Room 4 had a very exciting visit from a Guide Dog puppy and its trainers. The children were thrilled to meet the beautiful dog and learn about the important work that Guide Dogs do to help people who are blind or have low vision.The trainers taught us how Guide Dogs are carefully trained from a young age to become confident, calm, and helpful companions. We learned about the different signals that dogs use to communicate how they are feeling. The children were fascinated to discover that a dog’s tail, ears, eyes, and body position can tell us whether a dog is happy, nervous, relaxed, or excited.The puppy was very well-behaved and showed us how it follows commands and listens carefully to its handler. The children asked thoughtful questions and enjoyed hearing about the puppy training journey.This visit helped us learn about kindness, responsibility, and how animals can support people in their daily lives. It was a wonderful hands-on learning experience, and Room 4 would like to thank the Guide Dog team for taking the time to visit us and share their knowledge.

What a pawsome day of learning for Room 4!

Room 4 participated in the Firewise Programme with Fire and Emergency New Zealand. The tamariki learned important fire safety messages, including what to do if there is a fire, how firefighters help keep us safe, and the importance of having an escape plan at home.The highlight of the day was exploring the fire truck and seeing the firefighters’ equipment up close. The children were fascinated by the hoses, safety gear, and all the special tools carried on the truck. Many students had the opportunity to sit inside the fire engine and try on firefighter gear, making the learning experience both fun and memorable.Our tamariki asked thoughtful questions, listened carefully, and showed great enthusiasm throughout the visit. It was wonderful to see them making connections between their learning and real-life community helpers. A huge thank you to Fire and Emergency New Zealand for delivering such an engaging Firewise session and helping our students learn valuable safety skills that they can share with their whānau.

This week we went to the zoo and it was an exciting and memorable experience. We enjoyed the bus ride, spent time talking with parents, teachers, and friends, and explored a range of animals in their habitats. We learned about the different adaptations in animals and how they support animals’ survival through an engaging education session with Koha. Also, we were amazed by the powerful gaze of the lion who was only 7 years old. By the end of the day, we were quite tired. The trip was fun, engaging, and full of memorable learning experiences.

It was Room 20s turn to explore science in our māra today and what a wonderful job they did.

The knowledge the boys in this class had around states of matter was really awesome and they were so keen to share. Once we headed to the garden and got our jobs done they were keen to look closely at the compost. The first observations were not very thorough but once we knew a bit more about what we were looking at the korero and knowledge came out. It is so positive to see some who might struggle in the classroom participate and contribute completely to a different style of lesson.

We learnt all about the process of the compost (fruit peels, leaves, straw) we put into the bin changing its state of matter to a fine, rich soil over time and thanks to the help of temperature and our chewers and pooers (worms and other insects). This learning was clear because we could see it right in front of us. We made a compost in a jar to keep in the classroom for the next 4 weeks so that we can observe any changes that happen.

We also checked on the Maunga team science project of buried waste and found that the plastics had not changes at all but the more natural products like the wooden fork, our lunch packaging, cardboard and a paper towel had all started to decompose. The orange continues to ripen, maybe we will eat it soon.

A wonderful day of learning.

This week, we celebrated Samoan Language Week and had an amazing time learning about Samoan culture and traditions.

We learnt how to introduce ourselves and say a Bible verse in Samoan, took part in the Cheehoo Challenge, and enjoyed making ula lole, grating coconuts, and peeling green bananas. We also had the opportunity to taste delicious Samoan foods, including koko alaisa, suafai, and koko esi, and watched many amazing performances.

For Room 14, the highlight of the week was seeing our special friend, J, perform in front of the whole school. We are incredibly proud of you, J! What a special and memorable celebration of Samoan culture.

This week we celebrated Samoan Language Week – Vaiaso o le Gagana Sāmoa.

In our classroom, we love learning about and celebrating all cultures every day. We especially look forward to language weeks throughout the year! We love the festivities and all the extra activities and learning that happen throughout the week.

In the hall at lunchtime this week, we took part in some activities like, Fofo’e fa’i (green banana peeling) Valu popo (coconut scraping) Ula lole making (lolly lei making) and Mea’ai Samoa (Samoan food tasting).

Fa’afetai lava for a wonderful week of learning, laughter, and celebration

As part of our EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) programme, Room 7 visited MOTAT for an exciting day of learning, discovery, and hands-on experiences. One of the highlights of our visit was a special session with a MOTAT educator focused on the science of sound.

During the session, students explored how sound is created through vibrations. We learned that when objects vibrate, they create sound waves that travel through the air to our ears. The educator used engaging demonstrations to help us see and hear how different materials and instruments produce different types of sounds.

Room 7 students had the opportunity to participate in interactive activities, such as testing sound through various objects and experimenting with pitch and volume. It was fascinating to discover how changing the strength or speed of vibrations can make sounds higher or lower, louder or softer.

The session encouraged curiosity and teamwork, as students worked together to make predictions and share their observations. Many students were surprised by how sound can travel through solids, liquids, and gases, and how it plays an important role in everyday life.

Overall, the MOTAT sound workshop was an enriching and memorable experience for Room 7. It helped deepen our understanding of science in a fun and practical way, connecting classroom learning to real-world applications.

Learning came alive as we explored new ideas across science, mathematics, reading, and writing. At the Science Roadshow, we investigated respiration, nutrition, earthquake epicentres, constellations, and the relationship between Earth and the Moon through exciting hands-on activities. In mathematics, we measured the volume of rectangular prisms and built cubes with a volume of 24 cubic centimetres using 3D blocks. In reading, we made text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections and practised summarising key ideas. In writing, we learned how independent and dependent clauses work together to create clear and meaningful sentences.

Room 13, we are still learning about matter. We experimented by collecting different materials from outside and testing them in a container of water. We observed which objects floated and which objects sank. We learned that some materials are lighter and can float, while others are heavier and sink in water.

In Week 5, Room 13 visited the Science Roadshow at Papakura Primary School. We explored interactive experiments, learned about acids, bases, gases, and the human body. Our favourite activities included explosions, balancing challenges, and illusions. It was exciting, fun, and educational. We enjoyed working with other schools and sharing our scientific thinking together. Here are some of  reflections from members of the class:

Israel:
One thing I did really well at the Roadshow was testing how strong I was. Everyone was strong, but I almost made it to the end.
One activity was about balancing a stick. I was only two seconds away from completing it. I learned about how much poo an average person produces. It was over one hundred kilograms.
They told us that we breathe in air with our lungs and breathe out waste gases.
We also learned about luck and chance. They picked a volunteer from the audience.
They talked about smart people from the past. One person they mentioned was Albert Einstein.

The Science Roadshow: by LJ
The best part about the Roadshow was the moving bike. It was really fun. I liked it because it made me think about balancing, staying on the bike, and trying not to fall down. It made me feel dizzy, and I felt like my stomach was coming up.
Something I found a bit tricky was the toy gun because it was very heavy, but it was still fun. There was also a small activity that was a bit tricky. Something that made me happy was the jumping activity. I tried to jump as high as I could. I also liked using the bike brake because it was very heavy and hard to pull.

Science Roadshow: by Maddox
Yesterday, we went to Papakura Primary School for the Science Roadshow. We learned about acids and bases. There was also a material called Pyrex. When the presenters put it into water, it seemed to turn invisible. We learned about poo, pee, and the human body. There was an activity where you had to choose what food you would eat and whether you would rather fight a bear or a lion. We learned a lot and listened carefully with the students from KingsGate Primary School.

Reflection:- 21/05/2025 -By Lyca

What I experienced on our class trip to the Science Roadshow at Papakura Normal.
What went well?
Title: Science Roadshow

What went well?
What went well was that everyone was having fun. We got to touch and play with the science equipment. We also enjoyed watching the presenters do the experiments. That is what went well.

What was tricky?
What was tricky was finding the activities we wanted to do. We didn’t know where the instructions were until some people from the Roadshow showed us where to find them. It was fun though.

What could I do to make it better?
What I could do to make it better was volunteer to help. I could also be patient and wait for other people to have their turn before me.

Talofa lava. We have been celebrating Samoan Language this week with a special assembly. Students from Manurewa High School visited and entertained us with their amazing Samoan singing and dancing.

Tuesday afternoons are our Library Session. We enjoy taking the time to look through the bookshelves and play some of the games in our school library.

The highlight of our week was our trip to the Auckland Museum at the end of the week. We learned about Mātariki inn the Education Centre and explored the rest of the museum. Thank you to Raeesah’s Dad, Aerhyl’s Mum, and Adisree’s Grandad, who supported our students on the trip. We arrived at school too late for Tama to go home with a student so…

…this week Tama was awarded to…WHAEA ANGELA! He’ll be spending a busy long weekend looking after Whaea Charlie’s baby, Eramiha.

29/5/26

Today we departed by bus to MOTAT with one parent helper; Ahana’s mum – Shela.  It was a beautiful day. Our tamariki were super excited.  After having a nibble to eat, we went to our guided session where we got to learn about sound.  We looked at and interacted with many objects that make sound.  The tamariki really enjoyed exploring all the sounds they could make with the different items.

We also explored the main Science and Technology Centre which is packed full of interactive STEM play areas.  We also looked Accelerate: A gallery with cars and transport tech.  After lunch we caught the tram and went for a ride all the way down to the Aviation Hall and back.  The tamariki looked like they were going to fall asleep on the tram so we went to get an iceblock to wake them up a bit and let them have a play on the small playground areas around the grounds.  It was such a good day for the tamariki who were so curious and busy, that most of them nodded off on the bus ride home.  That was the quietest part of our day lol.

Our Tukutuku Tamariki are playing with their favourite puppets by responding to the music provided.

Talofa lava! Welcome to Samoan Language Week in Room 7!

We started the week with a special opening ceremony to celebrate Samoan Language Week. Every day this week we have been learning new things about Samoan culture, traditions, music, and language.

Students have been learning and practising basic Samoan phrases such as:

• Talofa lava – Hello

• Fa’afetai – Thank you

• Tōfā soifua – Goodbye

The students enjoyed using these phrases during class activities and conversations with each other.

Room 7 students also completed a creative craft activity by making colourful Samoan flowers. They used bright colours and patterns to create beautiful artwork that is now displayed proudly in our classroom.

We are proud of the students for showing enthusiasm, creativity, and respect while learning about Samoan culture and language.Fa’afetai tele lava from Room 7!

Kia ora team,

The last few weeks, we have been on a real science kick! We have been learning about states of matter and the water cycle, and we even got to go on a trip to Papakura Normal School to experience the Science Roadshow. Here are some photos from when we got to explore the different science learning stations.

This week in particular, we have been doing lots of learning about our four hoa mā – our class pets, Luna, Sky, Star, and Moon. They have grown so healthy and big, and now it is time to return them to the farm where they first came to us as tadpoles.

Have a click here to see a video of our best buds!

Science Road Show Adventure

Room 12 students had an exciting trip to Science Roadshow at Papakura Normal School. We had a fantastic day exploring science through hands-on activities, experiments, and interactive displays.

As soon as we arrived, we were amazed by all the different science stations. There were activities about forces, electricity, sound, movement, and even optical illusions. The students loved being able to touch, test, and experiment with the equipment.

One of the highlights was watching the live science demonstrations. We saw exciting experiments that made us laugh, gasp, and think carefully about how science works in our everyday lives. The presenters explained scientific ideas in fun and interesting ways that helped us learn while having fun.

The students showed excellent curiosity, teamwork, and behaviour throughout the day. Many students asked thoughtful questions and enjoyed sharing their discoveries with their classmates.

Our trip to the Science Road Show helped us understand that science is everywhere around us. It inspired us to keep exploring, questioning, and learning about the world.

A big thank you to the staff and organisers for creating such an engaging and educational experience for our Year 4 students!

This week in Room 23 we used EE app to create some animals. Check out how it went!

We are getting much more confident to sign in using our name and date on the EE app.

Whaea Natalie showed us an example of a fish she made. She used triangles, circles and ovals. We worked along side her to create our own fish. We tried our best to make our fish look like Whaea Natalies. We used colours to  fill in our shapes and lastly we used the duplicate button to make a school of fish. Whaea Natalie told us to fill the background with any colour blue we liked and we added bubbles to show our fish breathing.

When we were confident we were able to create any kind of animal we liked. Whaea Natalie had some examples on the board for inspiration. Some of us chose to create our own birds, lions, elephants and rabbits.

We wrote our names on our pictures and Miss Flavell printed some to be displayed on our wall.

During feedback time we got to share about our favourite part of the lesson. Most of us really enjoyed creating our own animals.

We took some photos to share on our class blog.

Room 11 enjoying and practicing basket ball skills