Maths goals

. Last week in Te Ngaere we set three maths goals for the next 5 weeks. I wanted to learn how to do equal addition,express remainders as fractions, decimals of whole numbers and reversibility. I have chosen these math goals because I don’t know how to do those maths strategies and they will help me achieve  my goals

I remember

07/02/2017

I remember…

Waking up from a long sleep

lying on the black and red leather seat of the bus as we made our way to Hamilton to see my grandparents. waking up with the sun being as bright as it could be, shining on my face through the tinted window.

I got up to look outside the window, watching the shady trees and  dark green bushes fly by as we made our way along the black tar road.

That was my summer.

We have been learning to notice and use structure in our writing and we have done a piece of writing,

we started by stating what we were doing

Than we had to explain what was happening

The third line described what I did

Than why I did it.

What I think I did well was describing what was happening I could improve on my structure

Writing goals

This week students worked had to set new goals in their writing. They used a writing rubric shared with us by Robyn Anderson from Panmure Bridge School. This was very powerful and resulted in students setting meaningful goals and their own success criteria. This is Saphron's work. Title: I am a Taniwha. I was wrapped up in a ball falling through the air it felt wonderful and free. I took a deep breath of the aroma that surrounded me, It smelt like fresh trees, saltwater and hints of the Jasmine flower bushes, to me the smell was intoxicating and relaxing. I opened my eye’s and saw the sight that completed it, the ball of fire in the sky reflected on the water that went on and on for as far as the eye could see, the sand was a beautiful smooth creamy brown, all the trees that I saw where different shades of green, slowly dancing side to side with the breeze guiding it as it’s teacher. I then felt something more strong slowly wrap around me, I realized what it was. I’ve finally reached the water and have just broke through the surface of the blue clear water. I looked around me slowly ‘Beautiful,’ was all I could think about, as the sight around me left me gobsmacked. Fish swam around me, scales reflecting the sun, with the sea creatures dancing around me calmly, I felt like I was being showered by glitter. My face probably showed pure wonder at what could be found even more further into the depths of the water. I went back up to the surface and signed in happiness. I looked up only to see my cousin Lilly gazing straight back at me, laying still in the heating sand under the shade of the sunbrella, “Lilly!” I called out just catching my breath, “Is everything all right Saph?” “Yup, everything’s all goods Lilly!” “But you have to jump in!” “You have got to look at this,” “K!” She got up from the creamy brown sand and dived in the water, until she popped up right next to me. “Come under with me Lilly it’s gorgeous,” I dove back under the clear water with Lilly our hands were entwined, so we knew where the other was, we had air tanks so we took advantage of them and dove deeper into the water further away from the surface and reality. I looked up towards the surface and saw the sun reflecting off the water it was hypnotizing to me the way the orange and yellow mixed with the blue of the water. We could see the seabed, the pattern was wavy as if Tangaroa drew it himself. The sandbed had no signs of human hands. But we knew better than that. Lilly and I stopped in front of an enormous rock, surrounded by school’s of fish all unique and different in their extraordinary way. In the corner of my eye I saw something sway in the rocks. I let go of Lilly’s hand hesitantly and unsure, I saw Lilly slowly turn my way but I never saw her eye’s. I saw it again. I grew colder and colder in fright and anticipation, on what might be lurking around so I swam closer. I saw something at the corner of my eye’s again, but the outline to the creature was more defined and clear to me, the creature

New understandings

This week students chose to learn about earthquakes. To begin they had to use their prior knowledge then research and then synthesis their new understandings. From here some chose to share what they had learned on a google slide. This is Thomas's mahi

Waka Ama

On Tuesday we were started our Waka Ama programme.  We are very fortunate to have Rob Cameron (one of our awesome local police officers) tutoring the students.

We started the morning with Rob telling the students the names of the parts of the waka and what they meant.  For example the name Waka is the male part of the vessel and Ama is the female part. We were also taught how to get in and out of the Waka and parts we could not step over.  

Rob then demonstrated the correct technique for paddling. 

After carrying the Waka down to the water the girls were keen to be first.  Some of them had paddled in the Waka previously, for others it was a completely new experience.  I was really impressed by the way the more experienced girls supported the new girls and the amount of time they took out of the water to encourage those new to this activity to have another go and demonstrate the correct technique.

All of the students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to our weekly Waka Ama training.

World Of Maths

We were very fortunate that Mrs Cameron organised the World Of Maths to come to our kura.  The resources were set up in Te Whare Awhina.  Mrs Por, Miss Hadwin and myself grouped the students in mixed groups which had year 5, 6, 7, and 8 students.




There were 17 different hands on activities which students could choose from.  Students had to work in co-operative groups and use their maths strategies and problem solving skills to find the solutions to the puzzles and problems.

Kia ora Last term we embarked on a completely new learning journey. We became directors, editors and movie stars. Yes we made movies. We had to learn about camera shots, angles, types of films, script writing and we also had to problem solve. One of the problems we had to solve was how to make a movie as a class. We decided to write a script collaboratively. We made sure that part of our literacy time was dedicated to script writing. We agreed on ideas and we even let Whaea Chrissy have a say (she has a very strange sense of humour) Our class movie was shown at the Kaikohekohe Film Festival.
.