The digestive and skeletal system

We have had an interesting inquiry into the digestive and skeletal system. It has created some fascinating discussion and the systems are more amazing than we imagined. The students have written explanations on the digestive system and information reports on the skeletal system, so look out for them on their individual blogs. They have also created a skeleton picture using the correct bone names as the visuals instead of bones. Here are a few of the pictures and videos that we used to help learn about these systems. The first one is real camera footage inside the digestive system - a little gross, but amazing.

Weight and temperature

This morning we looked into measuring weight and temperature. Some of the things we focused on were Net weight, Gross weight, Fahrenheit compared to Celsius, estimation, conversion between grams and kilograms, and how to use thermometers. Estimation was especially interesting. Unless you have used measured weight a lot, it is hard to estimate. The students estimated how many pens would weigh the same as a stapler, as well as how heavy a feather or a Boeing 747 (333 - 440 tonne) would be. Here are a few pictures of our learning.

The house full of secrets

As part of learning about personification and editing we have been doing some collaborative writing. The students wrote a section in pairs, then in groups of four they combined pieces together. Then a group of students edited the pieces so they would flow together. Excellent work guys, you can be proud. 

Well done Ellen, your title was selected as the best one for our writing.

As I walked through the lush green grass I saw the old house standing all alone on top of a hill. An elegant oak stood tall and quiet, swallowing part of the house. The scene around me was airy and silent. So quiet, I could hear the earth breathing. My emotions ran away on me and I started to feel sad as I trudged on towards the house.

When I arrived at the house I took a detour to the lonely tree. The monstrous drunken branches of the ragged tree drooped to the ground as if asleep. I started to make my way towards the house. I glanced back at the old leafy tree. I wondered what it had been through, what it had seen.

As I looked up at the old broken gate it towered over me. I opened the gate and it fell off its rotten hinges.

I stumbled past the rustic windows that looked like they had been abandoned for decades. It was like the house was alive and was peering through her smashed glasses. Ivy dressed her cracked body. A bad feeling began to rush through my spine.

Then I noticed the old, rusty door and wondered what it would lead me to if I opened it. I opened the creaky door and she screamed in agony as she swung open on her hinges. Brittle timber carelessly dropped to the ground as she took her last gasp of air.

I crept into the room. My eyes squinted from the broken light. A chair stood in the corner of the crumbling room. A shiver ran down my spine. The smell was musty and looked like someone had perished in that room. I then turned and walked away leaving the house’s secrets for ever.

The Circulatory System

Today we looked at this quote:

Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.  

Many of us don't know how complex the workings of our body are and yet we walk around in it every day of our lives. The body is amazing and today we started to look at just why it is so amazing. In our inquiry we are going to look at the different systems of the body and how they work perfectly together to help us exist and operate. We started looking at the Circulatory System. We learnt about how much blood we have in our body and how fast the heart pumps it around the body.

Here is a video where Evaan tries to compete with a heart.


It was so great to see you asking such inquisitive questions guys. I think this is going to be a great inquiry.

A few amazing facts:

• It takes 20 - 60 seconds for a blood cell to leave the heart, travel around the body again, and make it back to the heart.
• The heart pumps 5 liters around the body in 1 minute, with each beat pumping about a third of a cup. Check out the video attached to see just how fast this is.
• The circulatory system is basically the transport system of the body. The blood transports the nutrients, oxygen, CO2 and lots of other things around the body. 
• Arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart and veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart and then on to the lungs to be reoxygenated.

Here are a couple of pictures we used to discuss the heart.

Inquiry - The Human Body

Created with Padlet

TPC 2015 - RAFT

Another Te Pahu Challenge completed! Well done guys. It was so good to see your attitudes and enthusiasm towards the rafting. You took it on, played your part as a team to manoeuvre the rafts in different directions, and had loads of fun along the way. We had great guides who helped us learn about safety on the river as well as the techniques of rafting. Rafting rivers is such a great way to experience beautiful New Zealand, with their crystal clear and icy cold water meandering through the wild landscape. Now you all just need to convince your parents to take you on the Grade 3! We were privileged to see 3 Whio (Blue duck) on the river too. This native duck is much rarer than the kiwi with only 2000 - 3000 left in the world!

A few other highlights:

• The Disguised Dinner - everyone went all out and we had all sorts of costumes, from synchronized swimmers, to Darth Vader and a fairy! 
• The Ultimate Mint Imperial Battle - A hilarious series of challenges from Irish dancing and accents, to the best cat walk, moon walk and robot, to the best best cheer leading routine, to the most post-it notes on someones face. It was great to see the adults involved and taking out some of the challenges too, such as the splits and accent challenges.
• Taranaki Falls - We got to walk in and out of the treeline on the track to Taranki falls in the Tongariro National Park. It was great to have discussions along the way about the landscape and the volcanic nature of the park. 

PhotoPeach

Cyber safety

So much is done on the internet these days and it is just going to keep increasing. It has so many advantages and uses in life, however, it can be a dangerous thing and we need to learn to be safe and wise in how we use it. We have started to look at being safe with digital technology (Phones, computers, iPads, etc). This is especially important as the students head to high school and reach the age where they may possibly get a Facebook account.

We have started looking at protecting your personal information. Thinking carefully about posting details such as your location, name, contact details, age, etc on the internet. We looked at a mock 'Friendbook' page and identified all the good strategies and as well as the careless information on it. There was some really good discussions we had guys and I hope you take the safety tips on board.

We will continue to look at it throughout the year, especially in relation to our use of it at school in research and our blogs. There is a little bit of information and some videos that relate to this topic in the Cyber Safety tab at the top of the blog.

Pencil Portraits

Here they are! Room 7's awesome pencil portraits. Well done guys. You can be all proud of what you have done. You worked hard and it has paid off.

PhotoPeach

Kindy reading

We went down to the local kindy today to do some reading and spend some time with the preschoolers. I was so impressed by the way you cared for and  interacted with the children guys. You were awesome leaders. Well done. You probably don't comprehend what that would have meant to some of those children. I am sure they will tell their parents all about it tonight.

Swimming

It has been a great year of swimming so far. The school swimming sports went really well with everyone giving their best. All the best to the group that is off to Lower Waipa this Thursday.

We have started to look more at survival skills in the water. We have learnt to do side stroke which is a great survival stroke that keeps your head above the water. The students picked this up really quickly. Well done guys. The trickiest part was doing a scissor kick, and not the breaststroke kick.

We have also spent some time exploring how clothes affect our swimming and learnt how to take jeans and heavy sweatshirts off in the water. Quite a challenge and really important things to think about.

Creative writing

We have been learning to slow down our narratives and add detail and description to create vivid pictures in the readers heads. It is better to have a few events described really well than lots of events described poorly. For this example the students wrote their own version of the above task and then combined the best parts with a partner. Here are a few of the combined pieces. Keep a look out on the individual blogs for the rest. They are all awesome. Well done guys - your words created such a vivid picture which made me feel like I was there.

I sprinted, my legs screamed with pain. All I could hear was the deathening sound of roaring rapids. I looked up to see an old run-down house covered in a thick grey blanket of misty fog. Only shimmers of light could pierce its evil darkness. I stumbled up a jagged rock, to find myself staring down on an old rotten draw bridge. I approached it with extreme caution, as if it would collapse under the weight of my foot. Slowly but cautiously I laid my foot down on the old rotten draw bridge.

By Logan and Jared

I stumbled upon what looked like a blanket of grey but through the fog the outlines of what looked like a castle shone bright. It was enveloped in mist making it seem bigger than it already was. My curiosity grew as I slowly started moving towards the bridge. I crossed the old jagged bridge and the floorboards below my feet squealed. The sounds of the waterfall and thunder were erased and the only thing I could hear was my own breathing, and my own heart beating so fast I could feel it trying to break out of my chest. I was now standing at the door of this mansion. The wind whistled as a flickering light cast shadows upon the old oak porch. The door handle of the house was rusted and old, it felt as though it was going to fall apart in my hands.

By Bradley and Evaan

As I creep up to the rickety bridge I can only see the outline of the haunted building. The shriveled up leaves cracking under my feet. I wonder if the bridge is stable? I place my left foot on the first mossy plank of wood. I hear a creak and look down at whitewashed water. I cling my hand to the rope rail and feel the roughness of the old moss. I put my right foot forward and take another step. My shoe slips and the board I was standing on was no longer beneath my feet. I approach the old rimu door. As I knock the whispering arrives, I feel a tingle down my back. I jump down one step as the door opens with a crack.

By Laura and Sophie

Te Pahu Challenge - TREE

Today we started the TREE challenge of our Te Pahu Challenge. This challenge involves gathering seed, sowing it, and nurturing its growth throughout the year. This morning we went to the Kaniwhaniwha Reserve with some of our local experts; Nardene, Maxine and Craig. They taught us many things about the age of our native trees, how they spread their seeds, how do a identify a variety of different seeds and all sorts of other interesting skills and knowledge. We then gathered about 12 different kinds of seeds. It was fascinating the massive variety in what seeds look like from fluffy Pukatea seeds, to big Tawa seed and small Karamu berries. We all gained a greater appreciation for our native plants and the process of reproducing. We then brought the seeds back to school and used our native nursery to sow them. Now we need to keep them moist, watch them germinate, and eventually prick them out into their own pots. One key bit of learning is how long it actually takes for native plants to grow. I think we will think twice about stepping on little growing plants in the forest now as we appreciate how long it takes for them to grow that big. Thank you so much to our parents for helping and especially our experts - you really inspired us with your knowledge and willingness to help.

I made tea

One of our writing focuses at the moment is ensuring we have the DETAIL required to create clear pictures in people minds. I made tea is a very simple sentence which gives us a very unclear picture (or no picture) in our mind. We need to add detail (elaborate) on it so the reader can put themselves into the situation. Click on the picture below to be linked through to a website which does exactly that to the sentence I made tea. Have a look as it is really effective. The students are practicing doing this and you will soon see examples on their blogs.

ART - Pencil portraits

Students are beginning to finish their pencil portraits. They are looking awesome and students are really developing their sketching and shading skills. They are producing great contrast, gradients and proportions. Here are a couple of the finished ones. You can look forward to seeing the rest of them soon.

Te Pahu Challenge - SURF

What an awesome day we had! Perfect weather, great waves, warm water, lots of smiles, lots of crashes and LOTS of success! It was so good to see everyone standing, surfing the waves. Our awesome instructor gave us plenty of great tips and skills. There are some real natural surfers in room 7! One of the countries best surfing spots is on our doorstep - I see some future pro surfers!

Our other challenge was flying a kite boarding kite. This was also awesome. It was quite tricky at first getting used to the kite and the wind's strong pull but again we persevered and experienced success.

Enjoy the video guys and you can all feel proud of your perseverance, skills and success!

Beach Education

In New Zealand we swim a lot, and often at the beach. That is why we think it is important to get the skills and knowledge to be safe swimming in the sea. So Room 1 and 7 set off to Raglan for some beach education. It was a great day with Surf Life Saving NZ. We learnt about being Sun safe, basic safety strategies when swimming, as well as how to identify and get out of a rip. I hope you took it all on board guys because it was really valuable information.

Leadership 2015

Leadership is a big part of being a year 7/8. Over the last couple of the weeks the students have applied for their leadership roles and they were announced on Friday. Guys I was so impressed by your applications. They were well laid out and you sold yourself well. I am looking forward to you guys stepping up to the challenge of leadership this year. I am sure you guys will really grow in being leaders this year and realise just how much you can influence the school (and world!) for the better.

In class we have also looked a bit at attitudes of good leaders. We have discussed the difference between bossing and leading. We will continue to explore leadership throughout the year.

Same Same But Different

In class we explored the notion that people in essence are similar, in terms of basics needs (what ever culture we are from), yet we also have significant differences. We related this to out class. We are similar and yet different. Looking for how we are similar is a great strategy for getting to know others and getting along with people around us. We did some art which reflects this discussion.

              

2015 Te Pahu Challenge

The challenge is set and waiting to be taken on. I am really looking forward to seeing you take on the Te Pahu Challenge this year guys. I look forward to watching you conquer fears and develop the attitudes needed to face challenges. Which challenge do you think you will find most challenging?

"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional." Roger Crawford
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all" Helen Keller
"The tough challenges we encounter, make us stronger, and wiser. With each victory we gain something of value; our character is strengthened." Ellen J. Barrier

2015 - Here we go!

Welcome to a new year guys. It is going to be awesome and I am looking forward to watching you push yourselves to become your best! It was great seeing you take on some challenging activities today. Challenge makes us think, persevere and work hard together - all things I saw you do today. A great start. Keep it up.

TE PAHU CHALLENGE COMPLETE!

Well guys, YOU DID IT! The 2014 Te Pahu Challenge is complete! It has been so good watching you guys take this on. There were some big fears overcome, some real growth is positive attitudes and some great learning in all sorts of areas. You can be proud of yourselves. Attitude does really determine your altitude. With each challenge you face in life you grow and you have grown a lot this year. Well done. Here is a video of the challenges.

Extension - Mt Pirongia

Because of the weather we changed our extension from Mt Tongariro to Mt Pirongia. What an awesome effort guys. You had to fight mud, tiredness, steep rock with chains, as well as rough and rooty terrain. I was so impressed with your positive attitude and determination. Some of you had to really dig deep. You can all be proud, and I am sure you slept well that night!

Debating

We have had a couple of awesome debates in class. The topics were:

NASA's budget of 17 billion could be better spent on earth.
The positives of technology outweigh the negatives.

The students researched the position they were given and then we had an animated debate. There were fingers pointing, animated gestures, strong tones, counter arguments, and thoughtful ideas - all the good elements of a debate. It was so great to see them critiquing each other and really thinking about both sides of the issue. On both debates we kept discussing it long after the debate was closed. The debates were very even and I think a number of people changed or at least modified their personal opinions.

Gravity and stars

We have taken a fascinating look into gravity and how it influences life here on earth and the universe. It was great to look at some common assumptions we have that are wrong, such as, the heavier things are the faster they fall. We tried an experiment with water and a cup with a hole in it (ask the children) and dropping different weighted objects together. Weight is not the issue when it comes to the gravitational pull. We looked at how gravity is what forms stars, and what holds galaxies, our solar system, earth and us in place. We cause a slight gravitational pull on things too. Anything with mass does. Another wrong assumption is that astronauts float in space because there is no gravity. They experience almost the same amount of gravity as us and are falling, but because of sideways motion around the earth they never reach earth and float instead. A bit confusing at first but we watched some interesting videos to help us understand it.


We also looked at the life cycle of stars and explored nebula, supernova, white dwarfs, neutron stars and lot of other fascinating things in our universe.

Te Pahu Challenge - Wharauroa peak

Well done guys! Challenge complete. It was great to see you all up there on the Wharauroa and Mahaukura peak. Great to see your perseverance and team work. Only two more challenges to finish off - your new hobby presentation and signing off your community service. Some extension for some of you coming up too!

 

Tree Art

The students have been working on some tree art. We spent a number of weeks learning to draw organic looking trees. It was great to see the improvement over the weeks. The students then chose a style of tree and canvas they wanted to create and then completed their final pieces. Well done guys. You have produced some stunning art.

Lower Waipa Athletics

Awesome work on Friday Te Pahu School. There were some excellent attitudes and skills shown on the track and field. Excellent results too - well done!

Wrap Free Wednesday

Our Environmental Leaders, Bradley and Thomas, have set up a school wide Wrap Free Wednesday to try and reduce the amount of daily rubbish the school is producing. It has been running for two weeks now and is a real success so far.

Week 1 - 221 wrappers. 9 wrap free lunches.
Week 2 - 66 wrappers! 59 wrap free lunches!

Well done to our leaders for setting this up and well done to everyone for going wrap free!! Lets keep it up! Two more weeks to go for the school wide challenge, but lets go wrap free daily and forever.

Athletics - Room 7 Flying

PhotoPeach

The Moon

It has been fascinating getting into our inquiry into space. We have been learning just how lucky we are to be alive. There are a lot of factors that go into making our earth habitable. This includes our perfect distance from the sun, our atmosphere, the slight tilt of the earth, the length of our days, and the distance and size of the moon. We have explored the Moon in depth and learnt just how crucial it has been to the earths development and our existence today. Some fascinating facts:

• The Moon is slowly getting further from earth - 3.8 cm a year (they measure this by reflecting lazers off mirrors the astronauts left)
• We only ever see one side of the moon
• The moon slows the earths spin down.
• You weigh less on the moon. There is less gravity.
• The moon has no atmosphere which means no protection from meteors. It also causes it to have extreme temperatures - 110 degrees to 130 degrees. There is no wind or sound up there too.
• They are planning to go back to the moon to create a space station. They have found water on the moon which means they could create fuel on the moon and rockets could refuel and go much further into space if they launch from the Moon
• One man is wanting to put lots of solar panels on the moon as they would be much more effective up there. They would then transport the energy created back to the earth through mirowaves. He thinks there would be enough to power the whole earth!
• The moon has quakes.
• They think a moon was created by an object the size of Mars crashing into the earth and the debri formed the moon. Many in the class thought going back to the moon is a bad idea as humans have messed up Earth and we shouldn't do the same to the moon.