Windmills

In our theme, Always Take the Weather With You, we have discovered that wind is just moving air. This means that we can make wind!  We made windmills which we could turn by puffing.  However, it was much more exciting to go out on a windy day and let the real wind do the job for us!

Little Gardens

Everyone in Room 19 planted seeds to make a New World Little Garden.  Some planted seeds to grow herbs, other people to grow vegetables.  We drew one statistical graph to show how many different seeds we planted (19 in all), and another graph to show the rate at which the seeds sprouted (between 2 days and 3 weeks!)

We also have watched our sweet peas growing from tiny seedlings to thick wall of foliage.  There are enough flowers to pick a small bunch twice a week.  Sometimes we have some in Room 19, but other times we take a vase full to Mrs Bigwood, Mrs Gartland or our buddy class.

CBS Carnival Poems

Click on the Writing Page if you want to read our CBS carnival poems, or other published work from terms 1, 2 and 3.

There are also pages where you can our Visual Art, Maths and Reading activities.

Here is Vian's as a tempting sample!

Technology Challenge

The whole school was involved in a Technology Challenge.  In Room 19, our challenge was to use hydraulics to move an object.  We found that hydraulics works when a force is applied to one end of a closed system - this makes the other end rise up.  We used syringes, tubing and water to make our hydraulics systems.

We worked in small groups to design and make a machine that used hydraulics.  In total, we made rocket launch pads, drawbridges, a dump truck, a tissue puller, a houses lift, a boat lift and marble runs.  At the end of the week, we demonstrated how our inventions worked to Room 9, and they showed us their house designs.  After that, we had time to share our inventions with the other Year 3 classes.

Everyone working hard on their designs.

Always Take the Weather With You

The last theme of the year, called Always Take the Weather With You, was about weather; we worked out what weather actually is and how it works.

We poured water onto the concrete to make a puddle, and drew a chalk line around it.

When we cam out an hour later, we found the water had disappeared.  In fact, all that was left was the chalk line.  The water could not soak into concrete, but it could rise up into the air if the sun warmed it enough.  We thought that is what had happened.  Scientists call this phenomena evaporation.

Observing changes in the weather is sometimes difficult to do,  so we made models to help us we see the general idea in the classroom.  In this scientific model, water  is the atmosphere, shaving foam is the cloud, and water droplets that are in the cloud are represented by blue dye.  

Can you see what happened after you had waited for a while? The 'rain' is starting the fall through the 'cloud'.

For this scientific model, we had to use an aquarium full of tap water for the atmosphere.  We coloured hot water with red dye and poured some in a glass jar which we carefully lowered into the water using a string lassoed around the jar.  At the same time, we placed ice cubes which were coloured with blue dye on the surface of the water.  Then we sat back to observe.  We could see the red water rising, and the blue water sinking.  This models exactly what happens in a thunderstorm.  As hot air rises and cold air sinks, they swirl together which  results in a thunderstorm.

Senior Athletics Day

On 26th October, Year 3 to Year 6 students all walked over to Howick College to compete in the Senior Athletics Day.  Everyone competed in the high jump, long jump, softball throw and sprints. At the end, everyone sat on the bank and watched the semi-finals and finals of the sprints.

Unfortunately, it rained at intervals during the day, so at times we had to huddle under the admin tent or the trees until the rain clouds passed, but this did not seem to dampen anyone's enthusiasm.

Mrs Bear was working on the 'Have A Go' high jump, so most photos are of that event.  Look on the CBS web page or FB page for more photos, or wait for the school end of year magazine.

Nathan A was jumping strongly . . . 

. . . likewise Cooper (or Super Cooper as we call him in class).

Amber cleared the bar . . . 

. . . as did Samuel.

Zia was getting ready to launch into the jump.

Travis lifted his leading leg up high to clear the bar.

Weka Day Camp

The whole Weka Team went to Day Camp over two consecutive days.  Room 19 went with Room 1, and Room 18 went with Room 2.  Luckily we had the sunnier day but, even so, everyone enjoyed the camp.

When we first arrived, we walked right through the Auckland Botanical Garden to get to our camp site.  Then we were divided into three groups.  Each group rotated through three activities, although the order of events was different for each group.

When you were orienteering, you had to choose a map and then follow it to find a particular orienteering flag.  You stamped your record sheet with a special stapler on the flag post as proof that you had found that flag, before returning to base to choose another map.  There were twelve orienteering flags to find in total and they were situated all over the lower part of the Botanical Gardens.

Kylie, Vian and Trent studied their map before deciding what route to take.

Kiera and Devon relaxed temporarily before setting out again.

Holly and Ashley worked out the direction they needed to take before running off.

Zia and Nathan A ran like the wind when their orienteering flag was in sight.

Daniel and Sam were champions at finding orienteering flags.

Aasher carefully stamped his record sheet to prove he found the KE flag.

A record card with a healthy number of stamps.  Can you crack the code and work out the secret message?

Luke and Samuel cooking up a storm!

Nathan M nearly lost a sausage!

Zia, Amber, Sophie and Shaun were awesome camp cooks!

Cooper's sausage is golden brown and ready to go!

And now . . . the best part!

Everyone in the group had to work together to erect their tent.

Everyone enjoyed a quick sit down inside at the end of the session.

Everyone had a map to follow on the tramp so we could work out where the paths, crossroads, creeks and bridges were as we walked along.

We stopped every now and then to learn something new about the bush.  Here we are learning about the Silver Fern.

Here we are learned about the Nikau.  Some people call it the 'Knock Knock Tree' because, if you put your ear close to the truck and tap on the opposite side of the trunk, you hear a distinct knocking sound!  That is because the trunk of a Nikau palm is hollow. 

This is the map we followed on the tramp.  You can see the key that explains what all the different features on the map mean so that you can find your way around safely.

Elmer the Elephant

As you know, our calendar art this year featured Elmer the Elephant using water colours.  The journals, cards and calendars were distributed yesterday and looked fabulous.  Thank you for supporting the school fundraising and displaying school art at home.

You can read the stories we wrote about our very own Elmer on the Writing page (click on 'WRITING' above).  Here is one sample::

Written and illustrated by Daniel R