We are Creative Thinkers

We are diving deep into the world of imagination and inquiry. We aren’t just reading books; we’re exploring "Wonderlands"—those internal and external places where curiosity leads the way to imaginative play and dialling up our Creativity in different ways. 

Inquiry is more than just a skill; it’s a way of engaging with the world. Children use their imagination all day, everyday but often need plenty of opportutiies to grow this as well.  We are encouraging taking risks, thinking outside of the box, pondering the what ifs.....
We are using stories and music as our compass to create and navigate around imaginary landscapes.   Stories sometimes give us that map while music provides atmosphere and emotions. Soundscapes can transport a room into a deep forest or a bustling Martian city in seconds.

Here are some examples of what we pictured in our minds when we listened to a description and music. 

Simple Ways to Explore at Home. -   Here are a few ways to turn an ordinary afternoon into an inquiry-based adventure:

• The Soundtrack Swap Play a piece of music, then a slow ambient track. Ask: "What kind of creature lives in this music?"   What does the environment look like ? What is happening ? 
  
• Story "Fracturing" Read a familiar tale but stop halfway. Ask: "What if the hero made a different choice here?"  Change up a character or change a character into a villan.  
  
• Prop Prompts Place a random object (like a whisk or a scarf) in the center of the room. Ask: "In our Wonderland, this isn't a whisk. What is it?"    
  
• Go on that bear hunt, visit Dr Suess or make a fort that can transport you to amazing places.     

Mission to the Moon Quick Write

We have started the term off by learning about the recent mission to the moon - Artemis II.  For the first time since 1972 humans have been able to get close to the moon. 

We knew that some of our kids would know lots about this and others would find this new information fascinating. We got straight into using this mission as inspiration for our writing. 

We also used some visuals to engage our imagination and inspire some interesting looking words. We could use these to paint a picture in our readers minds.

We really focused on discussion, honing in on our oral language first.

We know Writing is an incredibly complex task.  Our students are learning to manage multiple things at once:  They are constantly asking themselves:

• What do I want to say?

• Which words should I use?

• How do I order these words?

• How do I hold the pencil? What does a 'b' look like? Which way around again ? What letters make the sound 'ch'?

• Last but not least, punctuation and all those writing courtesies we tend to do automatically as adults.  

Keeping all these balls in the air does not come easy.  We see the impact of these complexities on a daily basis and it looks different for each student.  

We have always known that 'Great writing floats on a sea of talk'.  By focusing on oral language, we can help students master their content and ideas, vocab and sentence structure before they pick up a pencil.  Discussion helps in the composition of our thoughts and ideas so that our writers can focus more on the mechanics of writing.

Our job is to inspire and start the discussion, prompt and push for more and plant 'ideas' that can help little minds wander into new places and spaces.  Encouraging lots of curiosity ! 

Mondays task was a quick write with some simple success criteria. It was a task that is going to be repeated in different ways and it will certainly enhance this terms Inquiry learning. We are going to be engaging our imaginations and the exciting part is not knowing where this journey is going to end up !

Below are some examples of our quick writes. You can see some examples of writers dialling up their strengths of Creativity and some beautiful examples of personal voice shining through. Imagine Pole Vaulting through space !

Our students took some great learning risks and were not held back by not being able to spell interesting words. This part we can tackle in the editing phase. These are some unedited pieces of writing and others are still going through this writing process. Hopefully you can see the potential that we can in these quick 15 minute writes.

Success Criteria worked well as the students knew exactly what their writing needed. It is going to be an exciting term if this was day 1.

Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua - Learning about our past to move forward into the future

 

Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua

(Learning about our past to move forward into the future.)

Ko Ranginui ki runga 

Ko Papatūānuku ki raro 

Ko ngā Atua ki waenganui

Tēnā Koutou

  

Nei ra te mihi ki a koutou ngā Mana Whenua o te rohe nei - Ko Te Ātiawa. 

Ngā mihi nui ki a Taupuruariki Brightwell me ngā Kura Ahurea mō a rātou mahi toi me nga pūrākau me te kōrero tuku iho e pā ana ki a wahi whakahirahira - Ko Whetūkairangi.  

I te tau 1842, E ai ki ngā Ōhākī o Te Rangatira - Te Wharepouri, I muri nei, kia pai ke aku taonga Māori, taonga Pākeha, kia tae ake te haruru o tō reo ki ahau i Te Reinga. 

We would like to acknowledge Te Ātiawa and their work through the Kura Ahurea programme and Taupuruariki Brightwell.  This artwork helps us tell the stories and learn about the history of this special place and its surrounding areas including the people that came before.  

In 1842, Te Wharepouri, a great rangatira from Te Ātiawa left a wish for us all .  "After I have gone, be good to my Māori and my non-Māori, let the thunder of your voice reach me in the spirit land. "

The ōhākī ensures that these stories and facts are shared with our kids so that they are understood and can be shared with whānau.  

How fantastic to see so many of our Worser Bay whānau joining our Haerenga this week.

We live and work in a very special place where we experience the awe and wonder of Whetūkairangi on a daily basis. The natural beauties of this place are matched by fascinating mythological and historical stories that surround it.

Our teaching team have been working with Te Ātiawa and Taranaki Whānui - Mana Whenua on a programme called Kura Ahurea. There are many variations of the pūrākau that are told differently across iwi and cultures. But these are the stories that have shaped our place here at Whetūkairangi, and also wider Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Some of the art on display was created by Worser Bay students in response to their learning. But the wonderful black, red and white art is the creation of the artist Taupuruariki Brightwell and Kura Ahurea. 

The pou in our courtyard are our anchor point for how we connect to our stories, and also the land, sea and sky. We began at our pou together, before exploring the wealth of artwork and information on display around the school. This was a chance to hear, read and retell and the stories of how our environment has been shaped by natural and human forces. History, mythology and immense geological happenings are all in the mix.

By clicking on a QR code, we were able to hear some of our stories being retold by our students: we hope to add more to this library.

With our stories in mind, we headed to the lookout and then down to Worser Bay beach, viewing and visiting many of the places that appear in the stories we had been sharing. 

We are learning more all the time and and are keen to share and continue to build our knowledge and understanding. So this Haerenga is just the beginning.

We will send the links via seesaw so that you can hear our recordings and view some of the resources and beautiful artwork again.  You can also scan the QR codes that are dotted around the school.

"Tuia ki runga, Tuia ki raro,  Tuia ki roto, Tuia ki waho, 

Ka rongo te pō, Ka rongo te Ao 

Haumi ē,  Hui ē , Tāiki e"

Relaunching our 'Compost in a Jar'

 

We are a step closer to turning our lunch scraps into Garden Gold! 

This week we turned our "eww" into a potential "wow"?  We re-launched our science experiment because we noticed things weren’t going so well.  We were missing some crucial layering. 

Yes - we are talking about our Compost in a Jar—We are learning so much about how Mother Nature recycles.  

This project is providing us with lots of food for thought and a front-row seat to the hidden world of decomposition. We are watching as our banana peels and apple cores transform into rich, dark soil right before our very eyes! 

This is how we made our ‘Compost in a Jar’.  

What You’ll Need:

• A large clear jar (glass or plastic)

• "Greens" (nitrogen): Fruit scraps, veggie peels, or grass clippings

• "Browns" (carbon): Shredded paper, dried leaves, or cardboard bits

• A scoop of dirt (to jumpstart the microbes!)

• A spray bottle with a little water

The Secret Recipe: Layering

We watched a video about how we can layer our compost just like a good lasagne.  

1. The Base: Start with a layer of soil at the bottom.  This has been kindly donated by our Tautoru whānau and our current compost pile. 

2. The Mix: Alternate layers of Browns and Greens. 

3. The Magic Touch: Give it a light mist of water (damp like a sponge, not a puddle).  This is sorting itself being in the sun.  This is creating some good condensation. 

4. The Wait: We lift  the lid for good airflow, set it in a sunny spot, and give it a gentle shake every few days.

We tipped out the contents this week so that we could layer our compost properly.  We only had a half and half scenario with a lack of ‘brown waste’.  This meant it was super wet, slimy and sloppy.  It was not rotten smelling so we knew it was still usable.  

This is us ripping our egg cartons small so that they are easily broken down and easier to layer.  We also used some saw dust in the second jar.  Thanks Darcy !! 

In just a few weeks we are hoping that the layers will start to blur and look less layered. 

We will be asking ourselves:

Which disappeared faster—the paper or the apple core?  Why do we think it’s getting warm? 

It’s been messy, it’s fascinating, and it’s a total win for the planet and our beautiful Whetukairangi. 

Growing Patterns vs Repeating Patterns

 

Check out our growing patterns.  We were able to unpack lots of different patterns today and we realised some were only repeating patterns.  We got out the cuisenaire rods today and boy that was a blast from the past for some of us.   We explored number patterns going up and down.   We are learning to translate this into a 'rule'. 

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We had lots of valuable discussions about these patterns below.  We came to the conclusion that they are patterns but a different type.  They do not grow but they do repeat the same elements over again. 

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From Mess to Magic !

Hands-on learning isn’t just a "nice to have" in a classroom, it’s a core pedagogical and best practise must ! In our classroom manipulatives often take centre stage allowing our students to explain their thinking or demonstrate their understanding of different mathematical concepts. 

The refreshed curriculum emphasises a Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) sequence. This is a research-based "Science of Learning" approach where students don’t start with symbols (like 5 + 3 = 8) on a whiteboard. Instead they start with: 

• Concrete: They move physical materials, manipulatives or Numicon shapes.

• Pictorial: They draw dots or use ten-frame diagrams.

• Abstract: They finally write and use the numbers.

Here you can see one group trying to represent their thinking using numbers and drawing on the whiteboard. Lots of discussion happened around checking our thinking and helping to develop our understanding. It told us a lot about what they know and understand and what they need next.

By using physical tools, we help students build an anchor for abstract concepts. It’s much easier to understand "regrouping" when you physically swap ten tiny ones-cubes for a single "long" ten-rod.  Many of us can remember these cuisenaire rods from our school days ! 

The new curriculum is built on a model of knowledge and practise. Manipulatives sit right at the intersection of these:

• Students grasp the "Big Ideas," like the fact that a number can be partitioned (broken apart) and still represent the same total.

• They develop fluency with basic facts by seeing the patterns in bead strings or counters.

• They use these tools to solve "rich tasks"—real-world problems that require logic, not just memorisation.

Our aim is to get much better at using a variety of manipulatives or resources to support students.  Not some students but all students.  We want to get to a place where our students are free to grab what they need to help them with their learning.  

One of the best things about manipulatives in Tautoru is how they differentiate learning naturally.  We are able to support bottom line big ideas whilst providing stretch at the end where needed.  We can ask the right questions for different groups of students.  

• A student struggling with one-to-one counting can use counters, bears or buttons to stay grounded.

• An extension student can use those same materials to explore early multiplication by arranging them into arrays -  these are rows and columns.

Sometimes its utilising the other resources around.  Lego lends itself to many different ways of working and exploring in maths.  Here are a few examples.  

The goal is to move from just the answer to "exploring the concept." In maths, the hands-on mess is where the magic happens.

Curious about Compost ?

Making compost with our kids is going to be such a rewarding and educational journey.   As a teaching team we decided that our gardens needed a revamp to liven things up and revitalise our special outdoor classroom.   There is so much we want to do and achieve but we know it requires some knowledge in and learning alongside our experts to get it right.   We have been thinking about simple ways to make a positive impact on the environment while teaching valuable life skills around science and sustainability.  In this years 'Wonderland' -  Our philosophy is 'learning from the ground up'.  

We have watched and learnt about soil and components of good compost.   This week, we started in our own lunchboxes with a lunchbox audit.  We noticed we all had fruit and/or vegetables which were going to make great scraps.  

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We learnt that some breads and dairy were not recommended.   We also learnt that meat was no good in our compost either. 

Why Compost with Kids?

• Hands-on Learning: Composting is a sensory experience.  Kids get to touch, smell (hopefully not too bad!), and see things change.  We have already had some experts dripping with worms explaining the quality of our current compost ! 

• Environmental Responsibility: It teaches them about reducing waste and the importance of recycling organic matter.

• Science in Action: We are all learning about decomposition, bacteria, fungi, and how things break down.  We now know the true FBI is fungi, bacteria and insects.  

• Gardening Connection: The finished compost will be amazing for our garden! They'll see the direct benefit of their hard work.   The feelings of Positive Accomplishment will be worth it. 

We have been exploring......  What Does Compost Need?

We have been learning alongside some experts.  Darcy was able to share some gems with us.  She has been knee high in our compost.  With hands full of worms she thinks we have great rich compost towards the middle.  It just needs a turn ! 

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She had compost from home that was 6 months into the process and another sample of 12 month old compost.  Darcy also told us about the super stinky Bokashi tea - Now this sounds like absolute gold for the garden but OUTSIDE due to its pungent aroma !!   We look forward to learning more as we go.  

Colourful Layers.

Just like we need food, water, and air to survive, composting microbes need specific ingredients to thrive. We have been thinking of this like a great recipe:

Green Waste (Nitrogen):

• Provides: Energy for the composting microbes to multiply and break things down quickly.

• Examples: Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, weeds.  

 Brown Waste (Carbon):

• Provides: A source of food for the microbes to build their bodies. They also provide structure and allow for airflow.

• Examples: Dry leaves, straw, shredded paper or cardboard, twigs.

Water (Moisture):

• Why it's needed: Microbes need moisture to survive and move around within the pile.  Think of it like: A wrung-out sponge. You want it damp, not soaking wet.

Air (Oxygen):

• Why it's needed: The microbes that do the most efficient composting need oxygen to breathe.

• How to get it: Turn or mix your compost pile regularly to add air.   This is how we also explored our current compost.  What we realised was that we had some rich compost underneath with all the ingredients needed.  It was dark in colour, moist with a healthy dose of bugs and worms. 

Speaking of dosing - What is the Magic Ratio !

We discovered a good rule is to have about 3 parts Browns to 1 part Greens by volume. This creates a balanced environment for composting microbes.   We have some experiments going at the moment.    We have made a Composting Jar so that we can observe what is happening.   

We are experimenting with compost in a jar so we can begin to notices the layers: We have a layer of browns, then a layer of greens, and we are going to continue alternating.

https://gardentotable.org.nz/resources/compost-in-a-jar

• We will add water:  Sprinkle some water over each layer to make sure it's damp.

• We will turn it over:   Every few weeks.   This adds oxygen and helps speed up the process.  We also know that we have to make sure our scraps are cut up small for our compost in a jar to work. 

We have a great spot with new compost bins on the way !

Our kids are curious and keen, getting involved by being: 

• Investigators:  We are discovering what is working and what is not in our current composting environment.   

• Scrap Collectors: They are becoming responsible for collecting fruit and veggie scraps in a container.

• Layer Makers: They will help layer the greens and browns in the compost pile.

• The "Waterer":   We will moisten the pile.

• The "Turner":  This is minimal with our experimental jar.  When we really get going we will be able to take turns being the 'turner'. 

We cant wait to see what we can achieve !  But we know we have to dial up our GRIT, Patience and Perseverance for this project to be successful !  Watch this space.