Week 7

It was with much sadness that I finished up teaching last week in Room 14/29. I have had such a lovely time teaching at St Mary's, have met wonderful people, taught some fantastic students and worked with some great people.

I am both excited about my new job and very sad to be leaving this one. Unfortunately my new job started 3 weeks ago and I need to start doing that full time. Initially I hoped that I would be able to finish off the year at school, but it just wasn't going to work. I am working as a Post Graduate Director for the Mind Lab by Unitec- teaching 70 teachers in Rotorua a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Practice.  I will still be in doing a few things at school on Wednesdays and Thurdays.

We are planning to have a shared lunch on Thursday, so it would be great if the students could bring something to share for lunch.
I know the students will be in good hands over the next 3 weeks. Mrs Young will be joining Mrs Waititi.


Here is the information that is on Mrs Waitit's blog for Week 7.

The Ahurei Performance was last Wednesday and the children did an outstanding job on their items. It is such a privilege to work in a school with students that have amazing talents!

Athletics will be taking place this Friday, please drop your children off to JPC between 8:30am to 8.45 and pick up before 3pm.

We farewelled Mrs Schofield last week, and we welcome Mrs Young who will be working alongside myself in our shared learning space this week. We will be taking this opportunity to allow Mrs Young to teach the children a nativity over the next few weeks. She has requested that for costume purposes, she would like donations of wool, scraps of material. If you have any at home lying around, please start bringing these in.

Shared Lunch: We will have a shared lunch with Mrs Schofield on Wednesday, please bring in something nice to share.

Student Led Conferences will take place on Monday 30 November from 3.15pm to 7.00pm. The conference takes place in your child's classroom and bookings will be set at 5 minute intervals. However this does not mean that conferences are only limited to 5 minutes in the classroom. You may take as much time as you wish and other parents and students will also be present in the classroom at these times.

Bookings for your time slot may now be accessed:
www.schoolinterviews.co.nz Code: 6ARLU

The Health Promoting Schools Team would like to introduce the
Slip, Slop, Slap RAP!! Can you and your friends write a rap to promote sun safety? This competition is open to all students from
years 3-6. You can work on your own or with a small group. You cannot use any apps to help you with your rap - it must be your own work. The health team will be judging your rap in week 8, so get rapping now!!

School Working Bee has been scheduled for this Saturday. If you can lend a helping hand that would be awesome.

Here's what's happening this week:
Monday: Flag Referendum starts
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gaWwflYRp3TVXSjg0nimULo2EjCGyT2aetRyVf6Q3hk/edit?usp=sharing
Tuesday: Swimming
Wednesday: Library
Thursday: Swimming/  Shared Lunch
Friday: Athletics Day.

I have a huge favour to ask parents. I am doing some extra study and as part of my assignment I would like to ask if you can complete a survey about the class blog and your child's learning blog. You do not have to add your name, so your answers are completely anonymous. It will only take a few minutes. Thank you.

If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it in using Google Forms.

Parent Survey about Blogs

*Required

What do you use your child's class blog for? *
How often do you check the class blog? *
•  Once a week
•  A few times a week
•  Once a fortnight
•  Once a month
How often do you check your child's individual learning blog? *
What do you think is good about the class blog and your child's individual learning blog? *
Do you have any suggestions on how we can improve on these? *
What do you think are the challenges that parents face when checking blogs? *

Never submit passwords through Google Forms.

Week 6

Week 6

Bonjour everyone.
We have a busy week ahead, we will be trying to finish our Maori Symbolism Art on canvas this week, swimming and preparing for Athletics also.

Notice for Parents of 2015 Year 2 students
On Monday night we are holding an information evening for parents who have children who will be in Year 3 classes at St Mary’s in 2016
When: Monday 16 November
Where: Room 14
Purpose: To provide parents with a better understanding of why and how students use Chromebooks and Google Apps accounts in our Year 3-4
We hope you are able to attend.

WORKING BEE NOTICE:
Saturday 21st November, we intend to have a working bee to complete a few jobs around
the school. A notice was sent home on Thursday with the list of jobs and if you are able to
help please indicate the jobs you might be able to help with and return the form back to school please.

SCHOOL WORKING BEE: 8.00AM -12 NOON THIS SATURDAY. ANY HELP WOULD BE
APPRECIATED.

Notice about Athletics:

Children will need to bring the following items:
*Sports shoes * Jacket or polar fleece
*Water bottle, lunch and morning tea
* Any medication required, named
*Sunblock and sunhat

The PTA are going to be selling sausages and juicies and classroom teachers will be taking orders for juicies and sausages at school on Thursday 19 November, the day before theAthletics. If you are able to assist on the day please inform Mrs Todd in Room 3 –
sherylt@stmarysrotorua.school.nz.

Finally prayers and thoughts to those who lost loved ones in France.

Here's what's happening this week:

Tuesday: Swimming

Wednesday: Library

Ahurei in the evening 7pm.

Thursday: Swimming

Friday: Athletics Day

Week 5

Nihau everyone! I hope you had a lovely weekend enjoying the beautiful weather.
Thank you to those who provided a plate for morning tea last Friday for our Grandparents/ Grand-friends day last Friday. We had a great turn out of grandparents visiting our classrooms. The plan for next year is to give the grandparents a bit more time to spend in the children's classrooms.

Children that are performing in the Ahurei, deadline for purchasing tickets is this Thursday.

This week,  our visit to the museum will be taking place. Thanks to those parents who have offered to help supervise. We are very lucky to have such great support when it comes to events like these.

Here's what's happening this week:

Monday: Museum Trip
Rm 15 from 9:30 to 11.30. Rm 14 12:30 to 2:30
We will catch the bus there. Parents may come on the bus too if they like.
Poi making in Rm 4 at lunch time for Kapahaka group.

Tuesday: Swimming

Wednesday: Library

Thursday: Swimming

Friday: Mufti Day : bring a gold coin donation.
Golden Time (Picture Puzzles). Assembly

There will be a working bee here at school on the 21st November. We would love it if you could come and help us.

Welcome to Week 4.
What a great weekend for New Zealand, the All Blacks did a great job winning the cup back to back. I am sure Mr Macmillan will be very happy.

On Friday as part of the Grandparents/ Grandfriends Day we are asking if students could bring in some morning tea to share.

This Week
Minecraft
For all those students who have been busy making their Minecraft entries at home, I need to send them in at the end of the week. I am available this week to help if students need some to take pictures or video of their creation. They also need to write a few sentences describing what they have created

Monday- All Souls and All Saints Liturgy has been moved from the Church to the school hall. It is at 10:00. All are welcome to attend.
           
Tuesday- Swimming
                Hit It for Year 4's
                Kapa Haka

Wednesday- Library

Thursday- Swimming
                 Hit It Year 4's

Friday - Grandparents' & Grandfriends' Day and Mass,  9:15am in the church. After Mass grandparents (& families) are welcome to come and take a look through their grandchildren's class/es. This will be followed by a shared morning tea picnic on the school fields and some concert items.

Symbolism

Symbolism

This week we looked at the differences between symbols and pictures. Here are our ideas on a padet.

Created with Padlet

Celebrating China Day

We learnt how to do some Tai Chi, we saw some very cool pictures from China, we played a great game called Jianzi- Feather Kick where we kicked a shuttlecock thing a bit like a hacky sack, we made and ate some delicious dumplings and we learnt to do some calligraphy in mandarin.
A special thank you to Imogen's Mum, and Molly's Mum and Grandma for helping out in the kitchen with the dumplings.

 As well as celebrating China Day the school had a Black Out Day to show our support for the All Blacks. We also donated food for the food bank. Room 29 did a great job and brought in heaps of food. Thank you very much to everyone who brought in something.

Golden Time

Prayer Spaces Week 3

More Prayer spaces that we have had a go at making ourselves. It is really nice to see now how the students are thinking about how they set up our shred prayer space and our class altars.





The children have enjoyed making prayer spaces during prayers time. It gives them a real focus and makes prayers time that extra special .

Week 3

Malo Ni everybody.
 A Big congratulations to Ann Maria from Room 15- (29) whose name was picked out of the Holiday Reading Draw, she won for herself a brand new chrome book, how exciting!!
Apologies for last weeks Middle Team Museum trip newsletter, the children picked up on quite few  errors. Just goes to show how important it is to get someone else to double check your written work because it can easily be missed, Mrs Waititi was obviously in a bit of a hurry.  Here is an edited copy of the newsletter. We are requesting that children bring $2 to cover the cost of a canvas for their art project. Please start sending this in ASAP.



Quite a few events happening over the next few weeks,
Week 3: China Day, we are looking for parent helpers please. If you free please let us know.
Week 4: All Saint's Liturgy, Grandparents Mass
Week 5: Museum Trip
Week 6: Athletics Day

Exact Dates will be on the school calendar.

Here's what's happening this week

Monday: Labour Day
Tuesday:Swimming for everyone  and Hit It for Year 3 children.
Wednesday: Library
Thursday: Swimming for everyone and Hit It for Year 3 children. Mandarin.
Friday: China day.

Prayer Spaces

Rm 29s Assembly

Week 2 Term 4

Week 2
Talofa and welcome to week 2.
Well done to those children that lead/ helped to prepare our class assembly. A special mention to Jayden and Liam R, who were awesome MC's. It is so rewarding being able to see children that wouldn't normally volunteer for a job like this, feel that sense of pride in what they have accomplished. Well Done boys.

There are still a few Holiday Reading Logs that need to come in. Mrs O'Leary would like them in by this Tuesday please.

Just to clarify this term we will swim every Tuesday and every Thursday and every second Friday. If you have a daughter that is swimming, could you please advise her to give her hair a quick dry with her towel. I have seen the backs of uniforms saturated from wet hair. I'm sure this little tip will help with that.

Here is what's happening this week:
Tuesday: Swimming
Wednesday: Rosary
Thursday: Swimming
Friday: Swimming, GT: Fear Factor, Assembly

Request: Over the next few weeks, the children will be learning about Prayer Spaces. If there is anything that you have at home, that you no longer need, to donate to our altar ( candles, cloths, vases etc) we would be very grateful to have them. Please don't go out to buy anything, like the saying goes, someone's trash is another person's treasure.

Check out our Assembly Presentation below.

Term 4

Term 4

Hello and welcome to another great and exciting term. I hope you have all had a restful break and are looking forward to our last term of the year.

I hope you have all had an excellent holiday and are ready for school. I know you have all been keeping up your reading over the holidays- and have or will fill in your reading logs to bring back to school.

Learning

Our concept of focus for the term is Symbolism: messages within images.

Literacy learning

 ( Reading and Writing) and art will encompass this terms concept.
The children will be looking at and creating their own Rebus story, which are stories that have some words substituted with pictures.

Trip

In week 5 of this term the children will have a trip to the museum. These are the times and days for each Middle School classes. Each class will catch a bus to the museum. We will need parent help to accompany us.
Monday 9th November 9.30am -11.30am (Rm 15) plus 12.30pm -2.30pm (Rm 14)
Tuesday 10th November 9.30am -11.30am (Rm 17) plus 12.30pm-2.30pm (Rm 16)

RE

The children will be learning about the Rosary over the first few weeks and then moving on to Holy Spirit. The focus will be on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and how we can be more like Jesus.

Swimming

This term our class will be swimming every week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and on every even week Fridays too. Please ensure children have brought in their togs and a towel on these days. Swimming caps and goggles are optional. If for some reason your child cannot swim, please let me know with the reason by email or a written note.

Uniforms

For the first two weeks of the term, the children can wear either the winter uniform or the summer uniform. Please do not mix them. By week three the expectation is for everyone to be in summer uniform and sun hats will be compulsory. If you don't wear a hat, you have to stay in shaded areas. Please name your uniform especially your hat.

Library

Our Library Day is on Wednesdays.

Home Learning

Please read every night or go onto Maths Whizz (link here )or complete classroom tasks that have not been completed during class time. These can be accessed through the Middle Team Sites page (link here).

Golden Time

Please see below for the Golden Time activities for each week.

Week 10

Week 10- One more week of school then holidays.

It is Social Justice Week this week and this year we are looking at family poverty and what it would take for all families in Aotearoa New Zealand to flourish. 

Please keep in your prayers those families that are going through some kind of struggle.

The kids have been working so hard this term they have reached a stage where they too are quite exhausted. Please ensure early nights this week. We would like to use this week to finish off incomplete tasks, getting them onto their blogs, and hopefully we will get some time to do some fun stuff too.

Here's what's happening: 

Monday: Pass It bring in your PE Gear 

Tuesday: Pass It
               Winter Sports Day- some Middle school students are attending this.

Wednesday: Social Justice Liturgy. Library 

Friday: Golden Time/ Assembly

Please check out the Calendar Art below if you would like to order this year.

Have a safe and relaxing holiday everyone! Enjoy your break!

Minecraft Competition 2015

If you have any questions, please come and see me in Room 14.

Week 9

Room 29's assembly went fabulously.  I was so proud of everyone. Corbin, Michael, Maiah and Molly did a fantastic job making the presentation.  The class decided what were Must Dos and what were Can Dos for assembly.  After they made the presentation we showed it to the class and they critiqued all the slides and gave feedback and ideas for improvement. I was really proud of the respectful way they did this, and the collaboration of having everyone involved.

The presenters, techies,  readers, the rappers and the singers all did a fantastic job. My what a talented group of students we have.  I was impressed how everyone worked together, preparing, practising and performing.

Patrick introducing the raps.

The girls practising their rap before Assembly.

Ryan introducing the Reader's Theatre.

Flossy, Jumela and Ann Maria's Song

Getting ready to dunk Mr Macmillan with ice!

This week we will have Pass It- so please bring your PE Gear to school.

Monday: Pass It bring gear
Tuesday: Pass It Bring Gear
Wednesday: Library
Thursday: Jack in for Mandarin/ Kapahaka
Friday: Golden Time/ Assembly

Raps

Here are some of the raps we made and recorded on Autorap about how we serve God.


 Maddy, Millie and Ella Brooke Sara and Sarah Tara Gargi, Zoie, Mackenzie Student Another Student Yet Another Student Lily Riley, Corbin Jacob, Aarav, Reegan Emma Louise Olivia Ann Maria and group Aarav and Jayden Nevan Jethro Riley and Corbin Unknown Student

How we Serve God

Nathaniel wrote and recorded this on how we should respect God.

Charlotte recorded this song she wrote using Screen Castify.

Week 8 -- Amazing Millie and her friends - Kakapo Ambassadors

Save the Kakapo
 

 Welcome to Week 8. I am very proud of Millie and her friends who went to the markets on Saturday to raise money to help Save the Kakapo. She raised $150 . What a great effort.  Thanks to all the people who helped Millie achieve this.

Hopefully, the students have told you about some changes in Room 14 and 15. In line with our plans for future learning in a Flexible Learning Space we have started to combine our learning. This means that Room 14 and Room 15 will be doing some, or a lot of their learning together. The children can move throughout the shared space and can mix with students from both classes.  We hope that this will make the learning better for the students,  they will also have 2 teachers to get help from.

On Thursday we are very lucky to have a visit from the NZ Royal Ballet. In the morning there will be a presentation for the whole school, and then they are running 2 workshops for some very lucky Year 4, 5 and 6 students. The numbers are limited, so unfortunately only a few students will be able to attend from each class.  I will prioritise students who already learn Ballet, but we are also keen for some boys to attend.

We will be presenting assembly this week on Friday. Friday is also a Mufti day- gold coin donation please.

Events for the Week
Monday
10.30 Choir Practise

Tuesday
12.30pm Gym Club

Wednesday 
Singing
Library

Thursday

9.30 Royal NZ Ballet
12.30pm Gym Club
12.30pm Garden Club
2.00pm Kapa Haka practise

Friday
MUFTIMANIA. Gold coin donation.
12.30pm PI Practise
2.10pm Assembly Room 14.

Songwriters- Serving God

Patrick's Birthday

Week 7

Birthday of Mary Mass on Friday - all welcome

FROM FATHER EAMON Training for new Altar Servers will begin on Wednesday 2nd September 3.30 pm at St Mary’s and a parent is also required to be present. Children are very welcome to serve at both churches. 

ENROLMENT FOR THE SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME At St Mary’s Catholic Church, 7.00 pm the 14th October and or 21st October there will be an information session. Dates will be given and for those who are not baptised in Rotorua, please bring a baptismal certificate. The children are required to be 8 by the 1st November 2015. Children who are not baptised and would like to become Catholic are also very welcome to be a part of this Sacramental Programme. The Sacramental Programme is beginning this year in November. Many children these days are supported in their faith by their grandparents, if this is the circumstances in your family please don’t be afraid to bring them along, with parent permission.

Monday

Pass It Seniors

10.30am Church choir in room 15. Years 2 and up.

Tuesday

Pass It Seniors

12.30pm Gym Club in the hall.

Wednesday

Kapa Haka group performing at Citizens’ Ceremony. Children attending the Citizenship Ceremony need to meet Mrs Dunkley at 12.30pm with their lunch in Room 4. We will eat and then leave by bus from the Church carpark - we will return to school by 2.20pm

8.45am School Singing
11.45    Library
5.00pm Camp Mtg for parents of Year 5 and 6

Thursdat

9.30am St Columbas Catholic School  Year 3 and 4 teachers visiting our Middle Team.

12.30pm Garden Club.

12.30pm Gym Club in the hall

Friday

9.00am  Mother of Mary Birthday Mass

12.30pm Pasifika Practice in Room 15 at Friday lunchtime. All welcome.

Corbin's Stop Motion Video

Corbin has made a Stop Motion Video with Lego Characters.  Great work, Corbin.

Fire Writing

When Avaani's father lost his home to fire a couple of weeks ago, we decided to do some writing about fires. The students could choose to write a story, a report or some information about fires. Here are some examples from the class.

Lily's Writing.



Patrick's Story Jethro's Writing Aaron Ash's Writing Millie's Writing Louis' Writing Maddy's Writing Riley's Writing Ella's Writing

Week 6

On Monday we are having School Photos. Please make sure students are in correct uniform and that the girls hair is tied up and away from their faces.

 MONDAY 24TH AUGUST
 School Photos.
 Pass It Seniors 10.30am
Church choir in room 15.
 3.30pm Homework Club

 TUESDAY 25TH AUGUST
 I am at a course Tuesday and Wednesday.
 Pass It Seniors 12.30pm Gym Club in the hall.

 WEDNESDAY 26TH AUGUST
 Out at a Course
8.45am School Singing
Math’s Night for Parents in Junior School Library

 THURSDAY 27TH AUGUST
 12.30pm Garden Club.
12.30pm Gym Club in the hall

 FRIDAY 28TH AUGUST 
12.30pm Pasifika Practice in Room 15 at Friday lunchtime. All welcome.
 2.10pm School Assembly.
 3.30pm Homework Club

Reader's Theatre

Stacy Gregg

News, and Inventions Week 5

Mandarin Beijing Opera

Golden Time Scavenger Hunt

Week 4

We have a Teacher Only Day on  Monday, so will expect to see everyone at school on Tuesday.

Pencils Pencils Pencils
Now that it is Term 3 we seem to have run out of pencil and pens, so we would like to ask if everyone can bring either a couple of pencils to school or 50 cents or a $1.00 so I can purchase some new ones.

Library Wednesday
Friday Assembly - Golden Time
 

Our Prayer Cards

Donovan Bixley/ Kakapo Recovery

As part of our Service for Mary Mackillop Feast Day, we have decided to support Millie who is going to raise money to help Kakapo Recovery.  We are going to make bookmarks that she can give away when people make a donation. We asked Donovan Bixley if he could draw a Kakapo for us, and then we all had a go at drawing our own. On Friday, the middle school all helped to colour them in.
He read some of the story Little Red Riding Hood, Not Quite.

Middle School's Shared Lunch

Our Tasty Shared Lunch

We decided as part of Mary Mackillop's Feast Day to share our lunch with all the Middle School classes. The food was delicious and the students had a great day, working together across the classes.

Mary Mackillop Feast Day- Service

St Mary Mackillop followed in Jesus' footsteps and served others, we are identifying ways we too can serve others like Jesus.

Donovan Bixley

We were very lucky to have a visit this week from Donovan Bixley. He is an Illustrator and Author. He spoke to the whole school at assembly and then visited all of the Middle Team and Senior team classes. He shared with us the process of how he takes a manuscript and then illustrates it.

Here is some research the students did before he came to see us.

Solo Taxonomy

The Middle team have designed some new symbols to help with our learning and thinking using SOLO taxonomy.

Week 2 Term 3

Welcome to Week 2 Term 3

Thank you to the parents who came to visit the Middle School on Friday. It was a great opportunity to have a look across the 4 classrooms. 

We have begun our learning about Cycles, and the students have been inquiring into what they already know about Cycles.   We are going to begin our Inquiry into Time,  and how things stay the same or change over time. 

Reports went out last week, and a reminder that the students portfolios are their blogs.  

The NED Show is on Tuesday. A Leaflet came home about this on Thursday. Yo-yos are being sold at the office as part of the NED Show.

"Called to serve like Jesus" 

As part of our RE learning we have been writing prayer cards in class. These prayers are to be printed and laminated. We are going to hand these prayers to parishioners after mass this coming Sunday.
Sunday 2nd August, 10am, St Mary's Church.
We would like as many of the middle school children who can attend mass On Sunday, so that they can help hand out their prayer cards. Thank you.

This week
MONDAY 27TH JULY. 

MAORI LANGUAGE WEEK
10.30pm Church Choir Room 15
3.00pm - 6.00pm Parent Interviews

TUESDAY 28TH JULY
ICAS English
9.00am The NED show
3.00pm - 6.00pm Parent Interviews

WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY
8.45am Singing Practice.
Library
7.00pm PTA AGM Staff room. All welcome.

FRIDAY 31ST JULY
12.30pm Pasifika group meet in Room 15
2.10pm Assembly

Cycles

Created with Padlet

We have begun our new Concept on Cycles. We worked together yesterday in groups to think about what we already knew about Cycles. Today we put some of our ideas together on a Padlet. Here is our collaborative ideas about What we know about Cycles before we start our learning.

Storybird

Here is a story that Charlotte has written, published and posted to her blog.

Term 3

Welcome back to school, we have a Teacher Only Day on Monday, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone back at school on Tuesday. I hope you  have all had a great holiday and are well rested. 

Hopefully everyone has been doing lots of reading and filled in their Holiday Reading Logs. We want to have 100% of our class bring their reading log back to school.

This week

Monday         Teacher Only Day

Tuesday         First Day Back

Wednesday    Singing, Library, Reports out Today 

Over the last few weeks we have been making a Kea. We have learnt how to Needle Felt- A huge Thank you to Lou Couch for organising supplies and coming in to teach us and help us make the Kea.  Also thanks to Claudine Bradley and Alex for assisting us, and the Agrodome for donating some of the supplies. 

 The children did a great job, the Kea looks fantastic.

On the last day of Term 2 we were very lucky to have Bishop Steve visit us.  

Here are some photos of him in our room and a video of him at our school.

Mandarin

We have really enjoyed having Jack in our class teaching us Mandarin. Today, we did a revision of some of the things we have learnt over the term.

Garden Bird Survey

Landcare Research, Forest and Bird, the Ornithological Society and Fairfax Media are asking for help again this year in spotting birds in New Zealand gardens. 

Today we looked at the NZ Garden Bird Survey. We discussed why we should count birds in our gardens, and what information it would provide and why this may be important. 
We had some really good reasoning behind why we should be counting the birds we see in our gardens.

We looked at the Garden Bird Survey site and categorised the birds shown into Native and Introduced species. 
We then chose the logo we liked best as part of their Choose a Logo.  We had to rank the logos in the order we liked the best and explain why we liked one the most, and why we disliked our least favourite. 
I was impressed with the reasons the students gave for their choice of logo. 

Image A

Image B

Image C

Image D

Image E

Image F

Image G

Image H

We have until Sunday to take part in the survey- it would be great if everyone could spend an hour doing this sometime this week. It would be a good activity for the first weekend of the holidays.
The survey results can be submitted online or on paper.
Looking at last years results not many people (I think only 5) participated in Rotorua so it would be great to see if we could get more people involved, and it fits in perfectly with our learning this term.
Here is the link to the site. http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/science/plants-animals-fungi/animals/birds/garden-bird-surveys

Here is last years results of the birds counted in the survey.

Brisbane Band

Week 11

Welcome to Week 11. The students have been learning a lot of new things, working collaboratively and managing their learning using Google Drive.
They have been busy posting on their blogs. These are a great way to showcase their learning and is a really nice vehicle to showcase what their learning.  Posting onto their blog involves quite a lot of new skills that the children have learnt, like ensuring the posts have titles, adding images, embedding work from Google Drive. I have been very impressed at how much they can do and how much they are able to teach each other.

This Sunday some more children from St Mary's will be making their First Holy Communion and Confirmation at Mass.
Bishop Steve will be visiting this Friday to see our wonderful children and what they have been learning.
Holiday reading logs will be going out this week. Please encourage your child to read and add to their log. Last term we won this as we had 100% of our students return their reading logs. Let's see f we can do it again.

To Catch A Rat...

The Fish Who Could Wish - A Reading by Corbin

We decided to film each other reading a story. Corbin is reading a story called The Fish Who Could Wish. 
Filming by Aaron. Great reading Corbin. Well done boys, you worked very well together.

Hens Don't Crow- A Reading by Aaron

We decided to film each other reading a story.  Aaron is reading a story called Hens Don't Crow. Sound Effects and filming by Corbin. Great reading Aaron. Well done boys, you worked very well together.

One Odd Old Owl- A Reading by Maddy

As part of our Reading Aloud project Maddy and Millie read their books and filmed each other using Capture on an Ipad.  Here Maddy is reading a book called One Odd Old Owl. Well done girls.

Tara's Singing Pencils

Tara brought her Singing Pencils to school to show us. Her very clever Dad made them.  We were very impressed.

Week 10 Matariki

Week 10
There are 2 weeks to go until the holidays.  This week we have Hit it as part of the Sport Bay of Plenty programme. Can students please bring their PE Gear on Mon , Wed and Thur.
The Whanau group are holding the Cultural Dinner onThursday night in the hall at 5.30. It would be great if you could come. Please bring a plate of food to share.

On Friday Molly is going to be the Principal for the day. We all better be on our best behaviour in Room 14 this week!  Todd McClay, the MP for Rotorua is going to come to school on Friday, and hopefully will visit our class. Maybe we will be able to ask him some questions about  Sustainability and protecting our native birds.

Thursday marked the start of Matariki. We spent the day learning about Matariki, which we will continue this week. The students have made some great lanterns- using Google Draw. Once we had made our design we printed it off. we then folded it in half, and cut from the folded edge to the black line all the way across. We then unfolded the  paper and refolded it the along the other edge. We then taped the sides together and added a handle to make a lantern.

Here are some of our designs.

Sustainability Tracking Tunnels

For our Golden Time Options this week we made some Tracking Tunnels. we want to see what animals are around our garden, near where we live, or even inside.  We have even put some in the classroom to see if we can detect whether or not we have a mouse!
 Hopefully the students have used their tracking tunnel at home, and checked them to see what animal has been across it.
This ties into our learning about Sustainability,  Looking after God's Creation, and Protecting our Native Birds.
We have been learning about  different native Birds, why they are special to New Zealand, and ways that we need to protect them. We have also been learning about the predators that attack our native birds and why we need to take steps to reduce the numbers, and ideally stop the predators from having access to our Native birds.

Senior School Science Show

On Wednesday as part of our Enrichment class we were very lucky to be invited to visit the Science Show put on by the Senior classes. We had a great time exploring the different things the students did, and listening to and asking the students questions about their projects.

Gargi's Bucket Experiment

Here is Gargi's Bucket Experiment.

Emailing to our blog

We are learning how to post to our blog from emails. We have set up our email blogger address and we can now send photos and videos straight to our blog.
This is Jacob, Nathaniel and Max on Wacky Hair Day doing the nest challenge.

Sacred Heart Mass

We had Mass on Friday. Here are some photos of us in church. Well done, Room 14  for singing so beautifully.

Dylan's Player of the Day

Dylan shared his medal that he got last week from Miniball.

Ava's Last Day

Friday was Ava's last day. She and her family are going on a big adventure, and are going to live in Chile. How exciting. We will look forward to hearing from Ava. We might be able to learn some interesting things about Chile.

 Here we are waving Good Bye. Have a great time in Chile. 

Once upon a time, a million years ago, or was it only yesterday,

We read Marie Louise Gay’s book, “Any Questions”. In the book some children ask the author how she comes up with ideas to write about. We used some of her ideas as a starter to inspire our writing. Here is some of the writing the students did.