Final weeks of term 4, 2016 in Room 2...

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY, SAFE AND FUN SUMMER HOLIDAYS FROM ROOM 2 :)

Dante with his amazing Christmas tree design :)

Well..... the end of 2016 is zooming up fast!!  This post will include events from Room 2 in the last weeks leading up to the end of the school year for 2016, and Christmas holidays :)

Here we are working on our Christmas tree display which will be ready to view by the end of Week 9 :)

Christmas tree display - Room 2 :) on PhotoPeach

We'll post photos of our finished display when it's completed - or come in and see it if you're passing by :)

This term we carried on with our My Time research projects.  We'll be presenting our research in the next few days of term.  Here are some photos of us on our My Time blocks:

Room 2's My Time - Term 4 on PhotoPeach

Weeks 5 and 6, Term 4 in Room 2 :)

Week 6 we had our WFP Districts Athletics Day.  The students who didn't compete there were split between Miss Wilson, Ms Trow and Miss Malone.   The students with Ms Trow and Miss Malone produced some awesome silhouette art - using sketching, paint and pastel thanks to Miss Malone's awesomely fantastic art expertise!! Here we are working on our art and some of the amazing finished products:

Art with Miss Malone and Ms Trow on PhotoPeach

On Friday's we have been holding mini-science lessons.  We have held the 'Milk Colour', 'Mini Lava' and 'Flower Colour' experiments so far, with differing success rates.  The students enjoy writing their science observations using the 'I notice', 'I think' and 'I wonder' headings.  Friday week 6 we conducted the 'Dancing Raisins' science experiment.  Some performed as they should, others didn't, but again we were able to predict and analyse why or why not our raisins moved the way they did (or didn't)...  

We finished our alien art - watch this blog for photos as we display them next week... :)

Week 5 we started our cricket skills, and carried on with our cool social dancing.

Here's some photos of Room 2's first cricket skills session:

Room 2s first cricket skills session on PhotoPeach


We had an awesome day at the Stanley Ave School Athletics Day!  Thanks to all our fabulous parents and helpers who helped and cheered us on for the day! Here's some of the Room 2 students who won cups (congrats to joint winners of the 12+ boys cup - Jarden and Ruebin) certificates from the day:

Thanks to Jarden's mum who sent a basketball reps photo and update from the weekend - representing Te Aroha at the Thames Valley basketball tournament in Whitianga.

Jarden, Ruben and Hunter were in the boys A team and won, Iona was in the girls team and they also came away with a win!!

Super work!!!  Well done!!! :)

Joke of the week is from Summa:

What happens when you lose one of your hands?
.... you go to the second hand shop :)

Term 4, weeks 3 and 4 in Room 2...

This term is action packed and Room 2 has been zipping along nicely!!  Week 3 starts the testings for data and report writing.  Ms Trow has been undertaking running records on students and is really super proud of their progress over the year :) Students have completed their Peters Spelling testing again with good results.  Week 4 will be full Gloss testing, PAT maths testing and e-asttle reading testing.  Ms Trow has been discussing the students individual testing results as the tests are marked and comparing them to last year's results.  

This term in writing we have been choosing our own goals from the school Level 4 writing goal chart.  Students have written their goal in their writing book and also their success criteria - I know I can do this when I ....  This gives the students ownership and understanding of their learning goals - what they are working towards and what it looks like when they achieve them.  Then when they feel their writing shows clear evidence of them achieving their goals, they meet with Ms Trow and together discuss whether they have achieved them, or what more they can focus on to achieve them.

Maths has started off well this term with the focus on fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios.  So far we have covered (but are constantly revisiting and recapping on) equivalent fractions, mixed fractions, improper fractions and simplifying fractions.  

Home Learning is still continuing and is helpful for students to complete the tasks as they focus on our weekly learning and it is a great way for students to practice and discuss their learning... Home Learning is emailed to students (and a paper copy is available on Ms Trow's desk) every Tuesday and is due the following Tuesday.  With calf club, first aid training, social dancing, athletics and testing, I know some students have been overwhelmed and haven't remembered their Home Learning, however the sheets are there and it is expected they complete the activities over the week.  And there will be rewards at the end of term for those who complete their Home Learning tasks...

Week 3 we had a first aid training day with Caroline from the Red Cross.  We learnt the basics of what to do in an emergency whether it's at home, at school or out in the community.  We covered basic first aid from giving the right information to get help, to burns and cuts and learnt that the 'Recovery Position' is now called the 'Stable Side Position' (as some folk didn't actually always recover in the 'Recovery Position'). We also learnt that if someone is choking to use a 'Tap and Squeeze' maneuver (a modified version of the old 'heimlich maneuver' - which used to break too many ribs and puncture too many lungs...).  

Here is a slide show of Caroline accessing Summa and putting her in the Stable Side Position.  We then had a practise in pairs:

Learning the Stable Side Position... on PhotoPeach


Here's Caroline saving Claudia from choking with the Tap and Squeeze:

We had some relay games where we had to get the procedures correct in our groups:

And after Caroline showed us how to bandage (using Claudine as a model) we tried our bandaging skills... some more successful than others :)

Showing our bandaging skills... on PhotoPeach


And this week's science experiment as 'mini lava lamps'.  Even though they didn't work as expected, we had lots of fun experimenting, observing and predicting...

Term 4!! Off and racing in Room 2 - weeks 1 and 2

WOW!!! Term 4 already!!  This year is just flying by!!

This term we have athletics and our Year 8 graduation to prepare for.  We have started athletics practices three times a week in preparation for our Athletics Day in Week 4.

We have also started our Graduation Social Dancing practices.  It's awesome to see the students learning the etiquette and dance steps.  :)

Home learning has begun again for the term - it gets emailed to the students on Tuesday night, and is due back in by the following Tuesday.  Paper copies are always available from my desk on Wednesday's for students who prefer to have a paper copy :)

This term we have Calf Club at school Friday week 2, and then AMP Group Day in week 5.  We have finished some awesome collage art for the AMP Group Day :)

Our amazing Calendar art has been sent home for PTA school fundraising.  Orders are due in by Friday 28 October 2016 - and they make awesome Christmas presents, especially if you need to post them :)  

Here are some photos from Calf Club from week 2, CONGRATULATIONS to Summa, Hayley and Claudia who were selected to show they calves at the Districts in week 3 :)  Room 2 was extra lucky on Calf Club day!  Not only did we get to walk round, watch, and meet the Calf Club participants, we were very lucky to have Kaleial's lopped ear pet bunny Autumn come join us in class for the day - thanks Kaleial and family, she's gorgeous!!


Calf Club at Stanley Ave 2016 on PhotoPeach

We have been busy working on our displays for our alien name bugs - watch this blog for our completed artwork and poems!! :) Here we are researching and designing our pastel alien non-conforming backgrounds... we have to use only one colour, but any shade.  Then we have descriptive Haiku poems to publish and display on our backgrounds with our alien name bugs... They are going to look really awesome!!! :)

And finally.... this term's inquiry focus is Science, and Ms Trow is very excited to try out some fun mini-experiments each week... Week 2 we carried out 'colour symphony' experiments with milk, food colouring and dishwash.  Even though some of the students had participated in this experiment before, they all had great input and participation in this one.  We compared full fat milk and trim milk, water, and different degrees of dishwash...

This post's joke is from Ben....

What happens to a frog's car when it breaks down?

It gets toad away :)

Term 3 in Room 2 - Weeks 7, 8 and 9...

Last 3 weeks of term we've been busy getting our calendar art finished, finishing our learning units for the term as well as getting ready for our Performance Assembly on Friday of the last week of term :)

We were lucky to have an exciting, surprise visitor to Room 2 in week 7 - the very talented and awesome Terina Te Tamaki from the NZ Woman's Rugby 7s team - one of the youngest medal winners at the recent Rio Olympic Games!!  Her silver medal was awesome - and very heavy to hold. 

Thanks for visiting us Terina - you're a true inspiration!! :)

Here we are busy with our calendar art:

In the weekend between weeks 8 and 9, our Summer Hannah represented the Te Aroha Gym Club in the amateur gym festival in Tauranga.  She won 1st overall, 1st equal in beam, 1st in vault, 2nd in bar and 2nd in floor!!  Well done Summer!!  Awesome achievement, we're very proud :)

Weeks 5 & 6 in Room 2 - Term 3 :)

Week 6
And suddenly it was Winter Olympics and Stanley Olympics week.  WOW what a week it was!  Very, very proud of all the senior students - those who represented the school at the Winter Olympics and those who competed in the school Olympics.

Here are some photos from the two events over the week:

And our team cheer for 2016, which was absolutely fantastic (but I may be slightly biased lol) - well done Mr Spicer and the team, was amazing to work with you all on this, and I still get goosebumps watching it.... :) :




And some photos from the Stanley Olympics team week:

Stanley Olympics 2016 on PhotoPeach
On the Wednesday the Stanley Olympic team went through the Windows walk in the Karangahake Gorge - here's some photos of our spectacular walk:

Stanley Olympics team - windows walk :) on PhotoPeach



Week 5

This week we had our speech finals with Claudia and Kalim through for our year 7s, and Johnny, Kaleial and Iona through for our year 8s.  Huge congratulations to all of these speakers - with a special WELL DONE to Kalim for winning the year 7s section and went on to speak at the District Finals.  Awesome work everyone :)

Weeks 5 & 6 in Room 2 - Term 3 :)

Week 6
And suddenly it was Winter Olympics and Stanley Olympics week.  WOW what a week it was!  Very, very proud of all the senior students - those who represented the school at the Winter Olympics and those who competed in the school Olympics.

Here are some photos from the two events over the week:

And our team cheer for 2016, which was absolutely fantastic (but I may be slightly biased lol) - well done Mr Spicer and the team, was amazing to work with you all on this, and I still get goosebumps watching it.... :) :




And some photos from the Stanley Olympics team week:

Stanley Olympics 2016 on PhotoPeach
On the Wednesday the Stanley Olympic team went through the Windows walk in the Karangahake Gorge - here's some photos of our spectacular walk:

Stanley Olympics team - windows walk :) on PhotoPeach



Week 5

This week we had our speech finals with Claudia and Kalim through for our year 7s, and Johnny, Kaleial and Iona through for our year 8s.  Huge congratulations to all of these speakers - with a special WELL DONE to Kalim for winning the year 7s section and went on to speak at the District Finals.  Awesome work everyone :)

Weeks 5 & 6 in Room 2 - Term 3 :)

Week 6
And suddenly it was Winter Olympics and Stanley Olympics week.  WOW what a week it was!  Very, very proud of all the senior students - those who represented the school at the Winter Olympics and those who competed in the school Olympics.

Here are some photos from the two events over the week:

Stanley Olympics 2016 on PhotoPeach
On the Wednesday the Stanley Olympic team went through the Windows walk in the Karangahake Gorge - here's some photos of our spectacular walk:

Stanley Olympics team - windows walk :) on PhotoPeach



Week 5

This week we had our speech finals with Claudia and Kalim through for our year 7s, and Johnny, Kaleial and Iona through for our year 8s.  Huge congratulations to all of these speakers - with a special WELL DONE to Kalim for winning the year 7s section and went on to speak at the District Finals.  Awesome work everyone :)

Weeks 5 & 6 in Room 2 - Term 3 :)

Week 6
And suddenly it was Winter Olympics and Stanley Olympics week.  WOW what a week it was!  Very, very proud of all the senior students - those who represented the school at the Winter Olympics and those who competed in the school Olympics.

Here are some photos from the two events over the week:

Stanley Olympics 2016 on PhotoPeach


Week 5

This week we had our speech finals with Claudia and Kalim through for our year 7s, and Johnny, Kaleial and Iona through for our year 8s.  Huge congratulations to all of these speakers - with a special WELL DONE to Kalim for winning the year 7s section and went on to speak at the District Finals.  Awesome work everyone :)