We are just a few days away from our end of year concert...this year it's "Ouruhia's Got Talent." Rehearsals are well underway, with some individual items, and other group items showcasing rhythmic chants and Christmas carols...with a solo spot from Zoe Mc, and 2-part harmonies from our special singing group. Our Year 8s are being treated to a night out at the Court Theatre tonight, seeing "Legally Blonde," a musical comedy that has had great reviews... see here. Live theatre and performing arts are highly valued at our school, and all children get to experience performing in concerts each year. This has been a tradition for some years at Ouruhia, and it is hoped our Year 8s will continue to enjoy going to shows throughout their lives. We have been making Christmas decorations from found materials...some beautiful and creative work, I think you'll agree.
Have a safe and happy festive season. How about using those creative talents during the holidays to build or make something wonderful? Ka kite ano.
Here's a new challenge for this week...since we have been looking at counting and naming objects in the classroom in French and Maori, how about setting yourself a vocab target:
Count to 20 in Maori; then count in 2s (odd and even). Can you also count backwards?
Count to 20 in French; then count in 2s (odd and even). Can you also count backwards?
Name common classroom objects in French and in Maori
Be able to ask "What is this?" in French and Maori
Don't forget to keep those other weekly learning challenges going...
aim for 10/10 with your Spelling Words to Learn
practise maths facts daily...you should have cards made for about 10 of these ("hard ones")
You can also practise your Maths facts with the "150 sheets", Skoolbo and on our wiki Maths page Leave a comment to show how you are getting on. Go hard!
I have many favourite memories from Olympic Games which I have seen since when I was at school.
What can you find out about these inspiring Olympians? Why have they become famous?
(There are some links below, but I expect that you will do further research...use libraries, TV programmes, You Tube, Google, and ask parents or grandparents...lots of different sources.)
Follow this link to find out more facts about NZ Olympians
Google search "Famous Olympians" for more info...
...and here's a wee challenge...find out which cities the summer Olympics have been held in since 1896. (Why weren't there any in 1916, 1940 and 1944?) Mark them on a world map.
What was it like on board ships like The Charlotte Jane?
Have a look at this map...
and go to this link to read parts of Edward Ward's diary.
Not everybody survived the voyage...
(The entries on the 8th and 9th October are about "crossing the line"...or crossing the equator. Read about the way they celebrated that.)
There are several place names mentioned in the diary (Lisbon - 14th September; Canary Islands - 20th September)...can you find some of them and mark them on a blank map?
What animals (including birds and sea creatures) are mentioned in the diary?
Can you find examples of difficulties faced by passengers, and signs that people were getting grumpy? What would you have done to make life on board more pleasant or interesting?
Starting this week, wewill be finding out about early European settlement of Christchurch (around the 1850s, when Victoria was Queen of Britain).
For your Home Challenge this week, study the map and pictures in “The Voyage
Out”. What can you say about the symbols used on the map and the voyage of the Charlotte Jane? What can you tell
about the people and the conditions on board these sailing ships? For extra
info see..
In the first few weeks of this term we are looking at ANZAC Day and what it means to a range of people. We are looking forward to seeing your presentations. On Friday we looked at the poem/song: "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda". Think about how these different versions work for you...which do you prefer (if any)? What is powerful for you about the music, the camera work, the words...? (Write your thoughts in the Comments section below)
AND THE BAND
PLAYED
WALTZING MATILDA
When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli
How well I remember that terrible day
How the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia
But the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
We buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Then we started all over again
Now those that were left, well we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
But around me the corpses piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me
So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the
maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
Then turned all their faces away
And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
And their ghosts may be heard as you pass the Billabong
Who'll come-a-waltzing Matilda with me?
We have been "Learning to Look" to develop our sketching skills. Have a look at these photos...what concentration!
We are also reflecting on our progress so far this term...with drawing and making things, personal organisation, spelling and Maths facts. How do you think you have gone so far? What are you most pleased with? Post your comments below...
Zoe, Mira, Stephanie and Shristika have been collaborating to write a script and produce an i-Movie based on "The Day The Crayons Quit" by Drew Daywalt. Wonderful creativity and thinking, girls!
Luke, Ngamare, Himiona and Ethan have also been working on designing and building a hotel using Minecraft...
We have also been learning about how to take amazing photos...look at these great shots which we did for homework...
Remember that the cross country will be coming up straight after the holidays. Now that swimming is winding down, it is a good time to build up your fitness on dry land. Your challenge this week is to run non-stop for at least 5 minutes. See how long it takes for you to run a kilometre (3 times round the playground).
Are your basic facts improving? Do you have evidence? Keep using those "150 sheets"
We have seen some amazing work over the past few weeks, with boundless creativity and great personal organisation. Have a look at these creations from Week 4:
This week, make sure you do plenty of extra fitness training...build up to running non-stop for 15-20 minutes by the end of the term. Some of you are even training for the WeetBix Triathlon. The Construction Challenge this week is to make something with wheels. Have a look at this video clip for inspiration...it doesn't have to be exactly like this, but the video shows a clever way of making wheels and axles...
How are your Tables Challenges going? Are you seeing progress from the beginning of the year? Make sure you use flash cards and the "150" sheets every day to get you over the line.
This week as part of our Home Learning challenges, we had a go at making something out of cardboard. We were inspired by a video about a 9 year old boy who made his own amusement arcade out of old boxes. (You can see it here.)
Look at what Mira, Lilly and Zoe made! What a creative group! They showed such a lot of thought, initiative, and time management to complete their projects...we are so impressed with their INDEPENDENT, THINKER, and CAN-DO qualities. Well done.
In Room 5 we have been doing lots of neat investigations and home learning challenges... We have been impressed by the number of children in Room 5 who have already shown a desire to learn, the ability to self-manage and meet deadlines, and the commitment to caring for our school. (We called this "kaitiakitanga", or guardianship.) Other home learning challenges include personal fitness, spelling and Maths basic facts.
Last week we looked at Waitangi Day, its history and some interesting facts.
This week we have been thinking about our flag, how it is made up, and what it might look like in the future. Happy learning!
