And the Winner is......

Congratulations Flynn on winning the boys section of the election.  You planned, organised and carried out an excellent afternoon as teacher.  It's harder than it looks eh Flynn!  So proud of you... and your cartoon idea was a winner!

Zoe's Amazing Campaign Speech

It's Election Time!

It's Election Time!

Who will be the new teacher for the afternoon.? 
Mrs Rankin is getting quite tired and needs a rest.  Since it is the Election this weekend she has hatched a plan to have some relaxation.  She had a cunning idea. Wouldn't it be cool if someone in Room 15 could take over for the afternoon?  Why don't we hold an election and vote for a new teacher, she thought.  So she set about asking the children to write a campaign speech to convince people to vote for them.  For homework they had to make a campaign sign to place around the school grounds. "We will have a proper polling booth and everything, she said. I wonder who will be our returning officer?  Don't tell Mr Pearce because we don't think children are actually allowed to teach until they are at least 18!  Shhhhhhhh  I'll keep you posted.

Have a Happy Holiday Everyone!



From Mrs R.....



Sophia's fijian Friend!

Sophia went to Fiji for a holiday.  She wanted us to see the photo with the a lizard on her head!  Cute!

Look what came to Room 15 today!

We all got to touch the log of wood today...... We had our class photo taken with it..... Mrs R can email it, but we can't put it on the blog.

Stream Study Field Trip



Searching for macroacquaticinvertebrates!



Emma and her dad have a close look together for stream critters.. Peas in a pod!

Blake looks through the tube to test water clarity.  Our stream has a clarity score of 99.  Lower end of good.

Blake and Ethan up close with the streamlife....future scientsts we think.

Mr McIntosh holds Vicky over the water to search for bugs.....!

Where did your name come from?

After discussing which World Cup team we could support other than the Allblacks, we got to talking about our heritage and where our names come from.  Mrs R's first name is Irish for 'dear friend'.  To find out about your name ask your family where it came from.  Why were you given your name? What about your middle name?  Why is it important? To help you I have added a link to the right hand side.  Just type in your name and search.  Can you present your name meaning in a creative way by Friday?

Stream Study

This Tuesday we will be studying the stream in our outdoor classroom.  Kevin Archer from the Regional Council will be teaching us how to test water quality, identify organisms and carry out scientific experiments.. How exciting. Look out for photos,

Week 4 and 5 Action!

A blog by Emma K and Codey


Hi i'm Emma K and this is Codey . We are learning about Photosynthesis this term.On Tuesday Room 15 had a planting day .We had a lot of  fun making wheat heads and planting peas and beans.First we got seeds and potting mix.We put the poting mix in our stocking and put the seeds in then we tied knots in the stocking so the poting mix woudn`t fall out. Then we put the  stocking  in  the jar and    got eyes and  a nose  glued on . Now you  have a wheat head! Yesterday a helicopter came as a suprise.  It was the Taranaki rescue helicopter and Teegan and Angela got picked to go for a ride in the helicopter back to the hospital.. Wow aren't they so lucky.  Last week was the cross country.  Mrs R was very proud of how hard we all tried.  Great Job.  I wonder what exciting things will happen at Woodleigh next week?

Our Week by Jada and Vicky

Hi my name is Jada and this is Victoria we are your reporters for this week.In the weekend mrs R put 'stop theclock' on the blog. Last week we did our battle of mountains art work.Yesterday some Taranaki players did activites with us. First we did some relays for warm up and then we had a game of ripper rugby my team won. Some kids got signatures and some got autotographs from the players.This terms topic is over the fence.Yesterday Sebastin made brownies with Jamie,Amber,and Destiny.The brownies were delicious.

And Third Place.......

Eva by Chelsea

2nd Place goes to......

Snoopy The Dog....... Is it his birthday?  By Teegan 

And the winner of the best pet photo is........

KEITH THE PIG! HE BELONGS TO BLAKE 

Check out the New Link

Look to the left and click on the game to match the digital times with the analogue time.  Can you get the fastest class time?  Good Luck

Welcome Back To Term 3

Welcome to Term Three everyone.  I hope you had a lovely holiday together as a family.
This term we start our our "Over the fence" study.  We can't wait to get over into the outdoor classroom and get busy studying nature.  Bring sensible shoes everyday for bush trips and cross country training.
This term students will be learning how to make entries on the blog!  Wait and see whose turn it is this week?

Mrs R

Touring The Red Zone

The Street sign has moved under the building!

Lots of damage in the Red Zone

A knitted heart sits on the fence outside the bridge of Remembrance .   The wrecking ball is going to work in the background.

KIWI KAI DAY

We had a fabulous day today. I was amazed at how many facts the students got right about New Zealand and its history.  Great job everyone.  Well done Jack and Angela who were members of the winning team.
We ended our sessions with JAFFA ROLLING, Marmite Sandwich making races, Gumboot throwing, rugby target practise and mintie wrapper ripping competition.  Good old kiwi Fun.  Have a  happy holiday everyone, Mrs R think you have all deserved a break.. I wonder what we will be studying next term??????

Richmond Cottage/ Art Gallery

We went to visit Richmond Cottage and the Musuem. We learnt about the life of the Early Settlers and how hard it was for them.  We had to dress up in period costume.  Don't we look fantastic! 

An interview with a Chef!

Mrs R wants to know why you girls are posing for the camera and Mr Watkins appears to be doing all the work????

Thanks to Emma McIntosh for the Photography.

Vicky's Dad is a chef at the NICE HOTEL (yes that's its real name and it is nice!) Vicky brought him along to school to cook with a group of girls.  They made creamy rice rissotto and not even from a packet.  It was delicous.

We asked him some questions.
Do you like being a chef?
Yes, I love it I wouldn't want to do anything else.  You get to play with food.  It's fun but its hard work too. I love it when people pop thier heads in the kitchen to say they liked their meal.

Is it hot in the kitchen?
Yes, especially in the summer.

How many hours do you work?
Maybe 4 - 6 hours or even more in the evenings.

Do you have to be the waiter to?
No, definately not. I would have to be superman to get everything done.  I have helpers.

What tools do you need for your job?
Lots, but my most important one is a sharp knife.

What is your favourite thing to cook?
SEAFOOD!

Have you ever done anything wrong?
Yes, lots of times but that's how you learn.

Thanks  Mr Watkins for sharing your special talent.We have invited him back for our Room 15 master chef competition next term. 
I wonder if we have any other parents with special jobs we can interview?

Happy Feet Live Stream

Click HERE    to see  a live stream of Happy Feet the Penguin at the Zoo on the TV 3 News website.  Great news. He is recovering well.  This week for our reading we had to come up with a solution for returning Happy Feed to Antarctica. We had to think of the possible dangers associated with our solutions.  Some of our ideas will be published soon.

Vicky's Morepork!

Vicky and her mum made a Morepork cake together.  Vicky chose a Morepork for her New Zealand study.  She found the answers to her 3 questions and then decided to present it in a very special way.  We all got to eat a piece of her project. It was scrumptious. 

So proud of you Vicky!
Tino Pai Rawa and a big thank you!

Paraora Parai Yummy Fried Bread!

 As part of our Matariki Celebration we made fried bread and shared it.


Jenna guarding the Paorora !
Smells great!

 Balls of Crispy Fried Bread.


Delcious!

How to Make Fried Bread
(With an adult only)


1 Cup of self Raising Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
Add cold water and mix until forms a soft dough.


Turn out onto a floured board and form into small balls.  
Just like a scone, do not over mix.
Fry in hot (but not too hot) oil until crispy and golden. Serve with butter and golden syrup or jam.

 Jack gave the friend bread a big thumbs up!
He had four pieces.  Slurp!

 Sebastian Gobbled his down!

And so did Emma!


When can we have it again?

Bellbird- Special Room 15 Bird.

OUR CLASS MASCOT

Meet the Korimako, the New Zealand Bellbird.  This is our class mascot for this year.  The young leaders chose us the Bellbird after visiting Zealandia Sanctury in Wellington.   Next Wednesday is a special assembly where we can share our facts we have found out about the Bellbird.  You can also dress up in the colours of the Bellbird, or get creative with a costume.  Don't forget to bring  a gold coin donation to help Zealandia.

Click on the link below to listen to the sound of the Bellbird.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/land-birds/bellbird-korimako/facts/bellbird-korimako-song-sound-recordings/

Mrs R's Favourite Pet Photo

Here's my favourite pet photo of Janelle, Monto and Hugo. How is yours coming along?  Well done Chelsea, Jack, Blake and Flynn for emailing their photos - they were awesome!  Watch out for a slide show in the weekend with some of your pet photos on it.

Here's the link to watch the penguin

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/5172214/Emperor-penguin-a-long-way-from-home-at-Kapiti

Emperor penguin makes rare Kapiti Coast visit!

Wow.  An Emperor penguin has turned up in New Zealand at Peka Peka Beach on the Kapiti Coast.  Emperor penguins usually live in Antarctica.  What is it doing here?  This is only the second Emperor penguin that has ever been found on New Zealand shores.  The last one was in Southland in 1967.  We might make this our reading tomorrow.What can you find out?

The First Happy Homework Task is up!

Click  the happy homework tab above and see what your first fun task is.  I can't wait to see them.  Remember these are optional.

1000 Hits Already

Wahooooooo 1000 Hits Already.  Look at the map.... maybe we might become world famous! Chuffed with that.

Hokey Pokey Fun!

There were no plates left, so Charlotte got to eat from the box.   She got the best deal and looked like the cat who got the cream!

 Cody Stirs the Hokey Pokey.  You have to be careful it doesn't burn or boil too hard.  Hot sugar is very dangerous.... we chose Cody because he is so sensible and reliable... what a great job he did too.

Here it comes. The baking soda made it puff up and turned the golden syrup and sugar into puffy hokey pokey.

Hokey Pokey or Frisbee?

Today we made good old Kiwi Hokey Pokey Icecream.  Kaden thought he could use it for  Frisbee! It tasted great.  Samantha wants to know how Tip Top make round hokey pokey balls  in their icecream.  A great question.  Now we are going to email Tip Top and see what they say.

The Cast Iron Chicken!

Jack and Nate give us a rendition of The Tukapa Cast Iron Chicken song.  A film crew is making a documentary about their Rugby Club.  Mrs R was rather puzzled about the Cast Iron Chicken.  So Nate researched it and brought the song along to share. Well done guys!

Get up Early for the Lunar Eclipse

Early risers are in for a treat tomorrow morning as the first of 2011's two full lunar eclipses becomes visible over New Zealand.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves through the long shadow cast by the Earth and is blocked from the sunlight that illuminates it.
The eclipse will be visible between 6.20 and 7.20am, and is safe to watch with the naked eye.
The next full eclipse will not occur until December 10 this year.
3 News

I SPY!

Mrs R is watching you.... have you done your homework.??????  LOL

A hug for Christchurch

Sorry Christchurch.  Mrs Rankin thinks you have had enough... So glad all my family are well. Just a bit shaken again. Sending a big hug.

True Kiwi Way Song

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Permission Slips

Hi everyone..... What a lovely sunny Sunday.  Don't forget to bring back your blog permission slips so that we can post some photos and videos of our classroom. Over 400 hits already.  I can see that lots of you were practising your maths over the weekend. Well done.

Woodleigh Kids give PURRRFECT donation

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/midweek/5108892/Woodleigh-pupils-give-the-purrfect-donation

SOOOOOOOOOO Proud

Mrs R is just so proud of all of Room 15. You all try so hard. I love sharing in your success and your thirst for learning. Thanks for letting me talk to your parents at interviews. It was a joy. :) I wonder if you will earn our special treat next week? Mmmmm NZ Hokey Pokey Icecream. Can't wait.

TIMES TABLES CHALLENGE

Start learning. We have the GREAT MIDDLE SCHOOL timestable challenge about to begin. Each week we will test a timestable. You will have 10 minutes to complete the answers and you are only allowed one wrong. Each week your teacher will sign off if you have passed. You will have a chance to resit the tests you missed out on at the end of each term. Go to www.multiplication.com and get practising! We will learn them in this order.

2 x 5x 10x 11x 3x 6x 9x 4x 8x 7x 12 x

Followed by a random test of them all mixed up to complete your challenge. You have two levels to choose from. Level 1 or Level 2. All will be revealed soon, so get practising! We suggest you learn to skip count and then muddle them up so you can remember them quickly.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

A group of four lucky students visited the SPCA to deliver the cat food. The SPCA staff were BLOWN away by the generosity of our donation. They thought we were bringing a bag full, not hundereds of cans! We saw some bald dogs called Chinese Crested dogs, kittens galore, adult smoochy cats, friendly dogs, chickens and rabbits. Mrs Rankin had to be stopped from trying to give them all a home!

We're Famous!

Today the Taranaki Daily News came to visit our school and take photos of our cat food collection. We were just so proud to share what we did to help with the cat problem. Congratulations to the four students who were drawn out of the hat and are getting to go on a trip to the SPCA on Thursday to present our donations. We can't wait.

Jet Pack Link

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/video.cfm?c_id=5&gal_cid=5&gallery_id=119062

Click on this link to the Herald to watch the test flight clip.

The Martin Jet Pack

Today we read about the new Martin Jet Pack. We viewed the clip from 20 20 TV programme and we based out reading around the article. We learnt what a crash test dummy is and discussed possible uses for such an invention. Some suggestions were serious like Search and Rescue missions. Some were very inventive. For example "I would use my Jet pack to get myself out of Trouble." said one of our boys. Great idea. Lets just hope that the teachers don't have faster jet packs. Maybe Buzzlightyear had it right. You can click on the link above to watch the test flight again.

Displays

Our Cat food collection has been very successful. Next week we will email the SPCA and let them know what we have for them. How exciting. I wonder what our next project will be?? Photos coming soon.

Feeding the Cats!

Our real life problem. Feed the Cats. The SPCA needs more cat food so Room 15 has decided to make a collection . We discussed many ways to help and thought the best solution was to ask everyone at assembly and on our newsletter to bring a long a can. Our target it 500 cans. Can you help us out?

Welcome to our very first classroom blog. Here we hope to share our learning with you. We hope to add photos and videos of us going about our daily learning. We hope that our blog will become a very positive space and one which will give parents an inside peek at our learning at school.

How exciting. Its a work in progress! x mrs R