Using similes to create a strong image

We have been learning about how to use similes to describe what something looks like, sounds like or feels like. Similes help our reader to connect with the image we are trying to create with our writing. Here are some examples of our simile writing.

Guess Who? Can you guess which animal we are writing about?

I'm a ....... cheetah

I'm a .... praying mantis

I'm a .... unicorn

Some of use have been creating crazy creatures and using similes to describe them.

A Snakoo. It is as black as midnight and as purple as a grape.

Crasher: it is more powerful than a wooly mammoth!

Saber tooth Chicken: It can leap as high as a flying fish.

Positive Health- Exercise helps our brain stay healthy, too.

We have been doing lots of sports skills this term and we're visiting the ASB Sports centre this coming Monday to enjoy a day of helping our bodies and brain cells flourish. Did you know that the main trigger for new brain cell growth (neurogenesis) is exercise? Did you know that exercise also helps to maintain myelin, the white soft coating that helps our brain cells communicate efficiently? So not only is exercise good for our bones and muscles, it's also great for our brain health! You can read some of the research here.

Here we are enjoying the great spring sunshine and dialling up our Positive Health.

                                                 Small Balls: Throwing and Catching

Large Balls: Throwing and Catching

Hockey- Striking and Passing

Spring is a great time to dial up Positive Health habits.

Practising Wellbeing

Every day we practise different ways to maintain our Wellbeing. Whether it’s by waking up our brain first thing to help our body and brain get ready for learning or by using different types of breathing to focus, calm or energise us throughout the day.

Here are some of the different types of breathing exercises we practise to help us focus and get ready for learning.

We hope you can come to our Positive Education Parent workshop next week to find out more.

Shark Breathing

Deep tummy breathing

Five Finger Breathing

Celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

We have been learning Te Reo Māori all year, about our feelings by using Kei te pehea koe?
This week we celebrated Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori by learning about the history of our pā site, the meaning of our school karakia and how to use encouraging phrases in Te Reo Māori.

Creating story boards to show encouraging phrases:
Ka rawe!- Awesome!
Te ātaahua hoki- That's amazing as well
He tino pai tō mahi- You've done great work!

Creating models of a pā site

Learning the deeper meaning of some of the words in our school karakia like:
Aroha- Love
Manaaki- Rurture and respect
Puāwai: Growing together
Mahi katoa: Working together

Student Led Workshops- Kids can be teachers too!

We have been using our Love of Learning, Leadership and Positive Purpose to teach others and learn from each other. Kids can teach too!

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Some of us have been going to Autahi to the Rocket Lab. We help others in Autahi to learn their Rocket Words and by helping them to practise reading and writing. It's amazing to think that we had to learn to do that not that long ago! Some of us have been running workshops teaching others some of the skills we know.

 
 
 




We've learned that teaching is quite hard sometimes but it gives us lots of positive emotions to share what we know.

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Isabella- I liked being a teacher but it was hard because people were not listening when I showed them how to do it. I'm going to try again with some helpers.
Oli- It is a bit tricky to teach people origami because I had to do it for them until they learned it.
Freddie- It was fun helping my buddy with their Rocket Words. I like being a teacher.
Darragh- The first time I helped my buddy do their rocket words it was scary but now I feel confident. I like being a teacher.

Student Led Conferences - SLC

This week we had SLC's. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to share and celebrate their progress with learning goals through the year with parents.



Thanks to all of the parents that were able to make it. It was great to see how proud the kids were when about their learning, goals and life in Tautoru. If you were unable to make it, feel free to pop in next Tuesday between 8.15 and 8.45 next week for some sharing time.



Students have also been discussing and identifying what they would like to focus on for the rest of the year in their learning. There are a number of goals around the big kids monkey bars but also around maths, reading and writing.

Love of Learning

Another super day with the super stars from Autahi and our senior big buddies. Today we embraced our Love of Learning by playing a number of new games, trying out some activities that were new to us and there were even a couple of students leading groups!

We had a number of very keen finger knitters. Lots of growth mindset here as finger knitting takes time, patience and a whole of of perseverance.



There was even an old time game of Tiddly Winks on the go. Students were challenged to hit targets and develop new rules for this classic.

Other groups were creating card towers. They needed to balance cards against one another and it required a steady hand.



Cat had a team of hula hoopers outside.



Another group were engaged in origami, creating paper planes and other paper designs.