Student of the week - Madison

There are always plenty of little jobs to be done in Room 4 and Madison is always there to lend a helping hand. It is wonderful to see her using her initiative and seeing jobs that need done, then doing them without being asked. Please know Madison,  that your helpfulness never goes unnoticed and is always much appreciated. Keep up the great work. 

Student of the week - Oranje

Oranje has made such a concerted effort to improve her reading and writing in term 2 and this has really paid off. It is exciting to see such hard work and determination, and it always results in progress, so keep up the great work Oranje!

Car racing for SADD

  The SADD (Students against dangerous driving) committee sent out the challenge to all students to build a car fit for racing. 

 Because we had been quite busy with camp in Room 4 we decided to just build one class car. We cut a shape out of cardboard, then painting the car.

  We glued the sides onto a square frame that held it all together. Our car had some safety requirements, so we made sure we added all of those. We needed a safety belt, air bags, wheels, and a number plate

We all wanted a photo of ourselves driving the car!

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 We had a special draw in room 4 to see who would get to drive the car on our behalf and the lucky winner was Logan. He had to know some road rules about stopping, giving way, indicating and pedestrian crossings. At lunch time all the cars were judged and driven around the track. The judge was Constable Wallace from the Lawrence Police. 

Our car didn't win, but we had heaps of fun making it. 

Student of the week - Ava

We have been busy learning how to split numbers so that we can add and subtract bigger numbers more easily, and Ava has been working exceptionally hard on these strategies. It is wonderful see, so keep up the great work Ava!

Room 4 Camp Powerpoint

Room 4 have all contributed to this slideshow, letting you know their thoughts on camp.

Student of the Week - Room 4

Last week on school camp the children of Room 4 did themselves, their parents, their teacher and their school proud!

They had lovely manners, and were exceptionally well-behaved. 

They listened beautifully as we visited a number of different places and they asked well-informed questions.

They were respectful on the Marae and tried really hard to follow the protocols correctly. 

There were many times when children were pushed out of their comfort-zone and they had to dig deep to rise to the challenge, but they did!

I could not be more proud of you Room 4 - you really made camp a truly wonderful experience for all of us who went with you.

Camp 2016 - Thank you

Learning, teaching, new experiences, challenges, triumphs, friends, family, whanau, iwi.

This was an amazing camp! 

Great kids + Great Parents + Great experiences = A GREAT TIME!!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our camp a success, including the fundraising, the baking, the parent helpers and the drivers. 

Camp 2016 - Lunch at Queens Gardens

Lunch was a very soggy affair! The rain decided to bucket down on us as we ran into Queen Gardens. Thankfully Francine knew where we could take cover and it ended up being the perfect spot to share our final meal. As is tradition with Room 4 camps we finished our trip by sharing chip butties together. Our newly-found shelter proved to be the perfect backdrop for some fantastic photos. 
The perfect end to our 2016 Marae camp in Invercargill. The kids were sensational and the parents were instrumental - Thank you to everyone who helped make our 2016 such a special event. 


Friday Lunch at Queen's Gardens on PhotoPeach

Camp 2016 - Kakapo Chicks Visit

As a part of our study of the 'Living Taonga' we have been investigating the demise of our beloved Kakapo. There are only 123 adult Kakapo left in the world, so it is wonderful that the breeding programme has produced 32 chicks this year.
2 of these chicks are being looked after by DOC in Invercargill so we couldn't pass up this rare opportunity to see some real live Kakapo chicks. 
We watched a short powerpoint and the DOC presenter, Julie, answered all of our questions and told heaps of information. Then we got to spend about 156 minutes watching the two chicks eating and moving around in their display room. They were amazing, and everybody really enjoyed this awesome opportunity. 

Camp 2016 - Squash

We had to split into two groups at Stadium Southland this morning, so while one group was at the climbing wall the rest of our crew had morning tea and played squash. Everyone had a great time having a bash in the squash courts, although some found it very challenging to it that very small ball!

Camp 2016 - Climbing Wall

One of the highlights of our Invercargill camp is the Climbing Wall. This is an opportunity for kids to really test their limits and to push themselves as far as their nerves will take them. It was awesome to see kids triumph over fears and push through to success. The sheer look of achievement on their faces was priceless. Each group spent an hour conquering various walls in the climbing centre.

Climbing Wall - Stadium Southland on PhotoPeach

Camp 2016 - Marae photo

Before we left the Marae each child had to select a Whakairo or a Tukutuku panel that they really liked to stand next to for their camp photo.

Camp 2016 - Sleeping in the Wharenui

After supper it was time to clean our teeth and snuggle into our sleeping bags in the Wharenui. Mrs May turned off the light, read us a quick story and we all went off to sleep.

Camp 2016 - Birthday Campers

This year we had not one, but two birthday campers in our class! It was super special that they would spend their birthday with us, so we all celebrated at supper time with a birthday cake.

Happy Birthday to Kade and Madison, who both turned 9 on camp! We hope it's a birthday you will remember forever!

Camp 2016 - Splash Palace Pool Party

After a delicious tea at the Marae it was time to burn off some energy, so we headed out to Splash Palace for a Pool Party. It was awesome shooting down the hydro-slide, although some bits we very dark so that was a bit scary. There was also lots fo fun to be had with the parents in the pool.
A special highlight at the pool was seeing Shannon, who had driven an hour to hang out with her friends.


Splash Palace Pool Party on PhotoPeach

Camp 2016 - Tour of the velodrome with Bruce

We were lucky enough to have Bruce (CEO of Cycling Southland) give us an amazing tour of the Veldrome. He told us the history of the velodrome and showed us all of the cool memorabilia.

While we we visiting  we were able to watch Bradley Jenner training. Bradley is a 16 year old cyclist who is training for the Junior World Champs. He has a real chance of winning the world champs. His goals are to get to the Commonwealth Games and then the Olympics in 2020. He has been riding since he was 12 and he is an asthmatic. He can reach top speeds of about 75kmph. It was awesome to see him fly around the track as he trained.

Some kids also got to try out the track bikes, and then Grace and Logan had some fun trying out the recumbent bike.

It was a fascinating tour, enjoyed by all.


A tour of the velodrome at Southland Stadium on PhotoPeach

Camp 2016 - Powhiri

After the museum it was time to head to the Marae, where we were welcomed on by a Powhiri. We have been learning a lot about the rules and protocols of visiting a marae, so it was great to finally be able to experience a Powhiri in its true context.

Camp 2016 - Southland Museum

We had a quick bite to eat and then headed off on a scavenger hunt around the Southland Museum. It was really great as many of the class had never been there before.


Looking around the Southland Museum on PhotoPeach

Camp 2016 - Tuatara visit

In room 4 we have been studying the 'Living Taonga' of New Zealand, so camp was the perfect opportunity to visit and touch a real life Tuatara. We saw Henry the Tuatara eating a cricket. Henry is the oldest Tuatara in New Zealand, and could be as old as 150 years old. Lindsay was fascinating to listen to and all of the children and adults had plenty of questions. It was a fascinating visit, and a truly memorable occasion.


Tuatara Visit at the Southland Museum on PhotoPeach