Room 3 Moth Discovery

 

Today Room 3 were excited to find two butterflies or moths.  We did some research and discovered they are called Magpie Moths and are only found in NZ. These endemic moths are unusual because they often fly around during the day. Their caterpillars are black and furry.

We found out more by listening to this: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/collections/critter-of-the-week/audio/2018977910/critter-of-the-week-the-magpie-moth-nyctemera-annulata 

One was dead so we put it in the bug magnifier on the science table.  You can see if next time you are in The Green Room.

2026 Kumara Harvest Continues with Year Five - 212

 Today Year Five got out into the misty Mara Kai to continue our late Matariki kumara harvest.  Room 1 worked together to dig up 62 kumara!

Orlando "I saw delicious kumara in the soil."

Constance "I saw a gigantic kumara in the place I was digging so I had to keep digging and I twisted it and it finally came out."

Harvey "I found a kumara attached to the vines and it was super long.  It felt awesome."

Liam "I dug out a pink kumara"

Diego "I found a kumara shaped like a gun."

Room 3 dug up 72 more kumara.  Ranger was particularly lucky at finding them on her birthday.

Ella "The kumara were all different shapes and sizes."

TJ "We had big and small kumaras."

Ranger "We had some that looked like potatoes because they were yellowish."

Quinn "We had dig around the kumaras because if we pulled on them they would snap."

Ciara "I saw two roots that looked like swords"

"We found more stashes than we thought" Tino

Room2 dug up 80 little kumara in the afternoon and found a skink and grubs too.

Jessica "It was really fun digging up kumara, but it was not fun getting dirt everywhere."

Madeleine "The kumara came in all different sizes: big, long, short and skinny."

Hazel "We had to be careful not to snap the kumara."

Milana "Finding the kumara was really fun because it was a bit like a mystery.  You didn't know if you would find one or not."

Next time we are looking forward to easting the kumara!

Our 2026 Kumara Harvest Begins - 65

 22/07/26 Today Room 7 started our 2026 kumara harvest.  Out of just one bed we dug up 65 kumara!

Marko "I felt happy when I was digging. I found small kumaras"

Amelia "I found a worm and I also found a big kumara.  It was stuck and we had to dig around it."

Chevan "It was damp because of the dirt."

Mahina "The kumaras are so dirty"

Nixon "I had fun digging."

Kayleigh "I found two big kumaras and I felt so excited."

We are looking forward to roasting the kumara next time to see what they taste like.

Year Six Collect Data on our Biodiversity - Annual Bird Survey

 Today Year Six took part in the Landcare Bird Survey.  Every year we record all the species of birds at our school.  Did you know birds are a bio indicator species?  More birds means a healthier environment.  

When we analysed the results, we were excited to see that we had recorded 16 different species of birds.   That's great news, as last year we only recorded 12.  Here's our year on year data:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PjnmDwG-9r-ua6NTvOoFGKhvQWn8tjTHF1DGLZrYGmI/edit?usp=sharing 

Afterwards we created fact files to research how we might further improve our school environment for the birds.  Some ideas included bird feeders, more native trees and a bird bath. Check out our fact files in the school library.

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 term, 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!