Thursday, 26 February 2015

FRIDAY IS WATER SAFETY DAY

We had fabulous weather for our weekly water safety session. Today's focus was safety around boats, including life jackets, how to use an upturned boat for flotation and how to use the breathing space under a boat. There was one inflatable and one kayak. Mr D told us what to do around the boats.


Otis said "I liked trying to get on the boat from in the water. It was a challenge!"
Beetle said "I liked how they taught us how to climb back on the boat."
Maisy said "It was so hard swimming without your feet touching the bottom!"


Mr D and passengers in his inflatable

Jayden, Liam, Wyatt, Buz, Hunter and Joe getting all safe in the life jackets

Mrs D shows off his fabulous rowing technique - NOT!!!


Wednesday, 25 February 2015

We love Harold



This week the Pukeko team were visiting the Life Education bus to learn about our body, focusing on our BRAINS. 





Our first visit we learnt all about what our organs do and where they are in our bodies. 

We learnt about what makes us UNIQUE.

Share in the comments what you learnt today. Don't forget to leave your name (just your first name).  








Monday, 23 February 2015

Rimu Community Koreo time



Who would've thought 75 children could fit in here? Every morning we meet together share daily notices, sing songs and learn new poems. 



We can sit anywhere and use the furniture in our Koreo learning space. 



We are getting better at being self managers and have to remember to check in each morning, we were pretty sharp at remembering :-)



Wednesday, 18 February 2015

PUKEKO TEAM WATER SAFETY FRIDAY 20th FEB

Hello parents. Tomorrow the Pukeko team will be having their second Friday water safety session. We will be looking at helping yourself stay afloat in a water emergency by using a range of flotation devices. Could Pukeko children please bring to school any of the following floatables: gumboots, plastic milk bottles, chilly bin, plastic containers, coke bottles, any other regular household item that you could use to help you float.

Monday, 16 February 2015

What's been happening in the Ngaio Community

So far this year we have been doing 'Myself' posters and we have also been doing West Melton community posters. The community posters are things that we think of when we walk into West Melton like Preston Downs, BP and the reserve. We have also been doing reading and maths and maths has been very fun. And we have also been doing Mathletics. Mathletics is a fun Maths game.And for reading we have been doing Fun brain.Fun brain is a web site that has reading on it and fun games. There are reading has books on it like Diary of the Wimpy Kid. So far this year Ngaio have had a great year and we hope that we have a great year.

Ngaio Teacher Profiles

SHANE DAWSON

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Shane Dawson and I have been teaching at West Melton School for nearly 7 years. I graduated from the Christchurch College of Education (now University of Canterbury) in 2007 and have been at West Melton since July 2008.

I have been lucky enough to teach in all three teams and are currently in my 4th year of yr 3 & 4 children. I live in Rolleston with my partner Andrea and three step-children, Harry is 15 (talking about drivers license), Ben is 12 (a sports nut) and Becca is 11 (going on 16!!!). I also have a half human dog and cat.

When not teaching I love to go fishing (rather unsuccessfully in recent times), play golf and read. For 20 long, long years I have been a Warriors supporter (sucker for punishment I know.....but this year). I am really looking forward to this year working with Liz in a Modern Learning Environment classroom and seeing the growth in the children.


LIZ COSTER
Hi there - My name is Liz Coster and I am very excited to be joining the Pukeko team in the Ngaio Community with Shane Dawson. Previously I spent two years teaching in the Moa team and had the wonderful opportunity of working in the modern learning community of LC 17. Before coming to West Melton I taught at St Mark's School in Opawa in both the junior and senior areas of the school. I have also taught in Ashburton and North Canterbury.

My background before teaching was in community recreation working for the YMCA with children's programmes and as a youth worker for Safer Community Council. I completed a Parks and Recreation degree at Lincoln University before training as a teacher. Last year I gradated from Canterbury University with a Master of Teaching and Learning. My focus was on gifted education, emotional intelligence and Environmental Education.

I have spent the last two years living in the West Melton community but have recently moved back to Christchurch where my husband and I live between our home there and in Pigeon Bay on the peninsula.



Ti Kouka Teacher profiles

Ti Kouka Community Teachers

Moira McKendry:
Hi there. I've been teaching at West Melton now for more years than I care to remember, having got a job here after graduating as a mature student from University of Canterbury and Chch College of Education. I have taught in both Pukeko and Moa teams, and been team leader of both the Pukeko and Moa teams - I haven't got to the Kiwis yet!
I live in Christchurch with my partner Gerald, a viticulturist, and two cats but my background is rural. I was brought up on a farm near Methven and lived for many years on a farm in Cheviot where my husband and I raised our family.
My children all live in Australia now, along with three lovely grandchildren - hence the need for frequent trips there in school holidays!
I love reading, walking, coffee, wine and movies, and spending time with friends and family.I'm into trying to get fitter and healthier in my life - that's been a focus of recent times.
I'm really excited about the new directions we are moving in as our school grows and changes, and I'm looking forward to great times through the year in our Ti Kouka community.

Carolyn Sutherland
Kia ora koutou katoa!
I started at West Melton in 2015 with the Pukekos in LC18 after being a regular reliever. I graduated from Massey University's four year Bachelor of Education / Diploma of Education Studies in 2012 and have since completed another Diploma of Te Ara Reo Māori (Level 5).
I live with my fiancé Rob and our two children (and one cat!) in Leeston. I spend my weekends gardening, reading and practicing yoga. I am Christchurch born and bred, although I’ve spent a few years living overseas in Australia and the United States of America, as well as four wonderful years living at the base of Mount Ruapehu in the North Island.
I am passionate about te reo Maori and environmental education, as well as communication literacy in the modern digital age (there is more to communicating than reading and writing nowadays!)
I’m delighted to be with the Pukeko Team and working with a brilliant bunch of kids.


Fantastic writing in LC1

Wow- I'm so excited to have such amazing writers in LC1! We have been writing '5 ThingsYou Didn't Know About Me' - and what wonderful facts the students have come up with! We will be publishing this writing so it can be displayed with our brilliant self portraits.  These will be up in the classroom next week.

Sunday, 15 February 2015

WHERE WAS MS McKENDRY?

Can you guess where this photo of Ms McKendry was taken?
Here's a hint:  it has something to do with a sport!

Ifyou know, write where you think she is in the comments section.  A prize for the first correct response!

Thursday, 12 February 2015

ART IN THE RIMU LEARNING COMMUNITY

On Friday afternoons, we are doing visual arts in RIMU learning community. Today we could chose which teacher to work with and there were three different choices. Mrs Jenkins took some of us for sketching and shading, Mrs Poulsen did chalk pics with us in the picture and Ms McKendry took some of us for landscapes with pastels. Here are some photos from Ms McKendry's session:
Toby and Phoenix hard at work.

The boys at work on their horizon lines.

Tayla, Maisy and Georgia getting well underway.






Wednesday, 11 February 2015

PUKEKO TEAM TRIATHLON

We had a brilliant afternoon for our first team event of the year, the Pukeko team triathlon.  The Pukeko team children all took part as either a swimmer, a cyclist or a runner on three-person teams. We were thrilled at the great team spirit, support, effort and participation shown by all the children on the day. Many thanks to all the wonderful parents who came along to support their children and an extra special thanks to all those who helped out with marshalling or in any other way on the day. Here are some photos:
A few of the lads in matching goggles!

Year 4 girls waiting to swim

Waiting for the swimmers in the bike transition area




WELCOME TO 2015

Hi there, and welcome to a new year with the Pukeko team. We have two great learning communities in the Pukeko team:
Ngaio in LC9 and 10, with Mr Dawson and Mrs Coster teaching
Rimu in LC1, 2 and 18 (the science lab) with Ms McKendry, Mrs Jenkins and Mrs Poulsen teaching.
A big welcome to Mrs Jenkins, who joins us from Hamilton and , before that, England!

Moira McKendry - Pukeko team leader

Shane Dawson


Liz Coster


Kerry Poulsen
Anna Jenkins