Look, draw, look - Observational drawing

We have a beautiful flowering rhododendron tree on Middle Flat.

This term we have been learning how to use 

lines and patterns in our sketching.

Designing and Building Our Bridges

We all planned and built our own bridges.  

We had to think about what type of bridge we wanted to build, 

and what materials we would need to build it.

We collected our materials and started building.

Bridge Building on PhotoPeach

Check out our designs! 

How many types of bridges can you find?

Our Bridges on PhotoPeach

Bridge Challenge

We had some very clever engineers visit our class.  

They challenged us to build a bridge 

out of 1 piece of paper!

We were allowed to use 

cellotape and staples only.

 

Look at how many blocks our bridges can hold!*

 

 HERE ARE THE WINNERS!!!!!!

We challenge you to build

a stronger bridge!

Slideshows - How to Make a Bridge

We used the kidpix tools 

to create slideshows

showing the stages of building a bridge.

by Alice, Andrew, Alaa and Fe'ofa'aki from Ham East on Vimeo.

by Battool, Bradley, Coco and Connor from Ham East on Vimeo.

by Elvis, Hussain, Kullan and Mele from Ham East on Vimeo.

by Hayat, Niaana, Trinay and Te Kapua from Ham East on Vimeo.

by Jeszmuel, Namrata, Robin, Tui and Tylah-Dawnn from Ham East on Vimeo.

Bridges

Did you know there are many different kinds of bridges?

Our Fairfield bridge is an Arch bridge

We have found out about these bridges

   Arch,                  Beam,                  Suspension

Cantilever,             Drawbridge,                Swing

Use our diagram to help you choose which one is which!!

 

 

 

Did you know that every bridge has ...

an abutment                                              a deck

 piers                                                         a beam

  pillars                                            support girders

and you will find trusses, especially on a Truss bridge!

Tane Mahuta Day

We read the story of Ranginui and Papatuanuku. 

 The god Tane separated his mother and father.


Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) 
is New Zealand's largest known living kauri tree.
Mrs McKenzie has been to see it!

It measures 13.77 metres around
We estimated this to be the same as
20 children with their arms stretched out!!

Do you know how trees get their food?
Watch and learn!

Making a tree from Ham East on Vimeo.

Matariki Celebrations

Matariki means celebrating the unique place 
in which we live 

and giving respect to the land we live on.

  

We walked down the hill to Putikitiki, 

we listened and looked at our special grounds 

and Nature Trail.

We made a Sensory Map.

We observed our New Zealand native silver ferns

and talked about why they are special.

 

We sketched a 'worm's eye view' of the silver fern.

We learnt how to weave,

we even wove our own stars!

We read the Legend of the Star Fish 

and how Tataraimaka fished them from the sea.

Their tears make the sea salty,

The God of Light felt so sorry for them

that he hauled them up to the sky

and turned them into stars.

Did you know the the names of six of the stars are

Toheti, Toheta, Tupuanuku, 

Tupu-a-rani, Ururangi, and Waipuna-a-rangi.

The Star Fish from Ham East on Vimeo.

One star is nameless.  

It is left for any child who feels lonely

to put his or her name on this star 

just before going to bed!

We created some art with Ms Nagels.

  

 

The whole school celebrated in the hall together 

with pumpkin soup and fried bread.

What a busy week!!! 

I Laughed So Much I ...

We read this poem 
and it made us all giggle.  
We wrote stories about a time that we were laughing and laughing.


My sisters and I were at the dairy buying bread.  My sister picked the bread up and the bread fell out of her hands.  If fell from her hands because her hands were slippery.  We laughed and giggled.  We laughed so much we couldn’t stop laughing.
by Hayat

The cow licked my brother.  He laughed and laughed so much when it tickled him.  I laughed too, but I fell off the picnic table.  That made me laugh even more and more!

by Kullan

My brother went down Putikitiki.  I made a trap down Putikitiki.  My brother ran down and he tripped and I laughed like this “La, la, la, la, he, he, he, he!  It felt funny.  I tickled my brother and he kept laughing.

by Jeszmuel

I started to tickle my little sister, she laughed.  

She laughed so much that …

I couldn’t stop.  Then …

she wet her pants and she was still laughing!

by Alice

My brother tickled me.  I laughed and laughed and laughed.

I laughed so much my tummy hurt!  

My tummy hurt so much that my nose bleed.  

I ran so fast that my brother couldn’t catch up to me. 

I ran up to my dad’s van.  

He couldn’t get up, 

he was too little to get up to me!

by Mele

My dad tickled me on my foot.  I laughed and laughed 

and I got the stitch from laughing.  

My tummy was sore.  I had enough tickling!  

It was funny at the pools.

by Niaana

My aunt tickled me!  I got my cousins and we jumped on my aunt.  

My aunt tickled me and my cousins.  My cousins buried me.  

My aunt found me.  My cousins and I ran away from my aunt.  

We ran fast.  I laughed when she tickled me.  I felt funny inside.

by Robin 

I was silly so my sister laughed.  I was saying “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”  

My sister and I laughed and laughed.  It was so funny it hurt our tummies.  

We needed to stop laughing but we couldn’t stop.

by Tylah-Dawnn

Our Bridge Walk

As part of our Bridge Unit we went for a walk 

to look at our Hamilton bridges.

Dugan drove us to Fairfield bridge,  

we crossed the bridge and walked all the way back to school!!

I walked on the Fairfield Bridge with Barry. 

I was tired when I walked on the bridge.  

The Fairfield Bridge was bumpy and scary because it was very high.  

I was with my buddy.  I was safe with Barry.  

I saw Room 13 and 14 waving at Room 16 and 15.  

They were standing on the bank.  I got some leaves.  It was wet and crunchy.

by Kelvin

I looked down at the water.  It looked freaky!  

I started to be scared, so I stopped looking down.  

Then I was happy again.  I kept walking until I saw the next bridge.

I went on the very, very old bridge.  When I looked down it looked…

so exciting!  I was very, very excited!  

The old bridge was so old that it had green stuff on it.  

I loved looking down at the river.

by Alice

         

                           

I jumped on the leaves and I picked up a red and yellow leaf. 

I saw a tunnel with water.  

Then I had a little look at it.  

It was cool because it was dark inside.

by Tui

On the way there I counted the bridges.  

When we got off I was excited.  

I got to see the biggest bridge.  

I collected spiky and spotty leaves.  We looked at the silver ferns.  

We were looking and waving at Room 13 and 14.  

We got to see the tree roots.  Trees had fallen down.

by Kullan

       

I walked on the Fairfield Bridge.  

I was scared because I was high and the water was low.  

I thought I was going to fall down but I didn’t. 

I found a leaf.  It was green and it was round and it was bumpy.  

It had veins.

by Alaa

The class walked on the bridge.  It was the Fairfield Bridge.  

The bridge is bumpy.  It has diamond shapes.  The air was freezing.  

It was cold and windy too.  The leaves are falling down.  

The leaf I saw was a circle and long too.  

I found gold and yellow leaves on the trees.

by Namrata 

I was scared because I was up high on the Fairfield bridge.  

I looked down at the river.  

Then I saw the car.  I was walking with Nevaeh’s papa.  

I caught up to Nevaeh’s papa and 

I saw Room 13 and 14 waving to Room 16 and 15.  

Room 14 were on the bank.  

I couldn’t see Room 14’s faces because they were far away.

by Robin

 

I am looking at the bridge.  I look down at the water.  

It is deep.  I don’t like to look down.

by Mele

I was very excited because Totara team went on a bridge trip.  

Totara team saw the river.  I picked up some rocks 

and threw the rocks in the river.  It was very, very, very loud!  

I could hear people talking.

When Totara team walked on the last bridge it was very, very scary.  

When I put my hand on the edge it was scary.  

At last we were at school.  We were very tired, but we had a little rest.

by Battool 

Yay! We made it home.  WHEW!!!