawal space. Our main learning space will be the large area that combines Room 2 and 3.

We are excited to get to know your child and are looking forward to working with you over the next year to support their education. In order to get a “jump start” in developing a relationship with your child please help us by filling out the survey that went home today and returning it to us. Knowing what activities and interests your child has helps us to develop a curriculum that is exciting and meaningful for them. Knowing areas you perceive as more difficult for your child helps us to stretch and encourage them in new areas or places he/she might avoid. Parents are the most important people in a child’s life and we need to work together for the benefit of your child. With home and school working together we know that each and every member of the Pikopiko team will have a successful year.

Please remember that if you have any concerns or queries you can approach either of us for a chat before or after school, or feel free to organise a time if you require a more detailed discussion. We will have a Pikopiko email address up and running shortly, but in the meantime you can contact us on jocelynw@hvs.school.nz or sophiel@hvs.school.nz.

Blog Introduction and Information *Please Read*

Welcome to the Pikopiko team blog!

Please bookmark this page now for future reference, and share the link with family and friends.

Please note: We will be publishing photos and videos of the children, as well as photos of children’s work, and will use first names only. If you do not wish your child’s photo and/or name to appear please let us know asap.

Blogging has a number of benefits and we are using one for several reasons. Firstly it will be a means to share information and class news with families. Please get into the habit of checking it regularly! Secondly, and more importantly, it will be a platform for the children to share their learning. Having an audience is really exciting for the children and a great source of inspiration and motivation. It is also a great way for them to share with family or friends who might live in another city or country! Being involved in the blog will also provide the children with exposure to and experience with some of the technology and tools that are becoming a central part of our Modern Learning Environment, and that are being used throughout the school.

A lot of the benefit of this experience, however, is the interaction with their audience. If you are already familiar with blogging you will know that the comments are a vital part of the process! We encourage you and other family and friends to add comments, especially if the children have shared something special. You might also help your child to leave a comment at home. You don’t need a google account to do this, you can just comment anonymously. However please sign your name so we know who you are! Please make sure you only refer to yourself and the children by first names. For example you might write ‘Sally’s mum/grandma/uncle’ and you can include your own first name if you like. As an additional safety/security measure all comments have to be moderated and approved by me (Ms Lennon) before they appear publicly. Be aware that this means your comment will not appear immediately. I am also the only one who can make posts to the blog. I know from experience just how much comments mean to the children. We will be checking the site every day and reading everything that gets posted!

Last year I ran my first blog with Room 7. It was a great success and a lot of fun. If you’d like to get an idea of what to expect from our blog and the sorts of comments people left, then check it out at mslennonsclass.blogspot.co.nz.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns, if you need help navigating the site or leaving comments, or if you have any other questions. This will be our primary form of communication this year so we will be doing our best to help everybody get on board.

Thank you, looking forward to reading all your comments soon! Why not have a go at leaving one below?

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