Waitemata @ Waikowhai Primary School

In the first few weeks of Term 1, we looked at the Treaty of Waitangi and what it meant to New Zealand then and now. We analysed the different parts of the treaty and how the two versions differed when translated originally. We the looked at our school respect code and our rights and responsibilities as students, teachers, learners and friends. We decided our class treaty would have 5 articles (People, Property, Learning, Safety and Home) and then brainstormed two of the main rules, or laws that we could form under those headings. Once we had our treaty laws decided, Miss Daly drew it up on brown paper with black ink. We then rubbed brown soft pastel onto it to make it look old. Rio brought in a fountain pen and we all signed it, including the staff that all work in Te Waka Ako. We are very proud of our treaty!

Wow it is Week 4 already! We have been so busy setting goals, swimming and getting used to our new space that time has flown by! We are very luck this to have 2 fabulous student teachers joining us this year (3 weeks in Term 1 and later in Term 3). Miss Aberdin and Miss Ocampo. Miss Ocampo will be based with Miss Daly in Waitemata so if you see her about be sure to say hi. We played some team building games like making a stretcher out of 12 sheets of newspaper, 4m string and tape. The challenge was to make it strong enough to carry 7kgs through an obstacle course. It was a lot of fun! We have been having lots of fun in the school pool, in Week 3 we refreshed our sculling, floating, gliding and freestyle skills. This week we are off to Cameron Pools! We are extremely lucky to have access to 10 free swimming lessons taught by professionals. It is so important that our tamariki learn how to swim as we live in a place that is surrounded by water, please remind your child to brin...

Wow a new year and a new classroom. I am very excited to be teaching in Waitemata with the year 5 and 6's. We have all adapted to our new places and faces and have jumped straight into learning. This week we are learning all about each other and our school. We have set up our class site, personal blogs next week we will be moving into our Maths, and Literacy groups. This week we have been looking at the Treaty of Waitangi and why it is so important. We have been creating personal timelines in Maths, and creating emotion poems in Writing. Next is goal setting. Please take the time to look at our blogs as we load up our digital pepehas. Here is Miss Daly's so you can learn more about her.

Here is a little peek at of our session yesterday with Tristar Gymnastics. They created a small Parkour circuit which Demitrius managed to do in 15 seconds with no mistakes. The rules were to keep you feet off the grass and make sure you did a shoulder roll not a head roll. Well done Demitrius!

Well Term three ended with some very tired but happy students in Te Ana Ako. Two extra happy students were Disaree and Brittany who both won 'Lunch with the Teacher' in our Citizen of the Week draw. Here is a pic of them with their lunch. Week one of Term 4 was spent catching up on holiday stories and adventures, and then straight into testing. Miss Daly is still away every Friday doing her Digital Fluency Course so she hasn't been to an assembly in 6 weeks! Week 2 was a short week. We have started training for Athletics by practising the High Jump, Long Jump and Sprints. We have also been practising our dance for production...which is in week 4!! I hope everyone has their tickets, its going to be a great show!

We were very lucky to have a professional scooter skills trainer come to us on Thursday. He show us how to put our helmets on correctly, brake slowly and perform emergency stops. He also showed us how to cross a pedestrian crossing properly and check driveways. What a great (but misty) morning!