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.