Welcome to our blog.

We are a bunch of new entrant learners at Wairakei School, Christchurch, New Zealand. We hope you enjoy looking at what we have been up to.

Room 12's Pirate Blog is embedded into our class space. If you're having trouble reading/scrolling down our pirate blog...you can visit our blog in a new window by clicking on this link: http://piratelearners.blogspot.co.nz/

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Our Book Launch!

What an amazing turnout at tonight's Book Launch!  It was super fantastic to see lots of family members arrive to see the books we've made.

A big thank you to Penny and Ruby T who did a great job at hosting the launch - didn't they do well?

The food was amazing too!

Our Book Launch! on PhotoPeach

One of the movies we shared was one we made of Jill Eggleton's story called 'Pirate Polly'.




We also shared another movie we made about how we INTERACT with books.



I'm very proud of Room 12!  Thank you to everyone who came along tonight.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Our book launch

Our book launch is looming....tomorrow!  Room 12 are excited about sharing their books with their families tomorrow night.

Today we showed our books to our buddies in Room 5.  Room 5 then returned the favour by showing us their very cool kites!!!


Mini Book Launch with Room 5 on PhotoPeach

It is a busy week!  Not only do we have our Book Launch, but we are also practicing for our Christmas Show.  Here we are trying on our costumes for the show....fancy!
The boys look very handsome in their green waist coats.

The girls love their glittery skirts!
Hopefully you can make it to our Christmas Show - kids have notices in their reading folders today.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Our LAST day of swimming

Our final day of swimming was so much fun!  Room 12 were very brave and jumped into the deep end wearing a lifejacket.  They also had a go at falling backwards from a lifeboat and swimming under the boat to the air bubble underneath!


Last day of swimming on PhotoPeach

I have been so very proud of Room 12 during their swimming fortnight, and I hope they feel very proud too!

As it was a very hot day, and I was also very proud of Room 12, I decided we needed
a lovely cold ice block!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Swimming Day 9

We wore pyjamas in the pool!

What fun!  The kids experienced what it might feel like wearing clothes in water - they were very heavy!  Some of the kids got confused and tried to go to sleep before swimming too....

Swimming Day 9 on PhotoPeach

Room 12 have been making a Swim safe message - on an ipad!
Ghazal and Mio working together on their swim safe message.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Swimming Day 7

Room 12 are doing so well with their swimming.  Everyday I see them become braver and try new things - it is an awesome thing to watch!


Swimming Day 7 on PhotoPeach

On Wednesday a note is coming home to ask children to bring their pyjamas to school on Thursday and Friday.  Room 12 will wear these over the top of their swimming togs for one of the activities (to simulate what it might feel like being in the water with clothes on).  They do not need to be fancy pyjamas....just normal easy to put on and off pyjamas will be absolutely brilliant.


Yesterday we wrote about on of our favourite story books called "What's in the Witches Kitchen?".  It is a pop-up book with lift-a-flap pages.  We are looking at how we interact with books.  Here are a couple of stories.


Ruby K said "I had to open flaps in the witch book". 

Xavier said "I like opening the book".
Our BOOK LAUNCH is next Wednesday at 5.30pm.  Room 12 have been working hard on their books.  We can't wait to show you!  Remember to bring a plate of finger food.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Swimming Day 6

More awesome swimming today.  We have children learning to float on their backs, children learning to do backstroke (I even heard the children use the term 'streamline', wow!) and we have children learning to see things under the water.  Have a look!

Swimming Day 6 on PhotoPeach

Congratulations to Room 12 - the absolutely brilliant independent dressers!!!  We set a brand new time of getting dressed after swimming today....6.22mins!  Woot!  Woot!  Even more exciting is the fact that no piece of clothing has been lost yet!

In the past few years our last two days of the swimsafe programme involves wearing life jackets, climbing onto a life boat and wearing clothing in the water (usually a pair of pj's as these are easy to get off in the water and can be worn over the top of pjs).  This is to simulate what it may be like if someone has fallen into the water.  Jellie Park haven't told us whether this is happening this year or not...I will find out tomorrow and confirm asap.

We always begin the day with mathematics and today's session was a good one!
This group are using calculators to check their addition problems.

Makylah and Mio are playing 1-10 Bingo.

Naai, Ruby K, Xavier and Jayia are using the activboard to play 1-20 Bingo.

Maddox and Kian are playing Snap!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Swimming Day 5

Wow!  Room 12 certainly achieved a lot today at swimming!

Some children were learning to do backstroke, others were learning to swim with their face in the water, and some children had a go at safely jumping into deep water!  What fun!

It has been awesome to watch a VERY HAPPY ROOM 12 go swimming.  Thank you so much parents for preparing your child so well.

We even set a new time for getting dressed after swimming!  Woot! Woot!  Our new time is 8:59 seconds!

Swimming Day 5 on PhotoPeach