Snakes for snake's sake

Kids happy 'cause they've got snakes

Key Competencies - Participating and Contributing, Managing Self, Relating to Others, Having Fun
(Okay, I just added the last one!)

There's something about Buddy Class

       Once a week we have buddy class.  Buddy class is great and it's a chance to build bonds between the kids.  It's fun and it develops confidence and social awareness.  

       There's something about buddy class.  I have witnessed it and it's a truly curious phenomenon.  The big kids love to do the crafty activities at least as much, if not more, as the junior kids. This week it was snakes. The sound of kids issuing instructions, folding paper and laughing at the snake expressions they created, filled the room with a vibrant hum.  It was a series of happy moments as I was asked to meet Mr. Giant Snake, twin baby snakes and many snake families (and that was just the big kids).

         The Year 2s packed up and left with their snake families, leaving my kids to ask, "Mrs Wallace, can we make some for us this week too?" 

         Yes, school is about learning, but sometimes that learning can come in the form of celebrating the place of fun, and about laughter, and about finding pleasure in the simple things - like folding two piece of paper to make a snake.  Yes, yesterday the lesson was mine to learn. Remember that your Year 5 and 6 kids are still kids and make sure you acknowledge this need in your planning, Mrs Wallace. Don't forget that frivolous fun is a vital ingredient in making a child truly engaged in the Sunnyhills School experience. 

Yip, kids, snake making is locked and loaded for Friday afternoon!

Pounding the Pavement - teaching the legs who's boss

Cross-country training has begun in earnest (every Tuesday and Friday).  There are those who love it (admittedly few) and those who hate it, but everyone in Room 2 managed it with a smile (it could have been a grimace, I guess?) when cross-country kicked off on Tuesday.

Those who dig deep, set themselves a goal to run hard, and then manage to run a lap or two without stopping always beam with a certain pride, and that was evident during the first warm down.

There are those who can't quite manage the whole course yet, but with the determination to improve their fitness it won't be long till they are running like pro marathon runners (okay, maybe not quite, but still...).

Go hard Room 2! :-)

On Inquiry Learning

Why do Inquiry?

Because the skills of inquiry - questioning, investigating and analysing for a specific purpose - are empowering.  Inquiry motivates children by allowing them to own their learning.  It is when children are at the helm that they are engaged and more inclined to become  life-long learners.   The Inquiry philosophy recognises that children are wells to drawn from and not cups to be filled.

“Don’t be encumbered by history.  Go off and do something wonderful.”

This term we will start Genius Hour, an Inquiry that allows children the freedom to explore an area of interest that is not ‘googleable’.  It will require risk taking and an acceptance that ‘failing fast’ is critical in the road to success.

Robert Noyce first developed the microchip.  To do this he had to be prepared to be a pioneer, and to go out on a limb.  He had to be prepared to view his mistakes as critical steps that got him ever closer to his goal. His example, in part, has inspired the development of ‘Genius Hour’.

Be Brave!

During the holidays, I was fortunate to attend a seminar by Anthony Speranzagh who spoke about this type of enriched learning experience.  For those who are curious, feel free to copy this bitly : bit.ly/speranzagh

Mindfulness - What are the Physical Manifestations of Stress?

A feeling of peacefulness is evident when we are relaxed and happy
Our heart beat is slow and steady.

Adrenaline is released when we feel threatened.  This threat could be an attack from a mad dog (something that could really hurt us), or it could be just a Mathematics test.  Our brain does
not necessarily rate the level of threat, and that's why doing a test (even when we know there's no chance the test paper will bite us) can still be an incredibly stressful situation.

Adrenaline is released, and the fight or flight response is activated. When you are stressed you can start to feel hot and bothered.  Your heart starts to race and your palms can start to sweat.  You may feel like running away, or feel aggressive and angry.

At Sunnyhills School we are promoting Mindfulness.   So what is Mindfulness?  

         In short, it's about understanding how your mind and body respond in certain situations (often to events outside our control).  It's about being able to read our body and to respond to its signals in a constructive and 'mindful' way.
        Mindfulness is about being aware of how you are affected by things that you experience. The way we respond to these events is felt in our head as feelings e.g. happiness, sadness, fear etc, but because our body and mind are connected, our feelings stretch out from our mind and reach into our body.  Weird, eh?  

             We worked collaboratively to figure out some of the ways our bodies react when we feel angry, frustrated or threatened in any way.

             There will be a school wide focus on Pause, Breathe, Smile.  These mindfulness techniques will be taught to increase calmness; to improve focus and attention; to enhance self-awareness; help develop conflict resolution skills and to increase general wellbeing.

In order to develop an understanding of how our body and mind is connected, we looked at how our body reacts when it is under stress.

It was a game of two halves but, at the end of the day, research was the winner

What a day!

As the kids dug up the soil in the name of science, no-one could have anticipated that the estuary beach would bite back, but it did!

Marine Metre2 is a longitudinal survey of the health of our foreshore.  The kids had to take core samples and record the animal life they found.  Ruby, Samuel, Brayden and Nicholas found mud crabs, turret shells, large horn snails, clams and even a polychaete worm.  This information will be put into a database that will be used by the University of Otago.

Most of us felt the weather was the main threat (as we recorded our observations), but we were wrong.  No one was prepared for the battle (and hilarity) that ensued when the Sunnyhills Kids and Parents ended up versing the Gloopy Mud in the match up of the decade.

Nicholas did the hard yards when he took on the mud. Sadly the mud won.  Poor Ruby came up short when she tried to tackle a seemingly innocuous seawater puddle.  Tandia had to go to plan B when she ended up sitting in the mud. BaiLin backed himself but also came up short against the mighty power of the mud bath.  Mrs Foster really put her body of the line, but, alas, also ended up with a wet bottom. Man of the match went to Mr Raman, who, in his attempt to do the heroic thing and save a mud swamped group member, very nearly ended up needing some saving himself.

A big shout out to all the parents who helped today; I am very grateful.
It was a game of two halves but, at the end of the day, research was the winner.
Mrs Nicole Wallace

Which 5 items should Room 2 take to a deserted island?

There were 4 points of position set up around the room (at north, south, east and west).  The four positions were Agree, Disagree, Maybe agree and Maybe disagree. Mrs Wallace explained the rules of the debate (not debate in the purist sense of the word), and the kids moved to that position that reflected their point of view.  The kids changed position as their views were shifted as a consequence of compelling arguments.

   

Jacob asserted that water purifying tablets were a must.

Jake refuted the claim, explaining that water could be boiled, but the class sided with Jacob.

Cailan was certain that a fishing net was an essential item; eating is essential in your bid to stay alive he explained.  Nadia agreed that a fishing net was important but also felt that it didn't deserve a top five position.  In the end, the fishing net didn't make the grade. 

A steel bucket was an absolute must.  As Jake pointed out, it has multiple uses; like carrying things, boiling water, cooking food and, that fact upped its value.  Who could argue with such strong reasoning? The whole class agreed.

Samuel wanted to bring medical bandages, but Ruby pointed out that there were natural alternatives for bandages, and that many plants also had additional medicinal purposes. The bandages didn't make the cut. (The cut. Get it?)

Karthiga wanted to see insect repellent take the final place on the top five list. Brayden didn't believe that insect repellent deserved such a high ranking.  He argued that Bear Grylls didn't use it, instead preferring to opt for long sleeves and tramping pants.  Fiona retorted that you were likely to end up with heat stroke if you wore that in the tropics.   Kees added that mosquitoes were mostly likely to feast on you at night, and that the smoke from the fire (you'd started using your steel and flint) would keep them away.  The kids who didn't believe insect repellent was essential put up a strong fight, but in the end it was decided by the majority that repellent had to be there.  

Top debaters in Room 2?

Jacob, Fiona and Jake - all passionate, logical and articulate.

Well done!

Items in our Top 5 (as decided by members of Room 2)

Machete

Metal bucket

Flint and steel

Water purifying tablets

Insect repellent

Understanding Thinking Skills and the Key Competencies

We are doing Mrs. Wallace's Robinson Crusoe Challenge at the moment.  We had to decide on 'must have' items we would take if we were marooned on a tropical island. 

This exercise requires critical thinking, but more importantly it highlights how Key Competencies are the threads that run through the fabric of our learning.

We worked in groups of three to do our initial brainstorming, and then we had to reduce our list to only ten critical items. This may seem simple ... especially if you were working as an individual and had total control, but we were working in collaborative groups.

Working in a group comes with its own set of problems.  How do you ensure your views are represented?  How to you ensure everyone feels included? What responsibilities do you have to work hard for the benefit of your group?  How do natural leaders learn to help others to succeed (and rein in their natural tendency to dominate)?  These skills are not just important when working at school, these are the skills that children will carry into real life.  

The Key Competencies we talked about before working on this challenge were - Thinking, Relating to others, Managing self, and Participating and contributing.

Let's just say yesterday's noise level reflected the passion and determination of the kids to see their items included on the final list.  It is really difficult to accept that others might have views that don't reflect our own. Learning to subdue our own views for the benefit of the group is a skill that takes time and needs to be practised.

We will eventually link this exercise into our 'Environment' work.  The kids don't know it yet but when they are eventually rescued from this desert island they will be turning it into an eco-friendly resort.  As caretakers of this 'piece of paradise' they will be responsible for ensuring its health and will need to consider how human impact could threaten or enhance this.

Buckle up, it could be a bumpy loud ride!

Just Sayin'

You guys rock!

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

In Room 2 we look to positive role models to inspire us. Romero Britto is an artist who has a story that is worth exploring.

"I believe that every human being should try to do good for someone else.  There are so many different ways to do it.  My art can be an instrument for helping people... What a good feeling - that I can do that with my art ..."  Romero Britto

Romero Britto was born in Brazil.  He did not have a privileged upbringing but what he did have was an amazing imagination.  When life was tough he escaped into the world of his imagination where everything was bright and cheerful. Having an optimistic outlook led him to move to Miami where he established himself as artist (in spite of the fact he had no formal training).

His artworks bring happiness to many, and that's one of the reasons Mrs Wallace chose him to inspire our self-portraits.

Romero Britto has a very distinctive style. His work is child-like, with a bold bright colour palette that communicates joy and hope.  He often incorporates ‘happy’ words like ‘smile’, ‘dream’ and ‘laugh’ into his works.

Our aim was to channel our ‘inner Britto’ and imbue our portraits with a positive spirit.

Nadia

Success Criteria

Our portrait incorporates some of the symbols commonly found in Britto’s work

We use colour boldy

Our work has a childlike, almost cartoonish feel

We have taken pride in our work

Tandia and Joseph

Asaro Mudmen?

No, the Year 6 kids are not learning about the culture of the 'mudmen' of Papua New Guinea's eastern highlands, but they are trying new things, facing fears, and learning about their limitations

        Survivor (Lakewood Lodge style) might not provide quite the challenge of the TV show, but the kids learned the hard way that there's nothing quite as unpalatable as a cold sausage, and there's nothing quite as frustrating as trying to get mud out of your nostrils, ears and hair post the mud run.

Thanks to all the parents who supported the kids during their fun-filled camp week.  We honestly couldn't do these things without your help.

Developing Relationships and the Art of Giving

Once,
when we were small,
we looked up to our big buddies.  We thought they were as tall as skyscrapers and they held us captive with the extent of their knowledge and their abilities.   We loved our buddies (up there in the senior school), but we never believed that we would get to that stage or develop those skills.  It all seemed so far away...

We are now in the position of being the big kids.  We notice that when our buddies look at us their eyes filled with wonder.  And we remember that in giving them our time we are creating special memories; it's a privilege.

Our buddy class is Room 22.  Year 2s from Room 22.  Nice

We have been developing rhythm by playing games. Here is a photo Mrs Wallace took.

In the ongoing saga of Life in Room 2...

Episode 2

While our heroine, Mrs Wallace, continues to amaze with her slick teaching techniques....

Sophie shows the cricket ball who's boss and bowls out three members of Room 3 (in a row!) when playing inter- class cricket.  You're amazing, Sophie!  Hip hip hooray!  Teacher nearly passes out with all the excitement and has to remind herself to breathe.

Jared astounds his teacher with his ability to single-handedly sort the class into order (during the cricket game) and then ensures morale remains high by whooping, leaping and praising his classmates continually.  Such high empathy and energy, Jared.  Rock on!

The humble BaiLin provides swimming tips to those who require technique adjustment.  Mrs Wallace watches on in awe and takes notes, celebrating the benefits of peer to peer teaching.  So proud of you, mate.  I suspect you might be the next Mark Bone.

Tune in for our next episode of ...

Life in Room 2

Instructions for Life in Room 2

.... that moment when you know you have an awesome class and it's going to be a great year!

Yes, I know some people hate incomplete sentences, but still .....

We have been working on our alternative to the conventional class treaty; we took a quick look at 'instructions' written by the Dalai Lama for living well.
           The Room 2 kids are so insightful; far more mature and reflective than I ever was at ten or eleven.  Have a look at some of their top tips for getting along in life.  This is just a sampler.  Enjoy!

Have fun!

Be awesome!

Think positively

Mistakes prove you are trying

Don’t let something small ruin your day!

Make sure you’re happy

Be yourself

Manage yourself

Believe in who you are!

Show responsibility for your actions

Don’t lose your temper when someone provokes you

Creativity is da key (like the creative spelling here! ;-) Mrs Wallace)

Everyone is good in their own way

Be yourself, everyone else is taken

Be happy

You’re beautiful just the way you are

Anything can be done with confidence

Stand up for yourself

Honour, respect, loyalty

You’re not bad, you’re just learning

Things aren’t perfect - expect that!

Have fun with friends

Learn from your mistakes

Laugh and live

Care and Share

Don’t be rude

Be grateful for the stuff you’re given

Never swear

Don’t get mad over silly things

Eat healthily

Never have too much sugar

Practise makes perfect

Good things come to those who go out and earn them

Light can be found in the darkest of places, if one remembers to turn on the light (Albus Dumbledore)

Determination

Co-operate with classmates

Laugh often and learn well

Be kind to other people