Dinosaurs in our classroom!

This week we have been reading some books in our reading groups about dinosaurs and decided it would be good to write about dinosaurs too. We drew detailed diagrams using lots of great adjectives then did a description of our dinosaur. Today we're starting narratives about our dinosaurs going on an adventure! Keep looking at our blog to see some of our writing.

Our answers about tongan shelters

How do Tongan people make shelters? 
People make their own houses. The men make the house.


What do you make shelters out of? 
What kind of materials do tongan people use to makes their shelter? 
Traditional - old shelters are made of
straw, sticks, grasses, coconut leaves, other leaves
Modern - new shelters are made of
wood timber, concrete, iron, pipes to collect rainwater from the roof,


How do you make the shelter stand? 
With big logs

When do they build shelters? 
Why do tongan people build shelters? 
So they don't get wet
Be safe
When its sunny they can stay in there and not get burnt because they don't have sunscreen
When you don't have one


What kind of shelters are there? 
cooking shelters
bathroom
main house fale nofo'anga


Do you know the names of tongan shelters? 
In tonga is there only one type of shelter or is there more? 
fale
api - house hold
fale nofo'anga

Tongan Shelters

We are learning about tongan shelters this week. These are our questions. Can you help us answer them?

How do Tongan people make shelters? Sebastian

What do you make shelters out of? Anon

How do you make the shelter stand? Limiteti

When do they build shelters? Militina

What kind of shelters are there? Alicia

Do you know the names of tonan shelters? Anon

What are the tongan shelters made of? Frank

In tonga is there only one type of shelter or is there more? Malia

What kind of materials do tongan people use to makes their shelter? Kotipi

Why do tongan people build shelters? Luisa

How can we find out the answers?

• Go on google 
• Look on you tube
• Go on the blog
• Read a book
• Ask your family
• Ask your tongan friends
• Look at pictures

We found these fales on google images  and chose ones we thought were good pictures

Tongan food - what we have found out!

We have been learning about food in Tonga.

Tongan people eat a lot of food that comes from the sea because it is an island and there is water all around it. These are the sea foods they eat…

crab, shellfish, octopus, squid, ika – fish

Tongan people grow a lot of fruit and vegetables. They are fruits that like the hot climate in Tonga. These are the fruits and vegetables they eat....

mei breadfruit, green bananas, watermelon, pumpkin, mango, pineapple, siaine – bananas, talo – taro, pateta – potato, lesi – pawpaw, niu - coconut

Meat is important in Tonga. These are the meats eaten in Tonga.....

poaka – pig, bulu – beef, hoose –horse, pulu - beef

People drink coconut milk and use it for cooking.

Men cook the umu, catch the fish, cook the spit roast and look after the farm.

Women do the rest of the cooking and make the coconut cream.

Children gather the shellfish.

People buy food at the market, go fishing, hunt or grow their food on the farm.

Tongan food

These are the questions we want to find out about food in Tonga.

What kind of foods do they eat?
What do tongan people eat?
crab, polisi - porridge, poaka - pig, bulu - beef, niu - coconut, ika - fish, hoose -horse meat, fruit - mango, octopus, squid, lice - rice, coconut milk, faina - kapisi - cabbage, pineapple, drink water, siaine - bananas, talo - taro, pateta - potato, peas, beans, lesi - pawpaw, onioni - onion, temata - tomato, pea - pear, lemani - lemon, kaloti - carrot, apele - apple, moli - orange, koane - corn, klepi - grapes, pulu - beef

How do tongan people catch food to eat?
Use a heli - knife to cut it then cook it and eat it.
Go in a va'a to catch ika and octopus.

Where do they find their food?
How do tongan people get food?
What place does the food come from?
Go to the fair to buy food and clothes and toys.
Sopini -shops to buy food.
Tongan garden.
The ocean.

Do tongan people eat poaka?
Yes but for celebrations and birthdays.

How do they catch a pig?
Run with a heli and catch it and kill it.

Do tongan people eat rice bubbles?
Not in Tonga but in NZ they do.

How do they make tongan food?
Cook the poaka on the spit.
In an outside umu.

Do tongan people have chips?
We have tongan chips. They are soft and made of potato. In NZ they do.

Do tongans drink coconut milk?
Yes

What do tongan people eat for dinner?, carrot, tomatoes, peas and beans, cabbage, talo - taro
poaka, octopus, masalo - mussels, ika - fish, moa - chicken, pulu - beef

Can you answer any of these questions yourself?

Can these pictures help you answer some of our questions?

My holidays

In the holidays you could do some writing. You could write a diary about what you are doing. Just like when we are at school we write each day, you can write at home. 

You could practice writing an explanation or a description also. 

Some ideas are;

*Explain how to ride your bike.

*Describe your pet. 

*Write a recount of a fun day out. 

*Describe what it looks like outside your window. 

*Write about a funny thing that has happened.

Bring your writing in to school in term 4 to share with your classmates. We look forward to reading lots of fabulous writing. 

If you have no paper try writing on the back of an old box!

Have fun! 

Holiday Reading Activities

Holiday reading activities

It is important to keep reading in the holidays.

I have put some ideas on the class blog so you can keep reading and have some fun while you are not at school.  I will be checking in on the blog so I can see how you are going. 

What books should you read? Books you have at home, Duffy books - your own and your family's, Library books.  

Challenge 1  My favourite character was.

Challenge 2  The best part in the book was....

Challenge 3  What was the story about? 
                     Start - middle - end

Challenge 4  A different ending for the                                  story could be......  
                    
Challenge 5 Design a new cover for the book.

 Enjoy reading and try to be better than before the holidays.

Speech competition

WELL DONE LIMITETI!

Limiteti won the junior speech competition at school today. She did an amazing speech about the seasons.  
The judges thought she remembered her speech well and spoke clearly.  We are proud of you Limiteti.

Malo e lei Tonga!

Malo e lelei

In term 4, we are going to be learning about the Pacific Islands.  Room 5 will be exploring the islands of Tonga.  The other junior rooms will be learning about different pacific islands.  We will share our learning each week and compare what are the similarities and differences are between the islands of the Pacific.  Food, shelter and clothing will be our main topics.  

To our families, you can help us to learn about this beautiful country. Tell your children about it, write on our blog comments or even come in to talk with us.  If you have special things at home from Tonga that you are willing to share, please send them for news time.  

Stepping out to explore!

It is good to explore our environment and open our eyes to all the amazing diversity and detail in everyday things.  We ventured out to explore the field on a pinecone hunt.  We found all the pinecones that had fallen in the storm had been collected by neighbours to burn in their fires at home. We decided to find as many different flowers as we could on the school field because we thought there were only daisies.  We were wrong... look at what we found!

Wow, what a beautiful display of colour and texture.  We picked the flowers and took them inside to write about. We wrote words to describe what each flower looked like then wrote independently about our discovery.

The world outside our window.

This term we have been learning to use awesome adjectives to make our writing sparkle!  Today we turned all our desks around and looked at the world through the classroom window.  It was great to read stories packed full of adjectives describing what we saw.  

Goodbye beautiful Rita!

Today was Rita's last day at Ruapotaka School. We will miss Rita's happy smile and loving nature, her cheeky sense of humour and  friendship with everyone at our school. Rita has taught us so much about her Samoan culture, like counting to ten, which we will continue to use now she has gone. Tofa soifua,  la manuia Rita goodbye and good luck.

Grey Crowned Crane

What is this bird doing on our blog?

Miss Dunne brought in this photograph today for room 5 and we wrote descriptively about it.  We then created a colourful pastel artwork.  We heard some information about the crane and answered questions about what we remembered.  We are becoming good listeners and learners.  Can you remember 3 facts about the crane?




Below is a you tube clip of the 
gray crowned crane in the wild. 



Stay tuned to the blog to see 
our art soon.

Cross Country Race 2014

Today at Ruapotaka School we ran in our school cross country.  It was a beautiful spring day and the sun was shining for us as we ran. Many of our parents came to support us and cheer us on.

Our 6 year girls race was exciting.  Limiteti lead the girls off around the field.  She ran fast and came first.  Rita raced in for second place and close behind was Alicia in third place.  All room 5 girls tried their best.  

In the 6 year boys race, Alavine had an awesome race and came in first place.  The boys had a fast and very competitive run.  Well done to everyone, you gave it your best and you finished the race smiling!

NZ bird inquiry

Pukeko

Our Pukeko Group collaborated well on our KWL chart and said what we Know about Pukeko and what we Want to find out.

We drew what we thought a pukeko looked like.  This is a photo of a pukeko. Did our pictures look similar of different?

Do these photos answer any of our questions?



What do I notice?



Let's watch a pukeko clip.

Can we answer all our questions?

Tui

This is a Tui.  It is a beautiful bird. 

Can you answer your questions by looking at this picture?






Tui Facts

• Tui are unique to New Zealand. 
• They are found on the three main islands.
• They belong to the honey eater family.
• Tui help to pollinate many plants and trees.
• They lay three to four eggs.
• The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.
• A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.
• Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds.
• Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.
• Tui are noisy and make an unusual noise. 
• Sometimes hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats eat tui eggs.

This is the sound the tui makes 

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds including the much larger native wood pigeon or kereru , bellbirds, stitchbirds, other tui and silver-eyes.

Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.

Tui have a reputation for being raucous and noisy as well as having a very unusual and distinctive call. Some notes are so high that they are not audible to the human ear whilst others are made up of whistles, groans, crackles, creaks, chuckles, chortles and wheezing to name but a few.

Possessing two voice boxes means the tui can perform a wide array of vocalizations and have been known to mimic human speech.

From the time of European settlement tui numbers decreased mainly due to the destruction of their habitat however in more recent times their numbers have increased and they are now considered secure.

Today the main threats to the eggs and young of tui are other birds such as mynas and hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats.

Because the tui is much adored and admired many New Zealanders place food and sugared mix in their gardens to provide a back stop during the winter months.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.Gx8qcOE6.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds including the much larger native wood pigeon or kereru , bellbirds, stitchbirds, other tui and silver-eyes.

Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.

Tui have a reputation for being raucous and noisy as well as having a very unusual and distinctive call. Some notes are so high that they are not audible to the human ear whilst others are made up of whistles, groans, crackles, creaks, chuckles, chortles and wheezing to name but a few.

Possessing two voice boxes means the tui can perform a wide array of vocalizations and have been known to mimic human speech.

From the time of European settlement tui numbers decreased mainly due to the destruction of their habitat however in more recent times their numbers have increased and they are now considered secure.

Today the main threats to the eggs and young of tui are other birds such as mynas and hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats.

Because the tui is much adored and admired many New Zealanders place food and sugared mix in their gardens to provide a back stop during the winter months.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.Gx8qcOE6.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds including the much larger native wood pigeon or kereru , bellbirds, stitchbirds, other tui and silver-eyes.

Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.

Tui have a reputation for being raucous and noisy as well as having a very unusual and distinctive call. Some notes are so high that they are not audible to the human ear whilst others are made up of whistles, groans, crackles, creaks, chuckles, chortles and wheezing to name but a few.

Possessing two voice boxes means the tui can perform a wide array of vocalizations and have been known to mimic human speech.

From the time of European settlement tui numbers decreased mainly due to the destruction of their habitat however in more recent times their numbers have increased and they are now considered secure.

Today the main threats to the eggs and young of tui are other birds such as mynas and hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats.

Because the tui is much adored and admired many New Zealanders place food and sugared mix in their gardens to provide a back stop during the winter months.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.Gx8qcOE6.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds including the much larger native wood pigeon or kereru , bellbirds, stitchbirds, other tui and silver-eyes.

Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.

Tui have a reputation for being raucous and noisy as well as having a very unusual and distinctive call. Some notes are so high that they are not audible to the human ear whilst others are made up of whistles, groans, crackles, creaks, chuckles, chortles and wheezing to name but a few.

Possessing two voice boxes means the tui can perform a wide array of vocalizations and have been known to mimic human speech.

From the time of European settlement tui numbers decreased mainly due to the destruction of their habitat however in more recent times their numbers have increased and they are now considered secure.

Today the main threats to the eggs and young of tui are other birds such as mynas and hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats.

Because the tui is much adored and admired many New Zealanders place food and sugared mix in their gardens to provide a back stop during the winter months.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds including the much larger native wood pigeon or kereru , bellbirds, stitchbirds, other tui and silver-eyes.

Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.

Tui have a reputation for being raucous and noisy as well as having a very unusual and distinctive call. Some notes are so high that they are not audible to the human ear whilst others are made up of whistles, groans, crackles, creaks, chuckles, chortles and wheezing to name but a few.

Possessing two voice boxes means the tui can perform a wide array of vocalizations and have been known to mimic human speech.

From the time of European settlement tui numbers decreased mainly due to the destruction of their habitat however in more recent times their numbers have increased and they are now considered secure.

Today the main threats to the eggs and young of tui are other birds such as mynas and hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats.

Because the tui is much adored and admired many New Zealanders place food and sugared mix in their gardens to provide a back stop during the winter months.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds including the much larger native wood pigeon or kereru , bellbirds, stitchbirds, other tui and silver-eyes.

Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.

Tui have a reputation for being raucous and noisy as well as having a very unusual and distinctive call. Some notes are so high that they are not audible to the human ear whilst others are made up of whistles, groans, crackles, creaks, chuckles, chortles and wheezing to name but a few.

Possessing two voice boxes means the tui can perform a wide array of vocalizations and have been known to mimic human speech.

From the time of European settlement tui numbers decreased mainly due to the destruction of their habitat however in more recent times their numbers have increased and they are now considered secure.

Today the main threats to the eggs and young of tui are other birds such as mynas and hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats.

Because the tui is much adored and admired many New Zealanders place food and sugared mix in their gardens to provide a back stop during the winter months.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpufv

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpuf

Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.

Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.

The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.

Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.

Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.

Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.

The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.

A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.

Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.

- See more at: http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#sthash.cCjif5VG.dpuf

Kea

What do Kea group want to find 
out about kea?

Look at this link to find out some facts about kea. 

kea facts

This is a great website I am sure it will help you find some answers.

Watch this interesting and funny clip about your smart bird!

Ruru

Ruru group asked some great questions about their bird. Here is an interesting clip for you to watch.

Quick facts

• Morepork are found in forests New Zealand.
• Morepork are speckled brown with yellow eyes set in a dark mask. They have a short tail.
• The females are bigger than the males.
• Head to tail they measure around 29cm and the average weight is about 175g.
• They have very good hearing and don't like light.

They can turn their head a long way.

Nocturnal birds of prey

Feeding

• Morepork are nocturnal, hunting at night for beetles, weta, moths and spiders. They will also take small birds, rats and mice.
• They fly silently. They catch prey using large sharp talons or beak.

Nesting and babies

• Morepork nest in holes in trees or among rocks and roots.
• The female can lay up to three eggs, but generally two, usually between September and November.
• The female keeps the eggs warm for about 20 to 30 days during which time the male brings in food for her.
• Once the chicks hatch, the female stays mainly on the nest until the owlets are fully feathered. 

Kiwi

We are learning about New Zealand birds in our reading group.  This movie might help Kiwi group answer some of the questions you have asked.



Click on this link to find some facts online kiwi information.

What does a kiwi look like and sound like?  Check out this clip.

Spring

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

What a wonderful display of colour in our school neighbourhood!  It was a great day for a spring walk.  We watched tui and waxeyes flitting about in the dark pink blossoms then listened to the bees buzzing as they gathered nectar from the light pink blossoms. Our stories were very descriptive today. 

Reading our descriptive recounts

We are sharing our descriptive recounts of 

our spring walk.  We hope you enjoy them.

Our new tablet!

Happy, smiley faces in Room 5.

We now have a tablet to help us with our learning.  This week we tried taking photos of our mouths for our inquiry topic.  It was really fun watching the slideshow of our happy faces. 

Which photo do you think is a good photo? 

What makes it a good photo? 

We will get better at using the tablet by practicing.

Healthy Bodies

Our new inquiry topic is 'Healthy Bodies.' 


We spent Week 6 looking at ways to keep our teeth healthy. On Friday we got our own brand new toothbrush and toothpaste to take home.  

In Week 7, we are going to find out which foods are best for our growing bodies and brains!  We may even get to try some.  What do you think this triangle has to do with healthy eating?

Which foods do you think are good for you? Come ready to share your ideas on Monday.

The incredible story Clyde

This is the cartoon movie that tells the history of Glasgow and of the commonwealth games.  We really enjoyed the way the man spoke with a scottish accent.

The creation of Clyde

This is the you tube clip we watched to inspire us with our mascot design.  

Our mascots for the NZ commonwealth team.

In Art we are learning how to design. We watched a you tube clip of Beth, a 12 year old girl from Scotland, who designed the mascot for the Glasgow games. It was about her year with Clyde, the mascot.  This inspired us to create our own. We decided to design a mascot for the NZ team at the commonwealth games. It took 9 steps to complete our designs. We are proud of them. You can come and see them in the corridor outside room 5! 

Commonwealth Games

Our inquiry this term has been about the commonwealth games.  At the end of the inquiry we celebrated by having a mini commonwealth games in the junior team.  Children competed in teams representing countries from the commonwealth.  We competed in fun games hen had a real medal ceremony at the end. 

Congratulations to our medal winners!  

Alphabet activities.

We practice alphabet activities to help us learn alphabetical order.  
We are learning to put list words into alphabetical order too.  
Our next step is to use a dictionary to help us look up words we don't know in our reading.


Can you put your spelling words into alphabetical order at home?

Gruffalo Art and Writing

We designed our own scary creature after reading the Gruffalo.  We coloured them in with bright pastels. 

 We then wrote stories about them using descriptive adjectives.

Room 5 Dance performance 2014

We have been learning dances in the junior team this term.  Room 5 have really enjoyed learning a lot of different types of dancing.  We chose three dances to perform that we really liked. The children were fantastic!
Thanks to all the families who came to watch the show.  We hope that you enjoy watching the dances again!

The Gruffalo

We spent week 9 reading 'The Gruffalo' by Julia Donaldson.  It is a creative story with an interesting plot where a little mouse tricks all the animals who want to eat him.....including the scary Gruffalo. 

We looked at the descriptive words she used when she wrote about the gruffalo.  Then we created our own scary creature and wrote about it using good descriptive words too.

We learnt a song about the gruffalo and made up some scary actions.  It was great to have fun learning in the last week of term.



We took the song words home to practice during the holidays. This is it;

‘The Gruffalo Song’  

He has terrible tusks,

and terrible claws,

and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws

He’s the Gruffalo, Gruffalo, Gruffalo.

He’s the Gruffalo!

He has nobbly knees

and turned -out toes

and a poisonous wart at the end of this nose

He’s the Gruffalo, Gruffalo, Gruffalo.

He’s the Gruffalo!

His eyes are orange,

his tongue is black,

he has purple prickles all over his back

He’s the Gruffalo, Gruffalo, Gruffalo (x2)

He’s the Grrrr Grrrr Grrr Gruffalo!

He’s the Gruffalo!

Have fun at home showing somebody your dance but don't scare them!