LATEST NEWS AND ACTIVITIES FROM OUR TEAMS
ACROSS THE SCHOOL
Horizons: Coding with micro:bits
This term some year 4-6 students took part in coding groups focused on exploring micro:bits. Micro:bits are small, pocket-sized computers that can be programmed to do all sorts of exciting and fun things.
Using the Make Code website, they learned how to write code and bring their ideas to life. A variety of clever gadgets were created, including digital thermometers, step counters, games, a magic 8 ball and even a love meter!
Along the way, students also explored how circuits work and combined their coding skills with electronics to make an interactive game using both a micro:bit and a simple circuit.
It’s been inspiring to see all the students engaged, having fun, and applying their learning to some cool real-world tech creations.
Junior School Y 0/1
This year we are exploring further the Numicon resources that have been provided by the Ministry of Education.
Numicon is a distinctive multi-sensory approach to children's mathematical learning.
Numicon aims to facilitate children's understanding and enjoyment of maths by using structured imagery that plays to their strong sense of pattern.
Using structured apparatus and learning through play and explorative activities, children love learning! This builds the confidence necessary to achieve in the face of challenge or difficulty. https://www.numicon.co.nz/page/489269
Matariki Week
It was a busy but fun and eventful week as we celebrated Matariki - Māori New Year. The Year 2/3 team, led by Jenny Blick created a beautiful and engaging Matariki story through shadowplay, ‘A Matariki Pūrākau – The Eyes of Tāwhirimātea’. The students performed five magnificent shows, which were enjoyed by all who attended.
Jenny and her drama students alongside the narrator made us proud. The rest of the team worked hard behind the scenes, helping with setup and supporting various needs throughout the event. Our students also contributed to the celebration by crafting stars for the art exhibition and creating lanterns to light the way during the Matariki evening.
It was a wonderful display of teamwork, creativity, and cultural celebration.
Year 4 / 5
Educational Visit to the Māngere Education Centre
Last week, the Year 4/5 team participated in an educational excursion to the Māngere Education Centre. As part of the visit, students engaged in a guided walk up the maunga (mountain) to explore how Māori communities first settled and flourished in Aotearoa. Key highlights included observing the remains of traditional kūmara pits, viewing a carved map detailing historical pā pathways still visible today, and gaining a deeper appreciation of the surrounding waters that supported early Māori life.
Students also took part in two enriching workshops: rāranga (weaving) and rongoā Māori (traditional Māori medicine). During these sessions, they had the opportunity to sample kawa tea and balm while learning about the medicinal uses of native plants.
This experience was closely aligned with our current Inquiry focus, Turangawaewae. It provided an excellent opportunity for students to consolidate their classroom learning and further extend their understanding for their Inquiry projects.
We extend our heartfelt thanks—ngā mihi nui—to the parent volunteers who supported us on this trip. Your contribution is deeply appreciated.
Year 6
Ki o Rahi
Our recent Ki o Rahi sessions have been a fantastic addition to our physical education program, introducing students to this traditional Maori game that combines elements of rugby, tag, and strategy. The students quickly embraced the rules and tactics, showing great teamwork, agility, and enthusiasm during the games. It was excellent to have the support of the Kelly Sports coaches as it is a tricky game to master with all the different elements.
When playing, we were also trying to improve our Te Reo Maori by using the correct terminology e.g. pou = pole, ki = flax basket /ball, Te Roto = the lake, Kioma and Taniwha = the names of the two opposing teams. All of these terms (and many more) used in the game come from the Legend of Rahi.
Ki o Rahi has certainly become a favourite activity, fostering both physical and cultural growth in our Year 6 team.
Writing to Inform
Across the Year 6 team In Writing this term, we have been focusing on ‘Writing to Inform’ by learning how to write clear and structured explanations.
To help us gather information, we:
Watched a range of short informative video clips
Read different articles and non-fiction texts
Had rich discussions to build understanding
Broke down information into key ideas
Teachers’ modelled each step of the writing process, showing us how to use a graphic organiser to plan our writing. This helped us group our ideas and organise our thinking into clear paragraphs.
We learnt how to:
Write strong topic sentences
Explain, elaborate and give examples to support our key ideas
Use our own words to turn notes into informative writing
Use a range of different sentence types
Our structured approach to writing is proving to be very successful and we are seeing some amazing writing. Mahi pai to Year 6.
MOTUORA
On Thursday afternoons in Motuora we cook.
It’s important to wash and dry our hands thoroughly before we sit at the table to look at the recipe. We read through to check what ingredients are needed and what we have to do. We take turns to add the ingredients and then to mix. Sometimes we make something to share, and other times we make things for ourselves. We learn all sorts of skills like measuring, reading, taking turns, sharing and what happens when things are mixed together.
And of course the best part is eating the finished products!
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