Team Tōtara
About
Your child’s journey of learning at Banks Avenue School will start in Team Tōtara, which is our New Entrant and Year One and Two Team. The teachers in Team Tōtara are a ‘great team for a great start’. They are experienced practitioners who will work alongside your child to maximise their learning opportunities.
Although children will work in all eight areas of the curriculum the main focus in the early years is on teaching the foundation skills, strategies and knowledge in the areas of numeracy, reading and writing.
Numbers in our new entrant classes are kept small, at eighteen to twenty children, so individual learning needs can be catered for. Teachers plan and teach collaboratively in most areas and the children will work alongside any of the teachers within the team. The team comes together each week for singing, assembly and hui sessions so that we can meet and welcome new children and foster a spirit of togetherness, caring and belonging.
During the year there are many occasions for parents and whanau to come along to school and be involved in their child’s learning experiences. Parents will be invited along for maths and reading sessions and of course there are all the other opportunities for involvement including Cross Country Day, Athletics Day, Flower Day and class and team visits and trips around Christchurch. As a school we also welcome artists and performers throughout the year and these shows provide great cultural experiences for children.
The Team Tōtara discovery programme provides opportunities for children to be self-managing learners by following their specific interests and mixing with other children within the team. A focus for these discovery sessions is a strong emphasis on the Key Competencies from the National Curriculum document. These competencies are:
Click on the button below to find out more about the Key Competencies.
Although children will work in all eight areas of the curriculum the main focus in the early years is on teaching the foundation skills, strategies and knowledge in the areas of numeracy, reading and writing.
Numbers in our new entrant classes are kept small, at eighteen to twenty children, so individual learning needs can be catered for. Teachers plan and teach collaboratively in most areas and the children will work alongside any of the teachers within the team. The team comes together each week for singing, assembly and hui sessions so that we can meet and welcome new children and foster a spirit of togetherness, caring and belonging.
During the year there are many occasions for parents and whanau to come along to school and be involved in their child’s learning experiences. Parents will be invited along for maths and reading sessions and of course there are all the other opportunities for involvement including Cross Country Day, Athletics Day, Flower Day and class and team visits and trips around Christchurch. As a school we also welcome artists and performers throughout the year and these shows provide great cultural experiences for children.
The Team Tōtara discovery programme provides opportunities for children to be self-managing learners by following their specific interests and mixing with other children within the team. A focus for these discovery sessions is a strong emphasis on the Key Competencies from the National Curriculum document. These competencies are:
- Thinking
- Relating to others
- Using language, symbols and texts
- Managing self and
- Participating and contributing.
Click on the button below to find out more about the Key Competencies.
