Author Archives: Nick Bruce

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

Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 7

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Kia ora whānau,

It has been another busy fortnight in the Kōwhai Team.


Keeping Ourselves Safe

Over the last two weeks, most homegroups have had a Keeping Ourselves Safe lesson with Constable Meg Moynihan, our local Police School Community Officer. The children were excited to see a police officer in the hub and had many questions for her.

Our current Keeping Ourselves Safe focuses are:

Focus area 2: My body is my own, Nōku tōku tinana 

In this focus area, students learn the names of body parts and that no one should touch their genitals unless it is for health reasons. They consider touch that they like, touch that hurts and touch that is confusing. 

Focus area 3: Unwanted behaviour and touch, Kore e hiahiatia te whanonga me te pā kino

In this focus area, students learn about saying “no” confidently, moving away, and reporting what has happened to an adult they trust. They also learn the difference between good secrets and bad secrets.

Balloon Racers

The children have been busy using the design process to plan and construct balloon-powered racing cars. Here are the steps of the design process that the children are following:
  1. Define the problem/need.
  2. Research your problem and come up with ideas you have for solving it. 
  3. Create a prototype. 
  4. Trial and improve the prototype.
  5. Reflect.
Here are some photos of their progress:





Reading Books

If your child is in a reading group that takes a reading book home, please support them to return their book to school on time. One easy way to help with this at home is to coach your child to always put their reading folder and book back in their bag as soon as they have finished reading their book. This way their book should always come back to school. Thanks for your support in this.


Positive Behaviour For Learning - Friendship

As part of our Positive Behaviour For Learning (PB4L) programme, the children learn different strategies for maintaining positive behaviour, improving their well-being and increasing their educational achievement.

We have a different PB4L focus each week. This week's focus has been on friendship. As part of this, the children have been learning about what a good friend looks like, sounds like and feels like.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team