Challenge Immersion Activities

We had lunch time challenge activities as well as whanau tabloid sports during our first week back at school to introduce the concept of Challenge.
Challenge Immersion Activities on PhotoPeach

Challenge

Our concept for term 4 is Challenge.
We are learning that "Challenges are a part of life and the way they are faced helps to shape people's lives in the future."

Calendar Art

Calendar Art on PhotoPeach
We created our calendar art using water colours and black vivid. We had fun blending colours and used hot and cold colours effectively to create our landscape scenes.

Starry Nights

Our class has been studying Vincent Van Gogh with Mrs Smith. We have learnt about his life, his art and his style of painting. He used bold brushstrokes which showed emotion and movement.
We looked at his famous painting Starry Night and created our own. He was inspired to paint this when he was in hospital and saw the stars at dawn from his window.
Starry Nights on PhotoPeach

Hero Parade

As an Immersion activity, we dressed up as a hero. We then used pic collage to explain who we were and why we chose this character.

Heroes and Heroines

Our concept for Term 3 is Heroes and Heroines.
We are learning that ordinary people become heroes through performing extraordinary actions for others.

Science Explanations

After we had demonstrated our experiments to the class, we used pic collage to explain what we did, the items we needed for our experiment, what happened and the scientific reason why this occurred. If you hover your mouse on each explanation, it will stay on that piece of work so that you can read it.
Please enjoy reading our explanations.

Drains to Harbour

Camilia came in to Room 20 to talk about The Drains to Harbour programme. As part of change we were looking at what changes occur during the water cycle. We then looked at man's impact on our world and how it effects the water creatures. We then tested our stream to see whether it was healthy.
Unfortunately, the only life we found were damselfly larvae which can survive in harsh conditions. The question we needed to ask is so what? What can we do to improve the conditions for life in our stream and hopefully get eels and fish back into our stream.

Drains to Harbour on PhotoPeach

Science Experiments

Last term we had to demonstrate an experiment to the class that explored change. We had to research an experiment, practise it at home, bring everything we needed, and show the class. It was also important that we explain the change that occured and give the scientific reason why. A lot of the changes we explored were caused because of a chemical reaction. Some reactions were caused because of temperature, or two chemicals that don't like to mix with each other. Some chemicals created other chemicals when mixed together.

Science Experiments on PhotoPeach

Autumn

For writing, we wrote a haiku about autumn leaves. A haiku is a Japanese poem that has 3 lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables.
We used an iPad app called visual poet to publish our haikus.

Autumn Leaves on PhotoPeach

Tellagami

Check out this amazing new app called tellagami. You can make a short animated movie where you can share your learning. Mrs Wendt shared her pepeha. The background picture is of Otiria marae which is her family marae and part of her turangawaewae.
We will share some of our learning about change. Watch this space!

Dancing Raisins

We carried out a simple experiment exploring carbon dioxide. We watched bubbles form around raisins, carry the raisin to the surface and then sink back down as the bubbles popped when they reached the surface. We then researched how carbon dioxide is formed and what effect it is having on our environment. We found out that carbon dioxide is responsible for Global warming. Did you know that NZ makes its own unique soft drink called L&P.

Sun dials

Pharrell and Connor work with Mr Thornton and have been exploring change. They made sundials and shared these with the class. The boys explained that as the sun moves in the sky it will cast a shadow on their dial. They have marked the times on their base. They must place the sundial so it faces north for it to mark the time accurately.

We love our Mums!

Mrs Alison came up with a creative idea for us to make a gift for mum.
We made little sewing kits. We had to use a running stitch around a circle of material so we could stuff them to make a pin cushion for the lid of our kit.
Clever Mrs Alison!

Change Immersion Activities

The Whangarei Fire Service came to the school and demonstrated how to make foam. We learnt that it is made from mixing air, water and foam chemicals together in a foam machine. The Fire Service use foam to smother fires.

On Wednesday classes rotated around our whanau and took part in experiments that explored change. Children were very excited and a lot of scientific conversations were shared. In Room 20 we made Sherbet, In Room 21 we made Ooblek, In Room 18 we made a plastic bag explode using vinegar and baking soda, and in Room 19 we explored water density using sugar and water.

We had bubble day on Friday.

Zero Waste

Ngarimu received a special award from Anna from Zero Waste for his hard work at the school gala.

Change

Our concept for Term 2 is Change. It is a science based concept and we will have lots of fun doing practical experiments.

Our Hoe

As a transfer task for Turangawaewae we made hoe with Mrs Alison. We had to draw three symbols that represented our turangawaewae. On the back we put the name of our turangawaewae or chose a value which described ourselves. On the handle we have our school pepeha.

Our Hoe - Video Maker

My Turangawaewae

We wrote an explanation of our Turangawaewae and gave reasons why we feel connected to this place.
My Turangawaewae on PhotoPeach

Te Hana

Te Hana was the name of the ancestress of this area. She was a Maori princess and came from Kaipara, Ngati Whatua. She was guided here and protected by Topuni, a taniwha (eel) and the guardian (kaitiaki) for this tribe. Topuni lived in a cave nearby. Te Hana was named after her.

Te Ao Marama

 

 

We learnt about what life was like for the early Maori. Te Ao Marama is a replica of a pa. Matua Roy told us that everyone had a role to play in the life of a pa, the tribes survival depended on it.

Turangawaewae is about knowing where you belong, to be able to stand tall in your own place and being able to stand tall no matter where you are. It is about knowing where you are from, what is your mountain, what is your awa and knowing your ancestors are always with you.

"Turangawaewae-means standing firmly in your place."

Te Ao Marama

 

Today we went to Te Hana Te Ao Marama. We waited at the gate called 'te waka tuhono' which means the gathering of tribes. We were called in by the Kaikaranga, the karanga acknowledges us and our ancestors, and clears the way for us to enter the marae atea. We had a powhiri in the whare nui 'nga whetu o te rangi.' After morning tea, Matua Roy and Ricky took us through the pa.

Triathlon

This year we were lucky to work with Murray Healey and his team again to learn about triathlons. We all decided it was fun but tiring, and you have to be fit to compete in triathlons! Jordyn and River are representing our class in the Whangarei schools triathlon event.

Triathlon 2014 - Video Maker

The Woven Flax Kete

We also read a book called The Woven Flax kete by Angie Belcher. It is set in the Whirinaki Forest and a boy goes hunting for treasures while he is on a school trip. What he doesn't realise is that the treasures he found were the gifts he developed while on the trip, gifts like leadership, guidance and caring for others. We all have gifts to contribute to our class whanau. We made korus to show our gifts.

Child of Aoteaora

Mrs Wendt read us the book Child of Aotearoa by Melanie Drewery. It talks about us having a sense of belonging. No matter what your culture you are linked to this land, a child of Aotearoa.

Aotearoa

We have been reading the legend Te Ika a Maui by Peter Gossage. We also watched the you tube clip of the creation story. Mrs Bassett then did some artwork with us based on the NZ artist Marcus Winter.
We created some Aotearoa artwork using dye and black PVA

Photo Art

We got an idea from Mrs Alison to create a piece of art using photos. We took our photo with an interesting background. We then put it into comic life and used different styles to create a different effect.

Pepeha

As part of turangawaewae, we have learnt the importance of knowing where you come from. We have been learning our school pepeha.

Turangawaewae Immersion activity

Our concept for Term 1 is Turangawaewae. Kauri whanau organised an immersion activity on Friday. A huge map of the world was drawn on the court area. Children then sat in their country of origin, or which they consider to be their turangawaewae.

Every child had coloured in a footprint and wore a sash of their whanau colour. They then placed their footstep in their country, marched around the court and together we all squeezed onto the map of New Zealand.

It was interesting to see all the different nationalities that we have in our school family.

Turangawaewae

Our concept for Term 1 is Turangawaewae. We are learning that....

Welcome

Kia ora! Nau mai, Haere mai. Welcome to our new blog for Room 20 2014.
We are part of Karaka whanau who are Mrs Cash- Room 18, Mrs Nicholls- Room 19 and ourselves (Mrs Wendt- Room 20). We look forward to working closely together this year and building a sense of belonging and community within our whanau. Mrs Alison will still be working with our whanau, she will be working most Thursdays in Room 20 as well as helping other children and teachers within the school. Later this term, Miss Pirritt will start a new entrant class in Room 21. Keep checking our blog where we will share some of the wonderful work we do with you all. No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.