Fakebook Arohanui

For the past week in Te Ngahere, we have been doing novel studies based  on a novel we choose. To share our learning we got to choose a DLO create part based around our novel. Keekee and I chose to make a fakebook about the main character Mira. Fakebook is like a fake school digital object that is designed like facebook. We wrote bits of the book and we got to make comments, friends and posts. I enjoyed making a fakebook because it helped us break down the story and it was interesting how it was just like facebook. We chose the book ‘Arohanui’. This is mine and Keekee’s presentation on fakebook.

Swim Safe with Tracy

This Tuesday a visitor called Tracy came to Paihia School talk to us about dry land swimming. We talked about what to do if you see someone drowning, if you are drowning, if there is a rip and more. The most interesting thing I learned was when you seen someone drowning don’t go in yourself, run to a lifeguard or a really confident swimmer as soon as possible to get help; this prevents yourself from getting in any danger caused by the drowning person. Even if we are confident swimmers we are still just as capable of drowning as others. I really enjoyed her visit and can’t wait to start swimming in the pool sometime soon.

Waka Ama

Yesterday the year 7 and 8 students went down to Waitangi to participate in Waka Ama. Rob and Ropata taught us about how to hold and paddle a waka as well as some skills that we should keep in mind while paddling. I was in seat one on the 12 man waka. We paddled out along the beach front, then out past the Treaty Grounds. After a while my arms began getting sore. Throughout the trip people next and behind me were making it rain all over us (meaning they kept splashing us by accident). In the end it was a mean as experience and we can’t wait to keep going back every week!!!

Whaea Gina's Visit about Takeaways

Yesterday in Te Ngahere, Whaea Gina came in to talk about how much fat we are consuming when we eat Takeaways. She showed us a picture of Maccas first and then in a small b0ttle showed how much fat is in it; it was about 3 quarters full. The worst one that they showed us was KFC and Carl's Jr. KFC was about 2 tablespoons away from full and Carl’s jr was about full!!! We had a great time with Whaea Gina and I think some of us are going to start considering eating healthier.

Technology - Finish Product

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been doing technology. Our WALT was to create a useful product for our classroom. We (Missy, Keekee and I) made 3 kitchen racks to hold things like spices, salt, pepper etc.
We found measuring where the front stick bit would go the hardest part of making the rack. Our favorite part of making this was the staining part because we liked the smell of it!!! We have finished our product and they look awesome.

Plastic Problems DLO

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been learning about problems with plastic and the effects of it. To share our learning we made “problems with plastic DLO’s”. We had to include things about how plastic is made etc. I really enjoyed learning about this because after all this learning we got to make beeswax wraps!!! They are a sheet of fabric material dipped in beeswax (it wasn’t edible). We made these to decrease the amount of plastic we use daily.
I really enjoyed learning about plastic and making the bees wax wraps!!!

Te Reo Maori

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been learning to play a game called scattergories. A lady called Whaea Lisa came in to talk about what we knew and what we didn’t. She gave us a sheet that had te reo maori kupu on it and they were separated into categories eg tinana (body) kai (food) and then she gave us a letter and for each category we had to come up with a te reo word beginning with that word. I enjoyed doing te reo maori because I learnt new words such as huarere( weather). It was really fun and I hope to do this again!!!

Healthy Eating with Whaea Gina

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere Whaea Gina has been coming into our class to talk about what we are really eating and how to read food labels. We talked about breakfast meals and how healthy or unhealthy our cereals or food may be. Firstly did you know that breakfast actually means to break the fast (fast means when you go without food for a long time).
We sorted the breakfast meals into 3 categories; Everyday, Sometimes and Occasional. We found out that Weet-bix and Porridge are the best meals because there sugar amount was less than 10, the fiber was more than 5 and the fat total was also less than 10. We had a really fun time learning about these because now we know how to read the labels on the back of food and we can monitor what we eat.

Healthy Eating with Whaea Gina

On Monday Whaea Gina came to our school to talk about healthy eating. When we got to the whare we saw lots of different kinds of drinks with packets of sugar next to them. Each packet represented how many teaspoons of sugar was in that drink. We had to sort them out into groups of everyday, sometimes and occasional categories. We learnt that e2 had the most sugar in it; it had 24 teaspoons in only a 750ml bottle!!! We learnt lots about what is really in drinks like V, Mother, Coke, Diet coke, water, powerade and more. I am now going to start watching the things I drink because  I now realise how unhealthy I could get just by drinking a can of coke!

Basketball

One Monday and Tuesday Mr Lindsay took the year 7’s and 8’s out to teach us some basketball skills and techniques. We did dribbling races and piggy in the middle. He taught us techniques about traveling, carrying, pivoting and double dribble. We learnt that to be able to control the ball you should bounce it at a comfortable distance between the ground and your waist, bouncing it at a 45° angle.

Kauri Trees Presentation!!!

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been learning about native, endemic and introduced birds, plants and animals in te ngahere. To share our learning we made presentations in our group. We decided to learn about the Kauri tree. We had to find out information like where they can be found/where they live, what is required to help it grow and if it’s native or endemic. I really enjoyed learning about the Kauri tree because I found out how important it is to protect it. I hope you enjoy my presentation!!!

Kereru Presentation!!!

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been learning about native, endemic and introduced birds, plants and animals in te ngahere. To share our learning we made presentations in our groups. My group and I decided to learn about the Kereru (Wood Pigeon). We had to find out information about its habitat, its diet, what job it does in te ngahere and more. We really enjoyed making the presentation and learning about the Kereru because even though we thought we knew lots about it we found out more interesting facts and information.

Bay Bush Action Visit!!!

Last week in Te Ngahere we had some guests (Aunty Stella and Brad) come into our class to talk to us about creatures that live in the Ngahere, pests and what we can do to become the first school in New Zealand to be pest free. I learnt lots about creatures and how possums and stoats came to New Zealand. They gave us some traps to set around our school so we can kill all the pests, so far we haven’t caught anything. I enjoyed their visit because I learnt lots about what we can do to help our school become pest free!!!
Thank you Aunty Stella and Brad for coming.

Moment in time (draft copy)

A Moment in Time Writing


A canopy with different shades of green covering the over layer of the forest, with slight peaks of sunlight gleaming through the gaps. Almond colour wood stumps overlayed with green rotten moss spreading all the way up the trees and covering the teak brown branches. Birds chirping and singing beautiful high pitch melodies as they wave and swoop there colourful wings about.

The smell of the fresh, light air whiffs into the nostrils of everyone's noses. The smell of the subtle wind surrounding the forests delicately mixes with the scent of pine and rotten wood. Bent branches creating and blocking paths. Wind blowing the leaves off the trees and as they slowly fall, the calm flowing river catches them.

Massive Kauri trees standing tall in the mid air, surrounded by beautiful patterned ferns that slowly unfold every now and then. A vast blanket of mists smothers the forest obstructing the sight of animals and insects that are creeping in the forest.


Last week in Te Ngahere we were writing descriptive poems about the forest. Our WALT was to use present tense verbs and have descriptive language. I really enjoyed writing about the forest because I think I described it really well using all my senses and I explained everything that was happening very emotively. Next time I think I could work on getting a lot more done because I had a while to finish it and it still needs fixing up. This is my draft copy.

What makes a healthy ecosystem?

What Makes a Healthy Ecosystem?


An Ecosystem is made up of many organic and inorganic elements. Inorganic elements are non living, eg rocks, wind/air, water, trees, sand and sunlight. Organic elements are living things such as animals, seaweed, kelp and kina. All ecosystems must have producers, consumers, decomposers and inorganic matters in order to keep the ecosystem healthy.


Producers are plants that create food and energy for other animals in order to give them growth and life. The producers absorb energy from rain and sunlight and that same energy gets carried on. Examples of producers are kelp, seaweed, grass and other plants that give consumers food. Producers not only produce food and energy for consumers but they also produce it for themselves. They make their own food and energy, whereas consumers feed off other plants to get theirs.


Consumers are animals. They feed off producers and other consumers. Consumers are organic animals such as lions, snakes, rats, kinas etc. Majority of consumers are herbivores, others are carnivores. When the producers get their energy from rain and sunlight the consumers eat the producers and that same energy gets carried on. When other consumers get there energy from the producers other consumers can still eat other consumers and all that same energy gets carried through them.


Decomposers are also organic elements such as fungi and bacteria that break down dead matter. Decomposers are important to have in an ecosystem because if they didn’t have any, plants would not get any essential nutrients and dead matter and waste would just pile up.


Every part of an ecosystem has an important job whether they are organic or inorganic. If one part of the ecosystem becomes unbalanced then the entire thing gets affected. An ecosystem is very fragile and can’t cope with very big change within bad weather. If a storm occurred in an ecosystem it would harm it.


Kina Barrens:
A kina barren is an area where the population of kina’s have overflowed. Kina barrens also live in an ecosystem. Kina Barrens happen when people have overfished big fish, and left fish that are too small to feed off the kina. If kina barrens keep happening they will eat all the kelp and there will be no more for fish to breed or hide from predators.


Food Chains:
Food chains live in an ecosystem, a food chain is where consumers (animals) eat producers (plants) other consumers eat other consumers and then when they die the decomposers break them down and the food chain starts all over again, they all carry through the same energy that the producers started off with. An example of a food chain: Kelp gets energy from sunlight, then kina eat the kelp, crayfish eat the kina, carpet sharks eat crayfish, and then other sharks eat carpet sharks.

All parts that I have just explained are important in an ecosystem and they all have big part in it in order to keep the ecosystem healthy.

Since term one this year we have been writing about what makes a healthy ecosystem. Our WALT was to use the correct structure for an explanation. In our writing we had to include decomposers, producers, consumers and inorganic matters. I think I did really well because I explained the meanings those really well and I was very descriptive. Next time I think I could work on finishing it a lot quicker :)

Visual Pepeha

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been revising our Pepeha. Our WALT was to introduce
ourselves and our whanau. The purpose of this was to know who we are and where our ancestors
came from. I really enjoyed doing this because learning our pepeha helped us to understand where we
are from.

Kaitiakitanga O Te Moana

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been learning about Kaitiakitanga O Te Moana. Our WALT was to make connections between different things we read or view to create new learning. I enjoyed learning about Kaitiakitanga because  I learnt lots about what a rahui is and how kinas and kina barrens affect the environment. Next time I think that I could collaborate and work with my group better because I don’t think any of us done that very well.

Food Chains Animation

Last term in Te Ngahere we were learning to create an animation about food chains. We had to choose a food chain to animate about then screencastify it. I enjoyed making my animation because even though I knew a few things about food chains, making it helped me learn and understand a bit more. I didn’t like putting my voice over it, next time I think I should work on speaking a bit louder and clearer when I screencastify it. I hope you enjoy watching my animation!

Metaphors

Boombe is a befuddled emoji, curious and confused by new learning.

Boombe is a pair of Stylish Adidas’s, expeditiously dashing through the twists and turns in her maths.

Boombe is a Jeep, rapidly darting through her goals.

Boombe is an eternal dictionary, full of helpful endless knowledge.                                                    
Boombe is a teacher, emboldening and inspiring all those who need a little more encouragement.

For the past few weeks in Te Ngahere we have been working on elaborating our metaphors. We made a draft copy that wasn’t that good and then we gave them a bit of life by elaborating on them. I made a bit of changes to my metaphors and I am really happy with them.

Metaphors poem

For the past few days in Te Ngahere we have been writing poems about ourselves using metaphors. Our WALT was to use metaphors to describe ourselves. I think I did really well because I described myself honestly as a learner. Some people found it challenging to write metaphors because they kept on using similes. This is my draft piece.

Boombe is a befuddled emoji, curious and confused with new learning.

Boombe is a pair of nike’s stylish and expeditious.

Boombe is a jeep rapidly darting through her goals.

Boombe is a rugby ball, rough and messy.

Boombe is a dictionary full of endless knowledge.