We Survived!!!

Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to those parents who took the time off work and out of their busy family life, to accompany us to Borland Lodge. Without your help and energy, Mr Tuhou and I would not be able to have such a great time at camp!

Highlights for me:

Seeing some students who were so upset and anxious about trying the more challenging difficulties like Abseiling, Rock Climbing and Kayaking, get in and give it a go! It is perfectly normal to be anxious, standing on the edge of a cliff, relying on a stranger (Amy) and a single rope, to get you down safely! You all did an amazing job!!!!

Wild Food Night: The kitchen was taken over by mostly the Dads on camp and their food was sensational (as was Cathy's hasselback potatoes!!!) We were able to sample food such as paua, venison (caught on camp), smoked trout, duck, rabbit and smoked eel (also caught on camp). Watching students taste different foods for the first time was awesome!

Camp has been our focus this term and from now until the end of term we are using our camp experiences as the focus for writing. I am so pleased with some of the descriptive pieces being produced in Room 9. Each student has a display board on the wall to show off their writing, so if you happen to be at pick up/drop off or in the area, come on in and read a sample.

There are hundreds of photos taken at camp and these have been uploaded (took over 10 hours!!) to a shared folder. All students can access these photos so if you want to check them out, then get your child to log into their Google Drive and show you. I will add a couple here as a teaser!

This week Room 9 also took time out this week to hand write a heartfelt letter to the Mosques in Christchurch. Some of these letters were so moving,  it was very hard to read with dry eyes! This makes me so proud, that at such a young age these students show great empathy for others. I will post those letters to the Imam at Al Noor Mosque in the next few days.

Two weeks until the end of term. This morning, since our focus is on timetables and 24-hour clock, students are constructing their "ideal" timetable. The timetable that is set out neatly with the best range of activities (covering all necessary items) will be implemented either next week or the final week of term.

On the Suspension Bridge near Clifden Caves

Although not in our class - a very contented Arsheed after his Lasagna diinner

Getting ready to Abseil

Conquering fears Abseiling

One Week and Counting....

Kia Ora !
We are on the countdown - one week until Camp at Borland Lodge. We have a huge program for Camp with two full on days with Adventure Southland, where we will tackle abseiling, rock climbing, kayaking and caving! You have a week to get prepared and if there is anything on the list you are unable to supply, please let us know as I am sure someone will have a 'spare' something! The biggest 'item' is a wetsuit, for kayaking, however, this isn't necessary and please don't feel the need to go buy one just for camp! We have some students bringing spares and if you have a spare one at home, send it along too! We can share them around.

Some students are starting to get a little anxious (as I am sure some parents are as well). This is perfectly normal and we will take great care of your children, and they will have the time of their lives! I will ensure there are many photos taken and we will upload these to a shared folder after camp so students can save the ones they want.

Just a reminder that there are no digital devices to be taken to camp. If we find students with ipods and ipads we will take care of them until after camp. We have also been talking about using cameras in an appropriate manner, not taking photos that you are not prepared to share with your parents, and certainly not taking photos that can later be uploaded to any form of social media to embarrass others. If this message is reinforced both here in class and also at home, we should be able to steer clear of any issues.

This past couple of weeks has seen a lot of work taking place. We have been working hard to finish our statistical/graphing work and moved on to directions and orientation in preparation for camp. We have also been focusing on writing and extended sentences and writing sentences with "oomph!" This has been a great activity and students are now writing sentences with more detail and a lot more interest.

This week we have been looking at languages around the work and how to say "Hello" in a variety of languages - we are working on learning a few of these - who knows when we'll meet someone who speaks Cherokee, Russian, Australia or even Pirate!

Student of the Week  - Week 5

Student of the Week  - Week 6