Week 4 Term 4

Hi Families,

This week our Immersion focus has been Signs, Media, Debates and Effective Digital Communication. Workshops this week have been-

-History of Communication
-Maps and Co-ordinates
-Designing an Advertisement
-Sign Language
-Persuasive Writing
-Debating
-Digital Citizenship

Take a look at these photos capturing us in action.

The History of Communication

We had to put ten forms of communication in order from oldest to newest then put them on a time line.  We looked at hieroglyphics, smoke signals, telephones, email and more!!


Designing an Advertisement

We investigated the features of an advertisement, looking at design, use of colour and persuasive language.  We had a go at designing our own advertisement.

Maps and Coordinates

We learnt how to read a map using coordinates.

Sign Language

Owen and Jenny led a workshop teaching us some sign language.

What else has been happening in LC1?

We have been very busy as usual engaged in a range of learning experiences.  Check out what we have been doing.

We are still running our student led workshops.
Here is Layla teaching how to draw griffins.

The children have been exploring water colours this week.
There have been some incredible results which we hope to display soon.

It is great to see that the Construction Zone is still as popular as
it was when it was first created in Term 2.  This is such a wonderful
space for collaboration and creativity.

Writing, writing and more writing!!!!  Asher sharing his work so proudly and James busy editing a piece of work.

And in case you didn't see us all last Friday...........

Kerry and Rosie

Week 3, Term 4

Hello Everyone!

It's been quite some time since our last post and this term is already whizzing by!  We have been really busy during the first three weeks of the term with lots of exciting changes happening with our learning.

Immersion

Our immersion focus this term is 'Effective Communication'.  Most days LC1 and LC2 work together in different workshops.  So far we have worked on team building and effective communication through body language and dance, art, persuasive language and giving clear instructions.

Week 1 - Team Building

Week 2 - Language

Week 3 - Language and The Art Gallery Trip

Persuasive Writing

Linking in with our 'Effective Communication' focus, most of the children in LC1 have been attending persuasive writing workshops.  In these workshops we have been focussing on the structure of a persuasive piece of writing, how to back up our opinions and some of the language features that make a strong argument. Check out the arguments below about children being allowed lollies on Halloween.  

Shape

We have been learning about shape this term.  So far we have learnt about 2D shapes and their properties, tessellation and symmetry. 

Week 10 Term 3

Hi Families

We have made it to the end of term-just!!!  We are hoping that Term 4 will bring warmer weather and help to keep the nasty bugs away!!!

Project Based Learning
We have finished all our projects apart from our Outside Area group.  Their work will continue on into next term.  We have been planting, painting rocks to make some games to play outside and we are starting to create a water wall.  Watch this space!!!

Collaborate to Create

One of our favourite learning experiences!!! Thank you for bringing in so many awesome resources for the children to use.  Keep them coming if you can!!  We love watching the children taking on the challenge of working in a collaborative setting, over coming difficulties and producing some amazing end results.

Aaren and Zachariah with their Creeper Bus

PMP with Adam

This term Adam has been running the PMP (Perceptual Motor Programme) with the children.  To find out some more information about the programme click here.

               


Workshops
The children are really enjoying both leading the workshops and participating in them. Check out some of the workshops that took place this week.

Drawing hammerhead sharks with Antos and Mikelis

Building a wooden house with Asher

Playing a card game with Freya

Learning about Minecraft with Luke and his brother Ryan from LC3

Royal NZ Navy Brass Band

We spent a fantastic morning at the Secondary school watching the Royal NZ Navy Brass Band perform.   We listened to a range of familiar soundtracks from famous movies, we learnt about the different sections in a brass band and we got to clap and dance along! We even got to sing along to a couple of our favourite songs from Frozen.  What a great way to end the term.

Sofia doing us proud by volunteering to conduct the band

Leila singing along to 'Let It Go'

Enjoy your holiday.

Kerry and Rosie

Week 7 Term 3

Hi Families,

What an amazing week we have had culminating in our South Africa Day today.Well done to Luke, Andre and Zachariah for imagining the day and for all their hard work.  A big thank you to all our families for supporting our day, helping your child to dress up and for bringing delicious food for our shared lunch. Enjoy the photos!



Rocket Blasters
This group have been working so hard to solve the problem of how to make the rocket go up instead of sideways!!  They have been designing stands for their rocket to sit in.  As you can see from the picture, they haven't quite got there yet!!  But they are not giving up yet........

Stars and Gravity

The children in these groups have been exploring an app called 'Show Me.' They are going to use it to make their movies.  They have finished writing their scripts and should be in production mode next week!

Control Panel

The children went back to the secondary school this week with their final design. We were blown away with what they brought back to share with us.  The students that they worked with commented on how impressed they were with the level of the children's understanding and with the questions they were asking.  They have certainly done us proud.  A big thank you to the boys at the secondary school and to Freya's Mum, Ros for helping this group be so successful.

Outside Area

We are hoping to see some developments this week.  Should you have any expertise in the gardening area or resources, please let us know!  The children are keen to set up some small planting boxes with flowers, herbs and maybe sone vegetables.  We are also hoping to get some large rocks and small pebbles to paint to use for outside games.

Have a great weekend!

Kerry and Rosie

Week 6 Term 3

Hi Families,

You may have seen Rosie and I moving furniture out of our large breakout space recently.  We have had a big change around in there and have introduced some new learning areas for the children to explore!  We have linked each area to the Herrmann Brain Model. 

Each area has a coloured sign that corresponds to the type of thinking you will be predominately doing in that area.  We have had lots of discussions with the children about the type of thinking they are comfortable engaging in and what thinking challenges them and takes them out of their comfort zone.  It has been amazing listening to the children analyse themselves and identify where they see their strengths lie.  This week Riley said 'Kerry, I am comfortable working in the blue!' and Justin identified himself as having strengths in all the areas which is fantastic.  Come and check it out!!

One of our new areas of learning-The Puppet Show

We have had another big week engaged in our Project Based Learning.

Outside Area
Members of this group have been busy checking out websites to get prices for the things that they want to buy so they can email Daniel back with a budget. Here Danielle and Hannah are writing down some prices from the Bunnings Warehouse website.

Rocket Blasters

This week the group have been designing a holder for their rocket to try and solve the problem of the rocking launching sideways as opposed to upwards.

Gravity and Stars Groups
The children in these groups have been very busy finalising their research and collating all their information.  They have attended a script writing workshop and will progress to making their movie/documentary this coming week.

South Africa
Hopefully you have seen the flyer that came home this week which the boys in this group designed and wrote.  We are really looking forward to South Africa Day this Friday.  Please help your child to dress in colours from the South African flag and if possible, bring a plate to share for lunch.  Thanks to all our families with South African routes who have offered to bring a traditional South African dish.

Control Panel
This group has had a big week, attending a workshop led by students at the Secondary school.  What an amazing experience!!  Not only did they learn how to make more complex circuits but they also worked out how to write a code to put a message on a screen!  They will be going back this week with their final design and hopefully we will see it take shape.  

Have a great week!

Kerry and Rosie

Week 5 Term 3

Hi Families,

Our Project Based Learning is well under way now. 

South Africa
We asked an expert to come in and share his knowledge with us.  Clint, Luke's Dad, very kindly came in and shared a Power Point presentation with lots of very helpful information.  They have also received an email from another expert, Andre's Dad all about South Africa.  Luke, Andre and Zachariah are planning a South Africa Day so look out for more information about that soon.

Rocket Blasters
Antos led an experiment exploring water pressure that he had trialled at home with his Dad.  After lots of problem-solving we managed to get the rocket off the ground!!!  Take a look at this youtube clip  and try it at home!

Control Panel
We emailed some experts from LC2 and asked them to run a workshop for us on how to make a simple circuit.  We had a go at Makey Makey and we also made circuits with a switch and a light bulb.  

                            

 


Art
We have been focussing on self portraits for a while now.  The children have developed their skills in drawing different parts of their face and are able to add a considerable amount of detail.  We have spent time looking at different artists and their style/techniques.  This week we looked at Matisse and how he used a colourful background.

                            

 

Planning
Some of our children have started using 'paper planning'.  We have introduced this system to get them used to timetabling their day and being reflective.

Have a great week everyone!

Kerry and Rosie.

Week 4, Term 3

Hi Whanau!

This week we have welcomed Isabelle and her family to LC1.  

The Rocket Blasters

The Rocket Blasters conducted their second experiment on air pressure.  This time we experimented with a balloon in a bottle!

Please try it at home!  No matter how hard we tried we could not blow up the balloon inside the bottle! That was because the air pressure in the bottle was greater than the air pressure we were blowing in and it was trapped inside.  We then put a straw in our bottle and found we could blow up the balloon a lot more! That was because the air in the bottle could get out.  Check out our photos!

The Learning Pit

“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.” 
― Carol S. Dweck

This week we continued our work on supporting our group and team to complete jobs that need doing.  We set the teams a task; to build the tallest tower only using 5 sheets of newspaper and no glue or tape.  Many of our children very quickly went to a place of confusion. frustration and despair! This is called 'The Learning Pit'. - a vitally important phase of learning when we push ourselves out of our comfort zone and take risks with our thinking.  We hadn't really anticipated that this would happen! We took the opportunity to talk to the children about 'The Learning Pit'.  We were amazed by their reflections after the experience.  

Andre - "Zachariah pulled me out of the pit and I pulled him out!"

Layla - "At first we were all in the pit, but then we worked together and we managed to climb out."

If you would like more information please ask!