Hall of Fame with Phonics and Handwriting

Pounamu have made phonics and handwriting a focus for term two and we are starting to see some real progress. We are having so much success that we wanted to celebrate, we now have photos of students on our 'Hall of Fame' who feel they have achieved their goals and are proud of their work - check out those smiles!

P.E Time in Pounamu!

Every Monday morning we start with P.E in Pounamu! Our focus this term is on developing our motor skills. This includes things such as balance, climbing, coordination and eye tracking. We got to use our brand new gear this week and practise all our skills! 

Eye tracking with our awesome rainbow balls. 

Watch the ball and catch! 

Can you get the ball through the hoop?

Got it! 

Catch!

The skip it is hard but we got there!

Undiscovered Concept Groups Having Fun!

Wow, there was so much going on Friday morning. In the space area they were creating Saturn and art based around Matariki. In the dinosaur area they were sketching skeletons and role playing with dinosaurs and their habitat. In the volcano area they were creating a 3D cross-section of a volcano and another were trying to build the shape of a volcano with connecting straws - which is much more difficult than it looks!

Amazing Astro-Physicist Squad

We have been learning about planets and the sun. Today we drew around our shadows to see the effect of the sun. We made some predictions about what we thought might happen when we went back 30 minutes later. We thought the shadows would get shorter, or longer, disappear or not change. This is what did happen;

Ukulele Club

Some of the amazing children in Pounamu (and Coronet and Hays) have been coming to Ukulele club run by Miss Tetli. Here is a video of the song we are learning.

NZ Playhouse - Puss in Boots: Pet Detective

On Thursday we were given the opportunity to enjoy a performance of Puss in Boots: Pet Detective. For many of the students, it was the first time they had seen a live show and subsequently they were very excited. Check out those faces of joy! The performers were full of energy and enthusiasm, and it was great fun to watch. 

The show had the moral, 'Don't judge a book by its cover' and there was a clear message of giving people a chance, which ties in nicely to what we are working on over the next few weeks - empathy. To collaborate we need to show that we understand what it feels like to be a part of a group and to understand how people feel if they are not included. What a great way to introduce the new topic! :)

What lives in the sea? A Squid

Mrs Snow taught us how to dissect a squid and make observations like a scientist would. We were also curious and came up with lots of wonderings.