Sharing back

With a number of students having completed their Term 2 homework it was important to have them share their efforts back to the class. So far we have heard presentations on Global Warming, LEGO, tsunami's and learnt some phrases in Korean. I can't wait for the rest.

Our current understandings...

Production

Our production practices are well underway with the students involved in a number of different ways. The choir has been busy practicing with Johanna and David to get their songs right. The cast has been working tirelessly with Mrs Duff and the band has been getting their songs together with the help of Pete and Helen. 

Exploring the rock cycle...using chocolate

Last week we looked at how different rock types are created. We used chocolate, hand pressure and warm or hot water to recreate the conditions that sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rock types are created.

Sedimentary rock types - 

• Sedimentary rocks are formed by sediment that is deposited over time, usually as layers at the bottom of lakes and oceans.
• This sediment can include minerals, small pieces of plants and other organic matter.
• The sediment is compressed over a long period of time before consolidating into solid layers of rock.

Metamorphic rock types - 

• Metamorphic rocks have been changed over time by extreme pressure and heat.
• Metamorphic rocks can be formed by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Igneous rock types - 

• Igneous rock is formed when magma cools and solidifies, it may do this above or below the Earth's surface.

A sea of pink

This week was Anti-Bully week. We did a whole lot of learning around what is bullying and how bullying can affect people. We also participated in Pink Shirt Day dressing up in pink to take action against bullying. 

Kids Games

Kids Games is well underway this term. Kids Games is an organised programme where instructors come into our school and teach the skills of 3 different sports. The students have finished their three sessions of T-Ball and are currently exploring the skills of Volleyball. Lastly they will be looking at Turbo Touch. All of this will culminate (hopefully) with the Year 5/6 students travelling on bus over to Queenstown and competing in these sports against a number of teams from other schools.

 

Science week

For Science Week we adopted a local scientist. We were lucky to have Dan and Julie Asher who came in and shared their experiences growing grapes and creating wine. The students got stuck in creating grape juice. They took the grapes off the stem, crushed them using the traditional method (after cleaning their feet) and then used all their scientific observation skills to describe the created juice. 

The next time round was exploring the science of how yeast acts as a catalyst in the process of fermentation and therefore the creation of wine. The students first used their scientific observation skills to describe the changes in the juice after it had been left to settle (with the skins on) for a few days. Then it was back to hands on learning and activating the yeast (by adding it to warm water) before adding it to the grape mixture and keeping it at the required temperature of 40 degrees. We now need to wait for 2 weeks to allow the yeast to convert the sugar into alcohol. Watch this space.
 

A challenging day

Today's group challenge was a mixture of 3 challenges that table groups had to complete in a given time-frame. Each group had to decide how they approached and solved the challenges. Did they work as individuals on their strengths or as a team all working together? Did they complete one challenge possibly sacrificing finishing all of them or focus on all of them and possibly finishing none?

The challenges were to:

• Solve 2 written mathematical problems
• Make the tallest tower using only straws and blutack
• Complete a 100 piece puzzle. 

The groups solved the challenges in their own unique way and the levels of team work shown was awesome to see.

My memories of Summer and Autumn

Goodbye hot summer days, when we spend every day playing with our friends

Hello annoying freezing autumn mornings, when my fingers freeze as I bike to school

Goodbye late evening dinners, outside

Hello hot pots of grossness, poured on to rice or pasta

Goodbye nagging parents, telling you to go and play outside because it's a sunny day

Hello weekend days, that you can relax all day

Goodbye jumping off tree branches, into the river

Hello icy cold lakes, that no one goes anywhere near

This is my writing of when I was excited

Typing up my writing in school while minutes pass,  I can't wait till the end of the day. In the holidays I want to play with my friends, go to new places and eat yummy food. As the bell rings, I race to my bike and bike home. As soon as I get home, I start packing for the North Island. Finally the holidays have come. :) :) :) :) :( :<)

Godzone

This is my Godzone poster. Some of the Godzone winners came and talked at our school. 

Room 7's licenses

This is room 7's wall of licenses. 

The learners license means you can't chose were you sit and the teacher tells you what you have for your goals. 

The restricted license means you can chose where you sit in the class and chose what your goals are. 

Full is when you can go in the breakout space with out asking. 

We have to stay on task and try get all our work done to move up to a restricted or full license. 

By Brooke and Liliana

Leadership in action

Today it was the turn of the Science Leaders from our class to feedback what they had been learning with Miss Maxwell. They did a great job running the lava lamp experiment and asking lots of probing questions.

Not afraid to fail

Room 7 have done these amazing art works. I liked this art because it was challenging and FUN....

By Isabella Urquhart

My camp sailing writing

Sailing

Whoosh! We were off well sort of. I had to paddle a lot before we got anywhere. Finely me and Thomas got out to the deep where we were allowed to capsize. We leaned on the sail and slowly our boat started tilting. Suddenly the whole boat turned upside down, and we fell off. I yelled ‘’the back board it’s slipping’’. But it was too late. The back board had gone completely under the capsized boat we could just see it through the hole that the back board sits in. While we were wondering what to do the instructors came over and lifted up the boat so I could go under and push it back up. Suddenly the whistle blew for the end of our shift so we managed to turn the boat around and sail back to shore.

The End!

Reflection on the triathlon

I thought it was good because it was hard. The wind made it hard to bike, especially against the wind. I thought I did well because I started the bike in second place and I entered the pool in first. 

By Jack Gollop

Show Art

This art was fascinating and fun. It had a lot of colour in the art. We thought it was very interesting.

By Joe, Sam and William