Signing with our Buddy Class

Before lunch on Fridays our Buddy Class, Room 10, comes over and teaches us sign language. We began learning how to sign our name and do simple greetings. The next week we were taught all the colours and played a silent guessing game using colours. Last week we learnt all the signs for the letters of the alphabet and next week we can't wait to learn animals. It is astounding how quickly everyone is picking it up and retaining it. A big thanks to Ms Baillie and our fabulous Room 10 teacher-buddies!

'Strike' Comes to Birchwood!

The school was amazed, once again, with the talented three young musicians that entertained the school last week. Their energy and rhythm was awe inspiring as they beat on the different kind of drums. It was ear-splitting loud and many children covered their ears but at the same time it was great to see the children foot-tapping and moving to the beat of the music with hands drumming on their imaginary instruments. The highlights were the marimba, the Cook Island wooden drums, the item using drink can 'instruments', and the rhythm made with fire. Here are some photos from the show.......

Visiting the Suter Art Gallery

Here are the rest of the stories about our visit:-

I went to the Suter Art Gallery it was fun and exciting for everybody. We made people out of clay.

Cameron

We went to the Suter Art Gallery. It was exciting because I made a clay person.

Corey

I like the clay at the Suter Art Gallery, it was fun. We made people.

Chantelle

We went to the Suter Art Gallery. I liked making things out of clay.

Keira

We went to the Suter Art Gallery. We made clay people I like them. It was exciting. Carey and Mason and Ava came in my Nana’s car. I liked going in the car.

Vinny

I went to the Suter Art Gallery. I made a person out of clay and it had arms and legs.

Carey

We went to the Suter Art Gallery. We got to make little people.

Ben

The Art Gallery Visit

Here are some of the stories the children wrote following their visit to the Suter Art Gallery.

We went to the Suter Art Gallery. At the Suter Art Gallery we made little people out of clay. We made hair out of things that had holes in the bottom that squirted out hair. We used wet clay to stick it on.

Chali 

I am making a clay person. It was fun because we went to the Suter Art Gallery.  The clay was sticky.

Louis

I went to the Suter Art Gallery and we made a boat with Ella and Keira. It was exciting because Ella’s sister was in the boat.

Evelyn

We went to the Suter Art Gallery. We made a model, the model was cool.

Luca

We went to the Suter Art Gallery.  We made a sculpture and it was made out of string.

Jack

We went to the Suter Art Gallery.  We made little people with clay.

Ella

We went to the Suter Art Gallery to make some people. Then we are going to paint our people.

Stella

I went to the Suter Art Gallery. We made a clay person it was fun. I really liked the Gallery. I enjoyed the Gallery.

Talei

We went to the Suter Art Gallery and it was awesome because there were statues.

Mia

I like the people we made out of clay. It was exciting because my Mum was there. ms Tennet came too.

Kaylee

We went to the Suter Art Gallery. We saw a sculpture. We made a sculpture of our own.

Joel

Room 4 Visit the Suter Art Gallery

Are you impressed? We were when we walked into the gallery and saw these stunning clay sculptures and pieces of pottery by contemporary Maori artists. We were met by Esther Mc Naughton, the Art Educator at the Suter, and she talked about the artworks having human figures in them and the significance of some Maori motifs like the three fingered hand. We made the shapes of the pots with lengths of wool laid on the carpet.

Next we had fun with a bit of drama. We copied the shapes of some of the sculptures and imitated their facial expressions. Check these photos out!

But the highlight of the afternoon was when we went up to a back room off the gallery to make our own clay sculptures. Esther gave us all a lump of clay and step-by-step she showed us how to mould it into a human figure. We made limbs and head, 3 fingered hands, interesting facial expressions, stringy hair (using a tool called an extruder) and made the figures sit with hands on their puku.
It was an awesome afternoon of creative energy and all our work will be fired and returned to school. We can't wait!

Special thanks to Esther and the wonderful parents (and grandparents) that provided transport, struggling with 24 booster seats, and helped out with groups.

Jumping

Last week the children of Room 4 went outside to do some jumping. As you can see by the pictures everyone had a lot of fun.  Some of the children wrote about jumping. We hope you enjoy reading our stories. They are also up on the wall in the classroom with illustrations.  Do come and read them.

We were jumping and it was fun. Then we walked back into the classroom.  It was really fun when I was bouncing.

Hadlee

I am getting ready to jump. My legs are bending.

Ben

We went to go for a jump at school and it was fun.

Evelyn

I am jumping on the grass.

Luca

I am jumping on the trampoline with my brother. I am playing. We are fighting.

Jack

Scooter Programme at Birchwood

For three days, Room 4 students were involved in a scooter safety programme run by Sport Tasman. We learnt how to wear a helmet safely, how to stop in a hurry, use brakes, turn corners safely and scooter around cones and obstacles. On the final day the class was split into smaller groups and taken across Seaview Road. Students were told of the dangers of 'sneaky driveways' where cars could be backing out. It was a great programme for the scooter novices, though some of the children probably would have enjoyed a bit more daredevil activities!