Good bye Adele!

We unfortunately say goodbye to our awesome student teacher Adele after 5 weeks of having her teach us. We thank her for our very thoughtful gifts and wish her all the best in her teaching career. She will be a fantastic teacher!

Waterwise videos

And some video's...

Waterwise Session 1

The other week Room 9 went to Orakei Basin to partake in Waterwise. It was a fantastic day filled with lots of new skills, fun and laughter. We have another session coming up on Dec 2nd.

Visit from Commonwealth Gold Medal winner David Nyika!

Thanks to a family connection (Isla's cousin) we were lucky enough to have an impromptu visit from the Commonwealth Gold Medalist, David Nyika.
He spoke to us about how he got to where he is and what his future goals were. He had each and every student of Room 9 hooked in and we thank Isla for organising this awesome opportunity. We even got to hold his Gold medal and get his signature!!

Here are the pics...

Commonwealth Country Presentations

Our Commonwealth Country Presentations are about to be shared. Here's a preview...

Rich Task Term 3 - Commonwealth Games

This term our Rich Task involves looking at the Countries within the Commonwealth.
We will be presenting information from a selected country in a visually appealing way focusing on how they became part of the Commonwealth and other interesting key information. Each class will also be responsible for making traditional food samples from a Commonwealth country which we will share with each other on a cultural food day at the end of the term.

Our Fertile Question is: The Commonwealth...why bother?
The deep understandings are:
1. To have an understanding of why countries are in the Commonwealth
2. To better utilize research skills and the value of research skills
3. To celebrate diversity of different countries and cultures
4. To use and understand the Thinking Design model in planning our meals and display boards.

We were lucky enough to have a close link to the Commonwealth games with Isla's cousin David Nikya who took out gold in the boxing. We congratulate him on his win and look forward to hearing him talk to us about the experience.

Book week Quiz - 3rd place!!!

Big thanks to Josh, Aaryan, Isla, Lauren and Eloise who represented Room 9 so well!
Also thanks to our table dressers who did such an amazing job and our 'give it 100% ' supporters.

Our Home, Land and Sea Poem - Trash to Fashion Rich Task

HOME, LAND AND SEA  -  Room 9

New Zealand - first to give women the vote

Splitting the atom, conquering Everest, Rainbow Warrior despair

Aotearoa fished from the sea

Captain Cooks voyage to discover our land

Land of plenty and black scorching sand

Kupe’s waka across dangerous sea

Treaty of Waitangi - conflict and siege

Waipoua forest speaks secret sounds

A whispered hush, still but clear

Unfamiliar fear, fills the air

I turned each way then faced North

A wise old Morepork

Shares a story of the taniwha

Lurking in mysterious Lake Taupo depths

A kiwi’s footprint still vivid in the mud

Standing tall and proud

Hard stares of challenge greet the opposition

Fans roaring like lions ready to battle

Eyes of adoration fixed on their heroes

Inspiring the next generation to come

As the echoing haka

Brings 10 thousand English to their knees.

Hot golden sand burns my feet as I roam the beach

Receding tide leaves salty crystals scattered across the sand

Green grass speckled with rain dew

Imposing mountains present a challenge to dauntless climbers

The salty water licks at the sand

Sandcastles crumbled in it’s wake

Pushing through the crowds, voices buzzing

A cacophony of languages

A loud Haka rings through the air

The aroma of root vegetables and seafood teases

A cultural showcase exciting the senses

NZ culture, beyond compare

Fish jump through the water right next to you

You reach out your hand, one jumps through

As rough scales rub against your skin,

What a sensation

A sport of Kings, obsessing the nation

Through butter fingers the fish falls through

Jumps back in the water right next to you

The warmth of the classic kiwi mince pie

Sauce dripping, mince oozing

L&P world famous in NZ

Explosion of deliciousness

Crackling fire at the beach house

Marshmallows toasting gooey inside

Hangi, fish’n’chips and kiwi-fruit

Moreish wines, pineapple lumps

NZ pavlova Aussie’s back off

The clouds scatter as the Skytower pierces the sky

Christchurch Cathedral once towered so high

Mt Cook coated in thick, fluffy snow

The Cape Reinga lighthouse shows boats where to go

The Beehive thrives with people working 9 to 5

In the Rotorua Hot Pools no-one wants to dive.

How are ya cuzzie?

Choice Bro, Kapai.

Taking a dig at the Aussie’s

For stealing the pie

I’ll fry up some greasies

To go with it too

Good luck to ya bro

And a box of fluffies to you

Amanda Eason Poet visit

POETRY WORKSHOP WITH AMANDA EASON

By Lauren Smith and Eloise Muir

Two students from every class were 'summoned' to the library to do an extension workshop with poet Amanda Eason. Our assignment was to write a poem about flying based on “Wings” By Pie Corbett. Here are some examples from room 9's two exceptional writers...

If I had wings...

I soar above the treetops,

Skyscrapers,

Great mountains,

Wonders of the world.

Everything that once seemed tall, looming and daunting,

Is small and insignificant.

I see the earth as a blue and green orb, shrouded in clouds.

I am in a cluster of stars, twinkling and shining.

I dive back through the atmosphere, plummeting so fast I hear the wind screeching in my ears.

I float amongst the clouds, teasing out small wisps of fluff and letting them fall back to earth, to land in the cupped hands of a wondering child.

But then, the hour of time granted to me is over.

I drift,

Gently,

Back to the ground.

From now on,

I fly in clunky machines,

Spurting out smoke.

By Eloise Muir

If I had wings I’d fly amongst the fluffy clouds and gently feel them, soft to the touch.

If I’d had wings I’d hear the Gods booming voices arguing about who is the true king.

If I had wings I’d dance among the stars.

I would look down upon Earth, with people like ants and cars like beetles.

I’d see things that have never been seen before by mortal eyes, like mythical creatures that aren’t supposed to exist or Zeus hurling down a fearful bolt of lightning.

It would feel like i was free without a care in the world,.

Then, of choice i would land and go back to everything before I could fly, never to soar the sunny, clear blue skies again.

By Lauren Smith

What is on this term ?

We have a lot of cool things on this term such as:

• PE is rugby 
• A social is coming up soon
• Rich task is Trash to fashion
• rich challenges for homework
• poetry writing 
• reading is due in week 8 - novel studies
• cross country for sport
• P4C

Make sure you male the most of this term!!

Ipad movie trailers

Recently we experimented with the Ipad movie trailer app. After much collaboration and fun here are the results...

Happy Easter break!

Have a safe and happy Easter break everyone.
Room 9 students, congratulations on the awesome effort you have put in this term. Enjoy your 2 week break  can't wait to hear what you got up to. We will do some writing on this when you get back.

Don't forget to start bringing in your rich task resources for making your trash to fashion prototypes. Also please note that next term on Friday week 4 (30th May) we have a teacher only day. With Queens birthday the Monday after it means a 4 day weekend  for you and your family.

See you in term 2. Be safe and read lots!

Swimming is coming to a close

Swimming is coming to a close.
We have been learning survival skills in the water.
We have had fun playing water polo.
Also trying to swim with our clothes on was definitely challenging.
Here we are having some swimming fun...

Have your say for house singing...

Please use the link below to have your say in what we sing at house singing.
https://docs.google.com/a/balmoral.school.nz/forms/d/1YRWYaJJEy7N6S9Ll_Y_2hBb9wV41gxcLUHbCZsOC3j0/viewform

Camp

I hope everyone had fun at camp and enjoyed all the activities. Thanks to all the teachers and parents who helped out and made it such an awesome experience.
Big shout out to Ellie who had to go home early because of a broken wrist!
Here are some cool pictures: 
Blokarts:
Blokarts were fun whizzing
around with the wind pushing
you along.

Cooking:
We had fun planning our
menus and cooking them.

Teachers:
Look how much fun the teachers
had.

Room 9:
Have fun room 9!

Surf lifesaving:
We enjoyed the games
pretending to save each other
with the life belts.

Team building:
Love the crazy faces on
the tug of war.

Tent life:
Sleeping in a tent was fun
but  keeping
it clean was hard.

Tramp:
The view was really cool
and we had fun tramping.

Waterfall:

The water was freezing
cold but refreshing once
you had got in.