Welcome to Term 4!

Welcome back to school everyone!

Already we are in the second week of term 4! We have had a busy start with Gail Loane in our class on the first day of school.

Gail worked with a group of students who looked closely at some special seed pods and then wrote a poem about what they saw! Some made it to the school newsletter!

We will be writng more poems this term, so if you have some interesting things around home from nature, have a go at looking closely and writing down exactly what you see!

Also this term, the juniors are trying to get to the bush! Due to weather tomorrow our trip to the Blue Pools is not going ahead but hopefully will next Tuesday8th November.

We want to look at how humans and animals have impacted on the native bush, the different canopies, regeneration and pests and traps. We hope we get there next week!

Hopefully we will keep the blog a bit more updated this term with what we are doing in Room 7!

Coming up:

Junior Trip -8th November to Blue Pools
School fair - 19th November

Costumes

We were so lucky to have two super mums in to help us with our costumes for the school production. Thanks Liz and Suzanne!

We researched our 4 native birds that we had to act in our song. We looked at the way they looked, walked and how they made sounds.

In groups we brainstormed what we could use for the costunes. Then Liz and Suzanne cam in with some materials and helped us make them.

Some of us learnt how to sew!

Mackenzies Puppy

Mackenzie brought her new puppy Kiesha in to share with us. She was so playful and loved us all in Room 7. We had a heap of questions to ask Mackenzie about Kiesha.

Buddy Reading

We had a buddy reeading session at the beginning of the term with some children in Room 2. We enjoyed reading them some of our classroom stories

Term 3!

We are back! We have had such a busy 6 weeks getting ready for our production...

Here are some photos to show how busy we have been.

We hope you enjoy them.

Cross Country

Here are some photos of the Upper Clutha Cross Country!

Posting a comment!

I know some of you are having trouble posting a comment.

When you are looking at th eposts on the blog, down the bottom of each post it says 0 comments or 1 comment (if someone has posted). If you click on this it will take you to a page where you can post a comment!

Once you have typed a comment, it will be sent to me where I then have to moderate it and make sure it is suitable to be added to the blog. So dont panic if your comment does not come up straight away.

As soon as I have checked the blog, I willl moderate it and add your comment to the post.

I am sure there is an easier way to do this but it will do for now!

Thanks!

Term 3!

Welcome to Term 3!

Sorry we have not updated the blog for a while but we have all been busy learning about our new toy in our classroom! Thanks to the school and the PTA, Room 7 was lucky to get a brand new interactive whiteboard in the holidays. We have been using it daily and we are learning new things on it everyday.

Please come in after school to have a look and to try it out!

We have a new topic this term, Down in the bush. The children are very excited about it and already they know so much about our native forests, bush, birds, bugs and insects.
We are heading away on a school trip next Wednesday, so please get those green slips back to the office as soon as you can.
If you have any expertise or knowledge about this topic, we would love to have you in Room 7 as an expert!

A very busy term! Here are a few things that are on this term...

• Cross Country - tick


• Bush Trip


• Production


• Athletics

We have already had our school cross country. Well done to Red and Thomas who recieved placings in the year 3 cross country on Thursday. I cant wait to talk to the others who stayed behind at school for their cross country.

We are looking forward to a very productive term!!

The old tree...

Room 7 went out yesterday to look at one of our oldest trees in the school grounds. We thought about describing a place somewhere in the school for our writing, so we headed to the tree where lots of children play.

Here are a couple of descriptions about the old tree from some of Room 7 students...

Stones huddling like feet gathered together in a big group. Winding roots twisted and tangled burry into the ground. I could see leaves being thrown around madly by the knotty branches. Moss clinging like birds nests hang to the branches. Rough skin like an elephants back. Finn has left his mark so people will remember him. The old oak tree sits and waits for the next bell to ring.

Mackenzie

The old oak tree sits besdie the tenis court waiting to watch cricket. Stones covering the outside like its haing a spa bath. A lightning strike like a tattoo on its arm. Moss clinging to the old oak tree. The scar unlocks secrets from when it was little.

Josh

Come in and read some more in our writing books in Room 7!

Thank you Casey for this poem you wrote at home!

I am the wind!!!

I am the wind that is;
Whipping your face,
Snapping twigs,
Making dust swirl.

I am the wind that is;
Pushing clouds,
Moving birds,
Pulling your hair.

I am the wind that
makes turbines spin.

I am the wind!!!

Casey

When Jack Frost arrives,
he covers the school field with a crusted white blanket,
he bullies the playgrounds leaviong them to drip,
he dips leaves into the brown sugar.

Eliza

When Jack Frost Arrives By Emma

When Jack Frost arrives,
he chucks a crystal white sheet over the school grounds,
he squeezes the water fountains and spoils it for the children at school,
and he blows an icy note across the grass.

When Jack Frost arrives,
he dips leaves into a pot of icing sugar,
he hangs sharp icicles on edges of leaves,
and he scrunches the leaves with his icy hands until they have crispy edges.

Emma

Jack Frost

Jack Frost has been visiting again this week! The children of Room 7 were out with their jottings books on Thursday morning, jotting everything they noticed about the frost.

We have been learning to show not tell in our writing. The children know that they need to look closely at things to desrobe exactly what they look like.

Some of the children decided to write poems about Jack Frost. They have read other poems and borrowed ideas on how to write a poem. They used some ideas in their own poems.

You can come in an read some more from their writing books in Room 7!

Blog Site

Come and check out Ethan's Blog Site...

http://prehistoricmayhem.blogspot.com/

Have fun!

A story from Thomas!

Hurricane in England

Miss McLeary tells us what were doing for writing "we are writing about hurricanes today." The next day Ethan is in England playing out side. Just as he was about to go inside a hurricane covers England; "aahhhhh cry's Ethan as the hurricane sucks him up. In an hour he reached the eye of the hurricane "Im dizzy" said Ethan "That was a close one said Ethan". An hour later the hurricane is still spinning Ethan around. After 5 hours the hurricane drops Ethan to the ground. "Ouch" said Ethan. The next day at Hawea Flat School every one is talking about the hurricane and Ethan was back at school "Ethan would you like to share" said Miss McLeary "yes please" said Ethan.

By Thomas

Expert!

Following todays opinion writing about whether or not a wind farm should be in Hawea Flat, we had Jan an expert come to share her opinion about wind farms. She was against a wind farm in our area.

Some of her reasons were...

It wouldn't be very pleasing on the eye. It would ruin our beautiful views.

Small insects and animals would loose their habitats.

It would cost a lot of money. Around 3 million dollars per wind turbine.

We would have to build roads and have heavy machines coming and going.

There would be millions of tonnes of soil taken out of the ground.

There would be scaring of the land.

We found that people had different opionions about things and no one was right or wrong. We know that we need to respect others opinions.

Wind Farm in Hawea Flat?

What do you think about having a wind farm in our area?


Children of Room 7 wrote opinions about whether or not a wind farm should be here.

They had to remember to add:

• a title,



• what they think,



• 3 reasons why



• a conclusion
  

Here are a few from today...






Should there be a wind farm in Hawea Flat?

Yes because it will make power for people.

It will give people a job to control the windmills.

People can go there and learn about wind farms.

I would like to see a wind farm in Hawea Flat.

By Emily

Should there be a wind farm in Lake Hawea?

Yes I think there should be a wind farm because it will give us power.

We can visit it so we can learn about wind farms.

It will give us more money because people will have to pay us to work there.

I want to see more wind farms.

By Ryan

Should there be a wind farm in Hawea Flat?

I think there shouldn't be a wind farm because it is a lot of room. You wouldn't have any room for your animals.

It takes a lot of money.

I do not want to see a wind farm in Hawea Flat.

By Eliza

A story from Lauren Rimmer!

Dolphin diving with friends.


One windy day Melissa was walking down to the beach with her best friend Anna.

When they got to the beach the wind lifted up a huge wave and they saw two dolphins riding it.

The dolphins swam to the shore and let Anna and Melissa onto their slippery backs.

Melissa and Anna had fun with the dolphins until the sun set and then they went home for tea.

“We had such a great day,” said Melissa. “Yeah,” agreed Anna.

Read this story by Dylan Rimmer!

Mist disaster

“Oh no, we’re in a cloud of mist,” said India .
“Don’t worry,” said Nathan. “I’ll turn on the fog lights.
What? How come they don’t work?
Oh well, looks like we have to go on without them.”
Ahhhh! The car zooms down a hill in the valley.
Crash. “Now we’re doomed,” said Nicky.
Suddenly a gust of wind rockets out of the ground.
“Yay, we’re out of the mist,” they shout all together.

Length!

This week we are looking at measurement! We are holding an airshow on Friday and the children have been making paper planes. They have been testing them by measuring their flight path, measuring in centimetres and meters using meter rulers. The children will take their best measurment and pick that plane for the air show on Friday!

You can click on the picture of the measuring tape above to practise your measuring on the bbc website.

Ethan's Tornado Story

Well done Ethan for publishing this great story about a tornado. Keep up the great work at home. We hope you enjoy reading it...



The dangerous tornado.
The big tunnel of cloud and dust spins psychotically towards the car.
“Aaaaaaaah’’screamed Lily .’
’Its all right’’says Dave.
“I don’t want to die” cries Joe.
‘’I said it’s all right” shouts Dave.
“All I have to do is reverse the car out of the path of the tornado”. [Meanwhile in Hawea Flat school ].
“I hope Joe is having a good time in America’’ said Dylan .
“ye “says Luca, I wish I was him”.
Back in America the tornado is ripping down the road behind the Roberts car . it zips of the roof and sends it flying . [The next day at Hawea school ].
“Hay” said Isla “did you see the tornado in America?”
“ ye”said Dylan, in the same place as Joe, California .”
“E hello” says Thomas. Did you see Joe’s Mum and Dad on 3 news last
night?”
“Nope” said Red , Luca, Isla, Dylan and myself.
Meanwhile back in California Lily, Dave and Joe are hanging on to the roof struts of their car that is spinning in the tornado. The next second they’re flung to the ground. They hit the dewy grass with a thud.
They looked at each other to check they were ok. “this is a good story to tell the class” said Joe.
The end

Wind

Check out what Room 7 have been busy doing during our inquiry unit so far!
We have been using thinking tools such as the thinkers keys and De Bono's thinking Hats.
Here are a few pictures of what is on display on our classroom wall. Come and see when you visit our classroom next!

Microsoft Powerpoint

Last week for our literacy tasks we learned how to import a picture from a file onto powerpoint.

We looked at changing the size of a picture...

Changing the colour of a picture...

And changing the texture of a picture...

You can come and look at some of our creations hanging in our classroom.

Welcome back to school! I hope you have had a great Easter break!

We have been busy the last two days getting back into routines and having turns on our two new computers!
We are lucky to have been given two computers from Room 6 over the holidays, so we have been publishing writing and playing with photos on Microsoft Powerpoint.

Come into Room 7 and check out our photos that we have been editing.

Fire Wise!

This week we have been learning about how to be fire wise at school and at home.

Doug and Stu from Hawea Fire Brigade came to tell us a few things we need to know about being safe in a fire.

We practised moving through a house that we had to pretend was on fire. This was good practise for us.

At home, maybe you could talk to others about what your fire safety plan is!

Sounds from Jerome Kavanagh

Today we were very lucky to have Jerome Kavanagh in the school talking about Maori Musical Instruments.

He told us Maori myths and legends about different living things that we have here in New Zealand that no where else in the world has. He matched his stories with instruments that he brought along. The instruments were all natural from the land of Aotearoa.

He gave us a chance to make our own Putangitangi.

"Make Tens" Strategy

This week we have been learning all about the "Make Tens" Strategy in Maths.

We can use this strategy to help us when adding 3 or more numbers together.

You can try doing some at home or teach someone the new strategy!

Multi-coloured Mayhem Day!

Today is Multi-coloured Mayhem day! We are raising funds for Autism New Zealand. Lots of children have dressed up for the occasion, and we are having a sausage sizzle at lunch time. Here are some of the costumes that came to school today!

Magic Box!

This week, we found a poem called The Magic Box written by Islay Aitchison.

We decided we would borrow her ideas in her poem and write our own poems about a magic box.

Here are some of the things we would put in our magic box. Come and visit our classroom to read the rest!

I will put in my box,

The first kicker at the Snow Park that gleams on the snow. (Luca)

I will put in my box,

Cobwebs that sag from the morning dew,

The taste of cherries that vanish in my mouth. (Abby)

I will put in my box,

The taste of banana cake with lemon icing,

Skiing with ski poles for once. (Casey)

I will put in my box,

The anchors that fall to the sea floor. (Joe)

I will put in my box,

Fire works cracking and exploding. (Eliza)

I will put in my box,

The bendy trees perfect for climbing. (Emily)

I will put in my box,

The toffee apples that sit in a row at the A and P Show. (Nevada)

I will put in my box,

The spells from a magician’s wand. (Red)

Show Art

If you missed out on visiting this years A and P show in Wanaka, then you can view a few pieces of Room 7's art work here or come into the classroom as it is now up on the wall! The children took photographs of the view from the school. We then used collage and soft chalk on top for different textures.