Student of the Week - Kate

Kate could be our student of the week any week!  She always settles to work quickly and works quietly, staying focused on her own work.  She is a motivated learner who shows particular skills in maths.  With your fantastic work ethic you will go a long way Kate.  Tino pai!

Room 4 Mini-Olympics

We wound up our Olympics 'Strive to Excel' topic study by creating a R4 Mini-Olympics.  We were split into six random groups and had the task of creating an Olympic event around the school grounds.  We could use any equipment, but we had to source it ourselves.  Each group had to plan their event, decide on the rules and how it would be measured so that we could work out who the winner was and then demonstrate to the other groups.

MEET THE TEAMS...

The Bulls

Master Markers

Shining Stars

The Swagloaders

The Rippers

The Cheetahs

EVENT 1 - Bush Event
This event was created by the Master Markers team.  It involved students running a course through the trees down next to the playcentre, weaving around trees, up and over a tree stump, down to the carpark, through some of the garden (whoops sorry Mr Healy) and then up the concrete steps and back to the tree behind Room 1.  This was a timed team event with the timer stopped when the last team member made it back to the tree.
Gold medal - Master Markers, 1 minute 12 seconds
Silver medal - Shining Stars, 1 minute 20 seconds
Bronze medal - Swagloaders, 1 minute 22 seconds

EVENT 2 - Playground course
This playground event was created by The Bulls.  This was another team event that involved all team members racing at the same time against the clock.  Teams had to begin on the bars by completing five swings and then running an obstacle course around the playground - up the slide, across the bridge, down the two bars, over the tyres, flipping over the monkey bars, climbing back up the playground, down the two bars again, running through the sandpit and touching the bars to finish.  The fastest team time wins.
Gold medal - Swagloaders, 1 minute 15 seconds
Silver medal (tied) - Master Markers and Bulls, 1 minute 17 seconds
Bronze medal - Cheetahs, 1 minute 25 seconds

EVENT 3 - Scooter and Egg race
This event was created by the Swagloaders.  It involved a team relay race, where we had to scooter weaving in and out of cones to the end of the track and pick up an egg (without going out of the chalk lines), tuck it under our chins and scooter back to our team-mates (without dropping the egg).  If the egg dropped we had to go and collect another egg.  Each time was timed and the fastest team wins.
And YES there were several broken eggs!!!!
Gold medal - Master Markers, 1 minute 23 seconds
Silver medal - Swagloaders, 1 minute 25 seconds
Bronze medal - Cheetahs, 1 minute 32 seconds

Ooops!!!

EVENT 4 - Playground Destroyer

This event was created by the Cheetahs team.  We were back to the playground for another obstacle course, but with a difference.  We had to begin by scrambling underneath a camo net (kindly loaned for the afternoon by Mr Crawford), and then take off at speed scrambling up, over, under and around playground objects, racing to be the fastest team finished.  Due to some last minute changes to this event (as we were running out of time), there were several time penalties for teams taking shortcuts!

Gold medal - Rippers, 1 minute 13 seconds

Silver medal - Cheetahs, 1 minute 15 seconds

Bronze medal - Swagloaders, 1 minute 18 seconds

EVENT 4 - Synchronised Frisbee Throw and Longest Frisbee Throw

Created by the Shining Stars team, these were our first two events that did not involve timing to find out the winners.  First up was Synchronised Frisbee Throw.  This involved two team members throwing a frisbee each (at the same time).  The gap between where the two frisbees landed was then measured by Jenaya (counting her strides).

Gold medal - Emma and Alex (Cheetahs)

Silver medal - Jay and Emma (Cheetahs), Mac and Lucy W (Swagloaders)

Bronze medal - Lucie and Venessa (Rippers)

 

  

Jenaya and Lucy measure the distance between the two frisbees

Following that, every student had the chance to throw the frisbee the furtherest distance.  This was our only individual event in our class mini-Olympics.

Gold medal - George Tabberer

Silver medal - Toby Harrex

Bronze medal - Blake Macdonald

EVENT 5 - Adventure

Our last Olympic event was created by the Rippers.  It was another adventure playground obstacle course, but this time starting outside Room 1 with one team member throwing a ball for another team member to hit. The team then raced around, under and over marked obstacles in the playground and back to the seats outside Room 1.  Each team was timed with the fastest team winning.
Gold medal - Master Markers, 1 minute 25 seconds

Silver medal (tied) - Swagloaders and Shining Stars, 1 minute 26 seconds

Bronze medal - Bulls, 1 minute 31 seconds

And so to the FINAL RESULTS......

Master Markers - 4 GOLD, 1  SILVER
Cheetahs - 1 GOLD, 3 SILVER, 1  BRONZE                             
Swagloaders - 1 GOLD, 2 SILVER, 3  BRONZE
Rippers - 1  GOLD, 1 SILVER, 1 BRONZE
Shining Stars - 2 SILVER, 1 BRONZE
Bulls - 1 SILVER, 1 BRONZE

Congratulations to all of the teams for great teamwork, sportsmanship, friendship and encouragement.

Sports Activator - Soccer

Mitch was back with us last week, working on our soccer skills this time.  He gave us lots of drills and activities to help develop control over the ball.  We had to try and keep the ball close to our feet and use the inside of our foot to kick the ball.

 We also made sure that we could stop the ball quickly by placing our foot on the top.

For a tricky skill, we worked on rotating our foot over and past the ball to try and trick our opponent.

 Then it was on to using our heads.......

 Not everyone was completely at ease in doing this.....

Check out Max's concentration on the ball as it comes towards him!

We look forward to Mitch's next session in a couple of weeks.

Classroom door

Check out our new sign on R4s door. So true!

Student of the week - Blake

An easy choice for Student of the Week this week - Congratulations to Blake who competed fiercely at the South Otago Cross Country, achieving 1st place in his year group.  Fantastic achievement Blake.  Also Blake has impressed the class with his focus on his learning, particularly in completing the research for his speech.  Awesome efforts Blake!

Welcome to Venessa

A special Room 4 welcome to our newest student Venessa, who has shifted recently to Lawrence.  It is great having another smiley-faced student in Room 4.

Pointing - Quick Writes

“Look” said Grandpa.  I can see a dog that can’t find it’s owner.  Let’s leave our stuff and let’s go and see if it is Mya our dog.  So we went to see if it was Mya and it was. - Paris

“Hey look over there Taylor,” said Grandad.  At least 20 metres away there was a helicopter.  “Grandad is that the queen?” I asked.  Out of the helicopter, in the middle of the beach, two men were followed by an old, graceful, royal woman wearing a lilac dress.  “Oh well Taylor, yes it is dear” said Grandad.  After a while the queen came to speak to us.  I can’t believe I actually met the queen!  - Rylee

“Look over there.  There is a secret something that you can take home and show Grandma.” - Lucy S

“I want to go for a swim Grandad!”
“Not now sonny, look at the sign.  It says Great White Shark on the loose, 200m long.  Go in if you dare...!” - Alex

Ahh what’s he looking at?  Maybe it’s me because I’m a …. giant crab.  Anyway back to pinching business.  Snap!  Blistering barnacles!  I missed.  Yikes a wave.  “Eeek!” - Toby

“Look there’s a fight going on over there.   I think we need to go and see what’s happening.”  Bang.  Smash.  Kaboom.  I have just go pushed really hard. Owww that hurt.  I called the police.  “Put your hands in there”.  - Kurt

I look around the beach.  “Look I see a shark.  It’s coming towards us.  Let’s run off this island” said the little boy.  “But we haven’t finished Dad.”
“Just run for it.  The ferocious shark is coming at us.”  - Max

Rock climbing - Quick Writes

I cling to my rope even though it’s going to snap.  When I walk upside down that’s when the crackling starts.  The crackling sounds like sausages in a pan.  Suddenly..... snap goes the rope as I dangle from the rope above me.  “Oh no!” I shout.  Am I going to fall into the deep water?  - Abby

As I am climbing down the rocks I can hear waves crashing into the rocks.  Down below all I can see are rocks and waves.  The rocks are sharp and sticky.  I feel a little bit nervous climbing down into a cave full of rock but I have to if I want to rock dive.  I have a guide rope and a backpack.  -  Jay

All I can hear is my voice echoing in my head.  Moss and slime is all I can feel.  I feel like I can do anything, like jump off the Eiffel Tower, but I’m here in NZ climbing to jump off the top of the rock... – Alex

Rock diving - I cling on to an enormous rock and I say “Woohoo”.  I so want to do that again.  And I do it again and again and again.  I feel like I’m at the top of the world.  What a life!  - George

My legs are wobbly like jelly.  I look down and then I say to myself “Don’t look down”...  I keep on going. I slowly pull myself up across the rope.  I look at the ocean with lovely water flowing.  I look down at my buddy.... – Connie

I was holding my breath, gasping, holding on to the rope with all my strength, pulling myself to the top.  The sharp rock cut my rope just above my legs so I had no rope to get down.  That’s the least of my problems.  My little sister’s screaming at me while I cling on desperately.  Then suddenly my rope snaps... – Rylee

As I go gently back and forth, something goes plop and makes a splash, also ripples.  It sort of tickled me like a bee as the ripples went out, out, out!  I wonder if he floats back up?  And he did!!  - Lucie

Student of the week - Mac

Congratulations to Mac, our student of the week. Mac has impressed us with his efforts in striving to excel in his school work and sport. He especially excelled during cross country. Ka pai Mac

Te Ao Maori

On Friday afternoon we all met in the quad and Miss Mikaere welcomed us and our visitors for Te Ao Maori afternoon. She said a karakia and then we were split into 4 Whanau groups. Our groups were mixed ages from year 0-13 so we were working with some people who we had never worked with before. It was really cool

The four groups were 'Flax Weaving', 'Art', "Kapa Haka' and 'Kai.'

 Here is Kurt at flax weaving.

 Jay tries to make sense of the instructions as he makes his own flax head band.

 Regen has the hang of it. Each student had to weave two things because it is tradition to give away the first thing that you weave.

 George concentrates very hard.

 Alex is really enjoying the opportunity to try flax weaving.

 Rylee uses the instructions to help her out.

Connie watches very closely as Jennie shows her what to do next.

Rubie checks out a flax bag that Lydia has brought along to show as an example.

William works away, following the pattern carefully.

Lucie is in the Home Ec room where they are making Riwai bread, using a mashed potato base that has been germinating for a week

Max was completely unimpressed by the smell of the bread mixture.

Mrs Benington helps out with the group.

Hamish and Liam are very pleased to be making bread today with the Kai group.

Emma waits patiently for the next step in the bread making process.

Blake helps out with some dishes over at the sink.

Jenaya measures out a cup of mixture to add to the flour...

Mac can NOT stand the smell!!!!!

Lucy is learning the actions for their new waiata in the Kapa Haka group.

Lucy watches very carefully for the next action in their new song.

Abby is having a wonderful time singing and dancing...

and so is Jessica....

and Paris too!!!

Miss Mikaere helps Alex with the finishing stages of her flax headband.

Mrs O gives Rylee a hand.

There is lots of discussion about what to do next and how best to proceed.

Then Mrs O gets it all sorted and she gives Rylee a helping hand.

Connie has a great time working on her headband.

Eventually we all returned to Room 4 very happy with our efforts for Friday afternoon. Our flax weavers had completed a fabulous head band each, our Kai group had baked some delicious Riwai bread and our Kapa Haka group had been busy singing and making poi. It was a wonderful afternoon and we very much look forward to week 8 when we get to go back to our groups again!

Pst! There was also an awesome group working away in the art room on a spectacular project. We didn't have any room 4 students in that group this time round, but as soon as there are we will be bringing you some photos of their awesome activity!!