Senior Cross Country

 This Tuesday our Māhutonga Matariki cohort embarked down to the Miramar Polo Grounds for our annual Cross Country event. 

Over the past few weeks we have been training whenever the weather would allow to prepare ourselves for a long distance running event. We learned several key points about how to run with our heads up, pretend you are holding eggs in your hands and keeping a steady pace so that you don't use up all of your energy at the start.

Our runners all had different goals. For some it was just to keep running over the long distance. This meant dialling into their strengths of Grit and Perseverance in order to keep going. 
For some, the goal was finishing to earn a place at the upcoming Eastern Zones competition. 

We are so proud of all of our participants for giving it a go and working on building positive health and positive accomplishment. 

Learning the art of persuasion

This term, students in Year 5 and 6 are working towrads crafting a persuasive speech linked to our inquiry learning. We will explore a question such as whether it is better to live as a 9/10/11 year old in 1900 or 2026 (or another time period of their choice). The aim is to give them a menaningful context to compare, question, and form opinions about how life has changed over time. Our focus is not just on how students think, but how they communicate those ideas. We are learning how to structure writing so that it is clear and organised. Tamariki will be working on grouping their ideas into two or three paragraphs, each with a clear focus, and supporting those ideas with relevant facts. This is a key shift, moving beyond simply stating opinions, to justifying them with evidence. Alongside this, we are developing the language of persuasion (watch out!!) We are experimenting with emotive words and phrases to influence their audience, thinking carefully about how word choice can strengthen an argument. By the end of the unit, the kids will bring all of these skills together in a speech. They will present a clear viewpoint, supported by logically grouped ideas, factual evidence, and carefully chosen language designed to engage and persuade. Our unit will last 4 weeks, so feel free to check in with your child about their progress and the ideas they are developing. You may even start to notice some newly sharpened persuasive skills appearing at home!

Time Flies

 

Wow! Time really flies when we are having fun at Worser Bay.

This week we have delved into lots of exciting learning to cap off a busy Term 1.

The year 5 and 6's learned about the root word 'pel' and had a go at propelling a paper plane.

We capped off our Survivor challenges with an iMovie trailer competition. There are some talented actors, directors and cinematographers in the Māhutonga Matariki bunch. 

And we launched or amazing Haerenga, where our students were at the forefront. Telling the stories of our place has been a big focus across the school and we are proud of what they have achieved.

We hope you all have a good break and we are exciting to go deeper with our learning in the new Term!

Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua: celebrating our whānau Haerenga

 

Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua

(Learning about our past to move forward into the future.)

Ko Ranginui ki runga 

Ko Papatūānuku ki raro 

Ko ngā Atua ki waenganui

Tēnā Koutou

  

Nei ra te mihi ki a koutou ngā Mana Whenua o te rohe nei - Ko Te Ātiawa. 

Ngā mihi nui ki a Taupuruariki Brightwell me ngā Kura Ahurea mō a rātou mahi toi me nga pūrākau me te kōrero tuku iho e pā ana ki a wahi whakahirahira - Ko Whetūkairangi.  

I te tau 1842, E ai ki ngā Ōhākī o Te Rangatira - Te Wharepouri, I muri nei, kia pai ke aku taonga Māori, taonga Pākeha, kia tae ake te haruru o tō reo ki ahau i Te Reinga. 

We would like to acknowledge Te Ātiawa and their work through the Kura Ahurea programme and Taupuruariki Brightwell.  This artwork helps us tell the stories and learn about the history of this special place and its surrounding areas including the people that came before.  

In 1842, Te Wharepouri, a great rangatira from Te Ātiawa left a wish for us all .  "After I have gone, be good to my Māori and my non-Māori, let the thunder of your voice reach me in the spirit land. "

The ōhākī ensures that these stories and facts are shared with our kids so that they are understood and can be shared with whānau.  

How fantastic to see so many of our Worser Bay whānau joining our Haerenga this week.

We live and work in a very special place where we experience the awe and wonder of Whetūkairangi on a daily basis. The natural beauties of this place are matched by fascinating mythological and historical stories that surround it.

Our teaching team have been working with Te Ātiawa and Taranaki Whānui - Mana Whenua on a programme called Kura Ahurea. There are many variations of the pūrākau that are told differently across iwi and cultures. But these are the stories that have shaped our place here at Whetūkairangi, and also wider Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Some of the art on display was created by Worser Bay students in response to their learning. But the wonderful black, red and white art is the creation of the artist Taupuruariki Brightwell and Kura Ahurea. 

The pou in our courtyard are our anchor point for how we connect to our stories, and also the land, sea and sky. We began at our pou together, before exploring the wealth of artwork and information on display around the school. This was a chance to hear, read and retell and the stories of how our environment has been shaped by natural and human forces. History, mythology and immense geological happenings are all in the mix.

By clicking on a QR code, we were able to hear some of our stories being retold by our students: we hope to add more to this library.

With our stories in mind, we headed to the lookout and then down to Worser Bay beach, viewing and visiting many of the places that appear in the stories we had been sharing. 

We are learning more all the time and and are keen to share and continue to build our knowledge and understanding. So this Haerenga is just the beginning.

We will send the links via seesaw so that you can hear our recordings and view some of the resources and beautiful artwork again.  You can also scan the QR codes that are dotted around the school.

"Tuia ki runga, Tuia ki raro,  Tuia ki roto, Tuia ki waho, 

Ka rongo te pō, Ka rongo te Ao 

Haumi ē,  Hui ē , Tāiki e"

I am the land and the land is me

This term, we have been immersed in an inquiry all about compost; what it is, how it works, and why it matters. We began with a provocation to spark curiosity, a deep dive into our school rubbish. We quickly realised how much organic waste could actually be composted. We explored the science of composting next. Through our 'compost in a jar' (thanks for all the jars by the way!), we created mini compost systems, carefully layering greens and browns and observing changes over time. To make good compost, you need a mix of 'greens' (fruit/veggie scraps, clippings etc) and 'browns' (dry leaves, shredded paper, cardboard). The greens give moisture and nutrients, and the browns add air and help stop it getting stinky. When everything is balanced, the compost pile warms up. Over time, the scraps break down into dark, crumbly soil which can then go back into the garden to help plants grow strong and healthy. We then mapped the journey of compost using diagrams. For those ready to go further, some extended their thinking through research-based tasks like designing idel compost systems or investigating worm farms. We learnt that healthy soil is the foundation for everything we grow and that getting it right takes time, care, and patience. We are really looking forward to applying this knowledge to our soon-to-be renovated school composting system..keep your eyes peeled!

Drama and storytelling

On the first night of camp we had to provide our own entertainment. But instead of turning on the TV we had an opportunity to learn some Drama games to create our own travel show.

Drawing on Carl's many years of theatresports we took the time to learn a game called Slideshow. The premise of the game is that teams of 4-5 players present a series of still slides to the audience. One player has their back to the rest of the team who get themselves into interesting positions that the first player then needs to justify as they share a story to explain the other players 

It was a whole heap of fun but the best part was the way that everyone got involved and got up on stage in front of an audience to play. Drama games like this help to build confidence and encourage risk taking. Performing together also helps to build trust and positive relationships with our fellow players.

We shared this game at assembly this week and when I suggested it as our item I had so many volunteers who wanted to perform for our school community. We will continue to learn new activities like this and find more opportunities for all our learners to engage with performance and teamwork.

Camp Kaitoke 2026

Our Seniors have just returned from an unforgettable few days at camp, and what a week it was! The Year 5 and 6 students spent two nights away together, while the Year 4s joined us for a big day in the middle. Camp is such a special part of school life and is a chance for students to learn outside the classroom, challenge themeselves, and grow in ways that are hard to recreate back at school. The Camp programme was packed with activities designed to stretch students both physically and mentally. There was hut building, team logic challenges, crate stacking, rock climbing, abseiling, the giant swing and the ever popular super fox. One of the best parts of camp is seeing the kids discover what they're capable of. For some, that meant stepping off the platform for the giant swing. For others, it was perservering through a tricky team challenge. These moments are when reselience grows, when students realise they can keep going even when something feels hard. Challenge through choice! There was also time for the simple joys of camp life, cricket matches every afternoon during 'free time', and the annual campfire with John, Steph, and Beth joined us for singing and toasting marshmallows. Camp might be over for another year, but the memories and lessons will be sticking around.