Year Four Ocean Scientists

 In this lesson we thought about all the incredible ocean animals we have learnt about this year and wondered why they are all so different. Well each animal is adapted to their environment and diet.

To explore this idea, we made observations of an underwater animal, a frogfish, in order to collect evidence that its external structures serve specific functions. In the activity, Frogfish Finder, we used observations to construct an argument that the frogfish’s external and internal structures work together as part of a system to support its growth and survival.

It was fun to make our own observation journals and we were amazed at the incredible adaptations of the frogfish.  

Year Five - Gardening, Sharing & Shining

 

Today, Year Five worked hard in the mara to harvest cabbages, refill the garden beds with compost and plant the last of our kumara seedlings.

Afterwards, we did our Ready Steady Go post test and read the Travelwise picture books

that we had created to Koru classes.

There was even time for a Travelwise Kahoot.  What a buy session!

Thank you for our mahi and leadership Year Five! Next time we're going to be learning about a mysterious native creature and the study of taxonomy.

Year Three Plant Out Our Koanga Kumara Tipu

 Today Yeaar Three did an amazing job of filling the beds with our own hot compost and planting out the spring (koanga) kumara seedlings (tipu).  The Eco Group gently watered them at lunchtime. We can't wait to dig them up for the 2027 Matariki hangi! Afterwards we learnt a bit more about the history of kumara in Aotearoa and did a kumara Kahoot.

Year Four's Terrific Team Work for Trees for Survival

 

What an incredible effort from Team 4 today potting up nearly 400 native tree seedlings.  We'll care for them until next winter when they'll get planted out by our Eco Group to enhance biodiversity, protect waterways and fight climate change.  Well done Year 4!

Year Five's Arty Rainy Enviro Lesson

 Sadly it was raining today, so Year 5 couldn't pot up our Trees for Survival seedlings.  Luckily this gave us time to finish illustrating our Travelwise picure books that we are going to read to the Koru classes.

Next time we are looking forward to sharing our books and completing our final quiz for the Travelwise unit.

Year Three Dig in for Trees for Survival

 

Today Year Three began the process of potting up our Trees for Survival seedlings.  Every year Sunnyhills School grows over 800 native tree seedlings and plants them on farmers' land to protect waterways, fight climate change and enhance biodiversity.

We made filling the potting bags with soil an interclass competition:

Room 18 - 165 bags

Room 7 - 206 bags

Room 8 - 180 bags

We are looking forward to a science lesson about taxonomy next time and hopefully seeing the seedlings potted up by the Year 5's & 6's.

Year Four- Prime Minister's Response, Litter Hunters and Moana Protectors

 

Year 4 have been learning about the moana.  We were excited  to hear Christopher Luxon's response to our letters here. And now it's time to take more action!  We began by going on a litter hunt.

Afterwards we analysed the litter to see where it was coming from.

Room 6 found that in the Nature Trail most litter came from people outside of school.  We knew this because the waste items were things like fizzy drink that children are not allowed at school.  There was some lunch box waste too. We decided to make posters to remind visitors to take their litter with them.

Room 4 found that in the Mara Kai most plastic waste was coming from lunch boxes, so bringing a litter free lunch is the easiest daily way to avoid this issue and  help the moana.

How could we remind people to bring a litterfree lunch?

Vincent "Tell our friends"

"Set an example by bringing a litterfree lunch" Kacy

"Make posters about bringing a litterfree lunch" Raysha

Room 5 worked hard.  They tipped the compost moved the planter crates and did a litterhunt around the field.  Like Room 4 they found lots of lunchbox plastic litter.

Well done to these people for bringing a litter free lunch:

Room 5

Litter free lunches - Theo S, Amelia, Jaxon (winner), Karina, Yeja, Onidu, Kimaya

Room 6 

Yuri, Aila, Lucy (winner), Isaac and Jaden

Room 4

Diyon, Logan, Kacy, Vincent, Raysha won the prize from Paradice Ice Skating.

Room 4 had very few litter free lunches sadly, but they did have 100% participation in the Wednesday Challenge which shows an awesome commitment to sustainable transport.

Thanks to Paradice for providing prizes for our litterfree lunch draw.

Lastly all the classes got to try cabbage fresh from the Mara Kai.

Next term we're looking forward to learning about ecosystems based on the new science curriculum and our food gardens.