Matariki Think Crews

This week we got into new Think Crews.  Think Crews are a great way to learn to work cooperatively and in a team.

We read the really cool legend called The Star Fishes about the Matariki stars.

We worked in our teams to create a picture retelling of the legend.

Each member of the Think Crew retold a part of the legend.  They produced some superb pictures of the  story.  Two groups even got to take their retelling to Mrs Jennings.

The next day, they worked together to retell the legend in their own words cooperatively.  Mrs H then typed them up.

Our next step was to reproduce their visual picture as an illustration to go with their story using the i-pad app Doodle Buddy.  This was pretty fun to do.

Here are two of our final legends.  Come into visit us to see the rest. 

We hope you enjoy them :)

Discovery School Hangi 2015

What an amazing experience for VH kids and Discovery School.  This term we have been learning about kai.  To celebrate all our learning we shared together a hangi at lunch time today.

See all our fun over the last 2 days including the preparation, unveiling of hangi and all the actual munching.  Delicious!

Huge big thank you to our Whanau Group, Mrs Barbara and all the other adults who made this possible for us.  Feeding 500 people is a mammoth task!

from the tamariki of VH Class

Yummy Kai!

Today VH kids started learn more about kai.  We learnt lots of new names of food in te reo.  Here is a cool game to practice... Have fun everyone.

How many kai words can you get correct?

Koru

This week VH Kids have read a poem called 'Koru.'  It is about the beauty of the koru fern of Aotearoa.  We have written and published their own Koru poem.  Here are some for you to enjoy.

Maui and the Sun

Kia ora

This week is Maori language week.  VH class has been learning, making and practising speaking Te Reo.

We have been practising our pronunciation by learning the song A Ha Ka Ma.

Click on the picture to sing along :)

Our shared book this week is the legend Maui and the Sun.  Here are some fantastic illustrations of Maui and his brothers slowing the sun to make the days longer.

Coming up on Friday night we invite you to a special night for parents to learn a bit more about
Te Reo.  We'd love to see you there.

Maui and the Sun

A Retelling by Marcus

A long time ago there was a Maori man called Maui.  He wanted to slow the sun down.  The sun had gone down into a hole and Maui called his brothers.  They were going to go to the sun's hole but first they had to make flax ropes.  It was a long journey to get to the sun's hole.  Finally they got to the sun's hole.  "When I call, jump out and catch the Sun," called Maui.  They hid.
When the sun got up Maui yelled "Now!"  The hurled the ropes on the sun and Maui hurt him with his magic jawbone.
The sun said, "Can't you see I'm nearly dead?"  Maui said, "Let the ropes go."
Maui's brothers let the ropes go.  The sun won't go fast anymore.
The people of Maui's village now had enough time to fish and enough time to hunt in the light of day of the sun.

Takapuwahia Marae Visit

Takapuwahia Marae Visit on PhotoPeach

Today all of the Year 1-4 students at Discovery School participated in a special visit to Takapuwahia Marae in Elsdon, Porirua.  We participated in a powhiri welcome onto this beautiful local marae.

We were so so lucky to have students from Aotea College teach us many new games, how to use rakau and patu.  We listened to Maori legends and even acted out some too.

Big big thanks to all the amazing mums and dads who came along with us.

What a lucky bunch of kiwi kids we are!

Tahi Rua Toru Wha

Today we had Kapa Haka with Papa Murray.  Afterwards we learnt a rap about counting to tekau (10) in Te Reo Maori.

Click on the picture to hear the rap.

We played lots of games to show different numbers in Te Reo.  Was a busy busy time.

Can you count to ten in maori?

Our Places Haka

Today we did the special places haka we learnt last week in Maori Language Week.   Enjoy!

Have a super holiday everyone!  I'll see you in two weeks.

Maori Language Week

Kia ora, it was Maori Language Week this week.  All of VH class had lots of fun practicing and learning place names from throughout Aotearoa.

On Wednesday we did rotations around the syndicate.  In Mrs Moeke's class we learnt a place names haka.  It was really cool.

Have a go again - here are the words.

In Mrs Braddock's class we learnt about the legend of Wellington Harbour and the taniwha Ngake and Whaitaitai.

In Miss Dockerty's class we created really cool clay taonga.  We learnt about the different Maori symbols and what they mean.

Back in VH we learnt about place names and what they mean. 

We played on the Mimio trying to match the city with the place names.  

On Friday we had the Syndicate Te Reo Spelling Bee.  Twelve fantastic competitors squared off head-to-head in spelling place names.  They all worked really hard in learning these words.  Congratulations to them and our three winners (two from VH - yes!!!!)

Mrs H was very proud of you all!!!!

Takapuwahia Marae

On Tuesday Resolution and Adventure Syndicates participated in a marae visit at our local marae Takapuwahia Marae.  What a fantastic experience for everyone involved.

A big thank you to everyone!  It was a fantastic learning experience.  We put into practice all we have learnt this term.  Well done!