Sound of the week

Our phonics sound of the week is a blend - two sounds that blend together to make one sound; br as in brick.

The Highway Rats reading group went on a br hunt today and used the PIC Collage AP on the IPADs to share their learning.

Magical Beanstalk Adventures

This week in Room 14 we have been reading different versions
of Jack And The Beanstalk. After reading the stories we wanted to write our own magic beanstalk adventures. We have our very own magic beans growing in our classroom too.

Check out what these clever authors wrote;

Author Dom wrote:
In the middle of the night I looked out my window and saw a magical beanstalk growing up to the clouds. I started to climb up the thick beanstalk.  I saw a humongous tower made of shiny golden bricks. I smelled sausages.  I heard a humongous voice shouting 'FE FI FO FUM I smell the blood of a Parkvale boy.' I ran as fast as my dad's motorbike. I slid down the beanstalk and ran back to my bedroom. I was safe.

Author Cushla wrote:

I looked out of my window, "Wow!" I said. There was a humongous beanstalk right in front of my eyes. I stretched through my window and I screamed at it. I thought it would wrap around me. Then I rushed out my window into a magic beanstalk world and I found myself on a fluffy cloud. I saw chickens laying fluff ball eggs. They went in the castle and I went with them. The beanstalk disappeared and then I heard FE FI FO FUM I smell the blood of an English girl. I fled right behind a teapot. I said, "It has yucky water in it." I thought I would never ever go in there again and then I thought I heard the giant say, "Get my golden eggs from my chicken." Then he fell asleep and I grabbed the chicken and scuttled away. I showed my mum. She was proud of me. I decided to venture up the beanstalk again but I would bring my brother, Lawson, with me to keep me safe.

Author Zack wrote:

This is the next generation of trees, it is a ..... beanstalk. This is how I get the beanstalk, I clap my hands twice at midnight. When it had finished growing I snuck away from Mum and I climbed up it. There were elephants made out of watermelons and hippos made out of potatoes and birds made out of bananas. There was also a gigantic ogre. He didn't like food. He had rotten teeth and a humongous wart on his nose and he had a big voice. I was scared of him. I was so scared that I climbed down the beanstalk. Then I chopped it down. It flung the giant across the world. Mum and I sprinted away from the beanstalk stump. We used the golden eggs to buy another house far away from the beanstalk stump. Mum and I lived happily every after and we were rich for years and years but we still came to Parkvale School because we still loved it!!

Author Ayden wrote:

In the middle of the night my beanstalk grew. In the morning I climbed up it. Suddenly, I saw a humongous giant castle. I saw an old hairy lady. I snuck behind a dirty pot. The old lady brought in the sausages. Suddenly, I heard a big FE FI FO FUM I smell the blood of a Maori boy. I stayed behind the pot until he started to snore. I stole some of his gold. Suddenly, he woke up and he started to chase me. I said to Mum, "Get me the axe to chop the beanstalk off." The beanstalk snapped and the giant went flying over the giant mountains. He went SPLAT on his face. He was never seen again. I sprinted away until we were safe at home. I hid the golden eggs in my sleeping case to keep them safe. I wonder if it will grow again?

Author Karamea wrote:

In my bedroom I have a bean and it grows in a ginormous pot. I was waiting and waiting on the side of my bed when suddenly KABOOM! a ginormous beanstalk shot up into the light blue sky. It gave me a big! big! fright. Bravely, I decided to climb the beanstalk. It was still growing. It was twisting and twirling like a ballerina. I looked down at my brother and I got a fright. I nearly fell down because he was as tiny as a little dot. Suddenly, I heard a ginormous giant stomping. I wanted to go home to my mummy but I thought about it. I thought that I would keep on going. I did not know I was already at the top. I saw some fluffy claws. I jumped off the beanstalk and I landed on the fluffy claws. I started to play about on the fluffy claws. I was having so much fun. Suddenly, a humongous shadow appeared behind me. I did not know that is was behind me then I got a fright. I looked behind me and I screamed. The giant had smelly breath and big sharp claws......

Tiddliwinks and making numbers

Today, in maths, we worked with a buddy to build numbers playing the game tiddliwinks. Our game sheets had ones, tens, hundreds on them and we had to fire our counters to see what number we got. Then, we had to make the number using materials and write the number correctly. The person who got the biggest number was the winner.

We used the strategy of counting on in tens and ones from the biggest number to work out what our number was and we used the place value houses to help us write the numbers correctly.

Dom and Ekrose

Cushla and Karamea

Charlie and Jordan

Counting on with our learning buddies

Today we worked with our learning buddies to choose a number, make the number and use the strategy of counting on from 10 to check our number (each bundle of pop sticks is 10) ....

Jack used his 10 and 5 skip counting to check his number
10,20,30,40,50,60,70,75,76
Check out his tally mark in the ones column - this makes it easy to see its a group of 5.
Great strategy, Jack !

Gwen and Dom used 10 and 5 skip counting to check their number
10,20,30,35

Riley and Cahlia used skip counting to check their number
10,20,30,31,32,33

Jordan and Harlem counted in 10s to check their number

10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80,90,100,104

Our challenge tomorrow: to make bigger numbers using lots of different materials

Room 14 Poets

We are learning to be clever writers. Clever writers share their ideas in different ways. We have been working on sharing our ideas through poetry.

Writing poems is pretty tricky because the rules change

• Full stops don't go in the same places as stories
• Sentences can start with the same words over and over again
• Poems can start and end in funny ways like with our first and last names

Check out what these clever authors wrote:

Author Charlie wrote:

        Charlie

Sporty, friendly, strong, speedy

Son of Kelly and Neil

I love Mum, Dad, Nana and Poppa

I fear the dark

I am proud of my maths

I would love to go to Sea World in Australia

I live in Taradale

          Frewin

Author Janice wrote:

        Janice

Happy, nice, clever, friendly

Daughter of Shao Yan

I love my little baby sister

I fear spiders

I am proud of being a clever reader

I would love to go to the beach

I live in Hastings

          Xu

Author Jasmine wrote:

         Jasmine

Clumsy, annoying, creative, funny

Daughter of Tracey and Richard

I love Mum and Dad

I fear the dark and cockroaches

I am proud of being a good friend

I would love to go to Australia

I live in Hastings

          Entwhistle

Author Gwen wrote:

          Gwen

Caring, funny, cheeky, strong

Daughter of Stevie and Curtis

I love my Dad, Curtis

I fear mummies and white tail spiders

I am proud that I am part of Room 14

I would love to go to Wellington

I live in Hastings

          Miller

Visualising

We are reading The Twits by Roald Dahl as a class book. We are learning to visualise - get a picture in our heads of what is happening in the story. This helps us to think about and understand what is happening in the story. Learning to visualise made us think about how we add detail to our own stories in writing time so readers can get a picture in their head.

We know clever readers think about what they are reading and create a picture in their head.

We know clever writers add lots of detail to create a picture for the reader.

In Room 14 we are clever readers and writers!

Check out this great visualising by Caitlin;

Maths

The Number Ninjas have been practicing their skip counting so they can use it to help solve number problems. Caitlin and Whetu worked together to make this poster to help them skip count forwards and backwards in 2s.

The Maths Magicians have been making teen numbers. Gwen and Hannah used the Virtual Poet AP on the IPAD to share their learning.

Counting in 10s with numbers over 100

Balin has been using his knowledge of counting in 10s to 100 to count numbers above 100. He used the place value AP on the IPAD to share his learning.

Kowhai Triathlon Stories

We have been writing about Kowhai Hub triathlon. We are learning that clever writers add detail to their stories to help make a picture for the reader. We started our writing on Monday and only wrote about before the race. On Tuesday we added more detail and then started writing about during or in the race. On Wednesday we added more detail and wrote about after the race. Detail makes our stories more interesting to read.

We know clever writers re-read to check their story makes sense, think about what comes next and to add more detail.

Author Keagan wrote:

I was excited at the triathlon. First, we put our togs on and we put our towel on our shoulders. Then, we walked out to the field and we sat down with the Kowhai Hub. The weather was chilly. Suddenly, Miss Anderson said, “Year two girls stand at the starting line.” Mrs England said, “On your marks, get set, GO!” I leapt on my scooter. I was second in the scooter race because I passed all of the guys. When I jumped into the pool it was chilly but I tried and tried and I got to the end of the pool. Then, I jumped out of the pool and I started running. I was fourth at the end of the running. Mrs Little took us to get our clothes on in the classroom. Then, she took us to the field to watch the other Kowhai Hub race.

Author Rebekah wrote:

My heart was thumping like an elephant stomping in the jungle because I was really worried that I was going to lose the triathlon. I was really bored sitting on the grass because we just had to watch the race before our turn. Miss Anderson called out and I jumped on my scooter and zoomed around the courts. I dropped my scooter and sprinted around the old field and then I jumped in the pool. I leapt into the icy water like a leopard and ran to the end of the pool. I hopped out of the pool and zoomed like lightening to the finish line. I felt very happy because I thought that I would lose but I didn’t!

Author Dom wrote:

First, we got changed into our togs and put our towels around our shoulders. Then, we went to the field. I felt scared because there were a lot of people watching around the scootering. First, I scootered on the netball courts as fast as my dad’s motorbike. Next, I dropped the scooter on the grass and ran to the pool. Then, I swam to the other side of the pool. Lastly, I ran to the finish line. I felt happy because I did my personal best!

Author Balin wrote:

Before the race I was excited because I thought I would win my race. The pool looked freezing. I was nervous because I thought I would turn into an ice block when I dived into the pool. We walked to the field with Mrs Ramsay. I was in the first race so we had to follow Mrs England. Miss Anderson called the year two boys up to have a race. Some people were saying, “Go Balin, go Balin.” I was happy. My friends were too and that made me super happy. When I was running I was sprinting like lightening. After the race Mrs McCourt took us back to the classroom to get changed. Then, we went back to the field to see all the other Kowhai children. I wondered if we would have another race. I was surprised I won. I was proud of myself because I tried my best.

U as in Umbrella

In phonics we have been learning about the u sound as in umbrella. Today Zogs reading group used the IPADs to go on a hunt for words with the u-u-u umbrella sound.

Check out the great work by Zogs reading group ....

U sound by Whetu

U sound by Karamea

U sound by Harlem

U sound by Cahlia

Adding together to build numbers

In maths we are practicing adding numbers together to build bigger numbers. We know that we can count on from the first number we make e.g. make 8 then add 3 so we can count as 8-9,10,11.

This strategy is called counting on.

Kowhai Triathlon

Congratulations Room 14. You all showed amazing determination and perseverance in doing your personal best in the Kowhai Triathlon.  I am so proud of you all.   Mrs R

PRIDE Award

This weeks Room 14 PRIDE Award recipient is Ayden. Congratulations Ayden for

"showing respect to others and determination for always doing your personal best. A fantastic start to the year, Ayden. Tino pai "

Artists in Residence

In Discovery time on Friday two artists in residence, Ekrose and Hannah, spent time learning to draw still objects using special art pencils with Mrs Hill in Room 8. They learnt how to shade areas of their picture to create light and dark effects.

Look at these amazing pieces of art .......

Kowhai Tree by Hannah

Kowhai Tree by Ekrose

Adding using coins

In maths we are practising adding numbers together using coins

Karamea practising 5 + ?

Hannah and Jasmine working together playing 'Chase The Money' to practise adding tens
(we can use our skip counting 10,20,30,40...)

Whetu practising adding to 10

Sid the Seed Movie