Friday, July 29, 2016

Banqer

In Otawhito we have been participating in Banqer for the last term and a half. In Baqer we have started creating companies, with a variety of services and products. In those companies we are in groups of 3 or less. We got a sheet that was called our company planning sheet. It made us think about what our service is, do we need employees, what we will pay them and how much we want paid. We are all excited to create our companies and bring them to life in the classroom.

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Ripper rugby
On Wednesday 26th of July, 10 year 6’s went to English park and competed in a Rippa Rugby tournament. We played Waitakiri school and Southbrook school and we won both games. The next game we played was the only game we lost by one try against Paparoa Street school. We played Star of the Sea in the semi finals and we won. We progressed to the final and versed Paparoa Street school again. It was a draw so we had to play golden point in which the last try wins. It was a nerve wracking few minutes but George Tear got the golden try. That meant we won Canterbury Ripper Rugby.


Every student has their own blog

Just a reminder that everyone in Otawhito has their own blog. This is where we should be posting every two weeks a piece of our work. Ask for each other's blogs to check them out.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Football Zones Tournament

Congratulations to everyone that competed at football zones in Term 2. You represented Halswell School with pride and showed our ACTIVE values.


The football zones were played on Thursday 30th of June at Brookside Park, Rolleston. 14 schools competed in the tournament from our zone. Each school had an A and B team. The A team for Halswell had Callaghan, Ethan, Jourdain, Samuel, Claudia, Meihana and Ameya. The B team for Halswell had Noah, Jackson, Cameron, Charlie, Harry, Shivam and Lachie. The games were 10 minutes each so the time passed really quick.

Both teams versed Weedons, Clearview, Rolleston and Broadfield. On the A team's  3rd game, we won 5-2. On the other hand the B team won all their games except one, and ended up playing for 3rd and 4th against Lincoln. The A team played for 9th and 10th against Weedons. In the end Halswell A placed 10th and Halswell B placed 3rd. Everyone was so happy with their final results and proud of how we represented Halswell School. Football zones was a fun experience for everyone, and we can’t wait for next year!

By Ameya T31


Thursday, July 14, 2016

LIfe Education - Time with Harold

For the last two weeks of Term 2, the Life Education bus arrived at Halswell School. Otawhito students were given exciting learning experiences based around friendship. The life education van promotes discussion between students and working together constantly. 

The first session consisted of students looking into what a friend is. Every student was given a characteristic of friendship and asked to place it under a heading of how important a friend is : not important, important or very important. As a group we discussed why students put it there and if other students agreed looking into different perspectives. In the session we touched on bullying and what it is.

The second session was based around cyber bullying. We looked into how simple actions which we might find funny on social media can effect those around us and turn into cyber bulling. The next part of the session we scanned a students body and explored different organs like the heart and the brain. 

And finally, of course, we talked to Harold! His 'dad' jokes were a highlight for many students.  The two sessions opened students eyes to different aspects of friendship and promoted lots of discussion not only in the bus but back in the classroom. 

We can't wait for Harold to come back to Halswell School and the Otawhito learning centre! 





Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Otawhito Korowai








As a school and in our learning centre we have been creating a korowai to celebrate Matariki. Above are the pictures of Otawhito's korowai. A korowai is a Maori cloak which is worn as a prestige or honor in families and tribes. Every student had two feathers which they decorated in our school colours red, yellow and black. They had to write a goal on each individual feather and think about how they would achieve this. It was a great experience for our tamariki who enjoyed creating a special cloak all together. 

Matariki Rotations

Otawhito have been learning about Matariki through the Arts. Each student has done an amazing job of constructing their own myth in an exciting and unique way. All the Otawhito teachers are so proud of the hard effort and learning that each student gave with their myths and presentations to the learning centre.
Below are some links to a couple of videos and stop motions:

Hugo, Meihanna and Logan- https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B88uSK-jE42DYjV3NVp4U0VjdWc/view?usp=sharing
Brooke B, Emily B and Amy D - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B88uSK-jE42DTTJaczBQQldmeDg/view?usp=sharing
Annalise, Ming Hui, Arianna and Kate W - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B88uSK-jE42DektFQVo5NWxIMFU/view?usp=sharing


Over Term 2 in Otawhito we have been learning about Matariki. We have learnt about it through dance, drama and art. Each Matariki rotation has a different myth/legend, therefore each rotation had a different challenge. Drama’s myth was certainly different than all the others, which was exciting. There were seven brothers and they were madly in love with themselves but the eighth younger brother didn't think much of his appearance, he was the sensible one. One day the wise man of the village sent them to collect food up high in the mountains and they found magical fairy women. They fell in love with the fairy women but the younger brother tried to warn them. One night the younger brother went to spy on the fairy women and heard their plan to starve the brothers to death. The fairy women were captured and sent to the sky father who released them into the sky. Every year the sky father lets them appear to celebrate Matariki (maori new year) at the end of May and start of June.

At the end of all of the rotations we got the opportunity to create our own myth or legend which was based around one of the myths we had learnt about. We were able to present it however we liked such as a stop motion, play, booklet, story etc.  It was such a fun learning experience and everyone did a great job.

By Brooke B T31

Monday, July 11, 2016

End of term update

This term we have been learning about space and Matiriki and much more. For Matiriki we all presented a presentation about the legends. It could be anything a puppet show or even a mini movie. They were really fun but those weren't the only Matariki performances we saw. The amazing Court  Theatre put on a matariki show Thank you so much for coming to perform the show at Halswell School.




 On the very last week of the term we had Life Ed with Harold. We learnt all about how to be/treat a friend and the difference between bulling,being rude and being mean. For the end of the term we had a Wednesday fun day. There was sports,devices,movies and art.Students could choose to play  Minecraft (a building game), we had slither.io tournaments (like agari.io) and if you won your prize was banqer dollars.


BANQER:
This term we have started using Banqer. It is an online bank account where we can earn money and learn to save money. It's not real money but it's worth prizes. You can get fines for not doing the right thing, create businesses  and much more, just like a proper bank account. The teachers control our accounts, paying us and giving us fines. They can give us learning achievements, finishing daily five and for showing our Halswell values. We think Banqer is awesome!

By Emma and Ross (studio leaders)


Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Matariki Show


Matariki Show

Last Tuesday we had the Court Theatre come to Halswell School to perform to everyone from years 1-8, a play based around a Matariki legend. In Otawhito we have been learning about Matariki through The Arts. The students have learnt about many different legends surrounding the new year and the seven stars. Students were able to identify where the seven stars came from and what each individual star looks after.The actors had the students in fits of laughter and engaged in the story they were portraying. They all thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Zone Hockey Tournament

Lincoln Zone Hockey Tournament

2 teams braved the weather and travelled to Brookside Park in Rolleston for the annual Lincoln Zone Hockey tournament.

The weatherman managed to hold off most of the rain (but not all!) while the teams played  their round robin games. Both teams had some wins and losses so didn’t make the play-offs for top 4 places but did end up 6th and 7th overall.

Congratulations to all the players that took part and gave 100%. You represented Halswell with pride. Many thanks to Rochelle Smith and Jo Harris for your help on the day - definite contenders for Parents of the Year award in those conditions!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Halswell Canterbury Volleyball Champions


Team 2 - Canterbury Volleyball Winners. Team 4 - 2nd place
Team 2 players - Logan Barnes, Samuel Burgess, Brooke Smith, Caleb Foleni, Izzy Scovell, Hugo Gonlazes and Laura Fairbrass.
Team 4 players - Mehianna Pauling, Sarah Jamieson, Ruby Friedel, Shivam Pandya, Bryn Drummond and Katie Doncliff.


Canterbury Volleyball

On Tuesday 28th of june 2016  Halswell school went to the YMCA in Bishopdale for the Canterbury volleyball tournament.  We sent 5 teams .

Team 2 was the A  team. Team 1, 3, 4, 5 were mixed teams.  They were all chosen by Angus (our Volleyball coach).

We all got taken there in a car with a lovely parent.  There were about 7 games for each team.  There were 24 teams in the competition with  6 teams in each of the 4 pools. There were some really good players in the tournament including us. We had learnt some really good skills from Angus.

In the final came  round and Team 2 and team 4 had to play each other while Team 1 played Fendalton for 3rd and 4th. Team 2 came first overall with team 4 second and team 1 came 4th.

We want to thank Angus for coaching us so well and our wonderful parents for transporting us there, supporting us and even referring! Also congratulations to Laura Fairbrass who was chosen as “player of the tournament!

By Brooke Smith T35

Canterbury Basketball Tournament


On a beautiful sunny day, the 28th of June 2016 the Halswell Rams set off from Halswell School. All of the players and their parents arrived at school and hopped in their cars and drove, excitedly, off to Pioneer Stadium.


We sprinted quickly into the stadium and sat down in our teams. The Sport Canterbury people talked to all of us about the rules what we were allowed to do and what not.


Our first game was against Fendalton School and we beat them 12-6, that’s when we all got excited. Then we had a forty minute break. After that we played Ashgrove and the score was 19-4, then we had a 20 minute break.


After the break we played Somerfield - we smashed them 18-2 but even though we beat them they were really good sports and came and “high fived” us afterwards. Then we had another hour and a half break for lunch went on the outdoor Basketball hoop made our plan with Coach Dickel.


Finally we played the undefeated team like us - Kaiapoi North unfortunately we lost 14-8 some of us got down but we still kept our heads up. Now we had another long break 40 minute we got some more fruit, we watched Hillview.


We ended up playing off for 3rd and 4th - winning that game put us in 3rd place overall.


We want to say a big thank you to Mark Dickel for being our coach and our wonderful parents who transported us there and supported us all day!  


By Louie and Guy



Players : Ameya Raut, Fraser Jones, Louie Gordon, Michael Isles, Madden Dickel, Charlie Flanagan, Guy Collins, Leo Collins, George Teear, Charlie Henderson.

Buddies

This year Otawhito are buddy classes with Huritini. Each student has a little buddy they have been paired with, who they will work with for the year, forming a relationship and being a role model for the younger student. We have been involved in a variety of activities such as arts and crafts, making aliens and planets, playing games and spending time reading to each other.











Tactix Training

On the 29th of June, the Year 5/6 netball winter sports team and a couple of the Year 5/6 netball zones trialists had a training with Anna Thompson and Olivia Coughlan from the Tactix (Canterbury netball team). For a warm up, we jogged around the center third and Anna or Olivia called out a letter. With a buddy we made that letter. We then did fun passing and communicating drills. After that we went into the Otawhito blue room and had a quiz. People who got the question right got a prize of a mini sponge netball, a sweat towel or a lip balm.  After the quiz we all got a poster and got it signed by Anna Thompson and Olivia Coughlan. Overall it was an amazing training session and I'm sure everyone will want to do it again!

By Kayla T33

Here is a link to a passing drill the Tactix taught us
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B88uSK-jE42DbVlzejRQemZYakE/view?usp=sharing

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