Month: April 2026

Art Blog : Print Maker – Ben Reid

22 April Wednesday 2026

Titan

Research: Analyze why Ben Reid is considered a significant Christchurch print maker.

  • Ben Reid is an important printmajer in Christchurch. He is important because his work talks about what’s happening to the enironment in our local area and how it is connected to bigger issues around the world. His prints often show places in Aotearoa and how people have changed the landscape overtime. I think Ben Reid is significant because he uses printmaking to tell us about things. He layers images and texture to show us how the environment is like a stack of history. His work is part of a conversation about taking care of the earth and out natural resources. This makes him an important voice in New Zealand art.

 

Writing: Discuss how his work investigates the relationship between production and context.

  • Ren Reid’s work looks at how human actions affect the environment. He shows how industries like farming and forestry change the natural world. His prints often include machines, landscapes, and natural elements like leaves and trees. By combining these, he shows the impact humans have on the environment. His use of texture and layering suggests that the land is constantly changing and shaped by human activity. Reid also shows that art is connected to the world around it, not just made in a studio. By using natural matrierials like leaves and soil, he reinforces the relatonship between what we do and how it affects the environment.

Texture: Post a Gallery of your work from today.

Reflection: ‘I conceptually linked my physical classroom environment to the ecological themes in Ben Reid’s established practice.’

  • I Tried to connect my classroom to the ideas I Ben Reid’s work. I looked around and noticed how even small, human0made things can affect the environment. this helped me understand how the place we are in can influence the meaning of out art. It is similar to how Ben Reid connects local envitonments to bigger environmental issues.

Facts:

  • Ben Reid Art is noted artist and printmaker focusing on Aotearoa’s ecological history, conservation, and environmental vulnerability.
  • Ben Reid is a New Zealand artist and printmaker.
  • He mades prints about the encironment.
  • He explores how people have change the landscape.
  • He focuses on evironmental change and carng the earth.
  • His work uses detailed layers to show environmental complecity.
  • He explores the idea of using land that does not belong to us.
  • His word Is importan to New Zealand art.

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Whenua with Richard

This week, Richard from the Regional Council came and worked with the Junior tamariki to support our Kaupapa for the term of “Whenua”. He talked to the tamariki about the bugs we have here in Aotearoa.  An interesting fact we found out was that there are more types of Moths than Butterflies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The task for the day was to build a “Home for a bug” using giant bamboo stems, leaves. sawdust, sticks and bark. The tamariki had to gather all the materials from around the school grounds first.

We then filled the bamboo stems with what we had gathered.

After we finished building the small homes for the bugs we put the bamboo “homes” in a safe place in the school grounds. We hope the bugs love their new homes!

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The Butter Churner: A Simple Tool with a Big Story

WALT write an engaging story about an object explaining what it is, how it works and where we would use it.

Introduction
Have you ever wondered how people made butter before supermarkets existed? A butter churner is a tool that people used long ago to turn cream into butter. It might look simple, but it played an important role in everyday life, especially for families living on farms.

Information
A butter churner is a container, often made of wood, with a stick or handle used to mix cream. Inside, the cream is churned (mixed or shaken) until it changes into butter. This happens because the fat in the cream sticks together and separates from the liquid, which is called buttermilk.

You would usually find a butter churner in a farmhouse kitchen or a dairy shed. In the past, families didn’t have shops nearby, so they had to make their own food. Butter was used every day, so churning was a regular job.

To use a butter churner, you pour cream inside and then move the handle up and down or turn a crank. This process takes time and effort. After a while, the cream thickens, turns into butter, and separates from the liquid. The butter is then taken out and used for cooking or spreading on bread.

Conclusion
Butter churners were important tools in the past. This is because they helped families make their own food using simple materials and hard work. For example, farmers relied on butter churners every day to produce fresh butter for meals, showing how essential this tool was in their daily lives.

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Solving Algorithms using Vertical Algorithms

WALT explain how to add 5 digit numbers using vertical algorithms.

Task Description: This week I have been focused on using algorithms to solve equations including larger numbers. The algorithm I have been using is the vertical method. I have been using this method in unit 2 topic 2 in my maths textbook. I did addition and subtraction for this algorithm. This has been a good refresh for me brain to get a head of the basics in mathematics. When I get to maths I have to make up a 5 digit number and add it with another person’s 5 digit number for a short warm up. – Niah

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Evening Sunset – ANZAC

This week, Aina set us an ANZAC artwork challenge using Google Drawings. The task was a little different from usual because instead of being shown how to create the artwork step-by-step, we were first shown a finished image. Our job was to carefully look at it, figure out what tools and techniques had been used, and then recreate our own version.

To begin, we studied the image closely and tried to break it down into parts. We thought about what shapes, colours, and layers were used and how they were put together. From there, we started experimenting in Google Drawings, using shapes, gradients, and images to build my artwork. We focused on creating a strong ANZAC theme, making sure to include meaningful elements that represent remembrance, such as silhouettes, colours, and symbols.

One of the biggest challenges was figuring out exactly how the original image had been made. Because we weren’t given instructions, it required a lot of problem-solving and trial and error. Sometimes things didn’t look right the first time, so we had to adjust sizes, colours, and layering to get the effect we wanted. Another challenge was learning how to use some of the tools properly, like gradients and transparency, to make the artwork look more polished. – Jess

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Biology blog assesment

hello everyone today i am going to tell you what i worked on science in term 1 Biology.

in biology term 1 i learnt about what DNA is, punnett squares, what can the offspring gender be, mutations and natural  and artificial selections.

what is DNA? DNA full form is deoxyribonncliuracid. it is in a cell shaped like a twisted ladder or a double helix. it is passed down by your parent. it is unique to everyone except twins. inside a DNA their are 2 base pairs A and T in one and the other is G and C . DNA is in a gene. Gene is an section of  a DNA for a trait for example hair colors. different versions of them are called alleles. Alleles are different versions of the same genes for example black hair and blonde hair. these genes are inherited by your parents that were inherited by their ancestors. to know what gene you get you need to do something called a punnett sqaures. punett squares are to calculate what genes you will get from your chromosomes.

Alleles are different versions of genes, and they affect traits in animals. Some traits help animals survive better in their environment, while others do not. Traits that are not suited to the environment are less likely to be passed on to offspring. This process is called natural selection. For example, many moths are camouflaged, which helps protect them from predators. Moths that are not well camouflaged are easier for predators to see and may be eaten. If they do not survive to reproduce, they do not pass on those traits. The moths that survive and reproduce are more likely to pass on   their camouflage traits to their offspring. after a few generations the moths will evolve overtime to be more camouflage.

thank you for reading.

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most times spent on a swing

hii everyone today we are back on kiwi kids news.  after 48 hours of nearly non-stop swinging at waitangi park, a guy may have broken the world record for the longest time spent on a swing. his swing-a-thon started friday afternoon and ended sunday, beating the previous record by 11 hours. he also raised money for a mental health charity called i am hope.

byee everyone

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Anzac Day – from our window to the war memorial!

Last week, we learned about Anzac Day. We listened to stories and poems and reflected on the sacrifices made by so many. To bring our learning to life, we also created a beautiful poppy wreath, proudly displayed in our studio window.

Today, on Anzac Day, that learning became something even more special.

Early this morning, Zayieh and her family attended the Dawn Service in Cathedral Square, Christchurch. They laid our studio wreath at the war memorial. Seeing our work included in such a significant ceremony was incredibly powerful and something we will all remember.

A huge thank you to Zayieh and her family for suggesting this idea and for representing our class in such a meaningful way.

If you’d like to see this special moment, you can follow this link to watch the full service, or skip ahead to 1 hour and 14 minutes.

“We will not forget.”

    

 

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The Cookie Jar

Chapter 1: The Cookie Jar

I was walking through the kitchen when I suddenly stopped. Sitting on the counter was a jar filled with cookies. My stomach growled, as my face turned into hunger. I slowly walked toward it, my mouth already watering. Just as I reached out— “JASMIN!” Mum shouted. I jumped and quickly turned around. She stood there, staring at me with anger in her eyes. Before she could say anything else, I grabbed the jar and ran as fast as I could. My heart pounded as I rushed down the hallway. After a few seconds, I stopped and turned around. No one was there. Not even Mum. Everything was quiet. I let out a breath and slowly walked away, disappearing into the shadows.

Chapter 2: Things Changed Slowly

I kept walking, heading down the alley as the sky grew darker. It felt like night was coming too fast. I hurried back home. When I got inside, I quickly shut the door behind me and locked it. The house felt strangely quiet. I went to the living room and lay down on the soft, warm couch. I must have fallen asleep. Hours later, I woke up and checked my phone. 10:30 p.m. I rubbed my eyes, still tired. Then something hit me. The cookie jar. I ran to the kitchen. It was gone. I checked the living room. Nothing. I checked every room in the house. Still nothing. Everywhere I looked… there was nothing.

Chapter 3: The Missing Jar

The next morning, I woke up with a strange feeling in my chest. Something wasn’t right. I went back to the kitchen, hoping the jar would magically reappear. But it didn’t. Instead, I noticed something new. Crumbs. Small cookie crumbs were scattered across the floor, leading out of the kitchen. I followed them slowly. They led down the hallway… then stopped at my bedroom door. My hand shook as I reached for the handle. I opened it. Everything looked normal. Too normal. I stepped inside and looked around carefully. Then I saw it. On my desk. The cookie jar. But this time… It wasn’t full. It was completely empty.

Chapter 4: Something Isn’t Right

I stared at the empty jar, my heart racing. I knew I didn’t eat all those cookies. So who did? Suddenly, I heard a soft noise behind me. A small crunch. Like someone stepping on crumbs. I slowly turned around. No one was there. But the door… was now closed. I was sure I left it open. My breathing got faster. Then— Another crunch. This time, it came from inside my room. I backed away from the jar. “Hello?” I whispered. No answer. But something moved. Not clearly… just a shadow. And then I realised— I wasn’t alone.

                                                                          To be continued….

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Te Rā Hangarau-Robotics

I tenei paraire i mahi te ruma waru me te ruma whitu i te hangarau mo tenei wiki.

Tuatahi i haere matou i roto i te wharepukapuka ki te mahi i te taumata ki te whakarite me timata i te ra mo hangarau.

Whai muri tera, i haere taku roopu ko Jzahn, Shaun, Kauri, Matua, Peter, Deville, Te rehutai, Vi, me ahau ki te wharekaretao (Robotics) ki te tuhituhi i runga i te pepa. (evaluation)

Na wai na wai, i mutu matou i te pepa amuri i tera, i korero a whaea Sarah “I tenei wa me takaro koutou i nga wero mo tenei taima” i korero matou “ae”.

Tuarua, i haere matou  kei waho ki te kai i nga kai me ki te takaro kei waho i runga i te whira me te raima amuri i tera, i hoki matou ki roto i te whare ki te mutu i nga kemu.

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How to take notes like a Caveman!

LI: To learn extract only the most critical information from a text.

For Inquiry , we learned a super cool way to take notes, like a caveman.This means we only wrote down short bits, like keywords and little pictures or quick sayings, instead of long sentences.We practiced finding the most important stuff and leaving out the extra, not-so-important stuff. This made our notes faster to write and easy to remember later. We used things like arrows and short cuts to connect our ideas and keep things simple. It helped us focus on the big ideas instead of writing too, too much. So, this project helped me learn how to take clear, simple notes by focusing on the main points and making everything short and easy to read!

 

 

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Painting Poppies!

This week Room 1 students learned about ANZAC Day, a special day when we remember the soldiers from World War I. We talked about how people wear poppy flowers to show respect and remembrance for those who served and lost their lives.

The students loved painting poppy flowers using watercolours and showed creativity in their work.

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Learning letter Bb

This week, we focused on learning and practicing the letter b. The students explored this new letter by listening to the /b/ sound and thinking of simple words like ball, bat, and banana. The learners then practiced writing the letter b in their handwriting books. They worked carefully on forming the letter, starting at the top, moving down, and then around.

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Celebrating Success

We are very proud of Pelenatita who has had her story titled “My Taonga” published in the latest issue of the Aho Korero series.  Well done, Pele! You have inspired the rest of us to keep working at our writing and submitting our work to be published. So watch this space!!

 

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Anzac🪖

Hi so today I made a poster about WW1/Anzac

So I wrote facts and some stuff that happend in the war.

Did you know that people that sacafierce their self to go to war really work hard for us and try fight for us even though its hard.

Make sure that everyone is ok evrywhere and also remeber Don´t judge a book by its cover judge it by the inside.

Thank you for scrolling by make sure to comment on my posts!

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Dog Safety at WPS

Today we had some very special guests from Auckland Council come and speak to us about Dog Safety. There has been a rise in dog bites and dog attacks all over our country, some even in our community. It is important for our learners to keep safe around stray dogs and dogs that are off lead wandering around the streets.

Some of the reminders are: always ask the owner before you pet a dog, have a closed fist and allow the dog to sniff your fist, pet a dog under it’s neck or chest, don’t approach dogs when they are eating and stand like a tree and try not to run if a dog chases you. It’s important to look for signs when NOT to approach a dog.

A big shout out and thank you to Lesha, Austin, Miguel, Justine and a crowd favourite Paprika (husky dog) that came to visit us. Here are some short snippets and pics from their visit with us today. Click here if you would like to know more.

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Kiriata o the reo girls!!!

I tenei wiki i a matou a matua matt, i nga wa katoa e noho ana ia ki a matou ka mahia e ia he kiriata e pa ana ki nga mea i akohia e matou i roto i te reo Maori. Na i tenei wiki i hanga he kiriata ka kiia matou Ko nga kotiro reo!!
a i tino koa matou na te mea i nga wa katoa ka mahi matou i tetahi kiriata ka whiua e matou nga tama tane na te mea he wero tonu ko wai ka taea te hanga kiriata pai, otira ka mahia e matou te kiriata pai rawa atu!!!

he ataata tenei o tetahi o a maatau kiriata ko te tumanako ka koa koe me te korero mai i te pai o to maatau kiriata!!!!

Nau mai haere mai ki te kiriata o the reo girls by TeAuparo Tau-Kata

 

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