Year Fours Take Flight with Shore Birds

Today Year 4 collaborated to research our shore birds.  Did you know NZ is home to a THIRD of the world's shore birds?  Check out our mahi here: Year Four Shore Bird Research

Afterwards, we created our own flying paper birds.

Eco Leaders Become Pestfree Cadets

In our second session with Ethan from Pestfree Howick Ward, our Eco Leaders got to see local pests up close. We were amazed to see a huge taxidermy possum as well as fierce mustelids and sneaky rodents. All of them form a massive threat to our native species - 80% of which are threatened with extinction. 

If all our Sunnyhills families trap pests in our backyard we can help protect our local bird populations. Use the link below to order your free trap:

 Pestfree Howick Ward

If we get rid of pests we'll have more amazing species like this giant Kairi snail:

Year Threes Free the Trees

 Today Year Three focussed on the kereru. We learnt about these beautiful birds then took action by planting a kowhai tree in the Bird Corridor - kererus eat the leaves in winter. 

Then we freed other trees in our Bird Corridor from the kikuyu grass. Look how tall they've grown in two years! We wondered how big they'll be by the time we are Year Sixes.

Room 8 looked carefu. ly at the puriri tree. We saw the pink flowers that will turn into red berries for the kereru to eat. When the kereru flies off it will poop out seeds for new trees to grow 🤣💩🐦 🌳

Next time we're going to vote for NZ Bird of the Year

Year Five On The Campaign Trail for Bitterns

Today Year 5 learnt about the annual Bird of the Year competition.  We've been asked by The Forest Bridge Trust to help the NZ Bittern campaign this year.  We studied elements of John Oliver's successful campaign with Puteketeke last year and then came up with our own campaign artwork for the bittern. We created posters with eye catching images and clear messages.  We hope some get chosen to help the Bittern be crowned 2024 Bird of the Year!

Check out our mahi here:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VJWv25ZkfbsRvKelsxPzPIAXyCyNp73jdphbpJ4BplI/edit?usp=sharing 

Room 2 spent some time in the bird corridor planting a flax and avocado tree, and releasing the trees from the ever growing kikuya.  Thank you for your mahi!

Eco Leaders Pestfree Preparation

 Our Eco Leaders are looking forward to taking part in the Pestfree Cadetship with Ethan from Howick Local Ward.  Last week we did a Kahoot about native, endemic and pest animals.  This week we set out a tracher tunnel to collect data about possible pests in our environment.  Stay tuned for the results!

Year Four get arty with the secretive Bittern

 Year Four circled back to our Sea studies today.  We are championing the Australasian Bittern for Bird of the Year.  We learnt about these enigmatic birds then entered the Forest Bridge Picture a Bittern Competition.

Maya "A bitttern is a rare bird and very endangered"

Ivy "They are very hard to spot.  They go like a statue if people are too close"

Yvonne "Bitterns can blend into their home in the swamp"

Check out our mahi here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ho2qAGZu6Hp4UR6z5

Year Five "Get Hearty" with Travelwise Ready Steady Go

 Year Five are taking part in the Ready Steady Go campaign with Travelwise and Auckland Transport.  Today we learnt how active travel to school is good for our heart and muscles.

What do you already know about your heart?

Alexander "If it stops beating you die"

"It gives you a bpm beats per minute" Lucas

"It pumps the blood around your body" Hazel

Blake "It's in the middle of your tummy"

"It's as big as your fist" Olivia

"Your heart beats 100000 times a day" Cody

"It's not in a heart shape" Harper

Toby "It's rare to get your heart on the right side.  It's normally on the left"

After some research about the heart, we learnt how to measure our pulse. 

Vinuka "YOur heart beats 100 000 times a day and 3 billion times in the average lifetime".

Then measured it at rest, walking briskly, running and cooling down.  Next we displayed our results in a graph.

Gracie "My heart rate went up when I ran'

Lastly we learnt amount the major muscles in our body that get stronger with active travel.

Next time we're looking forward to finding out how active travel is good for our mental health. Have you been walking, biking or scootering to school so you can enter the Travelwise prize draw?

Takahe vs Pukeko with Year Three

 

Year Three are beginning to look at our native birds.  We began our enquiry by comparing and contrasting our local pukekos with the very rare takahe.  

Matty "I see pukekos by the motorway"

Constance "Takehe have green backs and pukeko have black backs"

Hunter "Takahe are fat and pukeko are skinny"

We recorded our research in a venn diagram.  

Next we found out about Manaki and Walter, two takahes that escaped from tawharanui marine reserve.

Lastly we drew our own artistic pukeko and cleaned up litter in our playground that might make its way to the waterways where our pukeko live.

Next time we are going to learn about the shy bittern that also lives in our wetland areas and enter the Forest Bridge Trust Art Competition.