History of Sailing

We have been learning about the History of Sailing. This is part of our preparation for Beach Week(s). This rotation has two parts. Students learnt about the history of sailing and wind turbines. 

   

Both wind turbines and sails on a boat adjust their angle and direction to capture the wind as they move. The blades of a wind turbine work using the same principles of lift and drag as an aeroplane wing, a sail or wing foils on the America's Cup boats.

Beach Week(s) start next week!

Kia Ora,

We are looking forward to beach week beginning next Tuesday.  Monday will be preparation, SunSmart activities and setting our students up for the other learning they will be doing over the duration of Beach Weeks.

PERMISSION: please sign up on online payments.  This is very important as we want everybody on board.

In order for these experiences to be successful please ensure your child has the necessary gear from Tuesday the 1st of December.

• A good lunch and drink bottle

• Sunscreen applied before school, also provided by school

• Swimwear, rash top, wetsuit, towel etc.

• Hat, wide brimmed ideally

• Spare clothes or warm layers

• Walking shoes, particularly important for Wednesday 2nd of December.

• Garden gloves for the Friday (optional)

Please see the programme (attached) for further details.

If you are able to accompany us at any time please contact your child’s basegroup teacher and we will count you in!

Sail Power

We have kicked off preparation for Beach Week(s) with rotations around sailing. One of which is about sails and how they work; 

"When a boat is sailing downwind, that is, with the wind behind it, the sail catches the wind and the boat is blown forward.  When the wind is coming from the side, the sail operates like an aeroplane wing, with the wind blowing across it. This creates a force called lift.  The sails are curved, just like an aeroplane wing and this creates a pressure difference between the windward side (the side that catches the wind) and the leeward side (the opposite side).  This pressure difference is what drives the boat forward."

There's some great maths concepts here! 

After discussing these ideas, we learnt about calculating the area and perimeter of a sail (triangle), creating a drawing of our own sail.  

Students have engaged well with this learning and are looking forward to taking this with them when we sail in Week 9.

Float my Boat

Friday we got our hands busy shaping boats out of clay and tinfoil. We are explorng what a boat needs to be able to float and we made a few interesting discoveries on the way.

Sitara said that the material it is made from is important. Isabella believed that the leaf would float where the leaf with a hole it it would not.Other people thought floating was dependent on the shape of the object or the hull. Most thought that clay would not float and yet many groups had some success with this. We thought that next time we would use plastecine which will would probably be better as the clay got soggy quickly and, down it went!

We discovered that the boat will sink when the weight it is carrying is greater than the weight of the water it is displacing. The ancient Greek Scientist and thinker Archimedes developed the principle which is still considered to be true His principle states that the buoyant force on an object equals the weight of the fluid it displaces. Each boat was loaded up with bolts to see which was the most buoyant. The champion boat carried 46 bolts. Amazing?

'Business Time!' - Market Day 2020

Promoting our wares in Tautoru prior to Market Day

Market Day 2020 was a roaring success, providing a host of wonderful learning opportunities and bringing our community out in force. Māhutonga Matariki are so grateful for the support shown to us and we invite you to watch this space as we decide how to do some good with the proceeds! 

It all began with our inquiry, 'Business Time'. We heard from our friends Bobby of Reusabowl and Andy Campbell, getting great insight into what it means to be an inventor. We learned how to go through the Design Process, from blue sky thinking to prototyping and creating. Promotional skills came to the fore as Market Day neared - posters, slogans, advertisements and jingles. In Maths we practiced dealing with money and calculating profit. Read on below for some student perspective. 

We started our Inquiry by going through the Design Process of an invention and looking at 'Thinkers Keys' to get our minds creative. We also made inventions, well when I say 'made' I mean thought of inventions to fix a big problem in the world - cats killing native birds.  When we finally started coming up with ideas for market day it was really easy, but funnelling it down to my top five was really hard. When I did finally 'funnel' them I didn’t pick what I thought would be the easiest or most fun, I picked them by what was the most sustainable and what was the most likely to get bought. All that work was actually for nothing because I ended up joining a group that already had an idea but I wasn’t that mad because it was a really fun idea - Cups (of lemonade, Cakes and Comics! 

- Hunter J

We had to identify a problem for little kids - but what? Little kids have lots of problems... they are always bored and need to learn to grow things. That's where we got the idea of Enviro Jar. When it came to getting absorbed I would give myself a 4 out of 5 as we would often lose track of time and do lots of work, then be amazed to discover it had only been half an hour. We had to think like inventors because we had to be original and also not too costly, especially because people had similar ideas and we still wanted to make a profit of some sort. This is why we partnered with another group doing something similar. I think our work was quality but that's not mine to judge, I'm just glad I did that inquiry and got such an opportunity.

- Greta L

Yesterday Market Day went really well and all of our products were sold. The cost for our product was $2.00 and our profit was $20. I bought a banana seal with a jersey, hat and a tutu/skirt, two jelly cube drinks (strawberry jelly and lemon jelly), a how to draw Homer Simpson book, a Harry Potter spell book with a wand, a cupcake and cookie, two little gardens and lots of other things!
- Aila B

We took a lot of time with our product, going through a complete Design Process, to make sure it was eco friendly. Also we thought about how it would be a reasonable price fair for us and others. Our group made exactly $51.10. We would have made around $66.10 but we needed to minus the costs. I am so proud of us, none of us were expecting so much. Next time I want a bit more time so we can make it better, but overall it was really fun, The design process, Making it & Selling it was AWESOME!
- Anastasiya SP

Camp Information for 2021

Thank you to all of you who came to our parent meeting about Camp 2021. If you missed it, here is the information that we shared. If you have any questions, please ask your child's base group teacher.

  

Camp remains a highlight for students at Worser Bay School. It is mentioned time and time again in year 6 speeches, showing how important it is to the kids. They often hold on to the aims from the previous year, keen to do better, master that abseiling wall or whatever it might be and do it all with more confidence. Our aim is to help them achieve this and we are calling on you to support your child/ren also to make camp the positive highlight it is intended to be.

The aims of Camp are connected to The New Zealand Curriculum Key Competencies. Managing Self, Participating and Contributing, Relating to Others and Thinking (particularly goal setting and reflection) are all to the forefront as students tackle a range of challenges. Some of these are group based and some individual. There is real opportunity for deep learning in this context and a real intensity as our students grapple with the activities. There is a real sense of risk taking and achievement. Group activities provide opportunities for discussion, problem solving and collaboration. This leads to strong relationships and team building amongst kids and teachers. The individual challenges are supported with each child being given control over how far they push themselves.

All activities are well planned for and managed by YMCA staff. Safety guidelines and procedures are highlighted before all activities. Camp documentation is up to date with current practice in the sector.

One of the greatest challenges of Camp is of course, simply staying away from home overnight. Those who are nervous can choose (to a degree) who they share a cabin with, so they have the support of their close friends. Teachers encourage those who are homesick to hang on and overcome. They are really proud of themselves when they manage this. Students are expected to pack their own bags so that they are able to keep an eye on their own belongings, a practical side of managing themselves.

Overall the Camp Kaitoke experience ticks our boxes for developing and valuing the whole child. It is a great opportunity for our kids to develop resilience and amazing to see them overcoming their fears and achieving success. We need to plan carefully prior to camp to ensure that this is a positive experience for all.

So, what are some practical things which we can all do to support students who are worried or nervous?

• Practise sleeping in different places!

• Have sleepovers with friends and family.

Supporting your camper to build independence - tips from a parent:

DO NOT pack their camp bags for them! Despite how much easier it would be ☺ If they physically choose and put the items in their bag they are building vital life skills in self-care, and setting themselves up for success at camp where they are responsible for finding what they need.

Discuss with them why each item might be important as they pack. Maybe hold the checklist and help check off the items as they pack - this also keeps your hands busy so you can’t help!!

If they don’t usually use a sleeping bag, practice taking it out of the bag and repacking it. If they want to let them sleep in it before camp at home so it feels more familiar.

Get them to name their belongings themselves. Lots of kids have similar clothing or sleeping bags – pack up and cabin clean up time on the last day is CHAOS! Named items are much easier to find and if they have written their own name they know what to look for.

Help them choose to pack snacks that will give them a longer energy boost, in case they don’t like the food.

Last reminder, because this is perhaps the hardest! Do not pack for them :-)

Beach Week 2020

We will be very busy at the beach and school during week 8 and 9. Beach week/s has been a real highlight for us for the last few years. Every year we adjust it to fit the needs of our students and respond to the opportunities which come our way. This year we are planning a mixture of school based and beach based sessions. There will be Science connected to Sailing and studies of marine ecosystems, flora and fauna and environmentally based art activities. We will be teaching Sunsmart and Water Safety also. We have been working off and on with Wellington High School Envirogroup this year and they will again be seeing them over the course of the two weeks. We have also been working closely with the Worser Bay Boat Club helping to develop the Kōkōkaha New Zealand Yachting programme currently being rolled out nationwide. This is an exciting development so sailing this year will connect to their Science and Technology learning also. As with previous years the success of the programme is dependent on the participation and assistance of parents as many of the activities are in or beside the water. This is often a really pleasant kind of ‘work’. Chatting with friends; soaking in the December warmth (fingers crossed) while also providing the necessary numbers on the shore to monitor our kids in the water. Please check your diaries and indicate to your child’s base group teacher if you will be available between the dates of 30th of November-11th of December. Your help is much appreciated. Beach week activities will include: Sailing, Kayaking, Mountain boarding, Beach Volleyball, Swimming, Sand sculpture, Dune weeding, Coastal walk/rock pooling, History Treasure hunt, Beach games, Surf Life saving, and environmental activities.

Bonjour Brindas School

Students at Brindas School have started their new school year. The students in CM2 have introduced themselves to us. They have made us a movie!  Please watch and make sure to comment on their blog: http://cm1.galligani.eu/auroa-school/friends-2020-2021/

We made some positive affirmation Art for our friends at Brindas School: 

Athletics 2020 Newtown Park.

 We took a team of 32 athletes to New Town Park on Wednesday to compete in the Easter Zone Athletics, a great experience for our kids.  It was great to see the Character Strengths of Zest and Bravery coming to the fore as everybody took on new challenges.

Not only did we compete enthusiastically, picking up some first and second places in heats, but we made friends with kids from other schools.  It is lovely to see the spirit Worser Bay brings to these big events; great energy and competitive fire but also real camaraderie!  `` 

Special mention goes to Pyrenees won qualified for the inter-zone event coming 2nd in the 800 metres. A powerful run! While some of our Athletes won their heats, the final results show only one other placing, a 3rd place for Theo; his first place not being as quick as the other heat.  Zoe also ran some incredibly good races, placing first in both of her heats also.  Amazing! Congratulations to all participants!

Relay Teams Ready!

Thanks also to the fantastic group of parents who supported us on the day at the park and with transport.  Much appreciated!

Worser Bay Arts Celebration Drama Sketches

Our Arts Celebration sketches movies are ready! 

We focussed on using a big voice, thinking where our feet will be, making big movements and thinking about where the audience's attention should be. 

A big thank you to Anita Rossbach for making this possible!

Sports at the ASB

As a complement to our Physical Education programme, we wattended the ASB Sports Centre for a day of sports to practise Cricket, Floorball, Futsal and Netball. This was a great opportunity to try new activities, receive coaching from the ASB sports staff and enjoy the use of their wonderful venue and resources.

Darragh: I showed grit by keeping going no matter what.

Bea: I used grit when I... I think I used grit when I was doing futsal when I fell on my knees but kept on going! My favorite thing we did was... NETBALL!

Olive: I used grit during netball when it was my first time playing netball, but then a bit later i got the hang of shooting high and passing from far distances. I dialed up my perseverance and grit.

Hadley:
Star 1- I had lots of fun trying new sports like netball which I really enjoyed and it was great learning new sports. Star 2 I also excelled in my old sports and taught people new skills and was a leader. Wish- To keep trying the new sports that I have learnt today and have fun with again!

Georgia: I did as well as I could and got to where I wanted in futsal, floorball and netball. I am proud of what I achieved. I used a lot of grit in doing this it was really fun as well I was so excited and happy.

Sammy: we got to have fun and play with my friends. We played (in this order) floorball, futsal, cricket and netball. I really liked floorball even though I had never played it before I really liked it.

Ethan: I showed grit by being strong in our games and I never gave up. I really enjoyed it. ‘I am powerful’ by playing with all I had and tried my hardest. I showed manaakitanga by being kind to my friends while we played Futsal, Netball, Floorball and Cricket.

The Wheel and Axle: Now there's a pretty good invention!

We spent a day looking at simple machines, of course the wheel is one of those. Thought to have originated over 3 thousand years ago in the Middle East or Eurasia, it spread rapidly though-out the rest of the world because of its efficiency doing hard 'work'. Imagine, where would we be now without this amazing invitation? We looked at some crazy uses including these bicycles.

After looking at some examples we had a go at designing a machine using a wheel and axle.  Here you see the inventors in action.

Brainstorming, sketching, problem solving and then building the invention out of Connex.  This one is for bringing your pencils across the table when you can't be bothered actually lifting them.  Wow!  Everybody needs one!

We training our minds to think creatively; all ideas are good to begin with.  We have now started working on ideas for our own inventions or products to sell at Market Day.