Friday, 30 August 2019

Kererū having BBQ and elderly snails ...

This morning we were very lucky at Yaldhurst to have a true, blue author come and visit us. Her name is Karyn and she has written a couple of stories that are based on NZ birds, bats and insects.

Her first book is called Kereru's BBQ. She wrote this after being inspired by her time at her bach in Le Bons Bay. She read her new book Peka and Koro, which is a story about a young bat who gets lost but she finds a friend in Koro, an elderly snail.



Karyn then spent some time sharing her writing process. She actually never thought she would be a writer but it was time spent in Le Bons Bay reading stories to her daughter that made her think that she could write her own story.

Here are a couple of facts that we learnt about her:
1. She went to South Hornby Primary School
2. She spent most of her childhood in Hornby
3. She has a daughter
4. She now lives in Tai Tapu
5. Her second book comes out next week.
6. Her great, great grandfather built the first-ever bach in Le Bons Bay.
7. She didn't enjoy English at high school but she still wrote a book!

We all found it really interesting learning about the writing process. It made us realise we don't have to think we are good at something when we are younger because we might realise we are good at it when we are adults. 

It was a great visit and we really enjoyed it. Maybe your class could have a visit from an author. If you could, who would you want to come?




Thursday, 22 August 2019

A ... M ... A ... Z ... I ... N ... G !!!!

Congratulations Grace, you are our Blogger of the week.



Grace completed a home learning blog post based around a picture. We love how creative you have been. We also how you have included your thoughts on the activity and your work. Ka pai Grace!

Click on the link to check out Grace’s sensational blog!


Thursday, 15 August 2019

We need a drumroll please ......

Our blogger of the week is ...

Jonathon is a regular blogger and often has some great posts. This week Jonathon has blogged about the process he has taken in building his bridge and has asked for feedback on it.

Click on the link to check out Jonathons awesome blog!

Tuesday, 6 August 2019

Undercover Surprises

What a great day Mrs Spragg and Mrs Taylor had on their Digital Fluency Intensive Course today. Our brains are filled with a large amount of information and ideas that we are going to enjoy sharing with our students and other staff over the coming weeks.

Today was especially fantastic as we got to meet a special someone that most of our Year 7 and 8 children have been engaging with this year. Hmmm ... who is it I hear you ask? Well you will have to uncover the surprise.


Monday, 5 August 2019

School netball on Sunday ... what?!

On Sunday the Year 5/6 Netball Team, with their fantastic coach Mel, headed to Hagley Park Netball Courts for a tournament. 6 games of Netball from 10 - 2 was the aim. Everyone was very excited and very colourful.


Tutus, unicorn headbands and strippy socks were the uniforms and everyone had brought their big smiles. These girls played with their hearts and it was a pleasure to watch. The cheerleaders on the sideline were clapping and cheering the team along as they played. It was really great to have so many parents and grandparents there watching.





Mel is a wonderful coach. We are so lucky to have a parent committed to organising the group to go along to this, as well as coming into school twice during the week to do extra training. We can really see the difference in their playing because of this.



WE LOVE NETBALL!


Friday, 26 July 2019

Simply Sensational

We have a truly fantastic blogger of the week for our first week of Term 3. Our simply sensational blogger is ...


Everyone should check out Chloe's blogpost about her literacy work this week. While Chloe worked with Parwin and Jedi on the DLO, it is her introduction to her DLO alongside her DLO that makes it a stand out. Well done Chloe.

Click on the link to check out Chloe's sensational blog!





Monday, 22 July 2019

A box with an envelope saying CLUES ... weird way to start Term 3 Teachers



As the students arrived on Monday morning they found this box sitting on a table. It was a mystery and we were intrigued. 

Mrs Taylor and Mrs Spragg welcomed us all and went over some things for the day and the term and then it was time to have a look at the box.


Mrs Spragg read out the box and invited Zahrah to come to the front and open the envelope. We wondered what would be in the envelope. Would it be money? Or get out of school cards? Our hopes were high.


It was a picture of a shovel! What?!


Check out Zahrah getting all the clues out of the envelope.



So a bunch of pictures of things that have something to do with each other? Hmmm, it was a mystery. 


We spent a minute chatting with one another about some ideas. 

Sam came up with the idea that you would hit the outlaw with the spade and then bury the evidence with the other spade, then you could get past the lizards and dig up the treasure. 

Rhys wondered if you could put the lizards down the outlaws back and then hit him in the face with the spade and then dig up the treasure with the spades. 

Grace wondered if it was a book.

Sam had the pleasure of opening the box for us.




Oh! It was a book (well-done Grace).  A book called Holes. 

Mrs Spragg read out the back of the book and then Mrs Taylor read us the first two chapters. We are really excited to find out all about Stanley and why he has been sent to Camp Green Lake, and who his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing'-great-great-grandfather is. And what is with the lizards?!