"Wonderful Wheels"

Today we got to bring our toys and ride around on the courts. We were very careful of one another and did not hurt ourselves. We had lots of fun!
By Room 2

Junior Christmas Concert

E.O.T.C.

We have been having education outside the classroom!

Our Year 0-2 athletics was an enjoyable event where students participated in 6 events, shotput, sprints, javelin, high jump, long jump and quoits. The students put in a lot of effort using skills they have been learning with their teachers.

Kelly Sports came to our school. The students were put into 14 teams and played 7 different games. Luckily the rain stayed away until prize giving which we had in Room 5.

As we have been learning about our body we were interested to visit the exhibition "Tickle my Senses" at the Dowse Art Gallery. We got to use our 5 senses to explore art. After our workshop we went to the library where we got to go into a "secret room", this was where we saw what happens to the books people return.

Check out some photos from our E.O.T.C.!

Twit Characters

We used modeling clay to make a character from The Twits by Roald Dahl. We worked co-operatively to share the clay.

3D art

This term we are learning to use a range of materials to create a 3D structure.

We had a look at some art from Alberto Giacometti and decided to make a 3D athlete. We got into small groups and discussed what sport we wanted the person to be doing. Together we twisted the paper and used masking tape then we covered it with tin foil.

Can you tell what athletic sports they are doing?

HANGI

On the far field on Friday near the far corner on the right we had a hangi. The smell was good, when I ate it it tasted even better. I ate it all up. Next my teacher took me to the bin. Next I went to get my hat then I ran back to the field. After eating a fire engine came and squirted the hot metal. When the fire engine had gone it lifted up the metal.

By Ben


On Friday we had a hangi. At 5.00 in the morning we dug a hole. It was on the far field. Mrs Gain lead us to the table. The food smelt delicious. We sat on the far field. The food was delicious!

By Tom

On Friday we had a celebration for the Green Gold Environmental award. Also we had a hangi on the far field. The food smelt like chicken. When we ordered a meal we went and sat with our friends. It tasted delicious. I want a hangi again!

By Pra-wa


At the hangi I tried my food. It was lovely. I had pork. Then our teachers took us back to our classrooms to do maths. Well I thought maths but no we were having lunch. I liked the hangi. It was my favourite part of the day. I hope we will have another one!

By Luke

On Friday we had a hangi on the far field. There was heaps of food. I had a chicken drumstick and vegetables. At the end we saw the fire fighters truck to put out the hangi. I felt superb!

By Theo


We started at 5.00 in the morning. Then at lunch time it was prepared for us to eat. We waited with our plates and cutlery. We got served. We sat down to eat. I ate a chicken drumstick. It smelt delicious. Then the fire truck came. I felt so full after the hangi.

By Grace

Poems about our Mums

W.A.L.T. we are learning to use a simile to write a poem. A simile needs the words like or as.

W.I.L.F. one simile, adjectives and 4 sentences



My Mum By Millie

My Mum is like a star
She sparkles at night when she kisses me.
Her lips shine.
Her face glows.
When she comes out on the deck it looks like she is flying.


My Mum by Grace

My Mum is like a love bird.
Her back is like a tail.
When I hold her hand she feels soft.
I love my Mum so much.
She's very beautiful.


My Mum by Lachlan

My Mum is as beautiful as a butterfly.
When my Mum goes out side she sparkles in the sky.
When she tucks me in at night she is beautiful.

My Mum by Theo

My Mum is like a racing car.
Shes as bright as a racing car lights.
Shes as fast as a racing car.
Shes cool like a racing car.
Shes as loud as a racing car.

My Mum by Thomas

My Mum is like a star.
She twinkles.
She cooks heaven food.
Her smiles shines.
She glows through the night.

Reading

Our teacher is reading the Twits By Roald Dahl to us. We are enjoying listening to all the tricks the Twits get up to!

Kapahaka

Once a week for 5 weeks the junior syndicate are very lucky to have Kapahaka with Mr Chadwick.
The photos show what happened this week. Some of the senior boys taught the junior boys how to do the haka. The girls learnt a Maori song alongside using a poi. Each group got to share in front of others. Both the teachers and students enjoyed watching one another!

Sunflowers

Vincent Van Gogh

This week we have been looking at Vincent Van Goghs Sunflowers and talking about his painting style. Grace brought along a book from home which had many of Vincent Van Goghs paintings in them. The students enjoyed looking at these.
We decided to paint our own to use for our calendar art.
We hope you buy a calendar and our artwork brightens up your days!

Rarotongan Flowers

We drew some Rarotongan flowers using two pastel colours which complimented one another. We blended the two colours together. We used white crayon and green dye to draw leaves and then attached them to our flower.

Writing

We have been innovating text books. We innovated Where the Wild Things are. We had to use adjectives, nouns and verbs to add interest to our writing. We are also learning how to vary the way we begin and join sentences.

Where the Wild Things Are by Renee

It was a sunny Sunday and I was in my bedroom because I broke Mum's vacuum cleaner. Suddenly my room turned into a jungle and then there was a swing. I went on the swing and it was so much fun. I jumped off the swing and landed on a tree branch. I jumped of the tree branch and then I was on a big butterfly. I went on the big butterfly and it could not hurt me but.... it could fly very high! The big butterfly landed on the ground. The big butterfly flew away. Next I saw hundreds and thousands of butterflies everywhere in the sky. I got a net and caught a very pretty butterfly and I said let the butterfly party begin. One little butterfly danced. Suddenly I was in my bed and there waiting for me was my lunch and it was still hot.


Where the Wild Things are by Ben

It was a Monday night Alex was breaking glass then he made Mum clean it up so he got sent to his room. Suddenly Alex's room turned into a lake. There waiting for him was a jet plane. Yikes a witch. Alex tamed them with a magic trick. Let the party begin. The witches did magic. Alex was lonely he missed some one very much so he got back in his Jet Plane and he flew back. When he got home he saw his dinner and it was still hot!



Where the Wild Things are by Tom

It was a stormy Monday night when Tom was sent to his room for hitting his sister with hard rocks. In his bedroom a forest grew and grew until.... there were no holes in Tom's bedroom. He ran until he came across the biggest lake in the world. Tom went on water skies to a island. There on the island were monsters. The monsters showed their horrible claws. The monsters thought for a minute to make Tom king of all the monsters. Tom said the monster dance begins. Tom sneaked on to his water skis to his forest where his dinner was still hot.


Where the Wild Things are by Millie

It was a sunny morning on Sunday. My Mum said "go out side Millie". "No". I started throwing soccer balls at my Mum. I got sent to my room. When I woke up my room turned into a palace. A whale came I hopped on the whale. The whale took me to a island. I met mermaids. They splashed and turned on the rocks. They made me Queen of the mermaids. I said let the party begin. The mermaids splashed and turned on the rocks and flipped and rolled. I said Stop. I sent them to bed with out dinner. I did not want to be there I said I want to go home. I saw my dinner and it was still hot!

Maths

We are learning about Money. We are able to recognise NZ coins and their values. We have been using role play to purchase items using different coins to pay for the item e.g. We paid for a 50c apple using two 20c coins and one 10c coin or using one 50c coin. We would love to practice coin totals at home this week!

Te Reo

We have been learning new songs and actions in Te Reo this week. One song we have been learning in class are the Maori days of the week. Here they are:
Rahina - Monday
Ratu - Tuesday
Raapa - Wednesday
Rapare - Thursday
Ramere - Friday
Rahoroi - Saturday
Ratapu - Sunday

Today we visited the senior school to watch the kapa haka group perform a powhiri. It was very exciting for us to watch the actions and listen to the singing!

Jump Rope for Heart

We have been keeping fit this term through our skipping programme. We have learnt new jumps and been very diligent in practicing these not only in the morning but in our break times as well! We have learnt how to perform a basic jump, skier jump and bell jump. On Friday mornings we practice jumping over a long rope.

Magic Hats

We read Magic Hats by Mem Fox. Come into Room 2 and look at our magical hats we drew using paint, dye and other materials. Above are 2 examples.

Turtles

We are learning to write character descriptions.
What I was looking for: Name of turtle, what the turtle looked like, a smilie, verb, WOW words, full stops and capital letters.

My pet turtle is called Clare. She has a purple and yellow shell. Clare moves like a snail. She likes to clap her flippers.
By Emily

My pet turtle is called Pra-wa. Pra-wa has a blue shell and a pink shell. She has two different blue colours.
One is dark blue. She moves like a running tiger. She sounds very noisy! Pra-wa likes to swim like people. She splashes!
By Pra-wa

My turtle is colourful. His name is Rainbow because he looks like a rainbow. He is small like Barbie. He has a smile on his face. He likes to swim.
By Sinead

My pet turtle is called Osarea. She is a Mum. Osarea moves slow in the water. Osarea looks like a rugby ball. Osarea makes splashes in the water.
By Milly



My pet turtle is called Bubble. She looks like a pink and green bubble. She shines like all the precious jewels. It twinkles and makes whirls in the water.
By Rachel

My pet turtle is called Hoho. My turtle Hoho looks very old. He is dark green and light green. When he is in his shell he looks like a stripy ball. Hoho makes a creaky noise when he is moving. Hoho likes to clap his hands when he is going to shuffle across the mud. I love Hoho!
By Evie


My pet turtle is called Max. He has a brown pattern on his shell. He’s fast like a cheetah! He sounds like he is blowing bubbles when he’s lying down. He swims then he rolls over to get to sleep.
By Thomas

My pet turtle is called Tiny Tom. He has a gold shell like a cheetah. It glides through the glimmery water. Swish he goes when it swims in the deep dark sea. When he glides he glides down to the bottom and he swims on the bottom.
By Ben
My pet turtle is called Phoebe. She looks like a doughnut. It is slow like the sea. When she is twirling and swirling she sounds like a very hungry turtle. She claps with excitement. She is so clever. I love her so much!
By Grace

My pet turtle is called James. His shell is green. He likes to swim in the sea. He makes a shhh sound like the sea.
By James

My turtles name is Crash Car. My turtle looks like a racecar because he has a number on him like a toy racing car. Crash is very slow like a snail. Crash Car sounds like a motor when he glides through the blue water. He’s fantastic at swimming.
By Tom

My pet turtle is called Clare. Clare has a green shell. She is a little turtle. She has a small shell. She moves like a snake.
By Orla

My pet turtle is called Rocket Croc because he rockets up out of water like a crocodile. He runs like a cheetah. Rocket Croc lands in the water.
By Luke

My pet turtle is called Dungeon. He looks like thunder and lightning.
By Theo

My pet turtle is called James. My turtle has blue on his shell. My turtle can swim really fast.
By George

My pet turtle is called Batcar. Sometimes he spins on his shell. He looks like a bowling ball. He looks like a bowling ball when he goes into his shell. He looks like he is square.
By Connor

My pet turtle is called Rascal. It looks like a king because he has brown hair. He has blue eyes. He moves like a snail. He makes a shshshshsh sound in the water. He likes to swim in the beautiful water.
By Lachlan

My turtle is Patrick. The turtle looks like a snail when he walks. He can run very fast like a cheetah.
By Renee

Colour poems

Blue

Blue is like blue candyfloss.

Blue is like the sky.

Blue is like bluebirds flying in the sky.

Blue is for blue bells.

Blue is like the sea with the waves crashing on the rocks.

By Orla




Brown

Brown makes me feel angry.

Brown sounds noisy.

Brown is the colour of wood.

Brown is scary because it is like a thunderstorm.

Brown is the colour of a volcano.

By Thomas





Black

Black makes me feel like I am playing rugby.

Black is dark.

Black is like my shadow in the light of the sun.

Black is dark like night.

By Ben
Blue

Blue makes me feel like a blue bird.

Blue sounds quiet after I play outside.

Blue makes me feel sad.

Blue makes me feel bad.

Blue sounds noisy.

Blue sounds like some birds in the trees up in the sky.

Blue makes me feel like I am swimming in the cold pool.

By Pra-wa



Black

Black makes me feel like I am wearing a black dress.

Black makes me feel like I am on a witches broom.

When it is so dark it is pitch black.

Black is the colour of the computer screen when it is off.

Black is the colour of the pond in the nighttime.

By Evie



Blue

Blue is my favourite colour.

Blue makes me feel like I am swimming in the pool.

Blue is like me looking at the sky.

Blue makes me feel like I have made myself blue.

By Milly



Black

Black makes me feel like a cannon.

Black is the colour of a cannon.

Black is a colour that you can’t see.

Black is the colour of the All Blacks T-shirts!

By Connor



Ultra-Violet

Ultra-Violet is my favourite colour.

It is invisible.

It is see through.

Ultra-Violet makes me feel like I am in the clouds with lightning.

By Luke

Green

My favourite colourful colour is green!

My favourite colour green feels like birds tweeting in the trees in springtime.

Green sounds like the grass moving in the wind.

Green feels like grass in springtime.

Green sounds like me eating my broccoli.

By Renee



Yellow

Yellow makes me gleam.

It is like treasure.

Yellow is like yellow birds flying in the sky.

It is a pretty colour.

By Amalia




Pink

Pink looks beautiful.

Pink makes me feel like I am wearing a dress with pink dots on it.

Pink is wonderful because I like it.

I am flying that’s what pink makes me feel like.

Pink is flying in the sky.

By Mila




Black

I like black because I wear All Black Rugby clothes.

Black is dark.

Black makes me happy.

Black is loud like thunder.

Black is like chocolate bears.

By James




Gold

Gold is my second best colour.

It looks like a sun.

It sounds like pitter-patter.

Gold is treasure. Treasure feels like metal.

It makes me feel like I am eating cold candyfloss.

By Lachlan




Blue

Blue is my favourite colour because it’s cool next to me.

I like blue a lot.

I like light blue and dark blue together, it looks like drops from the sky.

By Emily




Yellow

Yellow is the colour of the yellow dandelions on the green ground.

Yellow makes me happy because it makes me look at the sun after I eat an apple.

By Grace



Violet

Violet it makes me feel like I am migrating.

Violet makes me feel like I am riding on a wing of a bird across the sea.

Violet makes me think I’m in a world of my own.

Violet sounds like the song of the violets growing in spring.

Violet is like the first snow of winter.

Violet makes me think of all the sparkly things.

By Rachel

Koru Painting

We have been learning to make different shades of colour

Imaginative Writing

We have been learning to write imaginative stories
What it needed:
Wow Words
A problem in the story

Crash! Bump! Crash! Bump! Bang!!!!! I looked out of the window. I saw raining ice cream. I rushed out side with my plate and caught some ice cream. The next day I woke up I looked out the window. Ice cream was on the road. I quickly woke up my family. We went outside but we slipped. We tried shuffling home. Everyone slipped in the town. People tried eating it. But they all got tummy aches. Then I had an idea. I told my family. The idea was that everyone in the town would mop the big pile of ice cream so we got working. It was all gone.

By Evie


On the weekend I heard Bump Wham Bang Bump Ding. I went outside and I saw sweets falling from the sky. I hadn't had dinner yet so I went back inside and got a huge bag and lots of sweets came falling from the sky into my huge bag. It took a long time to eat them so I shared them with my family then with my friends. I shared them with the whole world. I went on boats, on planes in my car. I got tired. I stopped driving. I slept for the rest of my life!!

By Mila

World of Maths

This week we attended the World of Maths presentation. The presenter set up the hall with hands on maths activities for the students and gave each student a booklet to record their findings.
They worked in co-operative groups to explore the activities, which covered a range of maths strands including measurement, number, algebra and probability. The student’s evaluation at the end reflected their enjoyment in exploring maths concepts using different equipment.

Enrichment

The junior students participate weekly in a rotation programme where they get to experience a range of exciting learning opportunities with a teacher from the Junior Syndicate. Here are some photos of the students learning Te Reo, Science, dance, weaving and art.

Enr

Disappearing pictures

We used chalk, water, a concrete surface and paintbrushes to draw water pictures on the concrete. We predicted what we thought would happen to the water. We thought the water would disappear and the chalk would be left. We were right in our predictions. The liquid water "disappeared", it turned into gas (water vapour) which is called EVAPORATION!

Dogs

Co-operative learning

We are learning to work together

Condensation (gas to liquid)

First we put ice cubes in the dry metal can. Then we poured some freezing water in the cold can. Then we waited for a few minutes. We saw condensation on the can!

By Thomas


I put the ice in the metal can. Then we put the water on top of the ice in the metal can. The outside felt wet. It was condensation.

By Renee

Fitness is Fun!

The junior team have been practicing for the cross country event at Williams Park on the 26th May. Here are some photos of us stretching and running. We love fitness in Room 2!

I.C.T.

This week we got into pairs to practice our co-operative and word processing skills. We took turns to type our name using a capital letter. We typed a capital letter by pushing the shift button at the same time as the letter. After we wrote our name we used the Letterland software to practice using our letter of the week in different ways. Here are some photos of us using the laptops.

Inquiry "Where's the Water?"

We are learning to identify the different form water takes


First I put my wet hand on the paper towel then there was a picture of my hand. Next I waited a while. Then the water evaporated. It dried up. Then I put it in my book bag.

By Connor

First I put my hand under the water. Next I slammed my hand on the paper towel. Then I traced around it. I watched the water evaporate.

By Orla

First I wet my hand. Next I put the paper towel on my hand. Next I got the pen and put the pen around my hand. Next I was finished because the water on the piece of paper had evaporated.

By Sinead

First I put my hand under the water. Next I slammed my hand onto a towel. Then I waited for it to turn into gas. It took a long time. Finally it evaporated.

By Rachel

Rain Descriptions

We are learning to write descriptions about the rain. We had to use our senses to describe the rain. Here are some examples.


RAIN

The rain sounds like a thunderstorm on top of my roof. It tastes like water and ice. It looks like lots of gumdrops falling from the sky. It smells like lots of little cakes.


By Theo


RAIN

The rain looks like tears falling from the sky! The rain makes a splash when I jump in it. The rain tastes like fresh water. The rain smells like nothing. The rain feels like goo.

By Rachel


RAIN

The rain looks like my Dads crying. The rain goes pitter-patter on my roof. The rain feels like water tipped on me. The rain tastes like frost. The rain smells like water.

By Milly


RAIN

The rain sounds like a thunderstorm! When I went in the rain it feels frozen. The rain tastes like frozen water. The rain looks like tears. It smells like smoke.

By Thomas


RAIN

The rain feels like blobs of goo. The rain makes a plump sound on my roof. The rain looks like magic fairy drops. The rain tastes like silk on my tongue. The rain smells like fresh water.

By Evie


RAIN

The rain can sound like a thunderstorm on my roof. The rain looks like tears falling from the sky. It tastes like silk on my tongue. It feels like glitter on my skin.

By Orla


RAIN

The rain looks like little jellybeans. It feels wet on my skin. The rain is blue. The rain makes the streams. The rain is wet on my skin. The rain suddenly came then we ran to class.

By Connor


RAIN

The rain feels like little jellybeans. The rain looks like the real water from the tap. It tastes likes water from the rain from the clouds up in the sky. The rain feels like fresh water.

By Pra-wa


RAIN

Rain from the sky. It tastes like fresh water. Rain is little. It feels wet. The rain is noisy up in the clouds.

By James

Tsunami drill

On Tuesday the 5th of May Muritai School did a Tsunami drill. At 10:00 Mr Skilton rang a long bell. We walked up the Mckenzie Road track. The year 7 and 8s had classroom numbers that we had to sit behind. We got up the track and in our lines in only 7 minutes! It was very well organised.

By Gina and Tessa
The blogging team

Pastel Butterflies