2017 here we come!

Welcome back to Ouruhia for 2017. We are looking forward to another great year. 

In Room 5 we pride ourselves on being the best that we can be, and getting fired up about learning. Room 5 kids show a desire to learn, the ability to self-manage and meet deadlines, and commitment to caring for our school. (We called this "kaitiakitanga", or guardianship.) 

Each week our home learning challenges  help us practise important skills and be self-winding learners. Our home learning challenges include personal fitness, spelling and Maths basic facts. 

 
This week and next we are looking at Waitangi Day, its history and some interesting facts.
  http://www.waitangi.org.nz/explore-the-treaty#/treatyvideo/eng

There are also some video links we think you will really enjoy.
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1702-how-honey-heals-wounds 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9dyaL1-8AY

Looking forward to sharing your learning and ideas...

Christmas Decorations and Preparations

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.

Learning Languages...French & Maori

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

 Use the vocab sheets  you have been given (...should be stuck in your Languages book), and also check out the activities on these links which can be accessed via our class wiki page...

http://ouruhia5.wikispaces.com/French and http://hereoora.tki.org.nz/Reomations and http://kupu.maori.nz/kupu

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!

Inspiring Olympians

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.)



Nadia Comaneci 

Paavo Nurmi

Fanny Blankers-Koen

Peter Snell

Jesse Owens

Jack Lovelock

Yvette Williams 

Danyon Loader

Ian Ferguson

Mark Todd

Caroline & Georgina Evers-Swindell

Sarah Ulmer

Beatrice Faumuina

Valerie Adams

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.

Garden Bird Survey

Can you recognise these birds?

Have you seen them around your home, school or local park?

Landcare Research needs your help with their annual bird survey. Click on the link to find out more... http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/science/plants-animals-fungi/animals/birds/garden-bird-surveys

(The survey needs to be done over 1 hour any time from now until Sunday 3rd July.)

Get a recording sheet from school, or click here.

To help you identify the most common birds, click here.

Here are the results showing the most common birds in the past 10 years...
Click on the chart to find out more.

Charlotte Jane's Voyage

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?

Studying Early Canterbury

Starting this week, we will 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..

http://www.firstfourships.co.nz/

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzbound/fourships.htm
http://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/early-christchurch/