Vital Curriculum - Literacy & Maths
This term we have been learning about famous scientists in Literacy time. We are learning about this to expand our knowledge about people who invented, engineered and discovered things. I interviewed some of the students and this is what Andreana said. “I learnt about Benjamin Franklin, a former US president. I learnt that he invented bifocal glasses and the lightning rod. Another interesting fact about him is that he is the 10th child of 17 children!” Another student, Gabi, said, “ The scientist I learnt about is Isaac Newton and a cool fact about him is that he discovered gravity”. We really enjoy learning about famous scientists!
By Kiera Jamindar-Arnold
Reading
This term for reading, Hinau hub has been looking at different journals about our Connected topics - Science, Technology and problem-solving. In this way, our curriculum is ‘integrated’, meaning that our subjects are connected. Our work is assigned on Hapara or Google Classroom. This allows us to see what books we need to read online and what questions to answer so that we are able to self-manage. When we have finished all of our readers, we get to do reading activities like: Epic Reading, Read Theory and Reading dogs. Reading dogs help us to summarize texts, find vocabulary, discuss texts and find important key parts in what we read.
By Elise Dennis
Maths
For Maths we have been learning about Fractions. We can convert fractions into decimals and vice versa. We have been improving our learning about place value, such as tenths, hundredths and thousandths. In the last few days, we have also been learning about measurement too. We have been estimating and measuring ‘real life’ items, such as desks, pencils and our Connected bridges from around the world! Our Maths is going really great and it is fun but some kids get stuck sometimes but they can get better later.
Structured Literacy:
This term for Structured Literacy, the students of Hinau whanau have been sounding out “y” with “e and i” sounds at the end of words. We are also practising words with long and short vowel sounds. For example, there are words with long ‘a’ vowel sounds such as: pray or Friday. Vowels are A E I O U. In our Structured Literacy groups we have been doing dictations with particular vowel sounds. This usually happens every day, at the very start of the morning. Our spelling is improving!
By Aaron Santillan
RE
This term Hinau Whanau has been learning about the Miracles Jesus performed like when Jesus transforms water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Some of us did a play with Mr Mac about Jesus' First Miracle. For R.E we have been making things, for example, we designed our favourite saint and turned it into a puppet. We have also been learning about the feast of the Assumption. The Feast of the Assumption is when Mary ascended into heaven. We made stand-up cards for that.
By Navisha Singh
Connected
This term, in Hinau Whanau, we have been building mini models of famous bridges. The bridges have been constructed out of cardboard, plastic, string and lots of other materials too. First of all we planned how to build the bridges, then we brought the materials from home so we could make them at school. Then we built our bridges with our team. We based our bridges on the real ones such as the Golden Gate Bridge, London Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge and so on. We learnt about the engineering process and you can see the engineering structural process in our bridges. Most of the bridges turned out great and everyone worked so hard and enthusiastically on their projects. Now we have started our moveable toys and it is going well!
By Gabrielle Bonneau Le Phong
CONNECTED- Moveable toys
We are now discussing, planning and making our new connected task which is ‘moving toys.’ Let's hear some ideas from groups around the Hinau Hub!
First off we have Hinau Tahi groups!
“We are making a train which moves with a motor and can hold a Barbie doll.’ The goal with their toy is that it can hold heaps of things including the Barbie doll”
-Kiera J.A.
“Our group is making a hot air balloon that can fly. The design is basically a balloon with string wrapped around it and there is going to be four little strings hanging from the balloon”
-Navisha
“My group are going to make a toy car fuelled by renewable energy/air. We are also working on the engine and the wheels.”
-August
“I’m making Newton’s cradle!”
-Reesha
Now let's move on to Hinau Rua!
“Our team is building cars. The colour of our cars are going to be like a rainbow and we are going to make a road so the cars can drive around.”
-Pili
“Our main goal is to make a model of a balloon powered car”.
-O’Shay
“My team and I decided to build a West Highland White Terrier dog that moves with lego, wheels and string to drag the dog around”
-Bethany/Charli Fepuleai Tapasu
P.E
This term we have been learning different dances -Folk Dance, Hip hop and Creative Dance. We have learned Greek and Scottish dancing. We also did a lot of Just Dance when it was raining outside like Waka Waka, Ghostbusters and Rasputin. And we also did Scottish tap dancing which really hurt my feet because you had to tap your feet really fast. And for Hip Hop we saw a video of five simple hip hop steps we could do. We also did an African Just Dance which everyone loved! It was really fun doing it with the whole Hinau Whanau in the hub!
By Markus Angeles and Andreana Baldozano
Biking
This term in Hinau hub we have been doing some bike training with professional bike trainers.The trainers have been helping us improve our biking skills and teaching us how to be safe on the road. For example, they taught us how to indicate when turning either way, how to use the stop sign and how much a fine is! When we all pass the Pedal Ready Grade 1, which taught us how to be safe, they will be able to take us biking on the road. Then if we pass Level 2 of Pedal Ready Grade 2 they will teach us how to move through traffic and how to use all the skills we learned in real traffic.
By Malia Muaiava
