Easter Hunt

It is a tradition in Room 18 to have an Easter Hunt on the closest school day to Easter.  As the weather was wet and stormy, the clues were all inside in classrooms and offices all around the school.  Groups of three had to find clues by working out Easter Maths problems at different locations.  The final clue told us to look extra carefully in Room 28 - Ayan was our Eagle Eye and was the first to find the treasure box for us all to share.

Celebration Assembly

On the last day of term, the whole school had a celebration assembly.  The junior kapa haka and the choir both performed, as well as the rock band, senior vocal group and orchestra.   See if you can pick out some people from Room 18 who performed in the choir or the kapa haka group for the first time.

Frogs and Tadpoles Find New Home

We have been looking after tadpoles for several weeks in Room 18.   We have been keeping them warm (thanks to Kaleb for his tropical water heater), changing the water (thanks to Grace who brought swamp water from her property to school twice a week), feeding the tadpoles baby spinach and fish flakes and the frog live flies.  But with the end of the term, it was time to release our frog and tadpoles into the wild.  Mrs McNeil took them to her property where she has a creek running through and introduced them to their new home.

Here we are recording our video about looking after tagpoles in the classroom for the CBS News.

Here is a close up of our little frog - he was quite a climber, but we had netting pulled tight over the top of the aquarium so he (and his food supply) could not escape.

Pool Party

To celebrate the end of term, and the end of swimming, we had a Pool Party with Room 3.

Watch Out - We Got Slimed!

We used borax solution, shaving foam, food colouring and PVA glue to make slime.  As we added more borax solution, a teaspoon at a time, we found that the slime became less sticky and more pliant.  After we had kneaded it for a while, it even became bouncy when you rolled it into a spherical shape, just like a ball.  We also found that you could roll it into v-e-r-y long worm shapes.

Everyone enjoyed stretching the slime into long threads

The slime was quite sticky to start with, so we kneaded it.

We very gradually added more borax solution to make the slime easier to handle.

STEM - Measuring forces

In Maths this year, we spend one day a week doing STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths).  This term, we have focused on Maths and Science.  We have been learning to measure accurately using 30cm rulers, metre rulers and tape measures.  We have been studying forces and measuring the distance marbles travel down a ramp, set at different heights.

Potato Men and Potato Women

We read this book,  The Potato People, together and then everyone made their own potato person using potatoes, toothpicks, wool and pins.  After that we dressed them in fabric, leather, feathers and lace. Later, when the potato people have sprouted, we will plant them in our classroom garden, just like Grandma and Jack did in the story.

Here are two glorious ladies, but you can see the whole class on the Visual Art page.

Using ten to make teen numbers.

The Jet Streamers and Loop the Loopers used tens to make teen numbers.  Check them all on the Maths page.

Here is Vera's work, but there are ten more on the Maths page!

Marble mazes

The Zebras read the book, The Maize Maze, and then they designed their own mazes and used a marble to check the paths they made.

Reading our Recounts about the Swimming Sports

We enjoyed reading our recounts about the swimming sports and looking at the illustrations - you can read everyone's story on the Writing page.

Swimming in the Rain

It was raining very heavily on Wednesday morning last week.  What to do?  It was our swimming time.  We voted and the majority of the class still wanted to go swimming.  Non swimmers went to Room 2 to join in their classroom programme, while most people proceeded onto the pool.  Everyone found the water lovely and warm in the rain . . . but . . . oh! oh! We got very wet!

PirateTreasure Maps

The Lions read the play, Buried Treasure in Junior Journal 53.  Then everyone made their own treasure map.   They used symbols to show the important landmarks on our map.  When the maps were finished, they carefully tore the edges and painted them with strong cold tea so that they looked like real olden day pirate maps.

Cap't Finn's treasure map

Cap't Ruby's treasure map.

Cap't Luka's treasure map

Cap't Kaydn's treasure map

Weka Team's Class Relay

When we had the Middle School Swimming Sports in March, there was not enough time for the class relays so the Weka Team had their class relay race on a different day.  Everyone swam as fast as they could, and those not swimming cheered as loudly as they could to spur the swimmers along.   Room 1 won the race, but all the classes put up a good challenge.

The first swimmers under starter's orders.

And they're off!

Room 18's class relay team.  Kate O was our reserve.

Wekas Walk to Cockle Bay Beach

On Friday, 17 March the whole Weka Team walked to Cockle Bay Beach, to enjoy the day and interact with the environment.

When we first arrived, we had a scavenger hunt and had to find all sorts of things on the beach, measure them and record our data.  Next we did some beach art work with Mr Drummond.  After lunch, we played on the playground and practised our ball throwing and catching skills.  Finally it was time for the long, slow, hot, thirsty climb up the hill back to Cockle Bay School.