Super science!

Science fair has finally arrived! This term some students have been working on their science fair projects. Caitlyn and I did a science fair called Waste Watchers. At the beginning of this year we entered the Technovation Tairawhiti challenge.

Technovation is a challenge that introduces girls to coding and making an app. We had to find a problem in our community and then make an app that would help solve that problem. So, we made a team with a couple of other friends and decided that our problem would be waste.

We also decided that this year for science fair we could enter our Technovation project in the technology division. We are very proud of our finished product!

Fantastic football!

On Wednesday the 7th of August my football team, the Wainui Thunder and another Wainui team went to the primary interschool football tournament. In the tournament we played on a small pitch with 6 players on at a time. We played five or six games, including a semi-final and a final. The first game we played was against Te Hapara where we won 5-0. We played a couple other games after that which were both tight, one of them 1-1 and the other 1-0 against our rivals, Mangapapa.

After those games we went into the semi-final where we played St Mary's, winning 4-0. Then it was the final against Makauri and after a tight game we were forced into penalty's. Gavin, Toby and Ziggy were taking the kicks. Two of Makauri's players missed their shots but one went in. We were all very nervous as our players took their kicks. Toby took a kick hitting the goal post. Luckily, he got to retake it because he hit it before the whistle had blowed and he scored. Then Gavin took a kick with so much power that it just made it across the line even after hitting the goalies hands.

We had won the finals very well deserved, everyone was excited and also relieved that the nerve wracking penalty kicks were over.

Auckland islands!

Last term we were working on a big maths project. The project was all about the Auckland Islands. Caitlyn and I were buddy's and there were lots of different tasks and challenges to complete. My favorite task was one where we wrote in binary all the way up to 151. This maths was really fun and I can't wait to do something like it again.

Here is a slideshow of our learning:

Hauora - physical health and wellbeing

This term we have a new inquiry topic which is Hauora - physical health and wellbeing. We have been embracing this by doing optional sitting in silence after morning tea. As well as that we wrote four quick writes about our physical well being, mental well being, social well being and spiritual wellbeing.

Here is one of the quick writes that I wrote about Taha tinana - physical wellbeing:

One of the ways I look after my taha tinana is going surfing. On a crisp morning I love walking across the road and enjoying the fresh, salty, sea, catching lots of waves. The feeling of riding up and down is enchanting. Then, I dive off my board into the glistening water. 

Another way I look after my taha tinana is playing football. Practising about three times a week and playing with my team, winning all our games. Time after time I enjoy tapping the ball into the back of the net.

As well as soccer and surfing I also look after my taha tinana by going to taekwondo once a week. I enjoy it even more when my friends are there too. Taekwondo also helps with football because we do lots of kicking. I might even be a black belt one day! 

Reading Refugee!

In our Early Level 4 Huia reading group for the next few weeks we are reading a book called Refugee. Koka Ngaire unlock a few chapters every week for us to read and then we answer some comprehension questions and complete some activities based on the book. The book is based on three different characters, Josef, Mahmoud and Isabel. They are all living in different time periods and are all Refugees trying to get out or forced to get out their current countries. Josef lives in Germany, Mahmoud lives in Syria and Isabel lives in Cuba.

The Koka Ngaire mystery!

This week Koka Ngaire went on holiday. Moana had to figure out where she went in NZ with some clues. We first had to figure out where she landed. We made a google hangout call and she told us that the place she landed was one hour from Wellington, that a sad tragic event had happened there this year, there are two major universities, and that the population was around 400,000. We were also given more clues before we called her. Those clues were that she flew two flights to get to where she landed, it's in the south island, and that she drove one hour from where she landed to the place she is now. 
From those clues we narrowed it down to Dunedin, Queenstown, and Christchurch. From those places we found it was Christchurch because of the shootings this year, it was fifty five minutes from Wellington and the population was 381,500. We also crossed checked to be extra sure. So now we knew it was Christchurch where she landed but we still didn't know where she actually was.

She also told us that she was staying by a lake called lake Wainui. She also told us the name of a street that was there. With those clues we guessed that it was Akaroa where she was. We now need to find where she is going next. Where are all in that process and she told us that she is bringing her winter jacket but also her swimming togs. My group guessed she is heading to Hanmer springs because it is freezing temperature there now but they also have a famous hot springs! We still don't know the answer yet and we are waiting for her to get back to us!

Escape Kraznir

Since late last term the level 4 writers have been writing a narrative, fantasy story called Escape Kraznir. Koka Ngaire slowly unlocked new chapter guidelines and we had to follow those and write a story. (We are still going!) I am really enjoying this writing and can't wait to finally have it completed and read the finished product. I enjoy this style of writing because you can use heaps of imagination and lots of cool vocab. Below is the introduction to our writing:

There are two countries separated by a river: Kraznir and Slinsil.  The people of Kraznir are fierce and warlike. Their land is poor and little will grow there.  Their king is called Krill and he lives in a castle in the mountains. To the south of Kraznir is Slinsil.  It is a rich and beautiful country, whose people love peace.

Rumours have reached Slinsil that Krill is planning to send an army to attack them.  They hurriedly prepare to defend themselves. They send a team of spies to Kraznir to find out about Krill’s plans.  They want to know when and where he intends to attack. The spies are successful. Deep in the cellars of Castle Krill they find the complete battle plan.  This, and many other valuable documents, is stored in a large wooden chest. Now the spies have got to get the chest and all its content safely back to Slinsil.

You are the leader of the spies.

Here is the link to My Story