Choir / Production and Similar

Kia Ora Koutou Katoa,

I hope everyone had an excellent holiday, we've settled into the term which is already disappearing fast on me! Here's the heads up about what to expect over the next 2 weeks:

• Production is next week. This Thursday we're heading to the Playhouse for a full run through. I'd like the kids to have their lines memorised by then. Please ask your child if they know their lines and if they don't, get them to bring a copy of the script home to practice. If they are really good with their lines already get them to practice saying them at a nice even pace, clearly with plenty of expression.
• Homework books back every Monday please!
• Soccer tournament is this Friday. 
• Last Friday Jodie and I took the Choir kids over to Nelson to sing at Stage One as part of the Nelson Arts Festival. This was held at the Nelson School of Music. They sang really well, especially considering they found the setting pretty intimidating. Here are some photos and videos of them in action.

Rock on, 

Mr M

Maths Task - Week 9

 Dear Parents and Whanau,

This week in maths we have been making predictions about "what’s in the bag?" by drawing cubes from the bag (and then returning them). We found out that the more turns we had the more we knew about what was inside the bag. This knowledge helped us make predictions about what cube we might draw out next. However we also found out that with chance involved you can never know for sure. At home this week it would be great for you to play "what's in the bag?" with your child.

What’s in the bag?

Put a total of 6 - 10 buttons (or counters) of two colours in a paper bag or container that you can’t see into. Ask your child to try to work out what colours the six buttons are by drawing out the buttons one at a time. It is important that the button is put back into the bag each time. Let your child do this as many times as they want until they are ready to predict the colours. Ask them to explain their prediction and then let them look in the bag. We made a grid and recorded our draws using tally marks.

Next time let your child make up a bag for you to work out.

Enjoy making your predictions and seeing if you are right!

Rock On,

Mr M

Science Fair 2018

Tena Koutou Katoa,

Here's a short video of us trialling our science experiments. I've learnt a ton this week and I know all the students did too!

Rock On,

Mr M

Aonghus's Speech

Kiyo's Speech

Malika's Speech

Olive's Speech

Ryan's Speech

Angus's Speech

Ashton's Speech

Ruby's Speech

Charlie's Speech

Lochie's Speech

Rosy's Speech

Scarlett's Speech

Saxon's Speech

Carmyn's Speech

Emily's Speech

Kahu's Speech

Louis' Speech

Calendar Art Photos

Week 6 Update

Tena Koutou Katoa,

I can't believe how fast this year is whipping by. The speech competition was fantastic. The standard was really high this year and Room 2 had a large number of students representing the school in the inter-school competition at the library: Aonghus, Louis, Emily, Rosy, Malika, Kiva and Saxon. I thought that all the students in the class were excellent though and would have been happy for anyone in the class to represent the school. It was great too see so much parental support too, so well done you guys!

Here's the heads up for a few things that are coming up over the next 2 weeks.

• If speech cue cards have been taken home, please send them along to school again. I have plans to get the students to film and edit their speech into a movie as a way of learning how to use iMovie.
• Daffodil Day is this Friday. We've started to make plans in class. Please ask your child what they're doing and help them organise anything they need to organise before the day. I've told them that they will have time in class to make posters and other similar stuff. If they want to bake cakes or similar activities, this will need to be coordinated in conjunction with a supportive parent... Let me know if there are any problems. 
• Science Fair is the week after. We will have time in class to work on experiments. The students have a couple of options for experiments that I can coordinate at school. Most have opted to do other experiments. If your child has opted to work on their own experiment, they need to source the required stuff and bring it in to school. Please check with your child ahead of time and let me know if there is any confusion. They will need to have all the stuff for the experiment at school next Monday.
• Year 4 students go to hockey on Tuesday.
• Year 5 students go to hockey Wednesday.
• Year 5/6 maths competition is on Tuesday. Room 2 has a couple of teams entered in conjunction with Room 1. 

Rock On,

Mr M

Week 4 update

Kia Ora All,

Great job to all those hardworking parents who dedicated home learning time to helping their child out with their speech. It's a big job and I think all the students have done really well. I'm looking forward to hearing them next week. I'll video them and put them up on the blog for everyone to appreciate, so stay tuned.

The next writing topic we're going to have a crack at is a character portrait. The difference between a good character portrait and a less interesting one usually boils down to subject choice. Please have a chat to your child about whom they might like to write about. Someone special or significant in their lives who they know quite well is ideal. Grandparents, parents, past teachers, aunts, uncles or similar are all great choices. Classmates, friends and siblings aren't generally good choices because they're a bit too close to them and, as such, hard to write about with any clarity. If they have a picture or something that reminds them of their special person, it can be helpful to bring it in and have it on their desk as they write. I'm happy to photocopy or print photos off at school.

Rock on,
Mr M

Speeches

The Tamariki of the mighty Ruma Rua have been assiduously working away to complete their oratorial masterpieces. I've been guiding and modelling as they've progressed, but also want to let them have ownership of how they go about putting their speech together so that they produce something that is genuinely theirs and that they can be proud of. I've shown them how to craft an effective introduction and talked about how to put facts into their own words. The main thing I've focussed on is putting personality into their speeches. Using exciting words and putting a little humorous comment in after every fact are two things that I've modelled and encouraged. As we only have one week left, I respectfully encourage you to ask your child to read you their speech and give them some feedback. Year 4's need to have a 2.30 - 3 minute long speech, Year 5's need 3 - 4 minutes.

Rock On,

Mr M

Welcome to Term 3

Kia Ora Koutou Katoa,

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. Here are a few things you need to be aware of as we lead into a jam-packed term

• Speech competitions are in week 5. The class speech competition will be held on Tuesday the 14th. We are going to hit it hard next week and it would be helpful for the students to have decided on a topic by then so they don't lose time mucking around deciding on a topic. Please have a chat to your child and work together to decide on a topic as part of home learning.
• If you have headphones or ear buds that your child could bring to school, name, and keep in their desk to use when working on a device that would be helpful. I can't guarantee the absolute safety of anything in the classroom, so please don't send along anything expensive or precious. They work on Maths Buddy, do reading activities on Kiwi Kids News and will be using Core 5 as part of the class programme. Headphones help them hear the computer and also helps keep noise level low in the class. 

We've been learning about maps, scale drawings and measuring this week. Great job to those many students who drew detailed maps of their bedrooms or lounges. Here are some photos of us in action creating and presenting our scale drawings of the classroom.

Rock On,

Mr M

Lochie and Ryan DLO

Angus and Emily Cross Country

It was the day of the big primary schools cross country. Clap!
The two wooden blocks clapped together. I raced like the
wind and up to the front. We all ran round a bend and up
the road. We were near the finish line. Ashton S was right
behind me and we both ran so fast that everything around
me was a blur. I came 4th and Ashton came 5th. It was the
best cross country ever.

It was the big day it was the 4/7/18. The golden bay primary
school cross country. It was time for the 9 year old girls. On
your marks get set go! I sprinted as fast as I could. We had
a much longer path then last year. It was very tiring. I lost both
of my shoes. At the end I sprinted with the rest of my energy.
I felt spectacular.

By Angus and Emily

Angus and Emily Division DLO

The Deathly Cross Country - Kiyo

It was my turn to race. My legs were turning into jelly. "On your marks. Get set. Go!" I sprinted off with jelly legs. The farm was really muddy, I had mud all through my feet. I sprinted at the end. I came 7th. It was a really tiring day.

- Kiyo

It was my turn to race. I had  legs like noodles in the deathly cross country! But before I could take a breath the race started. I was sprinting my hardest & there was a farm that was really muddy. But before I knew it I was at the finish. My heart was pumping & my friend tied with me. We both came 10th. We were super proud of ourselves. We just ran the deathly cross country!

Lochie

It was my turn to race in the dreadful cross country. I was so nervous I had jelly legs. Next thing I know I  was sprinting so fast I was about to fly. So i I was halfway there and I hit the farm. I sprinted past my sister. I Went scrabbling threw the bush and came out the other side, turned a corner, and went face to face with the stunning finish line.

By Aonghus

Carmyn and Isla Cross Country

CROSS COUNTRY AT COLLINGWOOD

Yesterday the 4/7/18, Carmyn & Isla tied and came 1st = in the Cross Country!! They are the fastest 9 year old girls in Golden Bay!! They are both stupendously proud of themselves!!
By ISLA & CARMYN

Malika and Ruby Cross Country

On Wednesday we had Cross Country. It was longer than I thought it was. It was like a tiring nightmare. At the end of the race I felt phenomenal.

- Malika

On Wednesday we had Cross Country and I was racing in the 8 year old girls. Then it was my turn to race, so I went up to the starting line and looked at the people who I was racing against. I had jelly in my legs and I felt nervous. I won and I felt good.

- Ruby

Room 2 Is Wowed

Last week room from Motupipi School went to the World of Wearable Arts for their superlative class camp. When they got out of the car there was a ginormous sign spelling WOW.’’I can’t wait to see some of these superb costumes,” exclaimed Ryan, a Room 2 Student. Mr M pays and they rushed inside like an angry horde of buffalo. They took one look at the suits and ran back out again. “Oh my gosh those suits look so realistic," stuttered Lochie. They went back in and looked around. The costumes were so cool. There was one jaw dropping costume in the middle of the room. It had one ginormous eye in the middle of its head and claws as sharp as knives. "That one looks like a hairy Cyclops,’’ said Louis. There was an extremely weird one in the middle of a turning thingy. ”It looks like a double ended toilet brush,” choked Aonghus  laughing. After that they headed to the cool car section. They went to the back and saw a Formula One, the fastest racing car in the world. “I am totally WOWed,” punned Ashton. After that They went back to camp.

By Kahu

Room 2’s Epic Class Outstanding Camp

     Room 2’s Epic Class Outstanding Camp

Last week room of Motupipi School went on an epic outstanding
camp today they went to Nature Land. “I’m excited about the
smallest monkey in  the world,” bellowed Kiva excitedly as she
got in the car. Ten minutes later they arrived at Nature Land
where they wandered around. They were shown the kaka.
“It’s amazing to see them up close,” said Ryan. Next they made
things for the kaka. When the kaka saw the things they ripped
them apart. “They’re as mental as a crazy monkey in an elephant
stampede,” Said Angus. After lunch they were let in with the pigs.
“There’s a pig called Sharlett and my and my name’s Scarlett,”
said Scarlett. They had some free time and then it was time to go.
“That was oinking of a time,” said charlie. He sounded as excited as
a pig on a rollercoaster.     

By Emily

The Final Countdown

Kia Ora All,

It's been a huge term. Here's the heads up about the final week.

• Thanks for all those who responded to the 'what should we study for inquiry next term?' post. There were many great ideas, and I've picked the topic based on some of the suggestions. I'm looking forward to another great inquiry next term.
• Cross Country is this Wednesday at Collingwood. Shoes etc please!
• Parent/tchr interviews this Tuesday and Wednesday. Please ring Jane to book a time to chat, if you'd like to.
• The BTB Points Auction is this Thursday, you know the drill. If you don't know the drill, check this post.

Rock On,

Mr M

Maths - Measurement (making rainbow jelly)

Kia Ora All,

Last week, as part of our mathematics programme, we learnt about measurement: volume, centimetres, millimetres, millilitres etc. 

We started by predicting how many millilitres there were in various containers, talking about metric cups as opposed to just a regular cup, and things like that. Then we made a plan for a rainbow jelly by measuring a cup with our rulers and drawing a diagram of it. We planned the layers by drawing them onto our cup diagram and measuring the amount of jelly we would need to make them the right thickness using water and measuring cups. After that, it was all about mixing jelly, measuring it and waiting for it to set in between layers. 

Rock On,

Mr M

Planning

Finished Plans

Constructing

The Finished Product