Cabbage trees

While exploring the grounds we have found so many baby cabbage trees and other native seedlings, Maddy decided we should plant them in little pots and when they are a little bigger we could sell them as a fundraiser. Watch this space!

It was a great opportunity to show the children the different root systems that plants have. We decided that the cabbage tree has a fibrous root system and the weed we dug out had a tap root system.

We chatted about what care each little plant would need and we were really careful when transplanting them into pots, making sure we didn't damage their roots.

Exploring outside with Ryker

Ryker took the iPad outside and explored the school grounds. He zoomed in on plants and tried to imagine what it must look and feel like for the insects that live there. Some plants looked really scary, they had prickles all over and others had beautiful colours when we looked at them closely.

We are so lucky to be able to watch the fallow deer in a nearby paddock with our binoculars. We chatted about a boy deer being called a stag and how he protects his female deers from other stags during this time of the year which is called the roar or rut season.

Last day of term

It was a fantastic last day of the term. We drew self portraits inspired by Picasso and explained the programmes we can do with our robotics equipment to Shelley. We also showed Shelley how great we are at maths and Maddy wrote an interesting story describing her dog Barry. Shelley taught us how to draw an impossible triangle and a 3D spiral.

Delrio did a great job putting together the new school banner by following the instructions sheet and then fixing it in place for everyone to admire. Thank you Delrio 👍 

Making Butter

Last week we made butter by shaking cream in a screw top jar. We shook it for 20 minutes and once we were done it looked like a big yellow lump in white water. 

We put the butter into bowls and washed it in cold water. We sprinkled a pinch of salt  over the butter and mixed it in.

We collected a loaf of bread from Blair, at  his coffee shop by the boat ramp. 

We sliced and buttered  the bread and then ate it. 

Ryker- it tasted really, really, really really good.

Maddy- it tasted super, super yummy.

Delrio- the butter on the bread was excellent and really yum.

The children were curious to find out the length of the ship that was recently stuck in Suez Canal - 400 metres is from the letter boxes at 193/195 Moturata Road to the beginning of Akatore Road.

Nature's own stencils for art

 Maddy and Ryker experimented with using leaves as a stencil when creating painted bugs and butterflies. We went outside and decided on what leaves would be suitable for the shape of the insect's body.

After choosing their colours they painted around the edges and then added a head and legs to their bug creations. 

Ryker decided to stick his leaf onto the painting and Maddy decided she would rather leave it with just the painted shape.

 Ryker decided he was going to weed the flower beds around the front of the school and hopefully find insects he could take to Bug City.

He did an amazing job and took heaps of weeds out plus found many slaters under a rock which he took to Bug City and left a few at the Bug cafe to enjoy a snack, took one to bug school because it missed the bus and he found a large spider in the Tree weta snoozing area and decided to let it keep snoozing.