Our Tamariki
Take a look inside our school! Our Tamariki page helps whānau stay up to date with our latest activities and learning experiences and showcases the hard work of our students.
Kororā Class
Nicole Cope
Kaiako
To tatou ako (our learning)
In Kororā, we have been focusing on learning our letters, the sounds they make and how to form them correctly. This helps us when we are reading and writing our stories! Ākonga are learning how to combine their letter sounds to make VC (vowel consonant), CV, and CVC words, and are starting to explore bigger words by writing down the sounds they hear. In the afternoon, ākonga are continuing to build relationships, take risks, share and work together through play based learning.
Tūī Class
Eddie Robinson
Kaiako
To tatou ako (our learning)
We have been working hard on our linocuts of tuna (longfin eels) to make prints for our Burns Memorial art. This has been part of our topic on mahika kai. The ākonga have been learning about the life cycle of the tuna but also that it has been an important food source for hundreds of years.
Pīwakawaka Class
Jen Streat
Kaiako
To tatou ako (our learning)
Every Monday morning Pīwakawaka explores an open-ended problem for Math. This has been a great way to see that there is more than one possible answer and to explain our thinking. We have also been using the Numicon equipment to help us with our learning.
Last term we did some scientific writing and investigated whether you can spin a cup filled with water, whether an egg can bounce after leaving it in vinegar for 4 days, and whether you can tip a glass filled with water with a piece of card on top upside down. We made predictions, observations and wrote what happened. One experiment was a complete failure! Can you guess which one?
Pīwakawaka are very lucky to have Richard from Deaf Education teach sign language every week. We have learnt how to sign the alphabet, objects around the classroom, colours and have started learning emotions.
Kererū Class
Alex Kircher
Kaiako
To tatou ako (our learning)
In Kererū we spent some time learning about Totara Estate. We did a quiz to help us learn where Totara Estate is, when it was established and what it was used for along with some other facts. With the information we learnt we each made a poster to share on seesaw for our families to see.
Ruru Class
Anna Miller
Kaiako
To tatou ako (our learning)
In Ruru over the last few weeks we have jumped back into learning. We have been learning about metaphors and how we can use them in our writing to help us paint a picture for our audience. The ākonga have also been working on using algorithms in maths, renaming numbers and carrying the ten over to the next column. In reading we have been working hard on understanding what we are reading and using new vocabulary in our own sentences. We also play games to help us remember the spelling rules that we are learning. Through sculpture making we have been looking at the details in a face and how we can portray them; we’re hoping to use these sculptures for our Burns Memorial art which will be displayed at the Oamaru Art Gallery. In PE had a go at playing some different games outside to remind us of what good team work is and how to be supportive peers. Make sure to connect with us on Seesaw to see what we get up to, day to day!
Toroa Class
Ellen McAtamney
Kaiako
To tatou ako (our learning)
During Term 1, we have had fun exploring the new mathematics structure and trialing new resources to support student learning. Our classroom environment is taking shape with vibrant student artwork on display, and we have also created a Writers' Wall to showcase our students’ published writing—a great way to celebrate their hard work and progress.
Our swimming sessions have been both enjoyable and an important opportunity for developing water safety skills. A highlight of the term was our participation in the Epro8 Challenge, where students engaged in hands-on engineering tasks, including constructing an Iron Man model. It has been a busy and exciting start to the year, and we look forward to the learning opportunities ahead.
