September 2015 Newsletter

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Niuean Language Week

This week we provided our tamariki with opportunities to get involved in celebrating Niuean Language Week...

There was lots of cooking; coconut bread, banana and coconut cake, and a spinach and corned beef dish with green bananas. We also got busy with the arts; paper weaving and making kahoa (flower lei).

Our teacher Mary taught us an action song, while Deidre helped us make our Niuean flags.

Jane and Luisi (friends from our local community) came to read us some Niuean stories, and to end our week celebration, Mama Tere and Rangi cooked up an island feast-delicious!

Fakaaue Lahi (thank you) to our tamariki for wanting to get involved and participate, and also to all our staff for supporting our Niuean culture!

Shake Out

Everyone, everywhere should know the right action to take before, during and after an earthquake.

Thursday 15 October is the International ShakeOut Day of Action. New Zealand will be the first country to participate this year, at 9:15am!

We have been preparing our tamariki for the nationwide earthquake drill by practicing our 'Drop, Cover & Hold' procedure at mat times. We have also been using the 'shakeout' website to learn more about keeping 'turtle safe'.

We encourage all our families to have a look on the 'shakeout' website & be prepared to take part in this event this Thursday morning at 9.15am.

Taste Testing Our Sprouts

Just under two weeks ago we started an experiment which involved planting alfalfa sprouts (this was a follow on from our broad beans experiment). 

Tamariki cared for our sprouts by using their gentle hands when investigating, telling their teachers if they thought the sprouts were being mistreated, and watering them daily. As our sprouts grew bigger, so did the curiosities of our tamariki e.g. "Why are they like worms?"

"How come they're white here and green there?" etc. Many funny theories were shared during these moments.

Time to 'harvest' our 'crop' with our senses...

We looked, touched, picked, rubbed, smelt, washed and tasted our sprouts...

Responses included...

"Smells like broccoli"

"Feels like grass"

"Looks like worms"

"Tastes like hot"

"Yuck!"

"Yum"...

So much exciting learning and sharing has happened through these scientific experiences! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Parent Evening

'HEALTHY LUNCHBOXES' was the focus of our discussions for tonight. 

Thanks to Teiho & Letele from Health Star Pacific for sharing their expertise knowledge in this area.

A variety of stations were set up by teachers to generate ideas around the importance of providing healthy lunchboxes for our tamariki.

An eventful night ended with a taste of healthy snacks.

Thanks to everyone who participated in tonight's workshop. It could not have happened without your attendance and input. Watch out for our wall display that will be up over the next few days.

Meitaki maata.

Life Cycles-Part 2

Throughout the last few weeks, tamariki have been able to observe the changes and growth of their broad beans. 

To extend on this experience, we've been on a few nature walks to our local reserve to collect some dried leaves and twigs. This has enabled tamariki to develop the knowledge that during a trees life cycle, trees shed their leaves to allow for regrow of new ones.

'The Hungry Caterpillar' book has been providing tamariki with insight into the life cycle of a butterfly, and Papa Apii's passion for fishing has encouraged him to share his knowledge about the life cycle of a fish.

Exciting stuff! Stay tuned to see where we go to from here...

Proud to be Loud!!!

Helping to give deaf kids a voice...

Today we wore our loudest clothes & animal prints & donated our coins to help NZ deaf kids listen & speak.