4 March 2023

Kia ora, EBIS Whānau

Sorry for the slight delay in this edition of Te Whakanui o Ākautangi, but as always its been a full on couple of weeks.

The highlight was the school Athletics Day at Newtown Park on 28 February. Ok, the rain didn’t really cooperate but it was still a wonderful day with the students out doing themselves in terms of effort, tenacity and skill. If that wasn’t enough there was a real party atmosphere with the crowd dressed in team colours, supporting their team mates and dancing their way through the drizzle. Thank you so much to all of the students who made it such an enjoyable event. A big thank you to all staff for their efforts on the day and to Adam Hart for his organisation in ensuring this event was a successful one. Thank you also to all of the whānau who came along and supporting their children, your positive support made a world of difference to them all.

In class we’ve recently had maths modelling sessions provided by Lee Smith from Cognition Education. Cognition has been working with our teachers for over a year as we have been reevaluating our maths programme. Lee has also recently completed observations of our classrooms and has shared the following observations:

• All classes were using the ½  and ½ model where ½ of the class work in small groups with the teacher while the remaining ½ work independently.

• All teachers were focused on strategies, not just the answer. This ensures there is a foundation of knowledge which is transferable to different equations.

• Tasks were launched well. Clear modelling and instructions mean the students are being provided with the best opportunity for success.

• There was a wide range of independent tasks.

• Classes had evidence of norm setting for Mathematics, meaning the programme is consistent across the school.

This week also saw us hold a second evacuation drill. This was an in school drill which meant that the entire school was evacuated onto the back courts. As with the tsunami drill a fortnight ago, there were some teething issues which were to be expected with half of the students evacuating for the first time, but overall it was great to get the drill completed in 10 minutes and have everyone accounted for.

As advertised later on in this edition, Thursday is book day, a chance to dress up as your favourite book character. Last year was a huge success with some amazing costumes from staff and students alike. We look forward to seeing everyone dressed up on Thursday as it is a fabulous opportunity to celebrate reading and have a lot of fun also.

Ngā mihi nui

EBIS staff

Foods

In foods we’ve been making some delicious treats. Here are photos of the Apple Crumble Muffins and recipes that we’ve made so you can try them at home too. 

These pancakes are light and fluffy and perfectly matched with the fruity topping.

Meal type: Brunch

Makes 3 pancakes

Focus - whisking - beating an ingredient vigorously to incorporate air, which makes the ingredient frothy.

Ingredients - pancakes

• 1 egg*

• ½ cup of milk

• ¼ cup of wholemeal flour

• ¼ cup white flour

• ½ tsp of baking powder

Ingredients - topping

• 2 tbsp yoghurt

• 1 tbsp jam

• ½ a banana

*egg allergy - replace the egg with ¼ cup of apple puree

Method

1. Separate the eggs. Whisk the whites until they form stiff peaks.

2. Mix together the egg yolks, milk, wholemeal flour, white flour and baking powder and beat until smooth.

3. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the pancake batter.

4. Heat a frying pan and add a little oil or butter.

5. Cook the pancakes in the pan until golden brown on each side.

To serve:

• Serve with the jam, yoghurt, and banana.

• You can either serve the bananas raw or grill them. To grill the bananas simply cut through the middle and place on a hot frying pan until golden brown.

https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-recipes/pancakes-with-berries-and-banana

These delicious muffins are best eaten the day they are made, or you can freeze them. Thaw and reheat to serve.

Meal type: Morning tea

Makes 3 muffins

Focus: grating - using a grater safely

Ingredients - muffins

• 2 ½ tbsp butter

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• 3 tbsp milk

• ½ grated apple (skin on)

• ½ cup plain flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp cinnamon

Ingredients - brown sugar topping

• 1 tbsp butter, melted

• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Method - brown sugar topping

1. Mix brown sugar topping ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Method - muffins

1. Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake.

2. Line 3 muffin pans with baking paper or paper cases.

3. To make the muffins, melt butter in a medium pot or in the microwave, then remove from heat and whisk in eggs, sugar and vanilla.

4. Combine milk and baking soda and add to egg mix, along with the grated apple.

5. Sieve the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder into the wet ingredients.

6. Stir to just combine (don’t beat or the muffins will be tough and rise unevenly).

7. Divide mixture between muffin pans then sprinkle with brown sugar topping.

8. Bake until the muffins are risen, lightly golden and bounce back when pressed (approximately 15 minutes).

9. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before turning out.

https://www.langbein.com/recipes/apple-crumble-muffins

Athletics Day