Year Four Take Action

 On a very wet and rainy day Year Four began their letters to the Prime Minister to make a call to action for our Moana. We were inspired by our visit from the Young Ocean Explorers. What persuasive writers Year Four are! Next time, we’re looking forward to writing and decorating our good copies.

Year Five Know How to Stay Alive

 

Today, it was the turn on Year 5 to work on their readiness for Natural Disasters. We're hoping to be one of the lucky schools selected for a special assembly and ipad prize draw. We took part in Civil Defense's Get Ready School Challenge: Look out for more information coming home with your tamariiki. Does your family have a fire evacuation plan? Do your tamariki know one parent's phone number and their address?

https://getready.govt.nz/involved/schools-challenge Get Ready School Competition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv5IxXf91uE

Pakuranga Bike Hub and the Sunnyhills Bikie Gang

 This morning, before school an excited group of tamariki met with Kelvin from the Pakuranga Bike Hub.  We were so lucky to have an expert along to teach us how to maintain our kura's collection of bikes.  Soon our newly formed "Bikie Gang" will be able to keep our fleet up to spec and ready to go for class fitness on the bike track. 

If you have bikes at home that need work or want advice on riding in our area visit Kelvin at the Pakuranga Bike Hub. 

Thanks again to Kelvin for taking the time to share your knowledge.  We look forward to seeing you next week!

Howick Local Board Gather our Student's Voices

 

Kai, Damian and Brandii visited our Eco Group today to describe what they do and gather our feedback on what we'd like to see in our community.

Kai explained that the local board is in charge of libraries, parks, playgrounds, pools, transport,  walkways and activities like weed busting competitions, pest control initiatives, career expos and the Bike Hub.

Did you know there are 70 playgrounds in our area?

Kai asked for our feedback on the local playgrounds and parks. 

Here's what our Eco Group thought:

Matting on the playgrounds not bark please.

Traps on the drains to catch the rubbish

A merry go round on the playground that spins.

Can we get the trampolines that are in the ground?

Covers for the rubbish bins

Drawings in the parks to show how to take care of the environment.

Less concrete paths and more grass patches in the paths so the water drains away.

Paint murals with rubbish on the blank walls

3D pictures along the walkway like in Rotorua 

Visual displays telling people about the local birds.

A dog park with different areas for different sized dogs near the beach. Add toys, a stick library and lights.

More copies of popular books in the libraries

Tic, tac toe games in the playgrounds

More climbing walls please

Paintings around the Farm Cove Shops and walkways.  

Clear broken glass from the walkways.

Make the alleyways safer.

Lights at Sunnyhills Tennis Club

More gardens for the new builds

More hotels near Pakuranga for family to stay in

Exercise equipment that generates power. 

Solar powered / movement activated lighting

String telephone in the playground.

Shorter monkey bars for short people please

Damian told the group about the Youth Council they can join when they're aged 15 -24 years. Everyone has bright ideas so let's make sure young people's voices are represented.

Kai reminded us that just like with our own pocket money, the local board has to make choices about how to spend limited money, so we need to make careful choices.  We need to find balance with time, money, resources and what we value.

Thanks so much to Damian, Kai and Brandii for visiting today!

Year Three Sorting Out Healthy Kai

  Today, Year Three were thinking about how eating a wide variety of food helps our bodies grow and learn.  We began by talking about our favourite meals. Then we got into groups to sort picture cards into protein, grains, milk and milk products and fruit and vegetables. 

Different kai is good for different parts of our body.  We had a magnetic board and labels to help us sort this idea out. 

Lastly we completed a cut and paste activity and fill in the blanks sheet to consolidate our learning.

Next time you have a meal, can you check if it contains different food groups?

Our Medicinal Mushroom Mara

 

Last weekend Ms Daniel went on a foraging expedition in Murphy's Bush.  She learnt about edible and medicinal plants and fungus.  

Ms Daniel was able to bring back a log covered in medicinal turkey tail fungus.  Today the Eco Group looked at the fungi and wetted down the pile of rotting wood that it has been placed on.

Turkey Tail is a woody funghi and when it's boiled for an hour creates an immune boosting tea.

Year Four Learn about our Moana with a Marine Biologist

Today, Jess from the Young Ocean Explorers visited Year Four.  We were amazed to learn about Jess' career as a marine biologist working with Kelly Tarltons.  One career highlight was helping to save a three flippered turtle called Waiwai Toru. Jess also worked with NanoGirl and now is continuing her science education pathway with the Young Ocean Explorers. 

Jess gave a fascinating presentation that included a quiz, videos, a smoke machine and even giant bubbles. We were able to explore how animals communicate with sound under the sea and hunt with air.

What did you find out Year 4?

Jaxon "Whales breathe air and they sing by humming"

Leo "I liked hearing all the animal sounds"

David "Whales use sounds to find their friends and family"

Ken "I enjoyed when Jess put smoke into the giant bubbles"

Valentin "I found out seaweed can grow 70cm per day"

Lucy "Jess made a smoke ring push a cup off my hand.   She gave me a poster"

We were sad to hear that while 30% of land is protected in NZ, only 0.38% of the sea is protected.  What could we do to protect more of the sea?

"Build a robot to clean up rubbish. We've been working on that in digi.

Special drains that can't let rubbish out or in

Use a magnet that attracts the rubbish

Make more marine reserves

Put posters up that we make

Write letters to the Prime Minister

Call DOC 0800 DOCHOT if you find a sick animal on the beach."

Next time, we're going to write letters to the Prime Minister, toconvince him to protect more of the moana.