Science Experience

On Friday, the last day of Term 3, Andrew Carswell came to Team 20 to do some science experiments with us. They were all about energy.

Andrew had a machine that made electricity from a belt moving around. Some people put their hands on the silver ball and the electricity went through your hand, up your arms and out your head into your hair. It made your stick up. You had to stand on polystyrene so the electricity didn't go down to the floor. When you let go and stepped off the polystyrene your hair went back down again.



Team 20 was filled with clouds, it was like we were standing on clouds. He had dried ice which he told us was twice as cold as Antartica, Jasmine poured very hot water from a kettle into the dried ice and the room filled with clouds.

Outside Andrew put purple potassium permangenate crystals in a special bowl. He added oil on. It caught fire and sucked all the energy out of the oil. It might of heated to 2000 degrees.

Andrew had some chemicals and by adding different chemicals together he made amazing colours. There was yellow, red, blue, purple, organge and green. He made a potion that looked like blood. He told us they make blood like that for the movies.

We thought it was so awesome and exciting. Thanks Andrew, we can't wait until you come bakc in Term 4 to teach us about rockets.

Science Rocks!

Goal Setting

Today we shared great ideas about goal setting.

What is a goal?

• Something to help us. Will T.
• Something you need to work on. Yusuf
• Something you are trying to achieve. Flynn
• A dream that you really want to do. Holly
• A wish
• There might be people that can help us. Eden

How do goals help us?

• They help you get better at the things in the class and your learning. Charlotte
• They help us to keep on trying. Yusuf
• They might help us work on what we wnt to be in the future. Lucy

We talk about what makes a great goal and Mrs Howison (Claire) told it that it is important that our goal is SMART.

Specific ( smallish and focussed)
Measurable ( so you know when you have reached it)
Achievable ( so it is worth working towards and you will get there)
Realistic ( it good for you and you are able to achieve it)
Timeframe ( so you know when you want to do it by)

A goal without a timeframe is merely a dream!

Last term when we set our goals we feel we didn't look at them often enough so this time we are going to blog them, put them in our Learning Reports and put them on the wall! We are going to publish them in the shape of a ball and move them towards a goal post.

Look out for them soon!

Reflection on Hero Inquiry

Pluses (things that we liked, went well, were proud of)

• Our heroes answered all our questions, Josh.
• It was good to see the visitors demonstrate their equipment, Zach.
• I like the lights on the emergency vehicles, Georgia.
• We got to sit in the front of the vehicles, Payton, Will B
  
• Visiting the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Nick, Nicholas
  
• Going into the helicopter, Clara
• Sitting in the front of the helicopter, Lucy.
  
• I liked the Hero party, it was really nice. Will T.
• I loved the things I learned about the nurses, Abby.
• Going into the Police car. Hamish
• The heroes answered all our interesting questions. Eden
• We asked very good questions
• Going through the ambulance, Charlotte.

Minuses (things that didn't go well, problems we had)

• People were very excited at the party, they got a wee bit silly. Nick
• Sometimes people didn't listen, Zach, Josh.
  
• Only some people went int he back of the helicopter, Nicholas.
• I didn't like when the hose went on the cars, Clara
• The heroes didn't think that they were heroes, Will B.
• We only visited one place. Hamish.
• Some people pushed a little bit (at the WRH) Lucy

Interesting (things that were surprising or unexpected)

• I didn't think our party would go so well, Abby.
• It was great to have our heroes at the party.
• It was interesting that emergency people didn't think they were heroes. Zach
• The heroes were teachers too! Will T.
• It was cool our heroes let us go into their vehicles. Lucy
• It was nice that everyone loved our party.
• We got to sit in the front, Samuel.
• It was so cool that we got to organise our trip to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Isabella
• It was really great that we organised our own party for our heroes. Nick

El Grego Reflection

In groups, make comments to the following questions about the El Grego magic show.

1. What was El Grego's main message?
2. What were some of the words he used in his ladder and what do they mean?
3. Which of these words do you need to get better at?

Our School Assembly

We ran the school assembly today with Room 8. It was all about heroes and Maui.
Here are our thoughts about it:

P pluses/ things we like/ things we were proud of....
We liked doing all the acts on the stage - William
We liked acting our parts- Will
I liked how we left the stage, rolling our arms - Josh
I thought it was really neat that all the things in assembly tied together and were all about heroes - Claire
I like it because I liked beating up the sun - Nick
We felt proud standing up and reading our story - Charlotte and Isabella
I liked the 'Blame it on the Boogie' it was fun. - Charlotte
I liked it how everybody came together at the end of the play and started to dance - Eden
I really liked my part doing the rope movements - Zach
I thought it looked good when we were in a circle on stage doing actions to the sun - Flynn
Josh was very good at remembering his presenter parts - Georgia
I enjoyed watching the play and getting ideas that I could do in my part - Jack
I think we all tried our hardest - Nick

M - things we didn't like, problems we had, things we could have done better
Next time ll presenters could try and remember their parts and not read from the paper - Clara
I wasn't very happy that we couldn't use real poi - that would have made it better - Payton
We needed to be better at using the stairs to get on and off the stage - Eden
It was a problem that Room 9's iMovie didn't work - Isabella
I didn't like getting pushed on the stairs - Hamish
It was a problem that same people watching us were talking. - Lucy
When we asked what was it about we should have said what Key Competency was it about - Jack
I think we could have made a background for the stage - Hamish

Interesting
I think people were interested in the play - Flynn
I thought the group catching the sun were interesting - Charlotte

St John Ambuance Visit Team 20

Today Kerry from St John ambulance came to school. Kerry came over to the class and told us a bit about being an ambulance officer. They showed us inside the ambulance, rolled the bed down a ramp and Hamish got put in the stretcher bed.
Kerry showed us all the equipment but Josh was interested in the breathing gear. We all got to walk through the back of the ambulance. Kerry turned on the sirens and they were VERY LOUD! They had lots of lockers to put all their equipment in. The ambulance had an electric step. They had seat belts on the bed and in the truck to keep patients safe. Kerry had most of his gear in a special back pack. Other equipment was in the ambulance cupboards.
Did you know that most ambulance officers don't work for money they work because they like their job and helping others?



Kerry's Answers to Our Questions
St John Ambulance
How did you learn to do your job?
I started in St John when I was 12 years old. We have a special programme that we call Penguins that 6 year olds can learn to do things. We do lots of training and practise.
Has anyone left and changed their job ?
Some people come to us from other jobs and others go to other jobs
Have you ever had to use a helicopter or ambulance as part of your work?
No, I work in the city. We don’t use the helicopter in town. I have picked people from the helicopter at Hagley Park and take the patient to hospital.
Where do you keep all your special things that are needed in your job?
We keep a lot of it in the ambulance. It is a rolling storeroom. Everywhere we go we have everything we need. We do have bags to take inside.
What tools do you use for your job?
Our number one tool is our brain. If you are sick I have to ask you questions to find out what is wrong. We use needles, bandages, our truck.
Why do you do your job? Do you like it?
I get to help people and I get love to help others. I love to my job.
Have you saved anyone before? Have you been there when someone has died?
Yes I have I have been to some emergencies where is we haven’t have helped then they would have died. I have been there when people have died it is a very sad part of our job.
How do you know what to do?
We do lots of learning and we practise to but we pretend and use computer games to help us with our training. Practise, practise, practise.
Is it hard to do your job?
Sometimes it is hard on your brain and your body. Sometimes it is easy too, depends on the patient.
Do you feel like a hero?
No I don’t feel like a hero. I am an average person doing my job

Georgia – Has anyone in the crew been sick?
Yes sometimes they have had to take members of the crew to hospital and sometimes people new to the job faint when they see yucky things.

We are allowed to go 30km faster than the speed limit. Our new truck is called a Fiat Sprinter.

Interesting fact. Most St John workers are volunteers, that means that they don’t get paid.

Airforce Helicopter at FOS

Today the air force helicopter and 5 of its crew visited Fendalton School. The whole school was in assembly and Mr Sibson told us to follow him and look up for a hero. One person thought it might be superman and someone else thought that it might be God or Jesus coming to Fendalton school.
The field was all marked off and we waited around the edges. In the distance we heard a propeller going around and we knew it was a helicopter. The helicopter kept going around the school and then it stopped up in the air. One of the crew was winched down onto the field.
Later on we were able to go back to the helicopter and we went through it and asked the crew some questions. The pilot said he didn't feel like a hero, he was just doing his job. It took him about 2 years to learn to be a pilot.
Just before lunch the helicopter got ready to leave. It lifted off and left someone behind. She had to be lifted up into the helicopter with winch.
What an exciting day at Fendalton School!

What we are looking forward to this afternoon

We are excited about the firemen coming to see us today because they are going to tell us about being a hero. Hero's are special people and they help others. Firemen are very brave.(Georgia).

The firemen can tell us all about fires(Finn)

The best part about the firemen coming today is that they are funny. (Hamish)

I am looking forward to the fire people coming because I want to learn about the firefighters. (Yusuf)

I want to know how the firefighters get through fires without getting burnt.(NIck)

I am looking forward to this afternoon because I would like to see what they wear. They have special clothes. (Charlotte)

I would like to know how the firemen breathe in a fire. (Zach)

We would like to know what the firemen do and if they use orange and red lights on their trucks and when they use them.(Payton).

I am looking forward to the firemen coming because I think they are clever. (Jasmine).

I am looking forward to seeing the fire fighters and telling us about being a hero.(Isabella)

I would like to look in the firetruck and if they have stickers I would like one of them too! (Will B)

I want to know if the firemen get hurt. (Flynn).

I want to know how you get into the houses when there is a fire. (Austin)

I am looking forward to seeing the truck and having a look inside it. (William T).

I would like to know how the firemen protect themselves from the fire.(Lucy)

I would like to know how the firemen learn't how to fight fires. (Eden)

I am looking forward to asking the firemen how fast they can go in their truck.(Abby).

I would like to know if the firemen have ever been to a fire and had to use a helicopter. (Josh)

I would like the firemen to teach us what to do in a fire. (Nicholas)

I am looking forward to the firemen coming because they can teach us. (Clara)

The firemen are coming today and thats good because I would like to show them our classroom and see what they look like. (Samuel)

I am looking forward to seeing the firetruck and the firemen and I want to know if the firemen need to be brave to do it! (Jack).

Monday and Week 7 in Team 20

Reflection
Today Eden enjoyed that we started to draw pictures of our favourite toys. We will display these with our favourite toy recounts.
Isabella had fun listening to Room on the Broom. Julia Donaldson has been our focus author over the past week.
Flynn enjoyed learning a new song that we will sing them in Junior Assembly on Friday.
Abby enjoyed having her Mum help in the class.

We love parent helpers!

Things happening this week....
Tuesday - Christchurch City Libraries are coming to share some wonderful stories with us.
Wednesday - Harewood Fire Station are sending a fire truck to school at 1:45pm
Thursday - Duathlon

• 2.15pm: Year Two Girls
• 2.30pm: Year Two Boys
• 2.45pm: Prize-giving

Friday - Our turn to host the Junior Assembly 2:30 in the Village

Please note that there is a return slip in your child's home fun book to indicate whether you can help us get to and from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter next week.

Reflection - What is feedback and how does it help us?

Today we talked about the idea of feedback. We discussed what it is and how it helps our learning. Here are our thoughts:

Feedback is:

• when you go back over something (Flynn).
• something the teacher says that is really important (Hamish).
• about something that has just happened (Charlotte and Josh).
• finishing off (Jack).
• talking or writing that helps us learn by telling us what to do next (Eden, Isabella).

If you practise you get better at it and anyone can give it.

Heroes - what makes a hero?

Today we asked some questions about heroes:

Can anyone be a hero?
How can someone be a hero?

Put your ideas onto this post as comments.

Harold and Life Education

In the Life Ed caravan we learned about the parts of our body. We learned that the brain helps us think and the heart pumps the blood. We learned that the stomach munches and crunches our food, the lungs help us breathe, the small intestine squeezes the food and goes through small holes and into the blood. Harold calls water brain juice. We looked at Tam, a plastic doll and could see all the body parts inside.
Harold showed us a movie about looking after ourselves. We all need; food, water, safety, oxygen, sleep, exercise and love.

Reflection - trust and worms

Today we talked about what trust is. We think that trust is when:

• you believe a person can do something.
• you can give a person something, for example tell them a secret, and they will look after it.
• people are honest.

What do you think trust is and how do you know when you can trust someone?

Lucy brought a worm farm to school. This is really cool! She fed the worms lettuce and here are some photos.

Reflection - rainy day

Today some of us finished our publishing boxes and our stories to go on the wall. We also started to make our first tally chart without a sheet. It was hard.

Something else we did was to retell the story we read with Claire yesterday. This was really hard. Eden was really good at retelling that story.

In handwriting we set goals that we want to improve on.
We all did great work.

Same and Different

We have been learning about being the same and different. We are not all the same. We might have different hair and eye colours. We are all good at something different. We all dance to different music. We all do different things.We all like different things.

There are things that are the same about all people. We all bleed, we all cry, we all love, we all laugh, we all feel, we all breathe, we all see.

We all need to believe in ourselves then we can do things.

Here are some photos showing our work in being the same and different.

Reflections on our first few weeks

Here is a new tool we will be learning to support our learning. The first step is to get everyone's picture into it (which we've done), the next step is to get children and adults recording their thoughts into it. You can record your voice or just type your ideas as comments.