Term 4.... Week 7

This week, the Year 2 & 3's spent 3 days having plenty of fun with Miss Bradshaw, while the Year 4's also had 3 days of fun, including a Sleepover at school! We make silly skits using dressups, we made Drive in Car boxes to watch a movie in, we played Midnight at Ahimate Park, we played Yoshi with adults in the evening, we ate a lot, and we spent a day at the Lido. So much Epic Fun.

Term 4... Week 5

Breaking News.... Four children have made it to Level 4 of our Nga Matapono Pins!  This is a huge achievement.  They are showing excellence in all areas.  Level 4 allows you to run a class game, and to go home without being released, straight after the end of day Pou.  Thank you for setting the bar high Reid, Matthew, Jorja and Anika.  

Athletics Day!   We are so proud of your effort and achievements.

Welcome to Term 4! 

We have plenty to look forward to with 2 more Quiddages in Week 3 and 6;   Athletics day in Week 5, Sleepover in Week 7,  "Retirement Day" in Week 8, and of course the epic end of year Right Choice Day.

In our first week back, Mrs Mabey was missing!  She returned on Friday with plenty of news to share about her time in Singapore, Dubai and Portugal.  We started training for athletics.  And got right back into Opt Ins with some of us choosing to make "fortune tellers".

Week 8- bigger than ever!!

• In between our Core Learning and Production Practices, we re-discovered the joy of STEM:- "Create a chocolate bar packaging that customers would be very tempted to buy". A flurry of teamwork, creativity and problem-solving filled the room.

• We had some weird and wonderful wigs and hairstyles turn up on Wig Wednesday! This is a great cause, and our school proudly raised nearly $600 for Cancer Research. Ryleigh Carter, Year 6, spoke of her incredible cancer journey over the past 6 years. She is an inspiration of positivity to us all.  

• If we pack up in time, we really enjoy playing "Beat the Buzzer".  Blake is the man to beat, he is real fast at naming category items starting with any letter!

• A highlight was watching the School Production 2022 "Kiwi Tales".  We delighted in seeing ourselves on the screen. This helped us to understand what to expect in just 2 weeks time when we perform at the Regent! We saw that actors with big movements and expressions look so good on stage.  

• We ended the week with a rock concert! "Epic Music" gave us a demonstration of musical instruments and styles. We experienced our own "Rave", check it out below!

• Finally, we have been learning how to write convincing "Persuasive" arguments. Matthew shows us how strong vocabulary and well-detailed reasons help to convince our reader to agree with our point of view.

Week 5:

• One of our favourite Math Warm Ups is "Card Face Off".  A great way to practise basic facts.  Turn over 2 cards and the first person to add (or subtract or multiply) them, gets to keep them.  

• We have been honing our large ball skills in daily PE.  It is clear to see confidence improving.  Soccer, netball and basketball games are enjoyed by all, as we put these skills into practice.  

What happened in Week 1 of Term 3?

• In Te Ao Maori time we worked together to learn some traditional string patterns.

• We got excited about the 2024 Olympic Games and came up with medal and uniform designs.

• On Friday we joined back up with all our Pae Ake friends and opted into either gardening or art.

Check it out!.... 

Matariki   Story-Writing

By Aria:

Once upon a time there were two girls named Aria and Leenaa.  Aria was a shy and sleepy girl.  Leenaa was a brave, good girl.  This is a story about the time the girls transformed into two famous stars - Waita and Waiti.  

One fine night Waita and Waiti went to a place called Aotearoa.  Waiti and Waita saw a light.  Waita and Waiti walked around the place.  Waita said "this big town is cool!"  But then, Waita and Waiti lost their map.  Waiti and Waita looked around.  Waiti saw something.  Waiti went to see what it was but it wasn't the map.  Waiti said "oh no, we are not going to find that map Waita!".  So Waiti and Waita went to look for it again.  It was almost night and Matariki was mad because Waiti and Waita lost the map.  Finally, near a karaka tree, Waita found the map.  Waiti and Waita raced to the sky before Matariki got really mad at Waiti and Waita.

By Leani:

There were once two best friends named Anika and Leani.  Anika is smart and really cool, and Leani is smart and funny.  They lived In Papaioea, right here in Aotearoa.  One starry night Anika and Leani gazed up at Matariki as they lay on the light green grass.  Anika said "I wish I was a star." 

CRAAAASH!   "What was that?" said Anika.  Hiwa-te-rangi and Wai-puna-rangi were right in front of the girls.  Wow!  Leani and Anika were shocked.  Hiwa-te-rangi ad Wai-puna-rangi  transformed into hummans.  Leani and Anika were unsure where they came from.  Anika said "you're the Matariki stars:".  Wai-puna-rangi said "All of Matariki is gone!"  Those nasty fairies (Mrs Mabey and Mrs Kenyon) took all the Matariki stars from Ranginui.  And Matariki is happening tomorrow."  So Leani and Anika discovered where the nasty fairies had kidnpapped the Matariki stars.  Anika roared at those nasty fairies.  "Put the Matariki stars back where they belong."  When Leni and Anika went home they found a delicious chocolate fountain and a never ending maths book.  Was it a Matariki gift?

By Siena:

Once upon a time there were two kids named Thea and Siena.  Thea liked to colour puppy pictures, and Siena liked to Oma (run) and sprint and do races with Thea.  She loved races because Siena mostly won.  

"Thea" shouted Siena.  "Come have a race with me!"  "Coming" said Thea.  "On your marks, get set, go!" Wait..... what is this....  The girls gazed at the sky and saw stars falling.  There were three of them.  "Arrrr they are going to fall on us!"  They were speeding from the sky so fast that we didn't even know they were moving.   THUMP!!  The stars fell from the sky.   Thea and Siena fell on the ground.  They were shocked when they sat up.  Siena and Thea saw that the stars were Waiti, Waita and Waipuna-a-rangi.  How are we going to get them back up?"  "I know how" said Thea.  "We can build a massive kite to fling them back up into the beautiful night sky.  Come on let's get on to it!"    Thea and Siena finally finished the kite using flax and bamboo.  Siena put the stars on the kite and the grateful stars got whizzed back to their space up in the sky.  

By Reid:

Once upon a time there were two children named Reid and Matthew.  Reid was cool and fast and Matthew was tall and smart.  Both of them lived in Aotearoa.  

One cold and stormy night Waiti and Waita went playing near the lake.  Reid and Matthew were playing there too.  A really really deep lake.  "Hey Matthew, what's this"? Reid asked.  It is a bit of crumbled star".  "OW - HELP - HELP. -HELP!"   "What was that?" said Matthew.  It was Waiti ad Waita - they were drowning.  Reid said "do you need any help?"  "YES" shouted Waita star.  Waiti was drowning.  The boys couldn't pull her up.  Matthew said "wait I have a plan."  "What is Waiti's favourite food?'  "HOT DOGS!"  "Hot dogs huh?  Yes - Matthew had a hot dog in his bag, and a fishing rod too.  Now - let's do it."  The boys pulled Waiti - but they couldn't do it.  Reid said "wait - everyone stop holding on."  Then Reid ran super fast.  Waiti came flying out!  "Yay we did it!"  Thank you so much - here have my chocolate bar" said Waita.  MMMM delicious! 

By Anika:

There once were two children named Anika and Leenaa.  Anika is a kind, smart girl.  Leenaa is brave and good.  One dark night, Leenaa and Anika went on an evening stroll at the Arena.  The girls looked up in the sky "Aue!"  Leenaa shouted.  "All the stars are missing!  Without Matariki or Puanga, we can't tell when winter is coming."   The girls went to find those naughty Patupaiarehe (fairies that steal stars).  Patupaiarehe don't like the burning sun so the girls searched a cave next to the Manawatu River in Aotearoa.  Inside, the girls heard giggling.  "It's those Patupaiarehe!  The Patupaiarehe stole the stars!"  Anika heard a noise.  BANG.  BANG.  BANG.  The Patupaiarehe were smashing the stars.  Leenaa and Anika knew the Patupaiarehe were going to hide the stars among the rocks and then turn the stars into Korowai (cloaks).  So Anika stayed near those naughty Patupaiarehe while Leenaa wet to find a net.  2 hours later Leenaa finally returned.  Anika was crying... "the Patupaiarehe have already gone to the cold Manawatu River to hide the mashed up stars! We have to get the white stars and glue them together quickly!"  So the girls set off to the Manawatu River.  When Anika and Leenaa got there the sneaky Patupaiarehe were about to hide the stars.  Leenaa quickly threw the large net over them.  It turned out that the Patupaiarehe were actually Mrs Mabey, Mr Carter, Mr Bron and Mrs Best.  Leenaa and Anika put the Patupaiarehe in Jail and got to work glueing the stars back together.  Clever Leenaa and Anika threw the stars back into the sky just in time for Matariki and the Maori New Year.  

By Leila:

There was once two best friends called Charlie ad Leila.  Charlie is a nosy, adventurous girl, Leila is a smart, curious girl.  

One misty night when the two girls were walking, they noticed something shining brightly in the sand.  When the girls got closer, Leila realised it was a star.  "Charlie, I know what it is, it's a star!"  There wasn't just one star, but.... two stars!  Waipuna-rangi and Waiti.  "What happened to you?" asked Charlie.  "It's not what happened to us, its what happened to Hiwa-i-te-rangi and Waita.  We have no idea where our sisters are." said Waiti.  "All of us were just playing hide n seek.  Matariki is so worried about them. " 

So the 4 walked to the Manawatu River, Te Manawa and lots of other places.  The last place the 4 walked to was a cave.  In the cave was Hiwa-i-te-rangi ad Waita.  It was time to get the stars home.  The 6 walked all the way back home and make a slingshot out of wood and string.  Charlie bravely pulled the lever.  BOING! The 4 stars flew back to the sky.  From that day on, the stars never played hide n seek again.  

By Ayaan:

There was once 2 children called Ayaan and Jake.  Jake was shy and strong.  Ayaan was playful and sometimes shy.  

One night, Ayaan and Jake were walking around the Esplanade.  The boys lay down on the green grass ad looked up at the stars.  Ayaan said "wow! the whetu are beautiful!" Jake said "Aue, they are!"  The boys counted the number of stars.  There were whitu (7).  Oh no" said Ayaan.  "There is supposed to be 9 stars."  Ayaan and Jake had no chance to waste.  They had to find the two missing whetu.  First the boys went to the Manawatu Awa.  But the boys couldn't find Ururangi and Tupuarangi.  So the boys looked around the area until they gave up.  The boys wondered where the stars could be.  Jake thought of a plan.  The plan was for the boys to look up in the sky and go right under the stars.  Then they could find the two stars and take the stars back to safety.  So as the two boys kept looking for the two missing stars the boys peeked inside a cave and found a taniwha, guarding the two missing stars.  The boys made a trap to catch the taniwha.  They called him outside, and he got stuck in the trap.  The boys shouted "Yay!"  Jake and Ayaan got the stars free and sent them back home.   

In Reading this week, we practiced play scripts and starting putting some acting together.  Here is a sneak peak of where we are up to!

Week 6 - a short week full of punch!

• Mr Pike has one week left at Riverdale, so he treated us with his incredible magic tricks.  He is amazing!

• We walked down to He Ara Kotahi, to see for ourselves where Mokomoko was and how the bridge represents the Karaka tree that was abundant in this area.  

• Nga Tewhatewha entertained the school, starring our very own Jorja, Leenaa, Ivey-Roux!

• We had a go at a new Rakau action song, we are definitely getting better!  

Week 5 Round up:

• Writing an Information Report.  What can Thea and Charlie teach you about Penguins?

• Te Reo - Location - above, below, inside, beside.  Awesome work Leani, Jorja, Ivey-Roux.

• Look at us on our first go with rakau!  We love it!  So good for co-ordination and rhythm.

• Cross Country 2024.  We did it!  "IT  WAS TOUGH" - Amelia.  "TRIED MY BEST!" -Jorja.

Week 10 - Each child was tasked with a Statistics Challenge. They each had to decide on a topic to collect data on;  prepare and conduct a survey;  present data in a table, pictogram and bar graph;  and report back their findings.  We discovered the most and least popular colours, school subjects, take-aways, birthday months, jobs at home, and much more!  Everyone did an amazing job of this task, from start to finish.  

Week 9 - In Maths, we are learning about multiplication and division.  It is important that we understand the concept, so here we are making different equations using counters.  Sometimes we sit in formations such as 4 rows of 6, another fun way to reinforce timestables.     In Literacy, we often enjoy big books.  We had a go at making our own simple books and we look forward to sharing these with children from Piako Rata.  

Week 8 - Some Technology Challenges this week.  Mr Pike introduced The Rube Goldberg machine - a contraption designed to perform a simple task in a complicated way!    Well we had plenty of motivated akonga up for this challenge.  Then, Mrs Mabey wondered if we could help the Easter Bunny deliver eggs quickly this year by way of the "Egg Drop Experiment".  Squeals of delight and anguish could be heard as some eggs survived and some .... broke.

Week 7 - We all went home buzzing on Friday knowing our diligence had paid off and Te Motu won the "Tamatea Trophy".  This trophy is awarded every 2 weeks to the team with the tidiest cloakbay!  The sense of pride was awesome.   This week we also got the school bikes out and practiced our cycle safety skills, knowing everyone is at different levels as cyclists.    Finally -  check out some of our writing!  We really enjoy our writing sessions and it gives a real sense of achievement when we get to publish our stories with our best handwriting, or using our growing keyboard skills, or even videoing ourselves reading our stories aloud.