Why can't humans live (breathe!) under water?

We have been thinking about what changes (adaptations) might allow humans to live in an under water environment ... We think we'd do pretty well as mermaids and men if only we didn't need air - in particular, oxygen - (and so, scuba tanks)!

This is because people breathe oxygen gas as O2 which is in a different form from the oxygen molecules (tiny tiny parts!) found in H2O (water), and easier for us to absorb than the dissolved O2 gas bubbles (which fish can "breathe" through their gills). If you'd like to look into the science more closely this is a handy link ...

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question386.htm

Of course we can get around this by using a whole lot of artificial (made by us!) technologies. Do you recognise these ones?

 Or could we just swallow gilly weed like Harry Potter and grow gills and webbed hands and feet ... ? What do you think :)?

Term 2 Week 2 in Room 3

It was great to see such enthusiasm for learning from all our Room 3 students last week! Those who moved through from Room 1 fitted in just like they had always been a part of our team, and we are now more excited about our learning than ever! What a great start :) Mrs Trengrove also had a fabulous couple of days in Room 3 (apparently we are a pretty lovely bunch of learners) and is excited about coming back to visit whenever Miss Driver is sick (!!) :)

This week we continue training for the school cross country and are looking forward to a couple of Jump Jam aerobics sessions to keep our fitness up. For Topic focus we will revisit underwater (human) adaptations, and look at a new life cycle of change - frogs. We are also going to be creating some mixed media self portraits to go with our awesome “ourselves” stories which we wrote in week one. We can’t wait to get a little bit of identity up on our classroom walls! Mrs Chan is teaching us about the Chinese zodiac, and a group of students begin kapa haka on (every second) Monday lunchtime.  Another group are waiting for their turn in term 3. Names will appear on the 'blackboard' week planner in Room 3 (notices also went home last term but please see Miss Driver if you are unsure which group you are in). 

Please bring your library books and bags to school on Wednesday, our library day.

We really appreciate all comments on our blog - your feedback lets us know how much you care about our learning :) 

Welcome back to Room 3!

Welcome back to Room 3! I hope that you all had a super break over Easter, did some wonderful home learning, and are ready to go for another awesome term! We are really looking forward to working and playing together (in particular with our new friends from Room 1!), and to sharing our routines and our love of learning with old friends and new ones. 

It would be really appreciated if all new (from Room 1) children could bring their new stationery to Miss Driver before school starts on Monday morning (between 8.30 and 9am) so that we can get it set up and ready to go first thing. As always, families are very welcome in Room 3 before and after school, so do make yourself at home and please come and see Miss Driver if you have any questions :) 

A handy "before school" checklist:

- have I hung my bag on my coat hook (nothing on the floor)?

- have I found my desk and taken my chair down?

- have I put my fruit or vegetable snack in my desk tray?

- have I put my reading bag in the yellow box by Miss Driver's office?

- have I been to the toilet?

- have I said goodbye and thank you to the person who brought me to school?

- have I got my sunshine switched on (my happy face and attitude :))?

This week we begin training for the school cross country, and will continue with our Topic focus, looking at the ways in which people adapt to changes in their lives (like new classrooms ... and underwater classrooms ...). We’ll see Mrs Chan on Monday to practise our Chinese language skills, and will continue to work on our te reo phrases and waiata daily. A group of children will begin kapa haka next week (Monday lunchtimes), with another group waiting for their turn in term 3.  There will be no library day as Anzac day falls on a Wednesday, however children may exchange books during the lunch hour.

A couple of reminders for the term – no toys at school, please. An exception is the “captain's day" (see our whiteboard for when your turn is coming up!) when children are encouraged to bring along something special to share. Children are, however encouraged to bring their learning and discoveries (e.g. written work, nature finds etc) to school at any time to share with their classmates. 

Also, children must keep their shoes on during the winter terms, so please teach your child how to manage their own buckles/laces, or provide slip on/velcro shoes as appropriate (untied laces are a tripping hazard!).

Please note that spelling and facts homework will begin in week 2. This is to give children (and their families!) a chance to ease back into the term with a gentle work load. 

The fabulous Mrs Diane Trengrove will be in Room 3 this Thursday and Friday as Miss Driver is away on leave. Mrs Trengrove is very popular in Room 3 and we are looking forward to seeing her again! 

Zoe

We were really sad to say goodbye to Zoe who is moving on to work (again!) as a teacher of the deaf in the Nelson region. We loved having Zoe in Room 3 with us, and we'll miss her so much!

Tabloid sports

What a super day we all had at the tabloid sports! We loved wearing our bright mufti outfits, and we had a great time hanging out with our Birchwood school friends!

A ha ka ma - another waiata to practise!

Come on Room 3, warm up those vocal chords and practise your te reo vowels at home!

a ha ka ma na pa ra ta wa nga wha

e he ke me ne pe re te we nge whe

i hi ki mi ni pi ri ti wi ngi whi

o ho ko mo no po ro to wo ngo who

A E I O U

u hu ku mu nu pu ru tu wu ngu whu

You can use the link below to help you remember the tune - not sure who this awesome teacher is, but she's doing a great job of cueing you in, so no excuses :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-KwDK7PXdk

Fitness - large ball skills

Room three has been working on a variety of large ball skills over the last few weeks - throwing, catching, passing, rolling, bouncing, and now kicking and stopping the ball. Here are some of our eager footballers out in the field ...

Counting to ten in Chinese

You may also like to teach your family to count to ten in Chinese. Here is a youtube link to help you with your pronunciation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSXEc1GGKG8

1 yi
2 er
3 san
4 si
5 wu
6 liu
7 qi
8 ba
9 jiu
10 shi

Liangzhi lao hu

We have been learning this song about two old tigers with Mrs Pauline Chan. You could teach it to your family at home - don't forget the actions!! Parents - this is an echo-back song that runs to the tune of Frere Jaques/Brother John, I'm sure you all know it ... :)

Liangzhi lao hu (two old tigers)
Liangzhi lao hu (two old tigers)

Pao de kuai (run fast)
Pao de kuai (run fast)

Yi zhi mei you er duo (one has no ears)
Yi zhi mei you wei ba (one has no tail)

Zhen qi guai (really strange!)
Zhen qi guai (really strange!)

Term 1, Week 10

This is our last week of term in Room 3, and we’re looking forward to working on some Easter activities! We saw Mrs Chan today (Monday) to practise our Chinese language skills, and are enjoying a new application on the ipads – sock puppets! We’re excited about our tabloid sports events on Thursday (will be postponed to Term 2 if wet), and we can’t wait to get dressed up in bright colours again for our mufti day (also Thursday) to support awareness and research around autism. 

Please also remember to bring your library books to school on Wednesday as these must be returned before the holidays. Your learning journals also need to be returned to school before the end of term. 

Just a reminder to families that when we return after the school holidays we will welcome seven new children into Room 3. These children are moving up from Room 1 to join us, and we are excited about sharing our learning with friends old and new! This will be an opportunity for us all to show leadership and kindness, as our new friends come to know our routines and expectations, and to feel welcome in Room 3.

I would encourage you all to continue your learning through the holidays, sharing books and problems to solve with family and friends. I wish you all a safe and relaxing Easter break, and look forward to seeing you in the new term!