Week one - 16 October 2017

Nau mai haere mai!  Welcome to term four.  I am super happy to be back.  I look forward to the next nine weeks.  We have a jam packed term filled with EOTC activities, camp, prize giving, graduation just to name a few.

This week we will be celebrating Niuean language week and Diwali.  Come along to our celebration assembly on Friday at 1.30pm.

What better way to start our first day back at school but with a karakia.

Tennis

We are very lucky this term to have the opportunity to get taught Tennis for four weeks.  The kids were very excited to have a go.  They learnt about a forehand and a backhand.  We were even one short so I got to get in and have a game too.  You never know we could have the next champ in our midst.

Speech competition

We were lucky enough to have Calais and Sofiama make it to the final for the speech competition.  They did a great job standing in front of the school and parents.  Here are the videos of their speeches.

Beep test

In term three our class has been trying to increase our fitness by doing a beep test.  A beep test is when you jog/run 20m.  When the whistle blows you have to make it to the other end before the whistle blows again.  You run continuously about six times in the beginning and then you get a short rest.  As you run longer the time speeds up so you have to get to the end faster.  We really tried to get out two or three times a week if we could.

I feel the fitness of the students definitely got better over time.  On their first beep test the children were lucky to do 880m.  The children managed to get over the 1000m mark and then there was no looking back.  Over the term the highest point reached was 3120m.  

I am super proud of everyone who participated and gave it their best!  Special shout out to Jayven who literally won every time.  Children kept him on his toes and really pushed him to give up but he always just had that little bit more.

Kia tau

Here is a video of a waiata that we learnt in week 8.  It still needs some finesse but overall I'm super duper proud of my kids for giving it a go!  Ka mau te wehi!!  I think I love this song more now..lol

Hangi

I would just like to thank all those that helped our syndicate fundraise for the year 6 camp by purchasing tickets or coming in to give a hand.  Your help is much appreciated and we are very grateful.  It was a great success!

Maori Language week

Feeling really blessed to be a part of Rowandale School.  To see all the faces of our kids so happy and excited to be learning Maori does my heart good.  Here are snippets of our week.

                                                                                                      Challenge 1

                                                                                               Challenge 2

Challenge 4

Challenge 4

Challenge 5

Challenge 3

Our lovely reception area

toku, tou, tona

Ko wai to ingoa?  Ko ____ toku ingoa, ko ____ tou ingoa, ko _____ tona ingoa.

Ko wai to ingoa? Ko _______ toku ingoa.  Ko ______ ia.

No hea koe?  No _______ ahau.  No ________ ia.

Nothing beats this..students just doing the haka out on the deck or just in class..absolutely love it!

Tongan Language week

Week 7

Wow, we are so lucky to be such a diverse school!  Our head girl Sofiama did an amazing job this week.  She was helping all over the school and she did it with a smile!  We are so blessed to have Sofiama as a part of our class as she is a great role model who always works hard and she is so proud of her culture.

In our class this week we tried to introduce ourselves in Tongan.  I love how our class just takes these challenges on board.  Hopefully by the end of the term we will be even better at introducing ourselves.  Here are Angel, Caitlin, Calais, Cassius and Jimmy.

We were lucky to have visitors from Mercer School who put on a great performance!

Sofiama performs

                                                            Heaven and Sofiama.

Whaea Lois

                                                                        Sofiama

                                                                      The boys