by Jamie

Suddenly an ear-splitting roar shook the canopy of trees around me. The mighty jaguar was on to me; I imagined his fangs tearing at my flesh. I hid in the bush, hoping he wouldn't find me.

I peeked out and a flash of black shot past me. Little frogs jumped around in the canopy of trees. 
"A poison dart frog," I thought.

There was a hissing sound up in the trees as a tree snake dropped down. It looked at the bushes and slithered away stealthily.

The freezing cold water | by Nolan

I shuddered as I dipped my foot into the freezing cold water. For some reason I thought it was hot although I was shivering. A whistle blew. I regained my senses and swam. Everyone was 1 lap ahead. Anyway I came second in the end. But of all the races, 1st, yay!

So after that I searched for my mum. I knew she was there. Finally I found her. The first thing I said was, "Can I go home?"
Obviously she said, "No, it's only halfway through school!"
"Awww!" I moaned.

30 minutes later, on the bus, I felt relaxed and relieved but tired.

Marina's story | By Mahinaz

I take one last look back at our house. I try to remember the whole house and the stuff in it. I hope Gleam and Glow are okay in their fishpond. I think I will miss the big oak tree because I remember when I climbed it. The flower garden was growing very well and very high. I'll remember the back window and the wooden house. I feel sad for two reasons, because I don't want to leave the house and I don't want to leave Gleam and Glow behind. Another reason we are sad is because we have to look for Dad and find him and then help him. I hope we find Dad very quickly.

This was written after reading the beginning of Gleam and Glow, a story of a family forced to flee in the Bosnian conflict. This piece is written from the perspective of one of the children in the family.

The Landfill by Harry

Today we went to the Wellington Landfill. When I got out of the bus I felt annoyed because of the smell. We had to wear yellow jackets because of the traffic.

First we looked at the poster which showed you how much rubbish can be in a yellow bag. 

Then we looked at some of the scrap metal. Each TV, to recycle, costs $25. It costs that much money because they have to take all the parts out and recycle each part differently.

After we looked at the recycle centre we got on the bus and drove to the tip. When we got out of the bus, I was even more annoyed because it was even more smelly. I felt desolate when I looked at the birds. It was like pollution. It wasn't even covered up. When we went back to the bus we looked at the compost. The good thing is, you can use it.

It wasn't better than any trips and it wasn't worse than any other trips so it was an okay trip.

Dear Joy Cowley

After reading A Letter from Fish Bay about Joy Cowley, some of us wrote letters to her. Here's Quinn's letter:

M13

Island Bay School

Thames St

Island Bay

Wellington 6023

Friday 29^th August

Dear Joy Cowley,

I go to Island Bay School at the bottom of the North Island. I like your book, Dunger, because it is really descriptive. My favourite bit is when the kids don’t want to go to the grandma’s house and the story about them forgetting to flush the toilet.

Did an author make you want to become an author? How many times have you started a book in 2014? How old is the train set in your office? Is Dunger an adult book? What type of ice-cream do you like best? What’s your favourite spider? I’ve just been learning about spiders for my Inquiry.

What’s your favourite fish out of the salmon, sole, and mullet and that you catch? I want to know because I can tell how much you like fishing.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Quinn 

Mahuri Term 3 Newsletter

Kia ora parents, caregivers and children,

Can you believe we’re in to the second half of the year already?! We’re looking forward to next week’s Parent Teacher Child conferences when your child will lead us through their learning and we can set goals together.

Student agency

The teaching staff has been thinking and talking about student agency this year. During the holidays we had an excellent professional development day exploring this with Kath Murdoch, an Inquiry learning expert from Melbourne. Here’s one of her blogposts on How do inquiry teachers… teach? that gives a sense of her approach. We are keen to support children’s independence and self-determination in their learning as much as possible, and are exploring ways to do this. This may take the form of independent mini-inquiries or passion projects, allowing kids to pursue a particular area of interest, and to consciously develop their independent learning skills (like time management, researching, collaboration, communication, etc.) at the same time. Other ways we aim to develop children’s agency are through learning reflections, learner licences that offer greater autonomy and independence as students demonstrate their self-management skills, weekly learning goals and class reflections. If you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback please let us know.

Student teacher in M13

We are lucky to have a student teacher working with us this term. Megan Lindsay is a qualified early childhood education teacher who is now training to be a primary school teacher. She will join us from 11^th August until the end of term.

Inquiry

Building on last term’s wonderful inquiry into Changes to the Land, we are moving on to a design and innovation inquiry this term, exploring how we can be Kaitiaki of the Land. Children will identify a need and create designs for protecting and taking care of the land in our local environment. If you have, or anyone you know of has, expertise in design, landforms, erosion, local government, or the changing environment, and would like to share this knowledge with us, we would love to hear from you!

Our maths focus areas this term are Number: Multiplication & Division and Fractions, Proportions & Ratios, Problem Solving, Basic Facts, Geometry, and Measurement.

In reading, we will continue to develop comprehension strategies through reading texts about changes to the land, design, and other interest areas. Our writing programmes will flow from this as we write reports, explanations, procedures, and scientific investigations, interspersed with ongoing recounts, character writing and poetic writing.

PE

Our focus this term is striking and catching. We will develop these skills through games and activities using small and large balls and different strikers: hockey sticks, cricket bats, etc. Let’s hope for some good dry weather to get outside and get active!

Parent help

If you can support our class programme with either regular or one-off parent help, we’d love to hear from you. Spelling testing and reading with children are particularly useful ways to help. We always welcome parents visiting to read a favourite book or share some knowledge or expertise; even if you’ve already read to the class, we’d love you to come back again!

Home learning

A reminder to return home learning folders to school on Mondays. Each Monday children will bring home a new list of ten spelling words, an updated Reading log (if needed) and basic facts to be learned off by heart during the week.

Dates this term

Monday 28^th July:                           Speak Easy performance for Y4-6, 9am in the hall

Tuesday 29^th July:                           Y4-6 swimming sports

Wednesday 30^th July:                     Powhiri 9am

Parent Teacher Child conferences (Y4-6)

Thursday 31^st July:                         Parent Teacher Child conferences (Y4-6)

Friday 1^st August:                            Freedom Friday begins

Monday 25th August:                     ICT Parent meeting

Friday 12th September:                 Dancesplash performance, 5.30pm, Michael Fowler Centre

Thursday 18^th September:             Mahuri Celebration of Learning, 9.15am in the hall

Tuesday 23rd September:             Parent Teacher Child Conferences (NE-Y3)

Friday 26^th September:                   Last day of Term 2

To be confirmed:                             a school trip to the landfill

Thank you for your ongoing support. As always, if there is anything you would like to discuss about your child’s learning, please get in touch to make a time to talk.

Nga mihi,

Shanon, Adele, Ximena and Amy

The Big Day (Cross Country) | by Laila

I could taste my own fear. It felt like fright and horror. My heart sounded like waves washed up in the sea. The mud was saturated in water and grass; you couldn't just see it, you could feel it. The air was fresh and clear and the only sound was the crackling of trees and yelps of children yelling. I seemed to feel the odd sad bit. All of a sudden I gazed up and saw my mum.

An hour passed and it was race time. My foot had the odd quiver. Smash! I was off, jogging at the back of the herd. By the time the fence came up I felt better after I had passed about ten people. Up and over, thinking first, I am glad it is not the gut buster. Slip slop, oops, I slipped in mud; I kept standing though. At the end Ella was only one metre in front. Well, that's it.

I was gutted as I pushed myself to the tarpaulin. It was the best race ever. One metre, I thought, not bad.

Cross country day | by Ella

I woke up thinking it was a normal day. Mum called, “it’s breakfast time, Ella!” I stumbled out of bed. Charlie was chatting away about his lego ship.

“It’s cross country!” 
I shivered.

“It… it… it’s… cro…ss… country?!”

I picked the last blueberry out of my bowl.

“Yes,” said Mum as I put my bowl up at the bench.

After I had gotten dressed, brushed my hair and was getting my shoes on I had butterflies in my tummy. We arrived at school, did the roll, and got our bags on. You can do it! I thought to myself.

The bus pulled up. The closer we got the more nervous I got.

3 hours later…

3…2…1… GO! Suddenly everyone zoomed past leaving me behind. 7…8…6…5…4! 4^th!  I have never run this fast before!

“Here come the bushes!” I was in the forest now. I stumbled over a big root and I hurt my ankle. I kept on going. The air smelt musty. I felt a pain going down my back. Then I saw a clearing and heard people clapping. Tenth now. In a few minutes I was over the fence and had crossed the finish line! I waited for Sophia and clapped when I saw her.

Dressed for dance - writing prompt

what can this man hear?

see?

smell?

taste?

touch/ feel?

what might he be thinking?

doing...?

will you write in the 1st or 3rd person?

Photo from the Guardian's 24 hours in pictures

By Harry

A man riding in muddy water

He is feeling cold and tired

He can smell fresh air and dirty water

He can taste the sea water

Coming home from the beach

He's probably going to get changed when he gets home

because he's very wet.

Surfboard | By Saoirse

I waggled my legs in the water.  

‘This is so cool!’

The sunset was gleaming.  I heard a hum of noise while I was balancing on my board. I saw fish swim by. With the bubbles floating up, I was like an iceberg.

Skydive | by Jet

It was a blur rushing down to the ground.  My cheeks were flapping around like a bird. When I looked down I could see a wrecked ship and a massive pile of blue liquid. I tried to reach out to the string.

I started to go down slower, slower and slower.

Desert riding | By Joe

My best friend and I were skateboarding down the abandoned highway at midday. We were alone. We watched mounds of dirt zoom by as we went by. We saw the skidmarks of cars that had gone down this road. My friend was trying to do a trick but failed. I went over to him to see if he was okay. Luckily he was fine. Then we got up and started skating again. We heard dingos howling like the wind as we skated by. In the distance we could see mountains of stone towering over us, putting us in the shadows. It was a hot and dry day. We viewed dead dry bushes as we passed. We were focussing like mad, trying not to fall over. I could smell the dust under my nose. The rolling of the wheels echoed across the valley.

Term 2 Newsletter

Monday 5^th May

Kia ora parents, caregivers and children,

I hope you’ve had a happy autumnal Easter and ANZAC break. It was great to meet with you at the end of last term to talk about how your child’s learning is going and to set goals for their next learning steps. This term is shaping up to be a great term, kicking off with cross country training and swimming.

Inquiry

We are looking forward to a science-focussed inquiry this term, investigating how The Land Changes, exploring how land changes affect us and how we affect the land. We have planned lots of hands-on experiments, and are particularly focusing on developing children’s scientific skills of observing, pattern-seeking, and modelling. This will involve lots of observation of erosion in the school playground and in the community: the sea wall, the effects of the deforestation above the golf course and bike track, landslides in the area… We will explore the concept of kaitiakitanga and learn about traditional explanations for changes to landforms through legends like Ngake and Whataitai. In groups, children will create learning stories to chart their growing and changing understanding of changes to the land. If you are, or anyone you know of is, an expert in landforms, erosion, or the changing environment, and would like to share your knowledge with us, we would love to hear from you!

Our maths focus areas this term are Number: Addition & Subtraction and Multiplication & Subtraction, Problem Solving, Basic Facts, and Measurement.

In reading, we will continue to develop comprehension strategies through reading texts about changes to the land. Our writing programmes will flow from this as we write reports, explanations, procedures, and scientific investigations, interspersed with ongoing recounts, character writing and poetic writing.

Mathletics

This application is a great way to support your child’s maths learning. Teachers can tailor each child’s profile so that questions are aligned to their level. We plan to use this in class as well as encouraging children to use this site at home. If you haven’t yet signed up and would like to, you can contact the office – the school subscription offers you a much-discounted price of $21, rather than $100 for a yearly subscription.

PE

This term we will be swimming each Thursday – children will be assessed on the first day and grouped according to their strengths and needs. Children always need a particularly substantial lunch on swimming days! We are also focussing on gymnastics in the first 5 weeks of term on Mondays; children need to wear suitable clothing for leaping and balancing! We are also training daily in the first two weeks ready for the school cross country day on Friday 16^th May; children need to wear (or bring) suitable footwear to school.

Blogging

We’re really enjoying sharing our learning with you through our blog. Thank you for your support in commenting on children’s writing – it is a wonderful form of immediate feedback and a real incentive for future learning.

Parent help

If you can support our class programme with either regular or one-off parent help, we’d love to hear from you. We really enjoyed hearing from those parents who came in and shared a favourite story with us last term. We always welcome parents visiting; even if you’ve already read one story, we’d love you to come back and share another!

Home learning

Because Fridays are such a busy day of extension and enrichment programmes, we have decided to change the day for returning home learning folders to Monday. Children should bring home a new list of ten spelling words, an updated Reading log (if needed) and basic facts to be learned off by heart.

Dates this term

Mondays:                   Gymnastics in the school hall

Every Thursday:       Swimming at Kilbirnie Pool

Friday 16^th May:        Cross country at Houghton Valley School

Monday 2^nd June:      Queen’s birthday

Tuesday 1^st July:       Portfolios come home

Friday 4^th July:           Last day of Term 2

To be confirmed:        a school trip to observe landforms

Thank you for your ongoing support. As always, if there is anything you would like to discuss about your child’s learning, please get in touch to make a time to talk.

Nga mihi,

Amy

amyaustin@islandbay.school.nz

Silver tooth | by Jet

Two days ago I was at the hospital. I was in a bed: not just a normal bed, it could spin, go up, and down. Then I had to go into a gigantic room. It was scary looking at the tools they used to fix my teeth. One looked like a hammer but it was way sharper and then they had to put a mask over my face and gas into it. Then I fell asleep. When I woke up my mouth hurt so much that I had to have medicine. Dad was there waiting for me and he gave me an ice block. I said to Dad, "Who are you?" then I felt a silver tooth. I was freaked out. Then I gave Dad a biiiiig hug and we went home.

A special whanau time | by Luca

We carried the coffin down the road. It was surprisingly heavy. I was worried that a car would run in to us but my dad said that we would be more than fine. My mum and uncle walked ahead of us all carrying the front.

Once we got to the village hall overlooking Kapiti Island we all took our seats and took turns placing flowers on the coffin. It took a while to get everyone in but we managed it. Then it all started. My uncle gave the first speech then placed a red rose that he had grown with care onto the coffin. We had a few more speeches then my little sister had to be taken out because she was whining, as usual. After a while she came back but then she was more chirpy. Some speeches were a bit boring, I have to admit, and there were some lame jokes but otherwise it was OK.

I listened carefully when it was my mum's turn to speak and noticed a small tear running down her cheek. As soon as she sat back down she burst into tears. At the sight of it my sister did too so I held both their hands and they calmed down a bit.

Some of the information that was spoken I had never heard, like the leader of the squadron that my poppa used to be in told us that he had been in many crazy accidents even in his old age. Nothing could stop him from going to their Christmas dinner only a few days before he died.

All the speeches ended and we sang a song, then my nana put on a slide show with all the photos showing my poppa with someone else or just him. I was in lots so I felt as if a tremendous gift had just been presented to me. We watched the car that took my poppa's dead body to the crematorium drive away and then we went to my nana's for a delicious lunch.

Ireland | by Niamh

Ireland

The dusty blankets feel cosy. Old photos of guns and little girls rest on the wall. From downstairs I can hear laughing. I wonder when I can meet my aunts, uncles and cousins.

I was excited and shy at the same time. The house was creepy. The curtains shook and the wind howled.

In the morning

The sun shone through the windows. I got dressed and went downstairs. The house was quiet and I walked in to the living room. I snuggled up in my grandad’s armchair. Suddenly I heard a thumping sound. Someone was coming down the stairs. It was Thomas with a game of monopoly. He won.

I put on my jacket and went outside. It was a small garden (it wasn’t really a garden) and only the little plants made their way through the cracks in the concrete. I stayed out there until Grandma came down to make breakfast. I sat up at the table and ate my pancakes.

It was 4 weeks until we left Ireland and I wanted to make the best of it. In those 4 weeks I fed horses, met my extended family and had fun. Then it was time to go. I hugged my aunts and uncles and hugged them again. I can’t wait to meet them again.

By Niamh 

Ratu at Te Papa | by Tama

Wow! I didn't know you could take a look, a peek inside, taking time back, seeing what they saw, like mice with thousands of eyes staring down at us, daring, ready to make sure we didn't steal what was theirs.

Waddling away, staring at the empty white eyes, I gulp thinking, a mouse, a cat, a target.

My name is Tama. I gulp again, trying not to stare. I move out of the pataka (storage house). I know it's Tuesday but it feels like Ratu. I sit down thinking and start drawing. I wonder why everybody else is so calm. Suddenly I'm worrying. I look behind me and I see a bunch of tourists. I turn back around but my gut and my instinct are still worrying and then I realise that the class is going to the marae.

I run ahead to keep up with the class and go to the marae.

     "OK class, I-- blah blah blah..."
I start to fall asleep.
     "Tama?!"
     "What did I say?"
     "Um," I say, suddenly jerked to life.
     "You must've been off to fairyland."
     "I guess so, yeah."
     "Start drawing!"
I start drawing. I'm only halfway through when the teacher says to the class:
     "Lunchtime!"
     "Yay!" all the kids say.

After lunch we go back to school and then go home.

When we get back to school I say to Grandad, "can we go to Te Papa?"
     "Um," says Grandad.

Peer editing

Today we were talking about editing.  There's an author called Dave Eggers.  Amy loves his books and she heard him speak in London.  He said that when he gives his writing to his editor, he has to do it again and again and again (this is called re-drafting or editing).  He says sometimes he has to do this SEVENTEEN times before it's ready to be published.

When we edit, it doesn't mean our writing isn't good; it means it's good but we want to make it excellent.

We agreed on some rules for peer editing:

1. sit next to your buddy
2. shut your writing book when it's the other person's turn (you could sit on it if you like; don't fiddle with stuff)
3. when your buddy is reading, look at their writing, to check that it makes sense
4. use a green pen - the author holds the pen (not the buddy - they just talk)
5. don't be a bossy buddy - be encouraging
6. at the end, give your buddy two stars and a wish (stars are things they've done well and a wish is something they could improve)
7. then, the author shuts their book and you swap and open your book!