Rāmere, te 24 o Hōngongoi, 2020
Welcome to Term 3. We hope you are all well rested from your break and that our kura have been able to return to their normal routines and school life.
Tuhituhi / Writing: Curriculum Integration
Connecting English through the Visual Art curriculum
How can we connect curriculum to motivate our teaching and learning in the literacy curriculum? A great way for students to return to the new term is to hook into their love of art and creativity. In update #16 of Term 2 we talked about the benefits of drawing to help our learners remember concepts. It is also a way for learners to use art as an avenue through which students can apply and connect the previously taught content. 
What is Arts integration?
Art integration assists us to:
- Improve levels of engagement, confidence and behaviour, especially for our reluctant writers
- Use art as a language that can be harnessed to develop skills in writing
- Create images prior to learning to create text
- Create cross-curricular opportunities between art and design, English, social sciences, technology
- Encourage students to read the visual art, just as a poem or story
- Challenge and extend gifted learners
To help inspire some fun and creativity with our writing checkout the following links
Auckland Art Gallery – Storytelling resource
Art of Education – Art lessons to inspire writing
Professional reading – Arts Integration and STEAM
Art as text – Bridging Arts and Literacy Edutopia
Max Literacy is an English website inspiring writing through art and is well worth the look for teaching ideas and resources to inspire your own teaching practice. Museums and galleries work in partnership with schools and writers as part of a programme to stimulate literacy through the visual arts.
Using collections and displays as inspiration, these collaborations produce innovative resources that are available for anyone to download.
Learner Support: Dyslexia on Pinterest
Pinterest can be a fantastic resource for teachers. Have a look at weareteachers.com
Impact of Gaming
Worried about the impact online gaming is having on your child, your students or young people in general? TED Ideas have some interesting observations:
Here’s a simple solution. Start a conversation with your gamer kid by asking them these three questions.
- What games do you play?
- Why do you enjoy playing those particular games?
- Can I watch you game sometime?
Pictures from Matariki
Here are some more pictures taken over Matariki.
Manu tukutuku made from upcycling t-shirts at Orewa Primary School
Silverdale School’s Matariki production cast and crew
Upcoming Pōhiri
We have a number of pōhiri at our local marae, Te Herenga Waka o Orewa, this term for teachers, leaders and board members in our Kāhui. If you haven’t been invited, and believe that you should be included, please contact your principal, head of Māori or directly to markralston@silverdaleprimary.school.nz
New Teacher Pōhiri: Thursday/Rāpare 6 August/Hereturikōkā at 3:45 pm
A pōhiri for teachers who have joined one of our schools/kura in 2020.
In-School Leader Pōhiri: Thursday/Rāpare 13 August/Hereturikōkā at 3:45 pm
A pōhiri for in-school and across school leaders.
Combined Board of Trustees Pōhiri: Wednesday/Rāapa 15 September/Mahuru
A pōhiri for all board of trustees from across all of our kura/schools.
Kāhui Ako After School Meeting Dates
30 July
13 August (at the marae)
27 August
10 September
24 September
At the usual time: 3.30 in the Orewa College staffroom
Kāhui Ako ki Orewa 
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