Upstart Educator Resources

Kia ora educators,

The school year is drawing to an end and we know well that it is a special, crazy, unstructured time when lesson plans and routine make way for concert rehearsals, packing up the classrooms, managing emotions and preparing for the last day of the school year.

In an effort to make it a little bit easier for you, we have created a link to access the December/January 2021 issue of Upstart magazine online.

It is a great go-to option for those `moments’ in the day when the kids are at a loose end OR as an ‘access from home’ option to encourage students to continue practicing reading and writing (all while having fun) over the Christmas holidays.

This online tool includes links to printable resources - it is shareable, downloadable and printable.

We have enjoyed supporting you this year, and receiving contributions for publication from your students. Please do continue to contact us with ideas on how we can continue to evolve Upstart magazine as a valued classroom and home resource.

Nga mihi,
Toni Shanks (Editor), Wendy Schollum (Publisher) and the Upstart team

Preparing for an Awesomely Aotearoa Summer…

The holidays are on their way. In this spread, Upstart provides a few ideas for how to keep the boredom at bay.

Points for pupils to ponder:

• What are you looking forward to this summer?

• If you were to create a boredom-buster jar, what activities would you include?

• What car games do you enjoy playing in the car

Sources to explore: the “try at home” Upstart activities…

Puzzles Galore - fabulous, educational time fillers…

In this issue, we have included as many puzzles as we could fit! Why? Because they are amazing time-fillers, educational and they are fun!

This issue includes puzzles suitable for children aged 6 and under AND those aged 7 - 13 years.

Engage the brain opportunities:

• Independently or with a friend, bust your brain working out this mix of puzzles.

• Create a challenge to see who can complete them all!

• Send in the completed Holdson Challenge puzzles to WIN!

Independent creative activity: What Wunimal are you?

To celebrate the release of the third book in the bestselling Nevermoor series (written by Australian author: Jessica Townsend), kiwi kids have the chance to win 1 of 8 Nevermoor series book-sets. To enter, students simply need to create a Wunimal* profile.

Wunimals are animal-human hybrids in the Nevermoor series that are capable of speaking and acting just like humans. They come in many different types.

Resources to help prepare for holiday “let downs”

Mostly, holidays are fun times, but for some, they can be stressful and lonely. The KidsSpeak “A Change is as good as a Holiday” resource is designed to encourage kiwi kids to look on the bright side of change.

Pre-holiday check for pupils to ponder:

• Are there any aspects of the holidays that you are worried about?

• What could you do to turn those worries around?
  You can use the `Changing it up!’ tips and in-mag activity to help you with this.

Child driven holiday reading plan, to combat the “Summer Slide”

Research suggests that children can lose between three to six months of reading ability over the summer break. This is referred to as the `summer slide’.

The answer is… keep reading!

Our Bookworm section is chock-a-block full of great titles which have all been as reviewed by our readers.

Reading preparation activities for students…

• Check out the titles in this issue. Which one’s would you like to read?

• Create your own Top Titles selection.

• Create a holiday book-swap group with your friends

• Send Upstart in your book reviews and be in to WIN!

Make your own Wind Vane independent activity

Ideal for older students, this easy activity requires just a few every day items.

Being able to tell which direction the wind is coming from is super important when you’re out on the water. Using the simple instructions linked below, kids will be able to create their own wind vane.

Kōrero challenge with What Now’s Stella Maris

Upstart’s newest columnist is What Now’s Stella Maris. Fluent in Te Reo Māori, Stella is on a mission to help Kiwis embrace and feel confident using Te Reo in everyday life.

In this issue she introduces a new phrase that children can try using at home and asks kids to challenge her with Te Reo questions or translation requests.

Classroom Contributions Wanted

In each issue, we celebrate a class that has sent in their contributions – P.S we LOVE them!

Send in your students' work and be in to win an Upstart magazine for everyone in your class, for the New Year! PLUS we'll publish a selection of your contributions - giving your class a national audience that they are writing for!