Kia ora e te whānau, 

We hope that you are safe and well. First of all, I wish to thank you for supporting your child with their first full week of home learning. All Hongoeka teachers have commented about how impressed we have been with the children this week. All children can be proud of the activities that they have completed. Some of the highlights this week have been children creating their own fitness obstacle courses, dressing up as book characters on video chats and creating short fairy tale stories. 

Next week is Week 7 of Term 3, and our third week of home learning. The tasks include a hint of what we will be focusing on when we return to school. If we are at Level 2 later next week then classes will be continuing with these activities at school next week.   Your child will be able access their own copy in their Google Classroom or teacher’s will drop into your child’s integrated study folder. Please remember that these tasks are all optional and those that you do decide to do can be done in any order. There are a range of activities that children can choose from, plus some additional activities on Seesaw - also optional.

A copy of this email and the home learning activities is available on the Plimmerton School Learning Hub which can be accessed by clicking the link here. We recommend using this site to avoid scrolling through your email to find your child’s home learning. Zoom/Google meet times are also available for viewing on this site. 

If you have any questions about your child's learning, please contact their teacher first. The teacher will then either email or give you a call on the school number.  Please be aware it may take one working day to respond.  

For all teachers, the wellbeing of children and parents is very important to us. We want you to know that we are here to support your child and you as we enter this new stage of learning. Children should choose with you what home learning activities they will do. Together you can also decide how they will do and present these activities - it could be in their book, on a piece of paper, as a video/photo, on Google docs, or directly onto Seesaw. Work done offline can be uploaded to Seesaw, too.

Please remember, if you or your child are finding a task stressful, it is okay to leave it.  All tasks are optional. We are also happy for children to show us other things that they have worked on. We are always here and happy to help as best we can. 

Use of Google Meet/ Zoom

Once again It was wonderful seeing so many children over video calls this week. Teachers have planned two times over the day when they will be setting up a video call that your child may wish to join. Video calls take place Monday - Thursday with Friday being a day to plan for the learning for the following week. 

• If your child’s teacher is using Zoom, they will email out a link to you and your child to enable them to join the video call. 

• If your child’s teacher is using Google Meet, your child will be able to access the Google Meet link via Google Classroom or their email. 

• Instructions on how to use Google Meet are attached to this email out or posted to Google Classroom last week. 

• Please be aware that the meeting may not start until the teacher is ready. 

• A reminder that if your child has access to headphones with a microphone, this is helpful but not essential. 

Use of Seesaw: 
Seesaw is a wonderful tool that allows children, teachers and parents to communicate and share their learning. In Hongoeka, we are asking children to post their work to Seesaw to share their learning with their teacher, friends and whanau. There are also optional activities for the children there. When we can, teachers are happy to make comments on children's work and may make a suggested goal for the next time they complete some work.

Home Learning TV/Papa Kāinga TV 

The Home Learning channel on Duke +1 Sky/ Vodafone T.V 504 or Freeview 18. There are some very valuable programmes shown on here, and we gladly encourage children to watch and learn from these.  Please use this link if you wish to check for further updates.

Communication with Teachers

Teachers may touch base with your child via Google Meet, Seesaw and email. Your child's teacher may contact you via phone or email if they need to. If you have any concerns, please contact your child's teacher first via email and we will usually get back in touch within one working day.

Finally, some good work habits you may want to suggest to your child.

• Encourage them to check their email, Google Classroom and Seesaw regularly. (We are continually sending out emails and making comments/giving feedback on children's work. We may also ask a student to revise, rethink or edit some work.)

• Do not spend the whole day on a device. They wouldn't do this at school!

• Maintain breaks and exercise. Maybe set an alarm for breaks and lunch? They could show us their dance moves or photos from a walk!

Please remember we are here to support you and your child. We understand that this is a busy time for all and that learning happens everywhere, so please feel free to share with your child's teacher other learning that your child is doing.  We love seeing what our kids get up to!

Finally, please stay safe; we look forward to checking in with you and your child in week 6. 

Nga Mihi,

Hongoeka Teachers

Kia ora e te whānau, 

We hope that you are safe and well. First of all, I wish to thank you for supporting your child with their first full week of home learning. All Hongoeka teachers have commented about how impressed we have been with the children this week. All children can be proud of the activities that they have completed. Some of the highlights this week have been children creating their own raps about learning, meeting up online to do Kahoots about school and guess the baby photo and creating book covers using minecraft education. 

This email contains information about week 2´s home learning tasks, which is attached to this email.  There is a fairytale theme to some of the activities for this week. Your child will be able access their own copy in their Google Classroom. Please remember that these tasks are optional and can be done in any order. There are a range of activities that children could choose to do plus some extra optional activities on Seesaw. 

A copy of this email and the home learning activities is available on the Plimmerton School Learning Hub which can be accessed by clicking the link here. We recommend using this site to avoid scrolling through your email to find your child’s home learning. Zoom/Google meet times are also available for viewing. 

If you have any questions about your child's learning, please contact their teacher first. The teacher will then either email or give you a call on the school number.  Please be aware this may take one working day to respond to.  

For all teachers, the wellbeing of children and parents is very important to us. We want you to know that we are here to support your child and you as we enter this new stage of learning. Children can also choose how they wish to present these activities - it could be in their book, on a piece of paper, as a video/photo, or on Google docs. Work can be uploaded to Seesaw.

Please remember, if you or your child is finding the task stressful, it is okay to leave it.  All tasks are optional. We are also happy for children to show us other things that they may have worked on. We are always here and happy to help as best we can. 

Use of Google Meet/ Zoom

Once again It was wonderful seeing so many children over video calls this week. Teachers have planned two times over the day when they will be setting up a video call that your child may wish to join.

• If your child’s teacher is using zoom they will email out a link to you and your child to be able to join the video call. 

• Your child will be able to access the Google Meet link via Google Classroom or their email. 

• Please be aware that the meeting may not start until the teacher is ready. 

• Instructions on how to use Google Meet are attached to this email out or posted to Google Classroom last week. A reminder that if your child has access to headphones with a microphone, this is helpful but not essential. 

Use of Seesaw: 

Seesaw is a wonderful tool that allows children, teachers and parents to communicate and share their learning. In Hongoeka, we are asking children to post their work to Seesaw to share their learning with their teacher, friends and whanau. There are also optional activities for the children there. When we can, teachers are happy to make comments on children's work and may make a suggested goal for the next time they complete some work.

Home Learning TV/  Papa Kāinga TV 

T Home Learning channel on Duke +1 Sky/ Vodafone T.V 504 or Freeview 18. There are some very valuable programmes shown on here, and we gladly encourage children to watch and learn from these. 

I have attached the schedule for Friday 27th August and the timings for the learning areas seem to be the same each day. . Please use this link if you wish to check for further updates:

Communication with Teachers
Teachers may touch base with your child via Google Meet, Seesaw and email. Your child's teacher may contact you via phone or email if they need to. If you have any concerns, please contact your child's teacher first via email and we will get back in touch within 24 hours (excluding weekends).

Finally….. Some good work habits you may want to suggest to your child.

• Encourage them to check their email, Google Classroom and Seesaw regularly. We will be sending out emails and making comments on children's work. It may be that we make a comment on their work and send it back to them to fix up.

• Do not spend the whole day on a device. They wouldn't do this at school!

• Maintain breaks and exercise. Maybe set an alarm for breaks and lunch? They could show us their dance moves!

Please remember we are here to support you and your child. We understand that this is a busy time for all and that learning happens everywhere, so please feel free to share with your child's teacher other learning that your child might be doing.  We love seeing what our kids get up to!

Finally, please stay safe, and we look forward to checking in with you and your child this week. 

            Ngā Mihi, 

Hongoeka Teachers

Kia ora e te whānau, 

We hope that you are safe and well. This is an email to all Hongoeka parents with information about home learning. You will find attached a copy of your child's home learning tasks for next week. Should we come out of level 4 or 3 next week, children will be able to continue with this document while back at school. Your child will be able access their own copy in their Google Classroom. 

If you have any questions about your child's learning, please contact their teacher first. The teacher will then either email or give you a call on the school number. Please be aware this may take one working day to respond too.  

For all teachers, the wellbeing of children and parents is very important to us. We want you to know that we are here to support your child and you as we enter this new stage of learning. Children can also choose how they wish to present these activities - it could be in their book, on a piece of paper, as a video/photo, or on Google docs. Work can be uploaded to Seesaw.

Please remember, if you or your child is finding the task stressful, it is okay to leave it.  All tasks are optional. We are also happy for children to show us other things that they may have worked on. We are always here and happy to help as best we can. 

Use of Google Meet/ Zoom Video Calls:

Once again It was wonderful seeing so many children over video calls this week. Teachers have planned two times over the day when they will be setting up a video call that your child may wish to join. Fridays there will be no video calls as this is day that we have put aside should we need to plan for the following week. 

• If your child’s teacher is using zoom/ google meet they will email out a link to you and your child to be able to join the video call. 

• Your child will be able to access the Google Meet link via Google Classroom or their email. 

• Please be aware that the meeting may not start until the teacher is ready. 

•  A reminder that if your child has access to headphones with a microphone, this is helpful but not essential. 

Use of Seesaw: 

Seesaw is a wonderful tool that allows children, teachers and parents to communicate and share their learning. In Hongoeka, we are asking children to post their work to Seesaw to share their learning with their teacher, friends and whanau. There are also optional activities for the children there. When we can, teachers are happy to make comments on children's work and may make a suggested goal for the next time they complete some work.

Communication with Teachers

Teachers may touch base with your child via Google Meet, Seesaw and email. Your child's teacher may contact you via phone or email if they need to. If you have any concerns, please contact your child's teacher first via email and we will get back in touch within 24 hours (excluding weekends).

Finally….. Some good work habits you may want to suggest to your child.

• Encourage them to check their email, Google Classroom and Seesaw regularly. We will be sending out emails and making comments on children's work. It may be that we make a comment on their work and send it back to them to fix up.

• Do not spend the whole day on a device. They wouldn't do this at school!

• Maintain breaks and exercise. Maybe set an alarm for breaks and lunch? They could show us their dance moves!

Please remember we are here to support you and your child. We understand that this is a busy time for all and that learning happens everywhere, so please feel free to share with your child's teacher other learning that your child might be doing.  We love seeing what our kids get up to!

Finally, please stay safe, and we look forward to checking in with you and your child this week. 

Ngā Mihi, 

Hongoeka Teachers

HONGOEKA  LEARNING PLAN - WEEK 5  - 23 to 27 August

Kia ora Hongoeka Syndicate Whānau,

We know it will take some getting used to moving into level 4 lockdown again after not being in one for well over a year. 

We understand everyone is in different circumstances and households will vary in what they can manage. Our advice is to do what you can and make it work for you. Hongoeka children have their independent learning tasks on Google Classroom for this week, if they wish to keep busy with school work. Students will be able to access these tasks via Google Classroom. 

Hongoeka Teachers will also email out to parents a copy of these tasks should your child be unable to access them.  If lockdown continues next week each syndicate will share a new weekly learning plan.

Feedback from our previous lockdown was of course varied, with some families wanting more and some less.These are suggestions and if you do not manage to do all of these then that is fine.  If your child wants to do more then that is great. Feel free to give them more on your own or if you are struggling for ideas you can email your child's teacher. 

Teachers will send out links for a zoom to catch up with their class on Thursday. There will be the option of two different times that your child can choose from on Thursday. These meetings are valuable to keep connected as a class. Teachers will not be doing class Zoom calls on Fridays as this will be a day to allow teachers to plan for the following week and have staff and or syndicate meetings. 

Teachers will be in touch with zoom links soon and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to email. Be aware we may not be able to respond to you immediately as many of us have children and dependents of our own we are looking after as well.

Hongoeka Syndicate Teachers

Melissa, Rebecca, Larissa, Dianne and Steve