Poem of the week using the i-pad video function

We have been trialling different ways to voice record. We have had success with fotobabble (see our other poem post) and using the i-pad video so far! No luck with vocaroo yet - it didn't work but we will try again another day!

What Is This Called?

We are wondering what this is called?
Can you help us?
We have LOTS of ideas but we looked at all the things we had written down and we realized we don't have a name for it!
We think it is a sport in the Olympics.
Here are some of our thoughts:
The girl is in a stadium
It is a stage
These people are high jumpers.
I've got an x-box and you are allowed to do that. You run and then you throw it when the floor turns green, and then you get a big score.
I see the big stick
What are they doing with the stick?
I think they are throwing it over the bar - then they will get a high score
The pointy stick is an arrow
That looks sharp
We were talking about this the other day in that other picture
That's very true - here is the first picture we wondered about :

It's sports
What are they holding with their hand?


We've done some great thinking - now can you help us?
Thanks! From the All Stars!

"Mu Kau' Korero Maori

Music with Jennifer

Today we played with the sticks during music time. We were keeping the beat.
Our favourite things in music were:
Lachie: passing the ball around - put and pass
Shawn: I liked singing the new song - Shawn over the ocean, Shawn over the sea, Shawn caught a shark, but you can't catch me, Oh you can't catch me!

We all like the Boom Chicka Boom song!

Our beautiful peacock art.

We based our art on our shared big book of the week called 'Peacock Gets a Job'. We have been learning to collage with coloured paper - 'rip and stick'! Don't they look amazing!

Our 'All Stars' Big, Fat, Elephant Poem Illustrations

This weeks fantastic All Star poem illustrations were drawn by Eva, Aishling and Shawn. We are learning to draw a quality illustration. We know we have done this when:
* we draw a picture that matches our poem
* use lots of the space on the page
* the colouring is inside the shape
* we use bold colour, trying not to have too many 'mosquito holes'!

Matariki Celebration

Matariki Celebration

Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters;  and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year.
When is the Maori New Year?
The Maori new year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon. The pre-dawn rise of Matariki can be seen in the last few days of May every year and the new year is marked at the sighting of the next new moon which occurs during June.

Information from http://www.taitokerau.co.nz/matariki.htm

It was great to share part of the morning and the afternoon with our buddies. The All Stars and Super 7 celebrated Matariki together with the teaching and sharing of ideas coming from some of the older children in the school.
Thank you for teaching us, Kate, Hali, Amy and Ana. You were amazing!
What did we learn to do:
We learnt to draw koru patterns. The koru shapes mean growth and new life.
We drew our koru family. The koru patterns of our family had to be connected in some way.

Kate: I learnt a different way to draw my family
Catherine: I like the way the older girls helped us.
Jacob: You taught us a good way to draw our family.
Jayden:  I liked dying my picture.
Devon: I learnt when you put too much dye on the page it makes big puddles!

We had a lot of fun learning alongside each other today as we celebrated Matariki.