Writer's Notebook

Today we went outside to look at our amazing view and write some ideas for our own myths. 

Welcoming our new families at the Powhiri

Mandarin Greetings

As part of our language programme, we are learning to speak Mandarin. This is a song that we learnt about how to greet a friend:

Chinese Dragon Parade

Today we did our Chinese Dragon Parade. We have collaborated in our learning groups to design and make these dragons. We had lots of fun parading these today. 

Here is one of the learning group's dragons. The dragon is called Jeff. 

Quirky Circus

Quirky Circus is something we have been doing to wake up our brain.

It usually involves moving your body, trying new things and DEFINITELY doing things a bit quirky. So far we have done animal versions of Jump Jam, hula-hooping, snort-offs, the starting steps of juggling and pictured here, some acrobats. 

On this occasion John was our mastering acrobatic, and helped us to do awesome tricks.

Doing Cartwheels

2- way roly polys!

Languages Programme

This week we have kicked off our new languages programme.  Every Friday we will be working for the middle session of the day learning either, Mandarin, French, Spanish or Maori.  Maria, Leola and Violetta’s mum will be looking after Spanish, Wanwan, Mandarin, Clotilde, Anatole and Eloi’s mum, French and John will be teaching more Maori.

We are very excited to be kicking this off as it not only celebrates some of the cultures we have within the school but goes some way to connecting us to the rest of the world including Asia.  Maori is taught and integrated in our regular programme so the Friday session is reinforcement and building on this knowledge.  

The research suggests that the benefits of language learning include increases in brain size What Happens to the Brain when Learning a New Language, but there are many others including increased understanding and acceptance of the cultures and ways of thinking of other people.  All great skills for the 21st century learner.

Mitchell the Mischievous Monkey: Travelling Tale

We have been involved in this travelling tale called "Mitchell the mischievous monkey". 

Travelling Tales is a club designed to connect children to other schools so they can collaborate to create short stories to share with the world." This tale has been to schools in New Zealand, Vietnam, Poland and United States of America.

Nicola's base group came up with the title and the beginning of the story.

This is the planning template that we have been using to plan our stories.

Making new friends across the school

Students in Matariki and Mahutonga have been reading with our New Entrant students. It has been a great way to meet new friends across the school. Our older students helped some of our younger students to add a reading response on Seesaw.

Our Beautiful Beach

This afternoon we went to the beach to enjoy our beautiful environment. We are very lucky to have this place as part of our extended classroom. 

Card games to help us learn our basic facts

 We've been learning some card games that we can play in our independent maths time. One is called Make 20 - you spread out the cards and turn them over one by one until you have added up to 20. You have to work out what numbers you need to make 20 as you get closer to it. If you go over 20 then you have to turn all the cards back over and it's the next person's turn. The winner is the person with the most cards at the end of the game.

Another game is Be the Fastest - where you play with 3 people. Two people each put a card on their foreheads without looking at it but so the others can see it. The third person then multiplies the two numbers together and then the people with cards on their foreheads have to work out what the number is on their forehead a quickly as possible. For example, if the cards on the foreheads were 4 and 6 the third person calls out 24 and the other players go 24 divided by 4 is ? or 24 divided by 6 is ? depending on the card they can see. Then the positions rotate.

Retelling the Ngake and Whataitai Myth

We have been reading and writing about how Ngake and Whataitai created Wellington harbour by changing it from a lake.

Here is some of our work:

 Ngake and Whātitai

    Once long ago before kupe when te-ika-a-māui was just fished up

    there lived two taniwha Ngake and Whātitai.

Wellington harbour was a lake still cut of from the sea and abundant in fresh fish

Ngake was abundant in energy and would leap up to the sea birds and grab them.

And Whātitai was lazy and would laze about on the seabed dream taniwha dreams .

But they grew out of their lake quickly and ngke convinced Whātitai that they must leave and explore.

Ngake decided to leave he made a hole using his tail as a spring

Whātitai followed but got stuck on the rocks and when the tide came in it only soaked him and provided him with water he got used to life until one morning a earthquake came and lifted him up then he took his last breath and became te koe and flew up to Mount Victoria.

By Thomas

A long time ago in a lake, a place that you know of Wellington harbour, there were two taniwha. One called Ngake, was so hyper he chased the fish through the water and jumped into the air. The other one called Whataitai was the opposite, he would lie in the sun and chill out all day. But the taniwha were getting too big for the lake and they needed to break free.

One day Ngake said “THIS IS THE DAY! This is the day I break free into the never ending sea to swim forever”.

Ngake twirled his tale into a ball and let it free. It smashed into the mountains and smashed away into the sea. Whataitai was amazed with his actions. So he tried to break free too, but he didn't notice the tide was out so he was stuck for good.

Over the years there was a big earthquake that moved him up the bay. With no water he would die. As he said his goodbye's to the bird friends he met over the years, he died and he turned into a spirit bird and flew up to the closest mountain, Mt Victoria. As he looked upon his dead body he cried as he flew up to the spirit land.

THE END.  

By Ollie H

Ngake and whataitai

Ngake and Whataitai are the taniwha of the  Wellington

River but is now called Wellington harbour.

Ngake is energetic and playful whether Whataitai is

Lazy and lousy.

Ngake and Whataitai lived in a special river called Wellington river they had all the time in the world to do as they pleased.

Ngake loved to chase the seagulls and other sea birds.

And Whataitai loved to sleep and doze around.

After a long time Ngake and Whataitai grown too big for the river and they started talking to the birds.

Ngake wanted to go to the ocean so he did and Whataitai

Tried but he didn't notice that the tide was out and he jumped too but he didn't make it he got stuck between the ocean and the river he was dry and the little amount of water kept him alive one day there was a earthquake a big earthquake he said goodbye to the birds

And got lifted into the air and died and he transformed into a bird and he said goodbye to his body and went to the taniwha spirit world. And Ngake lives in the cook islands now but very less people have seen him

Ps it was a lake not a river.

By Ruby

Ngake and whataitai the Taniwhas            of wellington harbour.

By Greer T

Ngake and whataitai are the taniwhas of the lake in Aotearoa (where wellington harbour is).

Ngake and whataitai loved  their lake,

But Ngake wanted to see what it would be like to be in the sea.

Ngake was a hyperactive (runs around)

Whataitai was very calm and wanted to dream all day.

Ngake and whataitai lived very close to the south side of the lake (Te whanganui a Tara), where the cliffs came down to the water edge.

Ngake curled up his tail and sprung over the cliffs and into the sea,Whataitai wanted to follow , so he curled up his tail and took a light spring over the cliffs and whataitai ended up very shallow and stuck.

Whataitai needed help, Whataitai had made friends with the sea birds and animals.

While Whataitai was stuck, there struck a big earthquake which moved Whataitai up to the surface.

Ngake was enjoying the freedom in the sea.

Whataitai was farewelling his bird friends and other animals saying.

“Goodbye my friends it’s time for me”

Whataitai It's sprite turned into a bird and flew up to mount victoria.

Ngake and Whataitai: Maori Myths

We have been learning about Maori myths. We have read the story of Ngake and Whataitai. We have been retelling the story in our own words. 

Some of our students have used Puppet Pals to retell the story: 

By Leola and Alba

By Haare and Hugo W

Mystery Skype with Auroa Primary School

Today we did a Mystery Skype and we won. It was the children at Aurora school’s first time mystery skyping. They guessed Wellington but they didn't find our school. There are so many schools in Wellington so we reckon they had a hard job. We asked them if they lived by a mountain and they did it was Mount Taranaki. Mystery skyping was really fun.  

By Chester and Theo

Greetings from Taipei

At Worser Bay School, we are excited to learn about different places and cultures. We have started a project that is linked to International Friendship Day (this is celebrated in Singapore to celebrate collaboration and connections with other cultures). Schools from across the world have signed up to share a short movie about their country. The movies will be posted on this site. Here is the first one from Taipei/ Taiwan: 

If you are a teacher, you can sign up here.

Dear Taipei American School,

Thank you for your video.

We really enjoyed it. It was fascinating.

We like the look of your food. The sushi looks really yummy. We like all of the different kinds.

Taipei 101 is a very tall building. How many floors does it have?

We have a teacher at our school who is from Taiwan. Her name is Wanwan.

From Worser Bay School.

Thanks Andy for making the Garden Beds! Thanks Chester for helping Him!

Chester and his dad Andy have spent a lot of time over the holidays working on the gardens.  They are made of beautiful Macrocarpa which looks and smells amazing! There has been an incredible transformation from the wonky crooked beds to the new look; something you might find in 'House and Garden'.

It has been a huge job and we would all like to thank them for the amazing work.

The gardens themselves have some resilient plants still growing despite the autumnal conditions they have been subjected to.  We are hoping to fill the garden beds with topsoil and

Cricket Practise

 We have been practising our cricket skills. Eastern Zones Cricket is coming up soon (1st March). This is a chance for Year 5 and 6 students to experience a cricket tourament.

What is a Powhiri?

POWHIRI POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY (24th February)

Worser Bay School is doing a powhiri on Friday 17th February to welcome the new people.

KARANGA-is a Female call. The Tangata whenua (hosts) start the karanaga and the manuhiri (visitors) respond.

WHAIKORERO-are speeches after the female call.

WAIATA-are maori songs that follow each whaikorero.

KOHA- The koha is a gift by the manuhiri to the tangata whenua.

HONGI-is a nose pressing and a hand shake. The manuhiri will be invited to come and hongi and harirū with the tangata whenua.

HAKARI- We will finish with kai. This will symbolise the end of the powhiri.

By: Kaia and Matilda

We have been making our own Powhiri books. Here is one by Sam:

The Helping Circle

We have been helping each other to edit our writing in the "helping circle". We can make suggestions about how to improve our writing.