Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 9

Kia ora tātou,

It has been another busy fortnight, and our students have continued to amaze us with their passion and energy for learning. Well done to all our tamariki! Thanks again to all whānau for your ongoing support. We wish you a relaxing, healthy and fun holiday period. 

Discovery Fun

We continue to provide a range of options on a weekly basis that engage and challenge students. Below are some examples of these.

Sphero Bolt Programming

We have had the privilege of learning how to use a Sphero Bolt - a ball-like robot. These are on loan to us for two weeks. Sphero BOLT is a coding robot that lets kids learn coding through hands-on play and STEAM activities. It is a perfect entry into robotics.



Lego Challenge

Each day, the students are set a new challenge. We have some real experts in our midst. Maybe one day you will see them as contestants on Lego Masters.





Mū Tōrere

Some of our students chose to make the traditional Māori board game called Mū Tōrere. It is said to be the only native board game of the Māori. It is played on the points and centre of an 8-pointed star, by two players with four pieces each. The object of the game is to block your opponent so they cannot move. If your child has made one of these, look forward to it coming home just in time for some holiday fun. It is perfect for a wet day. The instructions will be glued to the back of the board. To play it, you will need two different coloured counters. Have fun!



                                                           

Hear This

We were very fortunate this week to be visited by Cheryl Coughlan, an Educator for Hearing Support Christchurch (a non-profit organisation affiliated with Hearing New Zealand providing education regarding hearing protection to our Primary and Preschool learning community). 

‘Hear This’ (Incorporating Dangerous Decibels) is a presentation designed for children aged 4 -12 years, where they learn about the ear, hearing, decibels and how to prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). It aims to educate about the harmful effects of dangerous noise and how to protect their hearing for life.    



Art Shirts Request

The students all really enjoy painting and it would be great to have a new set of art shirts to avoid paint on their clothes. If anyone has a spare shirt at home that they no longer wear, could you please send it along to school. We are sure they will be christened with paint soon!

Kōwhai Team News Term 2 Week 10

 Kia ora whānau, 

Here's out final update for the term. We have had a fantastic and busy term with our tamariki. The students have been so engaged in our coding and chemistry lessons this term. 

Four Square Festival 

This week some of our students planned and organised a Four Square Festival.  Well done to Eadie, Isla, Toby and Nikoda for their amazing leadership and enthusiasm. A huge thank you to Sue and Jo for helping facilitate this. 

Here are some photos of the festival. 







Pokemon Cards

Please keep Pokemon cards at home. The students are not allowed to play with these during school time. Students have been trading these cards, and can become upset when they realise they may not get that card back. Thank you for your help. 

Next Term 

We are changing out home group spaces next term. We moved to these spaces on Friday. 

Here is where the new homegroup spaces are in our hub:

Nick - Pathway

Meagan - Atrium

Quynh - Nook 

Rowe - Breakout space

Laura - Theatre

Gymnastics 

Kōwhai will be starting a Gymnastics unit and we will be visiting the Christchurch school of Gymnastics in Week 5 and 6. More information about this will come out at the start of Term 3.


We hope you have a lovely holiday and come back to school well rested on Monday the 26th of July. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team - Laura, Rowe, Nick, Meagan and Quynh 

Kōwhai Team News – Term 2 Week 4

Kia ora whānau,

 As part of our science inquiry we have been investigating chemical changes. Below are some photos of our " Moving Milk " experiment and the reactions of our little scientists in action.  The children were asked to predict what they thought would happen. They conducted the experiment and made ongoing observations. 








Another investigation we conducted was mixing oil and water. We found out they did not mix! However, when dish soap was added it changed the molecules so oil and water did combine. 





In our technology inquiry we have been learning about creating algorithms and debugging them. 






During literacy some of our tamariki read an article about GAP (Greyhounds as Pets) which is an organisation that finds homes for ex-racing greyhounds. We then had a very special visit from Frida's greyhound Millou! 

In Te Reo lessons we have been researching and writing our pepeha to share our cultural backgrounds. 

 






Have a lovely weekend!


Laura, Rowe, Nick, Meagan, Quynh 



Calendar Art Rowe’s Home Group


Hi everyone

This is the calendar art for Rowe's home group. Some children painted an autumnal scene based on an impressionist style, some used pastels to draw Wassily Kandinsky circles and a couple of children were keen to choose their own design.  Feel free to come in and check it out! We have worked so hard and are very proud of our creations.









KORU HIGHLIGHTS TERM 1 WEEK 3

Kia ora whanau,

Welcome (back) to the Te Whanau Koru blog for 2017! The children have settled back into school, and hub routines, with skilful ease. We're absolutely loving the happy smiling faces each and every morning, as they children arrive ready for a new day's learning.

The content of our blog posts will vary from time to time, however you will generally find some of the following:
  • samples of the children's work
  • photos celebrating student learning
  • handy hints for helping your child at home with their reading, writing and Maths
  • links to helpful websites
  • what's been happening in the classrooms
  • what will be happening in the classrooms
  • requests for help and resources.
Discovery Stations:

You will all by now be familiar with our Discovery Stations! Research is telling us that learning through play is a powerful vehicle indeed, and, as teachers, we are observing, every day, literacy, mathematical and social learning occurring at the Discovery Stations on offer.

'Play is a powerful vehicle for learning, thinking, generating ideas and communicating. Play thus creates potential spaces in which a child always behaves beyond his/her average age, above his/her daily behaviour; in play it is as though he were a head taller than him/herself.'
Vygotsky

We have found that play activities are a wonderful way to develop the Key Competencies:
  • Thinking
  • Relating to others
  • Using language, symbols and texts
  • Managing self
  • Participating and contributing
Play embraces all of the Key Competencies, especially self-management. It's a very natural way to promote self-management without making the activity seem contrived. An added bonus to starting each day with Discovery Stations, is that those children who might struggle to say goodbye in the morning, tend to settle much more easily when there are play activities on offer. 
Day 1!

Reading with Big Bear in the washing basket

What a complex plan - an architect in the making?!

Reading, in a sea of Mobilo!

Ta-dah!!




Collaboration:
After reading Mrs Wishy Washy, Hub 10 and 11 children formed groups to build a fence that would be high and strong enough to stop the farm animals from getting into the mud. Check out the Writers' Wall in Hub 10/11 to read the children's published writing and see more photos of the fences that were created.





Me Bags:
Many thanks for the wonderful treasures that have been sent in, supporting our children in their learning relating to our integrated topic, 'Identity'. If your child is yet to bring their 'Me Bag' in to class, it's not too late!

Some of us love drawing...
...others play rugby.

Some learn ballet...

...others love to write.

...and some of us identify closely with another country.


Reading:
Here is a link to the wonderful website called Parent Literacy Partners, which contains great strategies for you, as parents, to use when your child gets stuck on a word when reading. An example is:
'Learning how to prompt your child to help them become more independent problem solvers when reading.'
If there is something particular you want to find out about, put key words into the search box, for example, 'letter reversals' or 'learning letters and sounds'.
This website also includes some great little videos, as well as useful resources.
Reading to Teddy

Reading to Mr Rabbit

Look at that beautiful pointy finger!

Reminders and Notices:
  • Please ensure that your child remembers to pack his/her reading folder every day
  • Library folders need to be returned to school on or before library day (which varies from class to class)
  • It's a good idea to make sure your child takes his or her drink bottle home after school each day, for a 'freshen up'
  • We will again be acknowledging the anniversary of the Feb 22nd Earthquake this year, by creating a chalk 'River of Flowers' on the footpath outside school on Sandwich Road on Wednesday.
Have a lovely week everyone.
Nga mihi nui.