Production Dance

Kia Ora Bloggers, Our school, Waikowhai Primary has a production that we perform every two years. Last week we held our five performances of Jasmine and Aladdin at the Waikowhai Intermediate school hall. Our two classes, Kaiwhare and Mokoroa, performed dances as part of the overall production. It was a fabulous success. Here are a few photos of our classes in action. To find out more, please read our individual blogs and leave us some positive, thoughtful and helpful comments.

Term 3 Week 8 - Writing Prompt

 Kia Ora Bloggers,

It is great to be back at school and continuing our learning together.  We have been looking at the theme of space and our small focus at the moment is on the moon.  We will be writing about the moon this week. This 360 degree prompt will help us out.  What would you add to your writing?

Term 3 Week 5 Blog Ponder: Living in Space

 

Image Source: NASA Kids Zone 3
Did you know astronauts live on the International Space Station (ISS)? Click on this picture to go to the NASA Kids Zone website. Watch the video called "Living On ISS" (the red astronaut) to find out what it is like.

What would you like and dislike about living in space? Leave a comment on this post sharing your ideas.

Week 4 - Maths Week Ponder

Kia Ora Bloggers,

This week we are participating in Primary Science Maths week.  You can find out more by visiting this website: www.mathsweek.co.nz.   There are heaps of exciting activities and challenges to complete.  The books that we are reading this week will also look at different parts of Maths.  

Today, we started the article Amazing Algorithms.  It got us thinking about what algorithms are and how often we use Maths every day.  This week, our blog ponder is to think about the times that we use Maths during our day.  

Have a think and add your ideas to our blog ponder. Remember to think carefully, add your ideas in one post in a Cybersmart way and then get a buddy to check your comment before you post.  We look forward to reading your ideas

Week 3 - Shadows and Light ponder

Over the next two weeks, Kaiwhare class will be learning about light and shadows. We have started by exploring some journal stories, experiments and online activities on Sciencekids.co.nz.   We also have a blog ponder to share our knowledge and ideas. Please contribute to our online discussion in a Cybersmart way. Remember to have a buddy check your post to see that it makes sense and that you have used punctuation correctly.

Week 1 - Matariki blog ponder

This week our learning focus is on Matariki.  As part of our reading programme, we are responding to this blog ponder today.  Have a read of the question then post your ideas in the comments below. Remember to be cyber smart and check your spelling and punctuation before you publish. 

Week 12 - School Cross Country

This week, we all participated in our annual school cross country. It is a great day where we participate in lots of different events run by our Year 6 leaders. We also run challenge ourselves when running the cross country race.  This year, Year 3 and Year 4 students completed two laps of the course. It was a long run and everybody who participated did an awesome job.  Here are some of the photos from the day.

Cross Country Learning

Talofa lava bloggers,

For the past two weeks, we have been focusing our reading on the theme of Cross Country, exercise and fitness.  We have read lots used this to create new understanding.  Firstly, we connected and explained important words about this topic. You can look at the connections Rayhan made here.

We read about the positives and negatives of running and Cross Country.  With this in mind, we added our own ideas to our class padlet. Check out our ideas.

Finally, we thought about what we had read to create an infographic about Cross Country or Exercise. This was a great way to summarise what we had been learning. Have a look at our DLO creations below.


We'd appreciate a positive, thoughtful and helpful comment below.

Finished Siapo Patterns

Talofa lava bloggers,

Earlier in the term, we participated in Samoan Language Week.  You can read about it here.  As part of a combined Math and Arts activity, we started to design some Siapo patterns.  We are very proud to show you the completed patterns. They look great displayed on our classroom wall. 

Week 10 - Cross Country Blog Ponder

This week we are reading about exercising, cross country and keeping fit and healthy.  Our school Cross Country is coming up next week.  Read the ponder and then add your personal connection to our class discussion.

Week 8 and 9 - Precious Water

Kia Ora Bloggers,

Did you know that the greater Auckland region is currently facing water restrictions?  As part of our reading programme, we have been exploring water, the way we use water and what happens in droughts.  We started by sharing what we already know to our class padlet.

This week we investigated these water saving tips.  Our challenge was to classify the tips. We had to decide if each idea was something that we understood and could do or something that we would need to find out more about.  Once the sorting was finished, we connected to one tip and described how we could make this work.

 

The water restrictions also mean that the use of outdoor hoses is banned.  To bring all of our learning together we had a creative session.  Our challenge was to design and create a device that we could use to collect rainwater and use in our class watering can.  You can see our creative class members in action below.

 

Week 7 - Samoan Language Week

Talofa Lava Bloggers,

This week we have celebrated Samoan language week in Te Ana Ako.  We participated in a range of activities to develop our knowledge and awareness of Samoan Language and culture.  Some of our highlights were:

• Reading about, then creating a model of a fale.
• Finding out about and creating Siapo patterns.
• Using Samoan language to work on our Maths Place Value goals.
• Matching Samoan, Te Reo Maori and English family words as part of our pepeha work.

We have added some photos below.  Please check our blog later on as we focus on publishing our Siapo patterns that we have drafted in our Maths books too.

Week Seven - Teaspoon of Light Activity

Hi everyone,

Today our teachers told us a story, it started off like this “A young girl wakes up to get ready to visit her grandmother. As she gets up, she trips and tears her cloth of dreams…” (from TeRitoToi website).

The crazy thing was, this story had no pictures.  It was up to us to be a part of the story.  We used our faces and body language to show some of the emotions that the young girl would feel after her cloak of dreams ripped.

We then had the chance to create our own cloak of dreams for the girl in the story, to replace the one that was ripped.  To do this, we each had a square of coloured paper and a selection of pastels.  We brainstormed, then drew, beautiful things that we would like to dream about.

Finally, we had to use drama to create a magic thread that could sew each of the pieces of our quilt together.  We thought of all sorts of special things to add to our quilt. In a circle, we used our acting skills to add the different ingredients to the middle of our circle.  The final ingredient was a teaspoon of light from a dark tunnel to add hope.  Below, you can see the picture of our quilt creation, we hope you like it.

Please leave us a positive, thoughtful and helpful comment if you would like to find out more.

Week 6 - Playdoh Creations

Kia Ora Bloggers,

We have had a great week reconnecting with each other in our classes.  It has been a very creative week for us.  One of our challenges was to use our own packet of playdoh and prompts on this slide deck to get building and making.  As you can see, we had lots to explore and do.

Our final challenge was to sculpt something to represent something that we did while we were away from school.  You can see these creations in the slideshow below.  Please take some time to read the thoughtful explanations with many of these creations.

We would love to hear what you think. Please leave us some positive, thoughtful and helpful comments below.

Week 6 - Hello Again Dance and Greeting activity

Welcome back bloggers, we are very excited to be back at school and back together in our class, Te Ana Ako.  Today, we worked on a creative dance challenge to share a message with an audience.  Our task was to use dance to create a special new way to greet our classmates. Our teachers got the idea from the Te Rito Toi website.

To get ourselves warm, we practised moving at low, medium and high levels into space. It was important that we were respectful of the space that our classmates need to stay safe too.  Our next step was to list the different ways that we greet each other.  

With a buddy, we choreographed a simple dance that combined greetings to say hello again.  We also had to make sure we greeted each other from a safe distance.  The final step was to apply this dance to a piece of lively music.  Our first video shows you the creative fun we were having, coming up with a dance with our buddies.  

Here are some of our dance routines.  Are there any familiar types of greeting that you notice?  What do you think of our dances?  We would love some of your positive, thoughtful and helpful feedback.

Week 4 - Visitors Week

Kia Ora Bloggers,

This week we had some special guests join us in our online meetings.  We've taken screenshots and added them below to show you how surprised we were. Thank you, Miss Lane, Mrs Peterson and Mrs Law for joining us, reading stories and updating us with how you are going.

Miss Lane joins us on Monday

Mrs Peterson joins us on Wednesday

Mrs Law joins us on Thursday

We've also been really busy with our distance learning.  Some of the highlights were creating book reviews, using pixel art to create characters in maths, creating a poem page for a junior journal that included an audio file, building word finds, developing our drama skills in our class meetings and folding origami using Origami player.  We've included a few examples of these activities in the presentation below.  We would love some feedback.

Mathematical Mazes

Kia Ora Bloggers,

One of our mathematical thinking challenges this week has been to create a maze.  The instructions are here in this video and in the screenshot from our Wednesday Maths activity below.

We used the geoboard app from the math learning centre to create our mazes.  Our creations are shared with you below. Have some fun solving these. You may need to pause the presentation to give yourself thinking time.  Think about the direction and math language you could use as you move through the mazes.

 How did you find our mazes? We would love some of your feedback.

Term Two - Week Three Blog Ponder

This blog ponder is part of our distance learning tumble. Please think about this question then add your comment below to take part in the discussion.  Remember to check your comment to make sure it has correct spelling and punctuation. It is a good idea to read it through to yourself to check it makes sense. 

This year, all of New Zealand was in lockdown on the 25th of April. This meant that we couldn't come together like we normally do on ANZAC day.  However, people around the country commemorated ANZAC day in their own special ways. Did you do anything special? If so, we would love to hear your ideas and contributions in our comments.

Term Two - Week Two

Kia Ora bloggers,

This week we'd like to share the things that we have been doing while away from school. You can see from the screenshot below that we are quickly becoming experts at meeting together online.



The learners from Kaiwhare class have shared photos of some of the activities they have been enjoying during our time away from school. As you can see, we are a creative, caring, active and fun loving group of kids.

What has been your favourite activity during Level Four?  We would love to hear from you in our comments below.

Term Two - Week One - Distance Learning

Kia Ora bloggers.

Our first week of Term Two was a completely new experience for us all.  New Zealand is currently in Level 4 lockdown. This means that we all stay home, safe in our bubbles and work from afar.  While this has been a new and sometimes challenging experience, the students from Kaiwhare and Mokoroa (with the support of families too) have had an amazing first week.

One of the highlights has been catching up with each other using online meetings. It had been three weeks since we had talked with each other and it was nice to hear some of the good things that have been happening for everybody while we have been apart.

Our learning activities are available on our class site.  There are help videos for those who need a bit of extra support with getting things going at home. We also have a tumble of extra activities that children can choose as well as their normal activities.


How was your first week back at school?  We'd love to hear your thoughts and comments too.

Take care and stay safe.

Term Two: Week One - Blog Ponder

This week, we will be starting Term Two using distance learning. This is where we are completing all of our activities at home.  We will be using our class site to access Reading, Writing and Maths the way that we normally do. It will be cool to use google meet to check in with our teachers and our friends in an online meeting.

The middle school also have a table of optional activities to complete.  One of these is a response to a blog ponder.  To complete this activity, you need to think about the question below and then write your response in the comment. 

Remember to think carefully about the message you share, the spelling and punctuation that you use and that you are being Cybersmart.  Have a look at the blog ponder and let us know what you think in the comments...

Term 1 Week 8: Syndicate Treaty

Kia ora koutou,

What a whirlwind of a week!  From our Monday pondering posts, to setting up families for learning from home, and now everyone staying in their 'bubble' so we can keep each other safe and healthy, it has been very different to what we had planned for our classes this week.

These modified plans have meant that Mrs McLellan finally finished assembling our treaty waka with each of our individual pictures paddling in the same direction to indicate we are working together on our learning journey.  (Her photography skills might need some work. It is hard to get a sharp picture when you are standing on a chair with your phone at arm's length above the floor!)

Our treaty has four main parts: be kind, be respectful, be responsible, be a learner. We have shared and role played lots of examples about how we might put these into practice in our syndicate.  

We hope you have a good 'staycation' as we all head into our school holidays. Remember to be kind to each other and try to have some fun as you navigate this unusual journey. See you back online on April 14th as we continue our learning journey.

He waka eke noa - We're all in this together!

Term One Week 8 Insects ponder

Last week, during reading, we read lots of about insects and the ways they can help or harm us. We were trying to find out what would happen if there were no more insects left in the world. With this information in mind, we have a question for you to respond to...

Remember to check that your comment answers the ponder, is written in full sentences, has correct punctuation and makes sense.

Term 1 Week 8 Kindness Ponder

Welcome to our pondering posts.

To ponder means to think about something carefully, before reaching a conclusion or making a decision. Another way of saying this is to reflect on something.

Our theme this year is Ata Whakaaro - Reflection, so today we are inviting you to reflect on kindness and comment below.

When Waikowhai kids are out and about at events, often we get lovely comments about how kind they are. Our school code of conduct (Respect) is often shown when students choose to be kind. The photo below is of the mural on the end of our Te Ana Ako building. 

Quote by Bryan Skavnak

How are you the nice kid? What is an example of someone being kind to you?

Week 6 - Maths Learning

We have been working in lots of groups for maths this term. We are learning that group work is important to help each of us become great mathematicians. 

Check out our slideshow, where we share some of the big ideas and group skills we have practised alongside our maths knowledge and strategies.

Week 5 - Sea Week

We celebrated Sea Week at school last week.  Our literacy and numeracy learning was based around experiences related to the sea.  We investigated the theme for sea week which was Connecting With Our Seas and the whakatauki: Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au  –  I am the sea, the sea is me. You can find out more here.  

On Monday, we experimented with the filter feeders mussels.  Mussels do a super job of filtering seawater.  You can find out more about mussels and the important job they do here.  Unfortunately, our experiment wasn't very successful but we hope to have a go another time.

Following that, we completed some shared reading, looking at the Science Hub website and also investigating the story Kutai in the school journal.  From all of this knowledge, we started to create some infographics, explaining what mussels are and why they are important for healthy seas.  You can see our experiment in action, and some of our infographics in the slideshow below.

We would love to hear what you think.  Please leave us a positive, thoughtful and helpful comment.

Week 3 Cybersmart and the Kawa of Care

This week, Te Ana Ako students have started to use their Chromebooks. Some of us are new to using our devices and some of us are returning experts.  It has been a good chance for us all to revisit the Kawa of Care.  This important document helps us to think about all the ways we can look after our precious learning device.   To start with, we investigated and sorted our ideas using a define map.  All the things that were relevant to following the Kawa of Care were sorted close to the main idea. Things that were not relevant, not ways to look after our device were not relevant.

Our Define map Template

The ideas that we were sorting, can you think of which ways are sensible ways to look after a device?

Our challenge was then to use some of the Chromebook tools to create a DLO (Digital learning object) to show how we can care for our device.  Below you will see some of our clever creations.

 Please check back regularly, we are looking forward to sharing our learning journey with you.

Welcome to 2020 - Visiting Author

Welcome back to 2020.  We hope you have all had a relaxing summer break.  Te Ana Ako have had a positive start to the year.  We have been spending lots of time getting to know each other and settling back into school life.  

Last week, we were lucky to have the author Anne Kayes visit our school. She is the author of 'Tui Street Tales' and 'Tui Street Adventures'.  During the visit, she introduced us to the characters in her books who live in Tui Street. We really enjoyed the enthusiastic way she shared with us.  

Keep an eye out for her books coming to the school library soon.