Grandparents' Day:

Today we invited Grandparents, and their friends, to school to see what school is like these days and to share something from years ago with us. Amongst other things, we saw Jack-In-a Box, a typewriter, old money, a mincer, and some pantaloons!
We heard stories about chalk and blackboards, and drinking warm milk! We are learning how to complete Venn Diagrams.
It was a great afternoon and we all felt very proud of our school.
We are looking at similarities and differences between "Then and Now." LJ.

Year 6 Shakespear Lodge Camp 2012

From the 6th March- 9th March the Year 6 children enjoyed a trip which took place on the tip

of the Whangaparoa Peninsula at Shakespear Regional Park.

Activities included orienteering, bush survival skills, camp fire cooking, archery, using a rock climbing wall, outdoor photography, bush first aid and mountain boarding. 

The children also had a visit from the founder of the Shakespear Open Sanctuary. Through this the children learnt about the pests which need to be eradicated before Kiwi can be released.

We had a fabulous time getting to know each other in a new environment. A special thanks goes to those parents who helped to make this trip worthwhile. We will be back next year !
Attached are some photos to share our memories.

Rhythm Interactive Drumming Show

This was not so much a show as it was a participation 'drum fest!'
Amazingly good fun!
This was held over two sessions and the photos here show the Year 1-3 session.
The organisers certainly knew how to grab the students and keep their attention.
It started off simple and progressed beat-by-beat until the students were able to be split into groups with each playing a different rhythm in unison. LJ.

An added bonus = BBPS won 8 djembe drums which means we now have 18 of these in the school for Mrs Smith's Born-to-Beat Club and for group and class lessons.

A Wireless Listening Post:

We are lucky to be trialling a fabulous listening post in the Junior School.
This new listening post allows six different students to listen to, and read along with, six different stories independently.
Stories on CDs can be imported as mp3 files into the headsets.
Students can select their own story, by skipping through the stories that have been  imported into it, and Play, Pause, Stop and adjust volume themselves.
As you can see it is great, and highly desirable to the students.
Here is a Room 7 Reading Group independently giving it the first test run, and now Room 9 are enjoying this listening post in their room.
It is only with us on 'Appro' however our fingers are crossed!! ha ha!! LJ.

Junior School went to Howick Historical Village:

All junior students have been time travelling back to 1850.
The inquiry topic is entitled, "Then and Now."
We are learning to ask questions, make statements and make comparisons about life then and now.
We enjoyed outdoor games, parlour games, butter churning and an 1850 school lesson - complete with a cane and slates to write on.
We are learning to complete PMI charts; looking at pluses, minuses and interestings!
We are learning to complete Venn Diagrams; looking at same and different. LJ.

On March 14th at 2.00pm we will practice asking questions when have Grandparents bringing along utensils and games from their childhoods.

Senior School Unit of Inquiry

The Senior School has been learning about "water as an essential and finite resource"
To get our inquiry under way we had a special visit from Sally Smith from Watercare.
We learnt about the process water goes through, to get from the sky to our tap.
We found out the process had four key stages - clarification, membrane filtration, carbon filtration and chlorine treatment.
We then tried making our own water filters to turn dirty water into clean water.
Next week we are off to school camp.
When we return we will have a visit from a
World Vision representative.
Then we can learn about water issues in countries different to our own.

Photos pending...