A new year and a new blog

After much soul searching the 2011 class will be in a new room, with a new name and a new blog. You can follow the new blog at http://illuminate8.blogspot.com/ Please come and visit us and leave us a comment

Our final farewell.

The last day as a Room 2 Explorer.
The inspiration for the name EXPLORERS came from a fantastic book, How To Be An Explorer of the World (by Keri Smith). Here is some of her advice...

1. Always be looking (notice the ground beneath your feet)
2. Consider everything alive
3. Everything is interesting, look closer
4.Alter your course often
5.Observe for long durations
6. Notice the story going on around you
7. Notice patterns, make connections
8.Document your findings
9. Incorporate indetermancy
10.Observe movement
11.Create a personal dialogue with your environment
12. Trace things back to their origins
13. Use all of your senses in your investigations

Lets hear what some of the R2 Explorers say:

Rosalind: We learned Art, that you can mix colours. In maths I learned that you can learn facts and they help you with other facts

Harrison: In reading I have learned that you should not sound like a robot. It should sound like talking or it won't make sense.

Caidyn: In maths I used the tens frames to help me know my doubles

Hannah: In reading I recently learned about the way books are organised. It helps me predict what might happen next.

Sam: In reading I learned about going back and fixing up if it doesn't make sense.

Jaiden: At Discovery time I learned about sharing

Ross: I was helping Sam make the marble track. I can help.

Fraser: In writing I learned to slow down. If I don't slow down when I grow up I won't be able to read my writing

Ruby: At maths learning how much water was in a container. It was fun.

Amy: I learned about maths.I learnt that there are different ways to solve maths problems.

Emma: Discovery time, I liked the art. I learned that you have to share.

Ella: In maths, I use the tens frames to help me count.

Ryan: Writing. I have learned my fast words

Kylie: In reading I have learned to fix words up so I can learn more

Maraki: At maths I learned there were 4 containers with 4 teddy bears in each one. I worked it out my using my brain. My brain did 4, 8, , there is 8 in the other 2 and 8+8=16

Milania: In maths I learned to count in twos

Best wishes to you all for a safe and happy Christmas

End of the Year Organisation

We are really busy getting the class sorted as Jocelyn is moving to Room 8. Elly will be in Room 2 next year. We are the first class in the "shifting chain" so it is busy getting ready for the shift.

Just to let you know the events for the next few days...
WEDNESDAY
-Movie
-Rm 2 furniture shifting (children and equipment will stay in R2)
-Art will be coming home

THURSDAY
-Morning tea for parent helpers
-Year 6 graduation assembly 11.30
-Class books coming home
-Hoping to squeeze in a swim time in the afternoon. Bring your togs but no promises!!!

FRIDAY
-Final assembly 11.30am-12.20
-School closes at 12.30pm
-Any other bits and pieces to come home

Our Maths Learning

Today we decided we wanted to share our maths learning with you.

We are excited about our learning in Maths.

Circles are learning to remember their fast facts.

Triangles are learning to use their doubles facts to help with other facts.

Squares are learning to solve equal group problems by skip counting. Today Karen came to help us with our maths.







Letting the Board of Trustees Know about our learning.

We talked about what we would like the BOT to know about our learning this term.
We decided it would be a good idea of they looked at our blog and noticed how much different learning we do in Discovery Time.
We also decided we had learned lots at Athletics and looking at our voice thread on athletics learning would be a good idea.
Emma said that we are learning to estimate in maths. We have been finding out how long things will take. We used egg timers and tipped them upside down. We learned how long it takes to run and walk, or run up the stairs and down the slide.


We have made fantastic clocks and we have learned to tell the o'clock times.

Jocelyn went to i school and learned how to use keynote. It was fun! She made the poem on our blog to practice her learning so she doesn't forget!!!

Our poem for this week...

Whte Hat Thinking at Discovery Time

Discovery Time on PhotoPeach

At Discovery time we put on our white hats and thought about the facts and information we found out.
Fraser said, "The bubbles felt funny when we touched them. They felt soggy, wet and slimy"

Mitchell thought that we had added some chemicals to make the bubble mixture.

We all thought it was the soapy dish-washing liquid that made the mixture slippery.
Jocelyn did add glycerine to the mixture to help the bubbles hold their shape.

Then The Explorers showed what amazing scientists they were when they asked lots of questions...
*Would the mixture be as good if we didn't have glycerine?
*Would it work with glycerine and water?
*Would it work with glycerine and soap?

Ross found out that the bubble maker with lots of holes makes bubbles that stick together.

We found out how windy our classroom was when the door was open! Hannah found out the spiral moved when the door was open because the spiral caught the wind. If we shut the door, no air comes in and the spiral stays still.

Ruby said that hot air from the light bulb lifts up. It catches the spiral and the spiral spins around.

What else did you learn?

The Rocket!

Harrison' Rocket on PhotoPeach

Harrison and Connor have done the writing for this post!

My mum came to school because she wanted to. People in Room 2 liked the rocket because they had lots of information about how rockets work.
Harrison

I think the rocket will go high. It will land in the ground. It makes a pop sound. The rocket was red. the rocket was very big.
Connor

Have a look at http://www.rokit.com/uk and you can see some pictures of the rokit working

Flight

Some Great Writing to Share

We have had fun using different ideas and the what do you see poem. This is called innovating on the poem. It is fun to do, maybe you could try it at home!






Here is some fantastic writing Sam did all by himself. He has written lots of very clear details so we can get a picture in our heads about how to go down the slide. Well done Sam!

Athletics Learning

We have been practicing for Athletics sports. Here is our learning so far...

Mrs Wishy Washy versus Dirty Berty

Mrs Wishy Washy lost the battle against Dirty Berty. We are sad Mrs Wishy Washy did not win. It was a close battle

We think Mrs Wishy Washy should have won. She is the best!!! But we tried our hardest to vote.
Here is the story we wrote about what really happened. It follows on from the story on the Library blog.http://bookapediabattles.weebly.com/

Mrs Wishy Washy appeared out of the commotion. She had Dirt Berty by the scruff of the neck. Mrs Wishy Washy threw Dirty Berty into the tub.
"Into the tub you go!" she shouted.
She scrubbed him with the scrubbing brush and slippery soap...
"Wishy, washy, wishy washy"
"Now you are all clean, sparkly and shiny!" she said.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrr" growled Dirty Berty.