Rāmere, te 11 o Mahuru, 2020
Tuhituhi / Writing: Curriculum Integration – Technology
When technology integration in the classroom is seamless and thoughtful, students not only become more engaged, they begin to take more control over their own learning, too. Effective tech integration changes classroom dynamics, encouraging student centred project-based learning.
Follow the link here to Edutopia for an article on Educators using Bitmoji to build community and engagement with their students.
The following slides have been used for NCEA level 1 revision at Orewa College.
To help generate that flash of excitement, turn to technology here to an article on five fiction writing tools to develop creativity. 
These five tools can be used as centre activities, extension tasks, or just opportunities for students to explore new areas within the writing text types.
Developing and writing a recipe book provides lots of opportunities for students to practice writing. Follow the link here to Technology online for more detailed planning of this unit.
What is phonological awareness, phonemic awareness and phonics?
Rhonda Beet and Madeleine Lockie of Orewa North School have been doing an inquiry on reading. Some of their investigation has been looking at the differences between phonological and phonemic awareness and phonics and its impact on children’s reading and writing. They had some confusion around this themselves, so below is a quick definition that they developed, and may help define the differences for you:
Phonological awareness and phonemic awareness are auditory and the focus is on the sounds in words. Phonics however focuses on the letters that the sounds represent. Phonological and phonemic awareness do not involve print, while phonics does.
When students work on blends, breaking words into syllables and finding rhyming words they are working on phonological awareness.
When students work on blending or segmenting words into individual sounds they are working on phonemic awareness.
EG: f/l/a/t
Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. Phonics involves matching the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters. For example, the sound k can be spelled as c, k, ck or ch.
It is really difficult for children to grasp phonics until they have a phonemic and phonological awareness.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2020/Māori Language Week 2020
Kia ora e te whānau,
Next week is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori! The celebration of our beautiful taonga/treasure will be happening across Aotearoa. Māori leaders in your kura should have plans and activities that you can grab hold of and run with. Jump on board the waka reo by adding activities to your daily planning.
He waka eke noa! We’re all in this together!
A Māori Language Moment
This coming Rāhina/ Monday 14 there is a call for us to stop what we are doing at midday and join together as one to participate in the Māori Language Moment. The hope is to have 1 000 000 kiwis doing something involving te reo Māori at the same time. If you sign up, you could win a free hoodie.
Ideas you could do with your class:
- Step outside and throw down a haka right on midday
- Sing a waiata that you all know
- Say a karakia together
- Read a Māori legend book to your tamariki
- Do some Māori inspired artwork
Some Reminders about Anxiety
Students may be facing an increase in anxiety at this time
And finally, the Zoom Botox Boom
You have all probably experienced Zoom fatigue. You may even have got pretty sick of your face in full detail on the screen. And of course quite predictably I suppose, there is a new phenomenon: Zoom Botox Boom. We are here to give you a free alternative to the expensive botox route. Interested? Have a look through the three slides below. In a few simple steps, you too can turn your Zoom screen into a soft focus haven.
Kāhui Ako Meeting Dates
30 July: Meeting at Orewa College all ISLs
6 August: Pōhiri for new staff at marae
13 August: Maths Group Planning Day POSTPONED
13 August: Pōhiri at the marae for all ISLs POSTPONED
26 August: Māori and Writing groups planning half day POSTPONED
27 August: Meeting at Orewa College all ISLs POSTPONED
10 September: Meeting at Orewa College all ISLs ZOOM
14 September: Meeting at Orewa College all ISLs
14-20 September: Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2020 NEXT WEEK
15 September: Combined BoT (pōhiri at the marae) POSTPONED
Kāhui Ako ki Orewa 
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