Our Flippers are on in Room 19

To the swim gym and Otara leisure centre whanau THANK YOU for the opportunity to participate in this year’s community swim programme.  The work that is done by SIR JOHN WALKER’S FIND YOUR FIELD OF DREAMS programme is appreciated by the many families and children who have learnt to swim, become confident with water and acquire water safe knowledge.

Adding to our memory bank are moments of success which we have written in the form of recounts. Here are some of these moments from our very own authors.

Every Friday we got changed into our swimming togs and came back and sat on the mat. We discussed our swimming rules and reviewed skills we have learnt while we waited for our class mates to get ready. When we were ready we formed our line outside and walked past the front office to get on to the bus. Author: Olive Tukutau

We had to sit down on the edge of the pool and put our legs in the water so we could see and hear the new safety tips before practising them in a whole class activity. Each of us had to watch Steven demonstrate a Pin-drop which is used when you need to exit a boat or platform quickly. Author: Shylah Williams

Ana was the first to greet our class and tell us which swimming team we were going to be in. Perez, Siope and Gloria were in my team and to start our lesson Ana asked us to grab a kick-board. We used our kick-board to float on top of the water and glide to one side of the pool. Author: Helu Poese-Mano

Finally it was time to play a short swimming competition after we finished freestyle.  Each of us had to touch the bottom of the pool and then make a hand-stand.  It was difficult to do but Steven announced the winner it was Shylah, congratulations! Author: Nora Leota

Your dedication and direction has put fire in our souls. You have inspired us to do the best to reach our swimming goals!

Visual Art in Room 19

We learnt to paint and blend colours to capture the scenery of Flanders field and then describe the poppies that grow there by stretching sentences with the WH starters.

A delicate poppy drifts side to side with the powerful wind on a strong, stormy night in the amazing Flanders field to remind us of the great war where many suffered in 1915.

By Shalah-Maye Year 6

    

The tall, big and red poppies are swishing and swaying on a windy day in 

Gallipoli to tell us about the sacrifice of the soldiers from ANZAC.

By Lilo Year 6

The amazing poppies have blossomed and are swaying side to side during the afternoon on the top of the mountain because the wind is trying to blow them away.

By Fesui Year 5

Water Safety

In term 3 last year, our seniors from Room 18 and 19 were learning the value of swimming safely in the water and on a boat.  The opportunity made possible by Kiwisport funding and the Otara Leisure Centre staff.  The programme was on Mondays and each week the children, parents and teachers were excited about the new learning children gained from the experience.

Room 19 boys learnt a lot and wanted to share this learning with you.

 

I have learnt that it is important to wear a life jacket on a boat every time.  By Latrell

We learnt that you need to take warm clothing and signalling devices on a boat trip so you can stay warm and can get rescue teams attention. By Asera

If you are in the water you need to make a huddle to stay warm from each other’s body heat and keep injured friends alert and protected. By Sila

And do you know where the REFLECTORS are located on a life jacket?

While we can’t wait to share with you more learning in the weeks ahead, until then stay safe and ALWAYS WHERE YOUR LIFE JACKET… IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Click on these links to see the learning in action!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfnbG4yUSbw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv7FUZbsy6Y

Honoring the Mighty!

As part of learning in term two we read books, watched videos and listened to music that told us the story of ANZAC.

We feel privileged because many made great sacrifices for all of us.  To honour the memory of our fallen soldiers our school planned a special morning assembly and we have shared our feelings of this moment through our writing using the senses to describe our thoughts.

I feel rain drops running down my neck and face.

I hear a trumpet playing to say the war has now ended.  It is making me cry but the rain washes away my tears.

I smell the fresh air blowing across my face.

I see people coming forward in the crowd and laying down their wreaths of remembrance.

I touch my hands and feel my heart during one minute of silence to remember the greatest sacrifice of time. By Prysaia R19

I hear people singing the national anthem and Yendarra children marching for ANZAC.  I can hear Shalah-Maye, Joseph, Nora and Mrs Greig speaking on the microphone.

I can feel the water dripping on me and the air going through my skin.  I feel rain splashing on my skin and it is making me cold.

I can touch the rain drops on the mat that we are sitting on and it has started to spread out.

I smell the air and the green grass as well.

I can see the Yendarra children and our families who came to honour the ANZAC soldiers.  I am standing before the remembrance field and see crosses and New Zealand flags. By Trezal R19

I hear the bugle playing the last post telling me the war is now over.

I feel sad because the ceremony is making people cry as they remember the sacrifice of fallen soldiers.

I touch the pouring rain as we sing Te Aroha in peace.

I smell the fresh air while I am standing in front of the remembrance field.

I see white crosses with the names of fallen soldiers and nurses.  It makes me feel so emotional because there were a lot of New Zealand men and women that served in war from our community and lost their lives. By Fesui R19  

Treat Day 2015

Monday was a very hot day so our lovely Principal Mrs Dunlop bought us some ice blocks for making the BEST choices. Our ice blocks were lemonade flavoured and they were slippery, slimy, sticky but scrumptious and I loved it!

By Zara

Everybody was excited because it was ice block day. Then the teachers were bringing out all of the ice blocks. Everybody was running to Mrs Greig to select their ice blocks. Room 19 was so thirsty because it was very hot that day. All of us were licking our ice blocks and our saliva went on it.

By Jeremiah

One hot and sunny afternoon Mrs Dunlop decided we deserved a treat. It was icy cold, slimy, scrumptious, delicious, and divine. The teachers photographed us eating so we could share this treat day with everyone who wasn’t here and especially our parents so they know we have made good choices.

By Rykien

Art in Room 19

Room 19 is learning ART from Fatu Feu’u

Visual art has been challenging, thrilling and gratifying because we have been learning about the artist Fatu Feu’u who is of Samoan decent and isinspired by Polynesian art forms such as siapo (tapa cloth) and tatau (tattoo).  

We started the art journey by viewing and responding to Fatu’s art and we could see our heritage painted and printed in his work. This then lead us to practising our own observational drawings of his work using pencil, crayon and chalk.

       

As part of enriching the visual art experience we were lucky to obtain the art expertise of Ms Sewell who spent two art lessons in our classroom teaching us the foundation prints of siapo art forms.  Ms Sewell also taught us how to use our digital tools to take photos, crop these photos and then display and rotate these photos in the app educreations.  Having a special art teacher made us appreciate the art form more because it is always nice to have different teachers come in to teach us something they love and are great at.

We look forward to learning about the artist Dick Frizzel in term four and hope one day we can be as great at siapo designs as Fatu and Ms Sewell are.