Wednesday, 28 November 2018

Our Year 5s say...

What is quality writing


  • A good story - having a good plot
  • Having great vocabulary
  • Makes the reader think and feel something
  • Good structure - makes sense
  • Makes the reader want to keep reading
  • Writes with feeling
  • Writing from other perspectives
  • Full stops and capital letters
Why we compose amazing writing during Lightning Writing

  • Having a choice on what we write about
  • Having no particular guidelines on what to write
  • There is no right or wrong
  • There is a picture to give me ideas but then you can change the picture
  • It gets us to think very quickly, it doesn't get boring because you don't have to write for too long



Thursday, 22 November 2018

Cycle Safety

Ou Year 6 students have spent much of the last few days learning about Cycle Safety. They began with a theory session focusing on road safety before heading to ride at Hansen Park.  Today they have spent the whole day out on the roads near school.

Well done cyclists!

Sitara, Sienna and Vasilisa ready to head out

These boys love riding their bikes!

Riley has been working really hard on listening to the instructors


Nerhys recovered bravely from a fall this morning

Monday, 19 November 2018

Room 16's Haiku Poems

New 

Life for the first time                  
Scary, whimsical yet fun         

Journey lies ahead.   

Found    
The lamb finds his feet
Frolicking in the soft breeze
Then laying down, rest.       


The River
All is still and quiet
Then his screeching pierced the air
And again silence.

   
By Evelyn
Image result for frolicking lamb

Lambs
The frolicking lamb                          
Falling towards the swamp
All soggy wet lamb

Rhino
The rhino resting
The baby rhino walks off
Default rhino man

By Ashton

Spring
The trees are so bare
I can see the leaves falling
They will grow again

The smell of flowers
Brings back the sent of spring
The bees are buzzing

The fresh potatoes
As I walk on the moist ground
I smell the flowers

By Beth
Image result for spring

Spring
I love jumping
I am as white as snow
The lamb is so cute.

Eagles
Eagles love fish
Flying through the bright blue sky
Getting my own fish.

Rhinos
Rhinos are so weird
Their horns are so pointy and sharp
They are wrinkly animals.

By Kuhu
Image result for rhino

Rhino
The rhino is grey
The rhino is very bright
Van has a rhino

By Van
Image result for rhino

The bouncy lamb
I jumped all the time.
The people were talking watching me.
They were all laughing.

By Cooper

Rhino
Baby rhino stands
Resting his head on mums nose
He is very tired.  

By Kara
Image result for rhino

Fish
The fish is dying
The poor fish I feel so bad
Eagle is hungry

By Lochie
Image result for dying fish

The Jumping Lamb
Jumping through the fields
Eating the juicy grass
Lying in the sun

Eagle
Swooping through the sky
Diving for the juicy fish
There’s one, over there

By Lewis
Image result for bird catching fish

Antidisestablishmentarianism
A very long word
With ten giant syllables
It is fun to spell
By Tristan


Nature
The waters trickling,
Down onto the rocks splashing,
The beauty breathtaking.

By Theresa

Hogwarts
Harry, Ron, Hermione,
Luna, Neville and Ginny too,
Dumbledore, Cho Chang.

Gryffindor red gold,       
Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw
Slytherin green grey.

Dobby the house elf
Hermione created SPEW
Winky and Kreacher.

By Nerhys
Image result for harry potter characters

Oh Captain! My Captain!

This morning we were inspired by the poems of Walt Whitman.
We talked about how we have changed as people and tried to write from our hearts.

Isla
Oh captain, my captain
A song has been sung
As time stands still
Silence fills the air.

Oh captain, my captain
Please let me escape
My soul is eternally haunted
By the burden of death.

Oh captain, my captain
My chains have been released
My heart has been changed
Why cry for a soul set free?


Jack
Oh captain! My captain!
I long to be free,
Anger overcomes me,
My control imprisoned behind daunting bars.

Oh captain! My captain!
It's hard for me to change,
I have been fighting hard,
As the last light flickers.

Oh captain! My captain!
As I live and breathe,
I have faced my fears,
Liberty is here
I have won!


Hugo
Oh captain! My captain!
May the patriotic liberty bring death to imprisonment
And peace to the waving mass of life.

Oh captain! My captain!
May the strength of masses be with you,
Guiding you through the darkness,
Setting free your soul.


Ella
Oh captain! My captain! I wish they would notice me,
For I wish to leave these forlorn lands
And let my voice be heard.

Oh captain! My captain! I will be heard I know
I will step into the lands of leaders,
I will be heard I know.

Oh captain! My captain! My boat has landed
I am in liberty and light
May my stronger voice be heard.


Sitara
Oh captain! My captain!
Help me find my confidence
Let me be free
Give me a voice.

Oh captain! My captain!
Let me have a choice
Fill my life with happiness
Then I will be free.

Oh captain! My captain!
I now have confidence
Liberty envelopes me
You have given me freedom.


Arthur
Oh captain! My captain! My words come out silent
How can I thrive if I'm kept in a cage of domination?
My soul cannot escape if this sadness rules the world.

Oh captain! My captain! The window, the window
The window of hope in this dungeon of imprisonment
Talons of misery thrashing at me
Though silenced by my scars of hope.

Oh captain! My captain! The bars have been bent
The realm is now open to liberty
While I am wandering over the mountains of tranquility.


Isaac
Oh captain! My captain!
I want to be noticed
Because I need to be heard
I have stuff to say
But I'm not to be heard
I'll be captain some day.

Oh captain! My captain!
I'm battling for liberty
As you can see
My soul is imprisoned with a hidden key
I'm free, I'm free, I'm finally free
I won the battle as you can see.


Monday, 12 November 2018

Nerhys Poetry

My Garden 

Glistening whero piled upon,
Her fingers just touching the top.
Azure silhouettes roam the sky,
As she lumbers to a bare shrub.

Only pale kākāriki blades are here to see,
Her joy set sails across the sky.
Hills engulf parts of this land,
As she makes beauty.

The kōwhai sun scorches over,
Her exiled silence is broken.
Vast and dry,
As she makes this palace.

By Nerhys

Image result for landscape with hot sun and green grass and cloud shadows red sky

Wednesday, 7 November 2018

Passion Projects

Our Passion Projects are well underway and many students are excelling in their areas of high interest.

Franziska is sewing a horse's blanket

Connor is in heaven learning to create new Lego!

Freddie is creating a mini BMX track

Zak is making an "Iron Zak" outfit

Harvey and Hugo are making a belt for their sheath

AJ is making a V Twin Engine with a lawnmower piston. (Ms Saxon has no idea what she is talking about writing this!)

This is the beginnings of Beth's stunning canvas painting of the Eiffel Tower

Smilla and Leah are learning to create a pattern from which to sew an outfit

It is hugely rewarding as teachers to see our students following their passions.

Smilla's inspiring speech

Smilla wrote a very entertaining speech with an important message for all families... take a look!


Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Taking Risks

This morning we talked about Leah's growing ability to take risks in her writing - we are so proud of her!
  • Courage
  • Encouragement
  • Confidence in self
  • Trust
  • Something to lose or gain
  • Being scared of something
  • Feeling safe
Hugo said that these are important qualities because they talk about us as people rather than just us a students.

Our kids get life!!

Monday, 5 November 2018

Our Changing Bodies

This morning we had a great start to our short unit on Our Changing Bodies. Our students were super mature in using the correct names for body parts. They asked great questions about periods, hair growth and appropriate touching. We will be talking more over the next two days and we are sure they will come home full of questions!

Thank you for your ongoing support,
Tamara and Alice.

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

Room 17 were inspired by William Wordsworth's famous poem this morning...

Vasilisa
I wandered lonely as a cloud
Past the trees and far beyond,
Falling onto the ground as daisies envelope me
I hear the wind flinch, so I look above
And see a silhouette flying just above the clouds.

I fly above the trees
Next to the creature as it sings a sweet song
I straighten my head to look north
As the wind hits my face
I laugh with joy
I'll wait for tomorrow to come.



Sienna
I wandered lonely as a cloud
Through a lake
A sound of silence.

Continuous rain eddys down
They are cheerful
I still wander.

The daffodils sway
The silent song
A grin.

I being to run
The rain stops
Cheerful.



Sitara
I wandered lonely as a cloud
Past trees, standing in the wind
A sparkle catching my eye
As a wing floats by
Beside the lake, beyond the breeze
Wings lingering above the clouds.

Inward eyes fly over the trees
Along with the creature
As it waves its head in sprightly dance
What fortune it gave
To see such a sight
As I walk off, my heart fills with glee.



Freddie
I wandered lonely as a cloud
Round the oceans and the woods
Feeling the forests' breeze 
A pond, I saw my reflection,
Never realised it was there
One small wing, hiding under my arm.

It emerged that day,
Revealing itself and nothing more,
Soaring up and down
Breaking the silence of dusk,
Its own silhouette said nothing.

Then it hid again,
I still filled with glee
Saw my reflection
And smiled.


Isaac
I wandered lonely as a cloud
Swooping up and down, through the forest
Wings lingering as I soar onto the ground
As a host of red roses dancing to the sunset.

As the stars dominate the clouds
Fading into the darkness.


Harvey
I wandered lonely as a cloud
Over a winding path
Deep in a valley
Then a pensive feel came as poppies drew closer.

I felt merry as the poppies danced in the wind
And the birds sang
Then the poppies reveal a white cross
Brandishing a name.

That name unknown, forgotten
But what they did for tranquility
Will always be remembered.