Wairakei Primary School Newsletter

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August 18, 2020

Akuhata 18, 2020

Week 5 Term 3, 2020

Issue Contents:

Featured Videos
Principal's News
Latest News
- Calendar Art
- Monday POWER Draw Recipients
- P4L Assembly Recipients
- Photo Day
- Kids Greening Taupo Planting Day
Upcoming Events
- Board of Trustees Meeting
- Steaming Into School
- Te Mihi Taupo District Council Cycle Skills - Rooms 6 and 8
- Assembly
- Individual and Class Photos
- Ski Trip
- Whole School Cross Country
- Teacher Only Day
Classroom Learning - Room 13
Sponsors

Featured Video

Principal's News

Dear Parents and Caregivers

It is great to be at school with this being as normal as possible. Please be reassured that I will contact the community should anything change at school from any announcement.

We are currently operating under Level 2. This means that all our gates are open. Our playgrounds are open. Students are having lunch inside and hand washing is as normal. Staggered break times continue so that we have limited numbers in the playground. Assemblies have been suspended until further notice.

I am still working with the staff around school events like the cross country and how we will manage these. I will send out more information once the decisions have been made.

If the school goes under a different level, I will notify the community via the newsletter and a text. Under Level 3 there will be some changes to how we operate the school and provide learning experiences. For essential workers who need to keep our community safe and operating, I will require paperwork that states your status as an essential worker.

The PTA has had another meeting and is still continuing to prepare for our Pet Day on Saturday November 7, 2020. If you are thinking of bringing a calf or goat for Pet Day please contact the school office for some more information on keeping your animals safe.

The PTA disco is still on at this point. We are selling tickets from the school office for Te Mihi and Aratiatia teams at $5 each. Ohaaki and Poihipi teams will be a gold coin donation - no ticket needed. Tickets will be available from Thursday August 20, 2020. We may have to look at how we operate the disco to ensure all students have a fun time and enjoy themselves.

There have been some wonderful examples of learning happening in the school over the past two weeks. Here are some of our blogs that showcase the learning and provide all families with an insight into life in the classroom. The Phunky Physics concept is certainly proving that science is fun and rewarding. It is a very enjoyable part of my role when I hear students talking about their learning and why the balloon sticks to our hair with static electricity or why opposite forces attract.

http://www.wairakei.school.nz/blog/room-4-is-ecstatic-about-static-electricity/
https://www.wairakei.school.nz/blog/becoming-scientists/

Please make sure you look at the Community Calendar with the changed events.

Enjoy the sunny weather while it lasts.

Paula Farquhar
Principal

Latest News

Calendar Art

Orders for your child's calendar art have closed. Thank you to all those who have placed orders.

P4L Assembly Recipients

Congratulations to the following students who received a fortnightly P4L award.

Lucy Room 4
Jay Room 5
Chase Room 10

Photo Day

Wairakei Primary School Photo Day will be held on Monday August 24, 2020. Once we have received the envelopes for ordering we will send them home.

Monday POWER Draw Recipients

Congratulations to the following students who received a POWER Award for Week 5.

Room 1 Josef - Self, Others
Room 2 Sam - Self
Room 3 Juno - Self
Room 4 Liam - Self
Room 5 Nick - Self
Room 6 Dion Self
Room 7 Angus - Self
Room 8 Karma - Others
Room 9 Amelia - Self
Room 10 Shyre - Self, Environment
Room 11 Kase - Self
Room 13 Henry - Self
Room 14 Reid - Self
Room 15/16 Brock and Jynesis
Mrs Forrest- Lachlan T Room 3 - Self
Mrs O'Sullivan - Andi Room 4 - Self, Others

Kids Greening Taupo Planting Day

The Taupo Kids Greening planting day will be held on Saturday August 22, 2020 at 11a.m. on Wairakei Drive. See you there.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday August 18, 2020
5.30p.m. in Staffroom

Board of Trustees Meeting

All welcome.

Wednesday August 19, 2020
2p.m. to 3p.m.

Steaming Into School

Please meet outside Room 15. You are welcome to come at 1.45p.m. for your child to play in the playground.

Wednesday August 19 and Thursday August 20, 2020
9a.m. to 12.30p.m.

Te Mihi Taupo District Council Cycle Skills - Rooms 6 and 8

Remember to bring your bikes and helmets.

Friday August 21, 2020
9.15a.m.

Assembly cancelled due to Covid 19 Level 2

Monday August 24, 2020

Individual and Class Photos

Order envelopes will be sent home once we receive them.

Monday August 24 and Tuesday August 25, 2020
9a.m. to 12.30p.m.

Te Mihi Taupo District Council Cycle Skills - Room 7

Remember to bring your bikes and helmets.

Wednesday August 26, 2020

Ski Trip

Wednesday August 26, 2020
2p.m. to 3p.m.

Steaming Into School

Please meet outside Room 15. You are welcome to come at 1.45p.m. for your child to play in the playground.

Thursday August 27, 2020
Spa Park

Whole School Cross Country

Friday August 28, 2020

Teacher Only Day

School Closed.

View our upcoming calendar events

This issue Room 13 presents

Zooming Along

Room 13 has been learning about how to incorporate similes into their writing to make their writing more interesting to the reader.

First, the students watched a short video clip about hot air balloons and saw a variety of hot air balloons. As a whole class Room 13 did a brainstorm using a ‘Y’ diagram of what a hot air balloon looks like, what it might sound like and what it might feel like if the students were to go for a ride in a hot air balloon. Each writing group looked at what a simile is and thought about what they could compare the hot balloon to.

“A hot air balloon looks like a floating lollipop". Robert

“A hot air balloon looks like a unicorn”. Alysha

“A hot air balloon looks like a floating ball". Carter

In the writing groups, some of the students included similes into their writing while other students found this a challenge, instead they described what a hot air balloon looks like using adjectives. Room 13 will be continuing to learn about incorporating similes into their writing.

“I found it a bit hard to compare it to something else". Skye

“It's good to be challenged because we learn something new". Grace

Learning intentions:

To incorporate similes into our writing.

The students made hot air balloons out of coloured paper to go with their hot air balloon writing. For this activity the students drew clouds onto a piece of white paper. They were given a choice of cutting out the clouds using straight-edged scissors or using pinking shears. Then the students glued the clouds onto blue paper to represent the sky. Then they chose three different coloured balloon templates which they cut around each balloon template and glued one of the balloon templates down onto their ‘sky’ background. Next, the students folded the two remaining balloon templates in half and put glue down the centerfold of each balloon template. Lastly the students used a small black rectangle that had been pre-cut as their basket which they glued onto their sky background.

Below are some examples of our fabulous hot air balloon writing:

"The hot air balloon looks like a chocolate pop". Aiden

"My rainbow hot air balloon goes high in the sky. I think my hot air balloon will go up into space". Emmy

"The hot air balloon was speeding through the sky". Finn

"The hot air balloon looks good in the sky". Robert

"The hot air balloon looks like a rainbow coloured unicorn". Alysha

"The hot air balloon look’s so so big like it was going to crash into me, I was like a pancake. I went home that day so flat". Sadie

Keywords: hot air balloon, similes
Attributed to: Rebecca Partridge, Ohaaki, Room 13, 2020
Curriculum links: English, Speaking, Writing and Presenting
Key competencies: Thinking, Participating and Contributing