Week 8, Term 2 Update

Good afternoon all.

Wow, unbelievable that it is now only two weeks until the school holidays. We have had a really busy term with a lot happening.

Science Fair
These are now at the stage where students need to conduct their inquiries at home over the next 4 weeks. These are for our students to complete, parents are not expected to have to do any work. Any help you can offer is appreciated.

Weekly Sport
Unfortunately that was cancelled again today. We a really hoping that it is on next week!

Uniforms
We are noticing the standard of dress is dropping. A number of students are choosing to wear hoodies instead of school uniform. There are a number of girls wearing nail polish. We just need to sharpen this up a little. There is no issue with wearing a hoodie or jacket to and from school, but it is not appropriate to be worn in the classroom during the day.

Paid Union Meeting
Just a reminder that this is happening after lunch on Tuesday. We have 80% of the forms returned. We would really appreciate the rest so that we know what each student will be doing next Tuesday so that we are well staffed ready for those who are staying at school.

Farewell Katrina and Nora
A big farewell and thank you to Katrina Gilfoyle and Nora Niddery - our student teachers who have been with us for the past seven weeks. We have really appreciated their excellent input, support and enthusiasm. We REALLY appreciated the crepes and pancakes they made over the last two days! We wish them all the very best for their future teaching careers.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm. Fingers crossed sport will be on for those of you involved this weekend!

Warm regards,
Bruce, Karalee, Sandie, Darelle and Hayley

Senior HQ Speech Competition 2018

Today we had the grand final of the Senior HQ Speech Competition for 2018 - for Year 7 and 8 students.  Competition was tough, the final was long (20 speeches in total) and we did have the distraction of being dressed in house colours and accessories!  We are delighted to announce the following finalists:

YEAR 7

1st   Nyella Thompson - If I was Prime Minister for a Day

2nd  Rahil Uddin - Do Actions Speak Louder than Words?

3rd   Mia Anderson - Should Rodeos Be Banned?

YEAR 8

1st    Lucy Willis - Do Actions Speak Louder than Words?

2nd   Ted Eason - Should Rodeos Be Banned?

3rd    Tayla Johnson - Should Rodeos Be Banned?

    

Week 8 Term 2 2018

There are lots of bits and pieces happening this week.  They are all on the school website, but for easy access and as another reminder, here we go....

Tuesday:
Technology - please be at school by 8:30am
Fish n Chip lunch for HQ 1 and 2

Wednesday:
Cross Country Centrals were to be today but are postponed until 27 June
Teachers' CRT day - planning for Term 3

Thursday:
Choir 8am
Fish n Chip lunch for HQ 3 and 4 (thanks Student Council and Mrs G!!)
Otago Problem Solving #3 (may be postponed until Monday of Week 9)
Senior HQ speech finals
House Colour mufti day
Musical Soiree (5:30 - 6:30pm in the hall)

Friday:
Miss G and Miss Niddery's last day
Weekly sport (.......really???????? here's hoping!!!!)
School disco (7:00 - 9:00pm in the hall) Tickets can be purchased before school from outside the hall

Some of our techno savie kids have made this really cool video to advertise the disco.  Check it out...

Science Fair:
Students should have:
* come up with a question
* started a log book (or log 'doc')
* completed a KWHL in their log book
* written a hypothesis (Science) or drawn 3 prototypes (Technology)
* written or be in the process of writing their method
We are almost at the point where students need to be carrying out their investigation.  Just a reminder that this part of the Science and Technology Fair needs to be done AT HOME.  School time will resume for the Science and Technology Fair next term when we give the students time and help to present their investigations.  It is essential that investigations are underway as soon as possible, especially for anyone who needs to test things over time!

Seussical Jr:
We have cast a few more roles.  Congratulations to:
Mr and Mrs Mayor:    Luka and Annabell
Bird Girls (soloists):   Addi, Ella and Tanin
Bird Girls:     Lucy, Nyella, Mia, Sahaana and Eleana
Wickershams (soloists):    William R, Daniel R, Rahil
Wickershams:    Joel, Isaac Wi, Max, Aidan, James D

Entertainment Books:
Please could you complete your purchase of these, or return these to school, this week.

Science Fair Task 2: hypothesis

Here is the 'official' task sheet for Part 2 of the Science Fair.

Please note, students doing 'SCIENCE' complete Pages 1 and 3 and students doing 'TECHNOLOGY' complete Pages 2 and 3

Science Fair Task 2: KWHL and Hypothesis

Week 7, Term 2 2018

Welcome to Week 7 - this term seems to be flying!

Our trips to the university science lab were a success last week (thanks Mr Levings for organising buses for us!).  Mrs Moore has added a post with photos from her group.

Science Fair
Questions are supposed to have been shared with you teacher and hypothesis should be being written.  Miss G has completed two sessions on writing a hypothesis.  You will be given some time in class to complete these on Monday and Wednesday, and then your hypothesis must be handed in.

Parents, the students will receive a Part 2 guide sheet tomorrow and I will send this through tomorrow night, just to keep you updated on what is going on.  Very shortly, the students will be expected to carry out their investigation at home, so keeping track of what is happening now might be useful in case they need some help!!!


Winter Sport
After a very slow start to winter sport due to the weather, here's hoping this week is on!!  Please be prepared for practices during the week - listen out during hui for what is on and when, and also make sure you have your gear here on Friday.


Seussical Jr
Please see the post about our musical.  Dates for the shows have been confirmed as Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 September (probably the start time will be 7:30pm - TBC though)

Have a grea week everyone!

The Senior HQ Visit to University of Canterbury!

As part of our science inquiry this term, we planned some workshops for our students at the nearby University of Canterbury.  This was an extension of the science workshops we had been teaching in the Senior HQ to give the students exposure to physics, chemistry, writing up of experiments, kitchen chemistry, electronics and scientist studies!  We grouped all of our students into 3 large groups to visit the chemistry lab in the new Ernest Rutherford building.  We then walked or took the bus to visit the lab across two days in Week 6.  Each workshop had 4 different and interesting chemistry based stations that the groups moved around:

Station 1 - bunsen burners and changes in states
Station 2 - chemistry equipement and usage
Station 3 - molecules and structures
Station 4 - mixing and reactions

Check out the wee scientists from one of the groups in action:

        

                                                 

        

             

                  

   

Seussical Jr Update

~~~dates to mark in your diaries!!~~~

Dates for the show: Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 September


Our showkit has arrived !!

Congratulations to the following students who have been cast:
The Cat in the Hat.....Avie
Horton.....Jonty
Gertrude McFuzz.....Ava
Mayzie La Bird...Jenny
JoJo.....Lara
Sour Kangaroo....Ilze

We still have some more lead roles to cast:
Mr and Mrs Mayor
Bird Girls
Wickersham Brothers
The Grinch
Yertle the Turtle

Plus The Whos, Jungle Creatures, Fish and Circus performers which will not be auditioned.

We will endeavour to complete Mr and Mrs Mayor, Bird Girls and Wickershams this week as well as find out who would like to be in what ensemble group.

If you would like to audition for Mr or Mrs Mayor (we have had some auditions already), please prepare Track 8 How to Raise a Child and the first two verses of Track 6 Here on Who (see below) - Lara - can you also learn the second verse to sing with them please :)

MR MAYOR

Well, We're Whos here.

We are Whos here.

Smaller than the eye can see.

It's true, sir.

We're who's who, sir.

I'm a Who

MRS MAYOR & JOJO and so are we.

MR MAYOR, MRS. MAYOR & JOJO

We're tiny little people

Blowing by in the air,

Wondering how and why

We're on Who,

The ti-iniest

Planet in the sky!

As on the original slideshow, Bird Girls, please prepare Track 3 Horton Hears a Who and Track 13 Amayzing Mayzie and Wickershams - please prepare Track 16 Monkey Around

Week 6, Term 2 2018

What a wet long weekend we have just had, and it looks to be here to stay for the rest of the week at least.  I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the sun again!

Congratulations to our volleyball and basketball teams who competed at tournaments last week.

Senior HQ go to UC

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, we are taking the HQ to experience science in one of their laboratories.  Students have been divided into three groups and will attend one of the three sessions, where they will move around four stations with tutors from the university.

Students in group 1, will walk straight there from technology tomorrow.  They will need to bring a pen and morning tea with them.  They will walk back to school afterwards.

The other two groups will walk on Wednesday at either 9am or 1045am.  They will also need to bring a pen.

All students must bring a jacket, warm sweatshirt and an umbrella if they have one.

Science and Technology Fair

Information has been emailed to all parents regarding this. Students need to be choosing their topic to investigate and sharing this with their teacher for approval.  This week we will learn how to write a hypothesis - students will need to have these written by next Monday.

Seussical Jr

We are trying to finish off our auditions and call backs, but the busyness of lunchtimes is making this difficult.  We will endeavour to have JoJo callbacks on Tuesday, Gertrude on Wednesday and the Sour Kangaroo on Thursday. Once we have completed these, we will be in a position to announce the lead roles and move onto the minor leads.  Our show kit is still on its way - the company in Australia who we have purchased it through was not sent any Seussical Jr kits when they put through their last order to America, so they have reordered and have said our kit will be about 2 weeks away - hopefully in time for the holidays, otherwise I may be doing some 'courier' driving to deliver books to our leads!

Extra! Spelling Quiz

Congratulations to our master spellers who will be competing at the annual Extra! Spelling Quiz at Cobham Intermediate on Thursday evening.

Larissa, Cameron M, Hugo, Tayla, Izzy, Rahil, James H, Bhavil, Isaac We and reserves, Arabella and Addi.

Please remember to return your permission forms to Mrs B

Speeches

A reminder to Mrs Moore's, Mrs G's and Mrs B's writing classes that speech writing is now underway.  Some groups are up to practising and some are just starting writing - keep going!!