Playground Games.

This week we have used our character strengths of creativity and leadership to create our own playground games using some of the ideas we got from the games we played and learned last week. First we sat in a donut shape and decided on our game. 

Then we played our game to see if it worked.

In our groups we reflected on the success of our game to see if we needed to change any of the rules to make the game better.

Then we taught another group how to play our game. 

We had so much fun. 

Our games were called things like Pactag, Fox and Wolf, Macaroni dinner, Farmer Farmer, Ultimate Tag Stiff Candle, Chicken Tag and Evil Pizza Man Run.

We now know we can make up all sorts of games if we can't think of something to do at playtimes.

Creating Playground Games

Over the past few weeks we have been exploring different games we can play outside with various types of equipment. 

Our focus this week is to use our new knowledge around games to come up with new games we could play at morning tea and lunch.

 

We have had to use our creativity and perseverance to help us create these new games. Communicating with our group members and incorporating everyone's ideas has also been a focus.

We think a good game should...

- Be fun

- Be fair

- Have a few rules

- Have a clear end

- Be challenging

Developing and creating games.

This week we have been working in teams to create new games. We have used different resources and created rules.

Today we were given cups and ping pong balls.



We decided that games are fun if the rules are easy to follow and easy to understand.



A good game is a fast game was also our motto!



Our games also needed to have some challenge because we need to improve, develop skills, and move to the next level.

Maths activities

We have been working on new maths activities to reinforce our number knowledge and basic facts.



Maths skittles is helping us to keep two numbers in our head and then to add them together. Plus we are working on our throwing and aiming skills!



We have been playing a new game called Sushi monster. It is fun and really challenging.



Using white boards to practice our numbers. We are working on the correct shape and size of any number to 100.

Making and creating maths games.

Wanwan and Scott's maths groups are creating new games to practise our basic facts.



One game uses small bean bags that we use to hit targets. We need to keep the number of targets we hit after two turns and then add them together.



Another game also uses bean bags but we have to add two numbers together that equal any number to 10. For example, if we draw a card with the number 6, we can throw the bean bags onto the 6 and 0 target or the 4 and 2 target.

Digital Technologies Update

We have been learning how to use Google Apps for Education. Today we learnt how to make a new slide show. We are learning new computer skills all of the time. 

We know that when we are online, we respect ourselves, each other and our environment.  

We have also been learning about Puppet Pals. We are excited about using this app to be creative with what we are learning. 

Mapping

The Monkey reading group have been learning about maps. We have read about how maps use keys and symbols to indicate areas of interest.



We spent time this week comparing different maps and then shared what we found out.



Over the next week we are going to create our own maps of the playground and the community.

Playground games.

We have been learning some playground games this week. We learned how to play tag, stiff candle, stuck in the mud, pacman, ultimate tag, hide and seek, chalk games like hopscotch and four square and hoop games. It has been fun, and the weather has been fine enough for us to get outside every day, even if we did need our coats sometimes.

Helping Hogsnort.

Last week we learnt a game called "Helping Hogsnort". We had to care for Hogsnort. We weren't kangaroos that had a pouch for their Joey. We had to carry Hogsnort on our head! If Hogsnort fell off, we had to stay still until somebody else came and picked Hogsnort up and replaced him on our head (without losing their Hogsnort). It was tricky and fun. It made us feel good when we were able to help each other.

Assembly

On Friday we shared our Chinese New Year dragon with the rest of the school. Some children made up some music for the dragon to dance to and some other children made the dragon dance. Everyone had made a dragon scale. It looked colourful and fun. We were very proud.

PALS - Ultimate Tag

We were lucky to have a couple of PALS pop in to Tautoru this afternoon.



PALS help to organise games for students during morning tea and lunch breaks.



They are awesome at introducing new games and keeping the pace flow.



The PALS that worked with a base group taught us how to play ultimate tag. We focused on running with our bumpers up, keeping an eye out for other people running, and our side-stepping skills!

We then finished the afternoon with a quick game of hide and go seek.

Japanese school bags

In Japanese class we have been learning about how kids help to clean the classroom, toilets, and the hallways at the end of the day.

They also wear aprons and masks to serve their classmates for lunch.



We tried on a Japanese school bag.



All of the school bags are exactly the same but they can be different colours.



There are no tote trays in classrooms so students have to carry their books for each day to school.

Learning about online safety and respect.

In preparation for the Year 3's receiving their school email accounts they spent time today talking about what Respect means.



We posted onto seesaw videos about how we respect our environment, other people, and ourselves.



The students made the link between our school value of Respect and being respectful of others and themselves online. Keeping them safe in the digital sphere is something we take very seriously.