Celebration

Happy Matariki Ilam School!

What a beautiful community evening tonight.
Our lanterns lighting the way. Beautiful Room 3 children!

Star weaving for Matariki (Maori New Year)

Mrs Ewen and Room 19 are making these stars for the Matariki evening. We thought we could give these stars a go also when we've finished some of our tasks! 

The instructions in the video of very clear and easy to follow!

Tiny House Adventures...!

Multiplication, perimeter, area, volume, real world learning, project based learning, schematic view, birds eye view, interior, floor plan, space, design, colour scheme, challenge, problem solving, relevant,

!...MATHS...!

Passion Time Progress!!

Marthajoy and Emma are really enjoying Passion Time! 

One of the girls is doing woodwork and is holding a prototype of a bedside table she is going to make this term! The other girl is learning to knit. She is holding a pompom she created that she will sew onto a knitted head band.

They are motivated and enthusiastic and learning some fantastic real world skills as well as goal setting and reflecting on what they are doing.

What learning...!

Passion Time! Construction...

Today in Passion Time the Construction group were experimenting with different materials to work out what made a stable structure that was able to stand freely.

At one station, there were straws and paper clips. At another station there were toothpicks and plasticine and at another station, there were popsicle sticks and pegs.

We found out that some materials were much easier to use than others. The most difficult materials to use together were straws and paper clips because the paper clips kept popping off. One group managed to create a standing structure by creating a triangular base and sides.

We discovered that have a central, strong core helped to stabilise the structures. We also worked out the structures required evenly distributed weight or a very stable frame in order to balance. Wide foundations were also another method that helped keep our structures stable and standing!

 

 

 

 

 

Radial Symmetry

 

 

 

 

 

STEAM Challenge

Our challenge is to create a symmetrical picture using radial symmetry and our creativity using paper and dividing our square into fractions.

However, the challenge is slightly more challenging! We need to use 3 different origami folds which can be used as they are, or, modified to create a different shape.

Here we are engaged in the process! Final creations coming soon...

 

      
 
     


     

     

Get Writing NZ!

We participated in School Kit's 'Get Writing,'

Our writing was all about using figurative language to paint a picture in the reader's mind. We came up with descriptive similes and metaphors to describe our class and ourselves!  We based our poetry on the Iain Sharp poem.

We wrote to Oteha Valley School in the North Island and they wrote to us.

Here is a picture of their postcard writing put together. 
Underneath the photograph are some of our metaphor poems!

Clara is the tangerine sunrise, spreading over a slice of bread.

Clara is Luna Lovegood, stroking a thestral with honour.

Clara is a paintbrush, paint and canvas; creating a river flowing into a quick tempered ocean.

Whenever my partly cloudy eyes venture into water, I see my reflection, I shed a tear that shatters the beast. I hope this isn't Clara.

Clara is a warrior, not letting her feelings spill out like a glass of water on a wooden table.

Clara is a sloth, lolling around in the not wanted sunshine.

Look there and here! A trail of blooming flowers erupts through the doors. I turn around and stare at it in awe, hoping one day to be that person.

Arjuna is small black parcel filled with deadly poisons.
Arjuna is a spy sneaking through the night.
Arjuna is a ship lost at sea.
Whenever I peep in mirrors Arjuna growls back at me. It's terrifying.
Arjuna is a prison guard watching over the prisoners.
Arjuna is 15 letters bashed out of the English alphabet.
Look there and there, books of different names fly from door to door. I catch them with joy.
They might be Arjuna. 

Hannah is an otter in the gentle sea, searching for kelp.
Hannah is wild ivy, climbing wherever it pleases.
Hannah is words, waiting to be experimented.
Whenever my dark eyes examine mirrors, Hannah slides in to greet me. It's reflection.
Hannah is a tree, standing tall even in the stormiest weather. 
Hannah is a netball, achieving higher places and going further than others.
Look there and here!
Pages flying out of every book shelf.
I run in desperation to grasp the ideas.
I cling on, being swallowed into its mist.

Brodie is a tiny little falcon peeping around the wise sky with open eyes ready to dive.
Brodie is a small office and he cowers below towering skyscrapers.
Brodie is a sock, more unique than the others and always persevering.
Brodie is a banana glued to the bunch helping up green bananas.
Brodie is a blasting Lamborghini zooming past other cars not waiting for the green light shooting out fireworks from the tailpipe, forming the word 'savage.'
Brodie is an oak branch stretching from leaf to leaf venturing for the top.
I peep in the mirror. Brodie looks back at me. It's joyful.
Brodie is a light bulb full of bright ideas twisting around swimmingly in my socket for fun.
Brodie is a waving flag crashing against the wind, gaining ultimate power in the sky.
Look there and there. Footballs rocketing into the goal.
They might be Brodie.

We belong!

We all live in New Zealand. But, there is much more to us. We are also part of other cultures. 

Kua Whai 

Turangawaewae au

Our collaborative mural

Our collaborative mural is part of belonging in Room 3.  

There is more to come, but this is the centre...

We are spending time, getting know each other, learning to work together, and forming a healthy and positive class culture we can thrive in for the rest of the year!

To collaborate, we had to work with children who had the pieces of the mural surrounding our piece.

We had to make sure the lines matched up.

We had to rework and rework until we had it right.

We needed to sit, side by side and discuss and compare.

We needed to be patient.

We needed to communicate.

It wasn't easy but it was worth persevering...

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini

It is not my strength alone, but the strength of many that contributes to my success.

Our Popcorn Containers!

Check out the variety of containers! Some of us were very close so we will decide on the winner tomorrow...

A cylinder, just shy of a few pieces...

The popcorn falls a wee bit short of the top..

About half the popcorn fits in to this container

Really interesting shaped container. Just a little large...

This container is a bit skinny! They realised they would need to increase the base size

A cone shape! Not quite big enough...

Very close to the top - Finalists!

Another container in the top 4! Extra frill on design...

Pleased to be in the top 4!

Lid on the design and finalists! They were going to change their dimensions but changed their mind at the last minute!