Wednesday 30 November 2011

Our Fit for Life Inquiry

Below are some photos of our final fitness circuit!














Over the past six weeks, Room 6 has chosen the inquiry topic 'Fit for Life'. This topic is about why having a fit and healthy lifestyle can benefit us in life.We thought that when you are leading this lifestyle, although challenging, can give us a happy and full life. We came up with these questions that we would like to think about:
How do you become fit? And
What does being fit look like to you?
In class we thought about these and came up with some answers. Come into class too see our thoughts about this inquiry topic.

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Market/Games day

What an amazing job our students did with fundraising for Christchurch students...We raised over $1000!!! There are photos to come soon of our special day on Friday...

Week 5 More of our work...

One day I was just sitting with my friend watching tv. I was busting to go to the toilet but Iwas watching a really good show, so I was going to go in the break.

"Okay, heres the break, I'll go now"... oh, now it's the news bulletin. "I will just watch this" I say to my friend Sally. "Breaking news, there is a murderer loose in the area". "Bam! Do you want a new toothbrush?" "Boring" I say and skip to the loo.

"Agghhh... HELP!!!" I hear coming from outside the toilet. Who is that? It sounds like Sally. I better go and help her but I'm still on the toilet... I better hurry and then sprint to her. I finish and sprint off to the living room towards where the noise had come from. "OH NO!" Where is Sally? She is gone.. what am I going to do?

I sit down and think about could have happened in the two minutes I was in the loo. It's a bit crazy when you come to think of it. Then it just hit me (literally hit me). I mean I fell off my chair and whacked my head on the coffee table. "Ouch!". While I am now holding a bag of frozen peas to my head I start to think again about where Sally could be. Then I start to wonder is it... could it be... the murderer on the news?! I hear another scream, this time from the hallway! I run to the hall and find Sally sitting there with a rug around her mouth. Just as I go towards her to take the rug out of her mouth the murderer appears! I run down the stairs but I trip and land awkwardly. Above me is a dark figure... the next thing I know Sally and I are heading into an abandoned building... OH NO!!!  to be continued...

By Lucy

Week 5 Room 6 work

Skating
As the wind rushes against my face I smell feet. BANG!
Im at roller skating and I have just collided with another boy. The boy helps me up and I keep on skating. I look around the skating rink and I can see my mum, sister, Joel, Lisa and my mums friend. Joel and I are having heaps of races and we keep on falling over ourselves as well as other’s falling over in front of us which makes us also fall over more, we end up laughing heaps!

We skate for about 1 and a half hours. Then all of a sudden my mums friend Leonie falls over and breaks her ankle. So now we begin the trip to the hospital. As we all walk into the hospital the overwhelming scent of microshield lotion hits our nostrils. I can sense the fear I see on Leonie’s face as she makes her way to triage. I see all the doctors looking at her leg. And I hear the doctors around her talking frantically. I hope that Leonie is okay as we all had a fabulous day and don’t want to spoil it! ...
By Liam

Thursday 17 November 2011

THANK YOU ALL ROOM 6

Hey guys

I just wanted to say I am so so proud of all of you and your efforts leading up to and on the day of the Market/Games day. It was a BIG success and this is due to your hard work and positive attitudes towards raising money for Christchurch students. I am sure they are going to be extremely grateful for your hard work and money. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and learnt lots about using manners while selling products to customers... thanks again!

Mrs Notley

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Term 4 Week 4



This is the Toffee apple group making toffee apples and the sherbet group making sherbet. MMMmmmmmmmmmmm makes me hungry. :)






Term 4 week 4

Kereru team market and games day tomorrow. During the last 2 terms people in the games day/Market day have been working really hard. Its going to be a fun day for the whole school. The fun starts at 10 past 11 and each team gets around about 40 minutes then ends at 2:50. For the Market day team there are the choices of Sausage sizzle, Drinks, Second hand stall, Home baking, Sherbert, Toffee apples, Sports stall, and Books and toys. Then your choices for the Games day are Batting challenge, Gumboot throw, Wooden Games, Tug of War, Face painting, Black hole, and Jelly bean jar. These awesome games are priced between 50c and $2.00. These events are placed around the field but incase of bad weather it shall be in the school hall.



please help us donate items for christchurch

so please come along and enjoy
 g
This is our hundertwasser artwork 






Wednesday 9 November 2011

Term 4 - Week 3

This is an updated work of art based on Hundertwasser. We are getting very excited seeing these pictures come to life. We will share with you another one when the pastel is finished.

Term 4 - Week 3

We have been working hard to learn our Mihi's to share with you. A mihi is a welcome or introduction of ourselves and our families. We share about where we were born, where we live, what our mountain is, our river and our land. We hope you enjoy watching our Mihi's and learning about who we are.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Term 4 - Week 2 (Freischund Hundertwasser)

Hundertwasser toilet block in Kawa Kawa

Hundertwasser in New Zealand 1988

This term we have been focusing our art on the famous artist Freischund Hundertwasser. We have to paint a Hundertwasser village and make a collage of one of his buildings. Here are some facts about Frieschund Hundertwasser:
-  He was fascinated by spirals and called straight lines the 'Devil's Tools'.
- His name means Peace-Kingdom Hundred-Water.
Rebekah's draft of a Hundertwasser Village
He was born in Austria but decided he would rather reside in the beautiful landscapes of Aotearoa. He is famous for designing the toilet block in Kawa Kawa in the North Island. Attached is a photo of those famous toilets. Also we wanted to share with you one draft of the Hundertwasser village. Enjoy.

Term 4 - Week 2 Blog


This term our class was chosen to be reading mentors for our Buddy class (Room 12). Each of us have been given a student to read with and listen to. Our job is to Pause, prompt and praise as we listen to them read. Sarah from the RTLB came in to train us up to be great mentors. We have been having a great time being good role models.

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Term 4 Week 1 Blog

    • For our arts rotation we have been learning drama with Mr Fourie. He has been teaching us to use emotions and facial expressions.

Term 4 Week 1 Blog

INQUIRY:
                FIT FOR
                  LIFE
    • Over the next 7 weeks Mrs Notley will be teaching us about what it takes to live a happy and healthy life. We will also learn how to test our heart rates while resting and exercising.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Ideas of Novels Students may like to read..

Reading List
Below is a list of recommended books for middle-senior primary aged children.  NB:  not all books have been rated for suitability and some contain themes and content that may be deemed unsuitable to some.  It is important to check the theme and general content of each title before allowing your child to read the books listed.

Middle Primary Great Reads
Format
Suitability
Rating
Stig of the Dump - by Clive King
When Barney falls down a dump the last thing he expects is to meet a cave boy. Stig was an eco-warrior before the term was invented. 



Ballet Shoes - by Noel Streatfeild
Adopted sisters Posy, Pauline and Petrova Fossil train as a dancer, an actor and an aeroplane pilot.



Howl's Moving Castle - by Diana Wynne Jones
The Witch of Waste puts Sophie under a spell. To break it, she must brave the castle of the Wizard Howl. Imaginative and funny.



Just So Stories - by Rudyard Kipling
Learn how the leopard got his spots and the camel his hump.



The Borrowers - by Mary Norton
First published in 1953. The Clock family live beneath a floorboard, making do with what "human beans" drop, until one day one of them allows herself to be seen… 



The Magic Faraway Tree - by Enid Blyton
An oldy but a goody . . . Jo, Bessie and Fanny climb to the top of a magical tree, above which are endlessly circulating worlds: the Land of Birthdays, or, more unluckily, of Dame Slap. 
Chapter Book
Middle Primary

Danny, the Champion of the World - by Roald Dahl
Danny and his hard-up father bond over poaching pheasants from nasty Mr Hazell's land - before moral dues are paid.
Chapter Book
Middle Primary

George's Marvellous Medicine - by Roald Dahl
To cure his grumpy grandmother, George Kranky concocts a medicine from shaving foam, sheep dip, engine oil and brown paint. Granny grows huge.
Chapter Book
Middle Primary

Underwater Adventure - by Willard Price
Willard Price invented zoologist brothers Hal and Roger Hunt to get children interested in nature. Underwater Adventure takes them into shark-infested seas. Some sharks are human.



Tintin in Tibet - by Hergé
After Tintin reads of a plane crash in the Himalayas, he dreams his friend Chang has survived. Uniquely, there are no villains - just a tender yeti and acres of snow.



Erik the Viking - by Terry Jones, illustrated by Michael Foreman
Erik tells his wife that he must go to "the land where the sun goes at night"; off he travels on an atmospheric adventure, terrifically illustrated.



When the Wind Blows - by Raymond Briggs
Jim and Hilda Bloggs's preparation for a nuclear attack remains enthralling. First comic, then moving.



The Iron Man - by Ted Hughes
Since it appeared in 1968, the late Poet Laureate's children's book has become a classic. Benign iron bloke falls from sky, battles space-bat-angel-dragon, saves world. Bliss.



The Wind in the Willows - by Kenneth Grahame
"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." But reading about Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger runs it a close second.



The Worst Witch Collection - by Jill Murphy
Before Harry Potter there was Mildred Hubble, the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. A tale of flying broomsticks, rivalries and magical pedagogy.



Mr Majeika - by Humphrey Carpenter
Mr Majeika, with his tuft of hair, is ever ready to cast spells on unruly pupils - most notably Hamish Bigmore, whose rudeness gets him changed into a frog. Charming and funny in equal measure.



The Water Babies - by Charles Kinglsey
Tom the sweep drowns after being chased from a rich household and falls into a sub-aquatic purgatory. But once he proves his worth he is allowed wonderful adventures.



A Little Princess - by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Seven-year-old Sara Crewe is sent back from India to Miss Minchin's Seminary for Young Ladies in England, to discover she has lost her fortune to a swindler and her father to disease. A stirring tale.



I'm The King of the Castle - by Susan Hill
A powerful and claustrophobic study of bullying, this has a real narrative grip and a frightening message. No reader remains untouched.



The Wave - by Morton Rhue
Teacher Ben Ross doesn't think his students understand what it was like to live in Nazi Germany, so he devises an experiment. A powerful story about the risks of conformism.



Pippi Longstocking - by Astrid Lindgren
Pippi is impulsive, irrepressible, red-haired and so strong you won't believe it. Her bizzare adventures delight children and confound health and safety.



Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - by Roald Dahl
Charlie Bucket's adventures in Willy Wonka's factory - the chocolate rivers, the minia-tuarisation room, the Oompa Loompas - will live forever. 
Chapter Book
Middle Primary

Bambert's Book of Missing Stories - by Reinhardt Jung
Shy Bambert sends his half-written stories into the world attached to balloons for whoever finds them to finish. Stories come back from all over the world, and the final story is heartbreaking. 



The Firework-maker's Daughter - by Philip Pullman
Lila's father doesn't want her to follow his career in fireworks so she must prove herself on an epic quest that takes in dragons and pirates.



Tom's Midnight Garden -  by Philippa Pearce
As Tom lies in bed preparing for the most boring holiday of his life, the clock strikes 13. Racing downstairs he sees daylight and a beautiful garden where there should be darkness. Incredibly exciting.



The Phantom Tollbooth - by Norton Juster
A bored young boy pushes his toy car through a toy tollbooth, and finds himself in the kingdom of Wisdom. Clever wordplay, slapstick and a real sense of fun.



The Silver Sword - by Ian Serrallier
Just after the Second World War, a group of children navigate war-torn Europe armed with little more than a letter opener. Tense, demanding and adult.
Chapter Book
Senior Primary Early Secondary

A Wizard of Earthsea - by Ursula K LeGuin
A young wizard has to come to terms with the destructive power of his magic.



Harry Potter Series - by JK Rowling
A range of tales of young wizard Harry Potters adventures at the famous Hogwarts School of Wizardry.  A must read series for all children.
Chapter Books
Middle - Senior Primary

The Chronicles of Narnia Box Set - by CS Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe isn't the only Narnia story worth reading. The Silver Chair is a powerful allegory of mental slavery; and Voyage of the Dawn Treader sees a talking mouse paddle over the edge of the world.



The BFG - by Roald Dahl
At the witching hour, a giant blows sweet dreams into children's bedrooms. When orphan Sophie sees him one night, he takes her to his cave. Beware whizzpoppers!
Chapter Books
Middle Primary

Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now - by Lauren Child
At first glance one for the girls, but boys should read it too. Over the series Clarice has matured from an infant with a quirky vocabulary into a complex, engaging teenager. 



The Selfish Giant - by Oscar Wilde
Wilde's giant wants to keep children out of his garden so that he can have it to himself. But it stays shrouded in snow until one day, when the giant's hard heart is softened by one of the boys… 



Black Beauty - by Anna Sewell
One of the greatest books ever narrated by a horse, with a fine message: be kind to animals, and they'll be kind to you.



Just William - by Richmal Crompton
The classic naughty schoolboy, William wages a gentle war of attrition against parental and teacherly authority. 



Jennings Goes to School - by Anthony Buckeridge
Catapults, grazed knees, and mischief of the best sort. Hogwarts may have revived our appetite for boys-school stories, but Jennings was there first. 



Comet in Moominland - by Tove Jansson
Moomin is a peculiar fellow, but through him and his equally peculiar friends the Finnish author Tove Jansson explores the big issues: friendship, alienation, fear, loss and meteors from outer space. 



The Bad Beginning - by Lemony Snicket
This magnificently black-hearted book introduced us to the Baudelaire children, orphaned in a fire and trying to keep one step ahead of the predatory Count Olaf, who is after their inherited fortune.  If this first book is of interest an extensive series follows.



The Voyage of the Arctic Tern – by Hugh Montgomery
The biggest selling, self-published book.  A Tale about a man who betrayed his village then gets cursed until he does some tasks.



Magic School Bus - Pony Pal Series
Chapter Books
Early readers

Animal Ark – by Lucy Daniels
Collection of animal books
Chapter Books
Early readers

Keeper – by Mal Peet
A great sporting book about the worlds best soccer goal keeper.  A must read for soccer fans.
Novel
Middle Primary

Exposure – by Mal Peet
A 21st centure “Othello” set in a soccer team.
Novel
Middle Primary

The Young Man & The Sea (also called Lobster Boy) – by Rodman Philbrook  Story about fishing with underlying values of loyalty, determination, father/son bond, love.
Novel
Middle Primary

35 Kilos of Hope – by Anne Gavalda
Story about a boys experience at school.
Novel
Middle Primary

A Wayne in a Manger – by Gervase Phinn
About Christmas.



Bloodline – by Kevin Brooks
A novel about a supermarket robbery.



Kissing the Rain – by Kevin Brooks
A fat kid witnesses murder.



Martyn Pig – by Kevin Brooks
Black humour – about a bullying father accidentally killed by his child.



Kin - by Peter Dickinson
About the beginning of civilisation in Africa.



Annerton Pit – by Peter Dickinson
About being blind.



Eva – by Peter Dickinson
Set in the future - a girl with zoologist parents is killed in a car crash. Her brain is put into the body of a chimp and the daughter lives on.



The School Story – by Andrew Clements
A novel about kids getting a book published.



Out of the Dust & The Music of Dolphins – by Karen Hesse
Story about a wild (feral) child.



Stormbreaker – by Anthony Horowitz
The first book in the Alex Ryder series.
Novel
Middle Primary

Myths and Legends – by Anthony Horowitz
Novel
Middle Primary

Granny – by Anthony Horowitz
Similar in style to Roald Dahl.
Novel
Middle Primary

Kiwi Bites / Kiwi Chomps
Small, and easy to read – ideal for kids who don’t like reading.
Chapter Book
Early Readers

Horrible Histories /  Horrible Sciences etc – by Terry Deary
True stories
Chapter Books
Middle Primary

Mortal Engines
Science fiction, set in the future.



Henry and the Flea – by Brian Falkner
NZ Author, story about a sport – a young boy who makes it into the Warriors NRL team.
Novel
Middle Primary

A Series of Unfortunate Events – by Lemony Snicket
A gothic melodrama – 13 books in the series.
Novel
Middle Primary

Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians – by Brandon Sanderson
Humourous
Novel
Middle Primary

The Kraken – by Gary Crew
Sophisticated picture book about a monster of the deep (Norse mythology)
Sophisticated Picture Book
Middle Primary

The Bet – by Anton Chekar
A story about capital punishment.



The Invention of Hugo Cabret – by Brian Selznick

Novel
Middle Primary

The Colour of Magic – by Terry Pratchett
The first in a series of books.
Novel
Middle Primary

The Amazing Morris – by Terry Pratchett
The pied piper of hamlet.
Novel
Middle Primary

Good Omens – by Terry Pratchett
Humourous
Novel
Middle Primary

Diary of a Wimpy Kid – by Geoff Kinney
Novel
Middle Primary

King of Shadows / Victory – by Susan Cooper
History



Naruto (Manga Comic) – by Masashi Kishimoto
Comic
Middle Primary

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key – by Jack Gantos
Real life/humourous
Novel
Middle – Senior Primary

Frindle – by A. Clement
Real life/humourous
Novel
Middle – Senior Primary

The Landry News – by A. Clement
A girl with a disinterested teacher becomes bored in class and writes her own newspaper.
Novel
Middle Primary

Evil Fred – by Kylie Begg
Dog welfare and mistreatment of animals
Novel
Middle – Senior Primary

Zoom / Re-Zoom – by ??
Picture within picture concept



Spud – by John van de Ruit
A young boy in a South African boarding school.



Below is a list of recommended books for senior primary-early secondary aged children.  NB:  not all books have been rated for suitability and many contain themes and content that may be deemed unsuitable to some.  It is important to check the theme and general content of each title before allowing your child to read the books listed.

Harder, More Mature Reads
Format
Suitability
Rating
Call of the Wild - by Jack London
Jack London introduced some dark themes into this story of Buck, a sled dog in the Yukon who rediscovers his wild nature when put to the test.

Senior Primary/Early Secondary

The Outsiders - by SE Hinton
This powerful novel about school gangs was published when SE Hinton was just 18. The Greasers and the Socs clash in typical teenage fashion - but then someone dies.

Senior Primary/Early Secondary

I Capture the Castle - by Dodie Smith
Smith is better known for A Hundred and One Dalmatians, but although this, her first novel, is quieter, it shines brighter. Narrated in diary form by 17-year-old Cassandra, it documents the lives of her eccentric family.



The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - by Joan Aiken
1832, and wolves have over-run a fictional kingdom of England. Orphans Sylvia and Bonnie fall into the hands of an evil Miss Slycarp and must use all their wits to escape. A mercilessly shadowy thriller.



The Diary of a Young Girl - by Anne Frank
On June 12, 1942, Annelies Marie Frank started writing a diary. It was her 13th birthday. She died three years later in Belsen. An ordinary teenage life, made poignant by the knowledge of how it ended.



Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry - by Mildred D Taylor
A tale of oppression in the American South, this tells the story of the Logans, a black family living in rural Mississippi during the 1930s. 



A Kestrel for a Knave - by Barry Hines
Filmed by Ken Loach as Kes, this snapshot of deprivation in 1960s Yorkshire describes a troubled boy's relationship with his pet kestrel.



War Horse - by Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo's moving story plunges into the horror of the First World War by following the story of Joey, a cavalry officer's horse on the Western Front.



Beowulf - by Michael Morpurgo
Beowulf is a great story: scary monsters, fearsome matriarchs, boasting, singing, feasting, fighting and booty. Michael Morpurgo's rendition brings it to a new generation.

Senior Primary/Early Secondary

Kim - by Rudyard Kipling
Kimball O'Hara, the orphaned son of an Irish soldier, wanders Lahore cadging, playing and living a carefree life - until he's forced into espionage. 



The Road of Bones - by Anne Fine
Anne Fine weaves a disturbing parable of life in a totalitarian state, as young Yuri learns the cost of speaking the truth.



Treasure Island - by RL Stevenson
The riddles of Stevenson's tale endure. Why does X mark the spot? What is it with parrots? And why did Pugh go blind?



Little Women - by Louisa May Alcott
The tale of four sisters - Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy - growing up in the US Civil War, this is a charming and insightful story of childhood and family. 



Watership Down - by Richard Adams
Fiver and his brother Hazel know that something terrible will happen to the warren, and set off for safety. Their story has implications beyond the usual concerns of rabbits.



The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - by Mark Twain
Less ambitious than The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but just as exciting. The language is hard to begin with but the hero is one of the most endearing in literature. 



True Grit - by Charles Portis
Mattie Ross - spirited, witty, probably beautiful - is out to avenge her "father's blood" in this slim Western. Great for teenage girls. 



Holes - by Louis Sachar
Sentenced to dig holes in the desert for stealing trainers, wrongly convicted Stanley discovers that the holes are not so pointless as first thought.



Lord of the Flies - by William Golding
When a gang of boys are marooned on an island they try to set up a community based on cooperation. 



My Family and Other Animals - by Gerald Durrell
When the Durrell family takes a villa in Corfu one summer they do not imagine staying five years, but so they do. In that time Gerald, a boy of 10, discovers the joys of the local flora and fauna, and describes it with a delightful wit. 



Coraline - by Neil Gaiman
This spooky story won't soon be forgotten. Coraline is a girl who finds her way down a corridor to a flat just like her own - but slightly different. And where her doting "other mother" has buttons for eyes… 



Carrie's War - by Nina Bawden
Carrie and her brother are wartime evacuees billeted on a bullying Welsh grocer. A wonderfully crafted novel full of memorable characters.



The Story of Tracy Beaker - by Jacqueline Wilson
A slice of life in a children's home narrated by 10-year-old Tracy, through whose eyes we confront tough dilemmas.



The Lantern Bearers - by Rosemary Sutcliffe
As the Roman army prepares to leave for home, Aquila is forced to desert to protect his family.



Inventing Elliott – by Graham Gardner
A novel about bullying.
Novel
Senior Primary                     Boy/Girl

Mahtab’s Story – by Libby Gleeson
Novel about refugees escaping the Taliban.
Novel
Senior Primary              Boy/Girl

Beast – by Margaret Wild
Story about an OCD boy who experiences bullying.
Novel
Senior Primary              Boy/Girl

Running on the Cracks – by Julia Donaldson
The heroin is a gifted musician and artist whose parents die.  She goes to live with her aunt and uncle but runs away and tracks down the other side of her family.
Novel
Senior Primary              Boy/Girl

Inkheart – by Cornelia Funke
German author, books translated into English.  Enjoyable fantasy stories.
Novel
?

The Thief Lord – by Cornelia Funke
German author, books translated into English.  Enjoyable fantasy stories.
Novel
?

Dragon Rider – by Cornelia Funke
German author, books translated into English.  Enjoyable fantasy stories.
Novel
?

Tokyo – by Graham Marks
Girls goes on Overseas Experience and disappears in Tokyo, Japan.
Novel
Senior Primary

Hideout – by Lorraine Orman
2 kids run away from home where they are experiencing sexual abuse.
Novel
Senior Primary/ Secondary

The Amythest Child  / Century – by Sarah Singleton
A graphic novel about cults (child within a cult).
Novel
Senior Primary

The Fourth Horseman – by Kate Thompson
Irish writer, about genetic manipulation.
Novel
Senior Primary/ Secondary

The Bear Skinner – by the Grimm Brothers
A solider makes a deal with the devil.



Twilight Series – by Stephenie Mayer
Vampires
Novel
Senior Primary some mature content

Erika’s Story – by Ruth van der Zee
The halocuast
Novel
Senior Primary