Term 4, 2021
Our learning in the fourth term cotinued our ongoing environmental work.
We investigated the clarity and health of our two local waterways. The Ratapiko Lake and the stream that backs onto our school paddock and orhard. We continued to make connections to our prior learning about healthy habitats (the Kiwi habitats, our learning space). During the term we investigated the animals and plants that inhabit the lake and stream and saw how we can improve (if necessary) and protect these important places in our environment.
We worked with Richard, our Enviroschools facilitator to: take water samples for clarity, observe the animal life found, and to identify the species and see what they couldtell us about the health of our waterways.
We also completed the fencing around our orchard (the fruit trees next to hall) and did a clean up to leave the school looking great for the holidays.
AND... we also celebrated our success with the Taranaki Regional Council Awards. We won the Education Award for: empowering students to take action to build a sustainable community. Check out our video here!
We shared our findings through posters and google presentations to por parents at the end of year concert alongside our Kapa Haka and musical performances on the ukelele and percussion instruments.
Observing the invertibrates
Learning how to test pH level
Invertibrates found
Checking the water clarity
Counting the invertibrates
Weeding the fruit trees
Planting avocado tree
New orchard fence
Calf Day 2021
Our Annual Calf day again proved to be a great day, even though we had restricted numbers...
Term 3, 2021
Naming the Kiwi
In the first five weeks of this term we were given the opportunity to name the six kiwi that are being rehomed by the Purangi Trust.
Our tamariki were organised into teams and set about creating a name for the kiwi from the blurb provided, they each had a different transmitter number. We put forward 7 names, (two groups worked on the same kiwi.)
We were lucky enough to name three of the kiwi outright - transmitter number 54 named Hoa-Nui, transmitter number 78 named Utus the Brutus, transmitter number 85. One of our other schools suggeset Pakiki transmitter number45 so we share the naming.
We are so proud of our tamariki and of the entries that didn't quite make the cut too.
The end of Term 3
We were going to be creating our new outside learning environment, but COVID had other plans for a while!
On September 9th we saw the return of tamariki back to school and we began our plans for the outdoor learning space.
We also engaged with our VLN Kapa haka team and performed during the Māori Language Movement - Sept 14th.
Pallet Table
Mindful Garden
Art works
In use!
Term 2, 2021
We continued our journey within the New Zealand Histories draft curriculum to weave the three elements: to learn, know and do. We trialled the document to feed back as a kura to the Ministry at the end of May.
We learnt new karakia, waiata, local stories and a new mihi that shares who we are, where our ancestors were from and where we live i.e. Ko Lisa tōku ingoa, Nō Ingarihi ōku tipuna, Kei te noho au ki Ngaere.
We built our understanding of how NZ history has been shaped, how NZ has been and still is impacted by colonisation. We mapped our histories from before Cook arrived, learning about the significant dates around: Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the landwars and other significant events.
Term 1, 2021
Sailing
We were excited to start the year with an integrated unit of work called Kōkōkaha. It is a unit that focused on the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) associated with harnessing the wind. Kōkōkaha's learning experiences provided our tamariki with the skills and knowledge to design their own technologies to harness the power of the wind.
Kōkōkaha enable our children to have a sailing experiences too.
Enviro work
The tamariki have continued working on all our enviro projects - school ground beautification, collection of our kowhai seeds, moving the mulch from tree work to create a hut area, planting and propergating seeds for our vege garden and so much more...
Moving the mulch
Weeding after the holidays
Replanting the gardens
Weeding the millennial garden trees
Re barking the bottle house
Moving the compost
Tidying the compost bins
Continuing our trapping
Kapa Haka online
We have begun learning through the VLV (Virtual Learning Network) for Kapa Haka.
We are learning tikanga Mā ori, waiata, haka and karakia. We have made our own poi to use during these learning sessions.
Sewing the poi
Plaiting the cord
A new karakia
E rere taku poi