Author Archives: Nick Bruce

Kahikitea Blog – Term 1, Week 8

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 Kia ora e te whānau,

We are fast approaching the end of Term 1 and what a wonderful term it has been! It has been wonderful seeing the tamariki reconnect with friends from last year and in some cases make some new friends too!

The tamariki have settled well into our daily routines and weekly activities and we look forward to seeing them to continue to thrive and learn in the coming terms ahead.

Literacy

The tamariki have settled well into their literacy groups and have a good understanding of how the process works during the week. They are keen to learn and especially excited when they get to take a new book home on a Thursday. A small reminder that Thursday is literacy book swap day when they can return their previous book to their teacher and receive their new one to share with you at home.

Maths


Our focus this week has been concepts of subtraction and the tamariki have really enjoyed working with their Math buddy's in their home groups to solve some tricky questions and share their ideas.

Inquiry – Sustainability: Healthy Bodies and Minds

We have continued to focus on our healthy bodies and minds inquiry this week by looking at extending the tamariki's vocabulary regarding words around food choices. We established what a carbohydrate is and what it does for our bodies, additionally we talked about protein and the vegetarian/ alternative options available to fuel our bodies. This inquiry has provided some wonderful conversations and engagement in the classes.  

Learning Through Play


Our LTP sessions in Kahikatea are always hugely enjoyed by our tamariki, and they get the opportunity to engage in a wide range of learning opportunities, including art, science and construction. They are also given the opportunity to play sport outside and build their social skills through shared activities with their friends. This week we enjoyed a fabulous balloon art activity with lots of open-ended learning outcomes.  

Tuakana- Teina


We have continued to support our younger tamariki to make connections with our older students at the school and it has been absolutely wonderful watching these reciprocal relationships grow. Our homegroup children are always excited to see their "big buddies" arrive to play games, draw, build or organize sports activities outside. 

Little Kickers

The last two Wednesday's have been a fabulous opportunity for the tamariki to engage in some football games and learn some new skills. Every class has had its own 30-minute session to receive some ball skills training and play some fun games with two great coaches. 




Nga mihi nui

Sarah J, Amber, Talia and Sarah S




Pōhutukawa News Term 1 Week 9 2025

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Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all

Camp

On Wednesday next week, we are going to Living Springs Camp. Now is a good time to make sure your child has all the equipment needed for camp. Please check the previous camp notices for a list of what to bring.

On Wednesday morning, please remember to bring the following into the hub:
  • a backpack that will be worn during the 1 hour+ walk in which contains their lunch, a drink, a coat and any medication they need for the walk in (e.g., an inhaler).
  • a clearly name zip-lock bag/container containing your any other medication your child may have. Please make sure it has clear instructions on how and when to administer it. We will have a lot of medication to give out so please make the instructions really clear and simple to follow. Please hand the medication to your child's teacher on Wednesday morning. 
  • a suitcase/large bag containing their clothing and other items that will be delivered directly to the camp.

AI Art

During CCC (Cool Curriculum Classes), the children have been creating some AI-enhanced artwork. Here are some of their creations:





We are all very excited about camp next week. Thank you for all your support and aroha. 

Warm regards

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Rae, Gayle, Megan, Nick, Georgie, Stacy and Laura

Kōwhai News Term 4 Week 4

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Kia ora whānau, 

There has been a lot on in the Kōwhai team over the last two weeks. 


Swimming

Over the past week, the Kōwhai team has been enjoying swimming sessions at Pioneer Pool. The students practised their swimming strokes, learnt about water safety, and built confidence diving underwater. The children are looking forward to returning to the pool next week to continue their learning. The remaining swimming lessons will run from Monday 11th November to Thursday 14th November.









Life Education

This week, the Kōwhai team had an exciting visit to the Life Education van, where we met Harold the giraffe! Our session focused on friendship and learning ways to show kindness and support. Harold helped us explore the skills needed to build positive relationships. It was a fun and valuable experience, and everyone left with new ideas on how to be more caring and thoughtful friends. A big thanks to Harold and Helly from Life Education.






Privacy and Social Media

Actively managing your tamariki’s privacy settings on any social networks they use can go a long way towards keeping control of their personal information.

Any information that is easily available online, whether it’s an email address, date of birth, or pictures, could end up causing harm if it gets into the wrong hands.

To help you navigate privacy on social media, Netsafe has put together a guide on How to Use Privacy Settings on Social Networks. 


Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 10

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Kia ora whānau

Here are some key moments from the final weeks of Term 2 in the Kōwhai Team.


Fractured Fairy Tales

As part of our writing focus this term, our literacy groups have been exploring fairy tales and how to 'fracture' or rewrite them to take on a different character's perspective.

The learners in Krystal's literacy group had a surprise this week when Karen brought in a record player from 1960 and played some old-fashioned fairy tales.  They were fascinated by this different form of media that could be used to share stories. 




Pepeha

This term, the Kōwhai students have been developing a digital pepeha. In Māori culture, a pepeha is an introduction that establishes identity and heritage. The children have been learning about the key components that should be included in a pepeha and how to develop, manipulate, store, retrieve, and share this content digitally.


Matariki

Last week, we held a Matariki evening at school. It was wonderful to see so many parents coming to see the kapa haka group perform and share in our Matariki activities.


Canterbury Cricket

Next term, coaches from Canterbury Cricket will be coming to school to teach the Kōwhai children about cricket. The children will have the opportunity to learn and practise the key skills needed for cricket as part of Canterbury Cricket's Smash Play programme.


School Holidays

We hope you have a wonderful time with your children over the school holidays and we look forward to seeing you all next term.

Kind regards

The Kōwhai Team

Kōwhai News Term 4 Week 7

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Kia ora e te whānau

Welcome to the Kōwhai team's week 7 blog.

Science

Recently, our students had a visit from Kerry, a representative from the Department of Conservation. Kerry taught the children lots of valuable information about kea. During the visit, the children participated in a tracking exercise where they used a device to locate a toy kea in the park. This hands-on experience allowed them to connect with nature and learn more about conservation work.




Measurement

In our mathematics lessons, we've been delving into the world of measurement. Students have been mastering the use of a ruler and exploring concepts of perimeter and area. These practical lessons not only enhance their mathematical skills but also provide a real-world context for understanding the importance of accurate measurements in various situations.


Instruction Writing

Another exciting aspect of our curriculum has been instruction writing. Students have been engaged in crafting clear and concise instructions in a variety of ways such as, writing programming instructions for Bee-Bots and creating delicious recipes!



Transition Visits

As part of our ongoing efforts to support students in their educational journey, Year 4 students have been making transition visits to the Pōhutukawa Team during their Learning Through Play sessions. These visits are designed to familiarise them with the environment and routines they will encounter next year. It's a positive way to ease the transition and ensure a smooth start to the upcoming academic year.





Have a great weekend!

The Kōwhai Team