Matarki constellations

We made our own matarki constellations with our bodies. We can tell a story about our own special stars. 

Mapping Ranfurly

Can you see your home? We made a scale model of Ranfurly to learn about maps, scale and position. Lots of conversations and learning  - not to mention fun. Lego is such a great learning tool. 

Maniototo Mountains

The shimmering, snowy mountain lays still on a cold day’s morning. This damp old mountain wears layers in the winter for years and years.

Lilianei

The wide, old mountains glimmer of gold. The light of the sun blazes onto it in the chilly winter. One crystal covered valley has been covered by the frantic snow on an icy morning.

Thomas

  

The misty covered mountain sleeps under the sky in the crisp morning. The tall grassy hills are standing still by the wire fence in the sunny afternoon. 

Lucy

The rough, misty mountain stood quietly still in a farm yard under a summer sunset. One foggy covered hill blends gently behind the gate in the sunshine. The grassy wide hills stand straight waiting in the afternoon.

Abby

Reading in Kakariki

This week for reading our focus has been on Matariki, the Maori New Year. Here are some of the SpongeBob reading groups lanterns they have made.

 

 

Some groups have also been learning about land formations. Here are some examples of our outstanding work.

 

 

Check out Kahurangi's topic art...

Oil, coal and gas

Shifting Sands

Fire Cones

Wrinkles and Ridges

Steam Fountains

Stone Icicles

 

Buddy Programme

On Friday the Kahurangi buddies spent the afternoon enjoying games and activities that their Tawa buddies had chosen. Here are some pics of the fun...

Student led soccer team

Organised by some super star leaders Maia, Anna, Ben and Mia in Kakariki class due to a student request for a school soccer team. Superb organisation and great team skills. Very impressive!! 

A Song about You!

In the Playground

In the playground 

The frosty ice was tickling through my back. It made me chilly. I shivered. When I walked to school it looked like diamonds. 

Sienna

The playground was like an icicle. The sun made the ice shiny. I nearly slip over. The ice went down my back making me shiver. As I slid down the poles it made me go very slowly. It hurt!

Chevy

The slide was slippery and icy from the frost. The bridge was slippery like an ice rink that no one can go on. 

Case.

Our Adjective Poetry

What is caring?
What is sharing?
What is kind?
What is happy and pretty and full of ideas?

A friend

Written by Abby


What is brown?
What is small?
What is tall?
What is silent and handsome and special?

My Teddy Bear

Written by Perri

What is shiny?
What glows in the dark?
What is galishish? (we made this word up because it sounds so great)
What is golden and big and soft?

A pillow pet.

Mrs Scott's volcano

Mrs Scott helped is to make a volcano! Learning about earths structure and how mointains are made we had some questions about what a volcano was. We found out that the stuff that comes out of the top is hot liquid rock called magma. When the lava slides down the mountain it causes erosion. Trees and houses at the bottom of the mountain is burnt and wood becomes petrified. Magma comes from under the earths crust in a place called the mantle. Wow what a lot of investigating! 

A New Reading Program Initiative

We have some outstanding leaders in our senior school. These five year 12 students initiated a reading program for some of our youngest learners in school. Every Friday and Monday they get some quality 1-1 time with a superstar senior reader leader. The smiles for all involved went from ear to ear. This is such a unique opportunity you just don't get to see in every school. Thank you to our amazing students creating learning opportunities where we are helping each other to learn right across the whole school. 

A Description of Jason

We meet Jason. He has an extraordinary feature. 
Can you guess what it is? 
Can you draw a picture of him? 
See if some of our words help paint a picture in your mind. 

When Jason goes upside down his hair looks like worms! It looks like skinny flower petals. It waves like leaves waving in the wind.
Lily

When Jason went in the water his hair looks like seaweed because it twisted and tumbled.
Lachlan

Jason's hair was swirling and swaying in the air. The curls get curlier and curlier as it flies through the wind. Brooke

Jason's hair was curled up around his neck like a nice soft silky scarf. His hair flaps around in the air as he runs.
Case

Jasons hair hung like a feathered cloak. When he went on the rope swing his hair swished like wings.
Kiera

Jason had swirling, swishing hair in the wind. In the sea Jason's hair swirled up like a swimming fish. Jason's hair was swishing like dripping leaves.
Chevy

Jason's spiraled hair was squirming across his handsome face. He had koru tight curls. His hair sprouted like a seedling.
Abby

Jason's hair looked like koru-twists. The wind whispered through his sharp, spiral curls. When he ran his black spiral hair flung behind him like a storm cloud.
Perri

Jason's hair whipped across his red chilly pepper face as he ran across the rugby paddock. His hair flung as the wind swirled around him. His tangled curls squirmed over his shoulders. His hair with numerous spirals is ready to rule the world.
Lilianei

Jason's hair, in the pool, looks like octopus tentacles. On the swinging rope his hair flapped like wings. On the rugby paddock his hair chased him where ever he went.
Thomas

A story about times tables

A Mathematical story all about times tables.

Making mountains

We made mountains today and explored erosion. We found out erosion can happen with wind,  rain or earthquakes. Humans also change our landscapes with large machinery and planting trees to stop erosion. 

Frosty Mornings

www.roamingdownunder.com

The frost covers the day like a white blanket. It was an odd morning. The trees were asleep.There leaves were falling to the diamond white blanket. When we breath we see the frost come out of our mouth. The damp day pinches my body. It makes me tickle. The frost makes the ground feel like its a pile of frozen rocks. The day has fallen into the frosty day.
by Lilianei


The Winters Morning. 
The winters morning pinches my legs like crabs at the beach. This morning I stepped outside to a Naseby of white frost. Crunch, went the frost underneath my feet. I feel the breeze rustle through my bones. 
By Thomas.



It's a cold winters morning and the cold air  is pinching. 

It's a challenge outside. The ice is daring  me to skate to school. I slip and slide through the playground. The cold air is blowing through my eyes and making me cry.

By Abby


It's a cold winters day. I step outside. Brrrr! A winter breeze swooshes by, sweeping up the leaves, leaving the trees bare. Frost scampers up the tree trunk leaving a sparkly pattern. Pinching the air as the breeze goes. The white blanket covers the land in the silvery frost. 

I tremble to walk on the ice but it is daring me to fall. At last I decided to do it. It pushes me to skate to school.

By Perri

Fraction art

These superstar learners explored fractions of circles. They folded, then cut out half, quarter, third pieces of circles. Then they made a picture with their fractions. They look amazing! Come into Kowhai to see their pictures of angels, butterflies on a sunny day, dog and sharks! 

Learning our spelling words

Writing on balloons is not as easy as it looks. A fun new way to practise our spelling words .  

Nicola has been practising her words on the window. 

Te reo itsy bitsy books

As part of our science learning Kowhai kids made a booklet from 1 A4 page for themselves and one for their buddy. We drew landscape features on each page with te reo language to help us learn new words . We are all very proud of our booklets but Kowhai kids are extremely proud of how they helped their buddies learn new information. 

A Snowy Day

http://www.mi9.com/cold-snowy-day_7373.html

Winter
The snow covers the land. It freezes the leaves. It makes the day wet and mushy. You always get to step in it. Sometimes the winter can be really angry. All the animals hibernate but the birds stay in nature because they have to find food. If you try to sit under a tree the leaves will just fall, the branches feel weak and you freeze. The puddles are real cold! The grey sky covers the damp day. It is very damp and cold. 

Written by Lilianei

Earths Crust!

Videos are a great way to learn a lot of information in a hurry. There are an endless source of great resources online to help our learning in different ways. Enjoy thee videos at home to invite questions and shared new learning at home.

1. Bill the Science Guy explains Earths Crust. Fast and funny.

Earths Layers is just like an Egg!

A great explanation of how the Earth structure is made up.

What is a tectonic plate?

This video helps to explain earthquakes and how mountains are made. Greta for all ages.