P is for Pataka

We had a great trip to Pataka this week.  Actually all the teachers were saying they have never had a bad experience there, what a little gem it is locally.

Thanks to the parents who came with us and supported us while we were there.  In the education room we learnt about a local soldier who served in the First World War, we made poppies and reflected on our learning about their significance.

When then moved into the gallery and laid our poppies under the soldiers portraits.

Then we spent time looking through a solders kit and talking about all the things in it, and why and how they were used.  It was very interesting.

Today in class we talked about how the soldiers might have felt, it would have been such a tough time for them.  The children were saying how sad they would have been leaving their families, how scared they must have been not knowing what they would have to face next, how bored they would have been with all the same food.

We wondered what life might have been like for our families 100 years ago.  We are going to spend some more time looking into this over the next few weeks.  We would love any information you might have on your family 100 years ago.

S is for Stuck!

I love this book by Oliver Jeffers, it makes me laugh!!  Listen to him read it...so funny!

We had lots of fun with this book today in Room 6.  I read about half of the book to the children and then stopped and asked what they would do if they were Floyd, and how they would get everything out of the tree.  There were some good ideas...

If I was Floyd I would throw another whale at the bottom of the tree because it could work.  If the tree would bend I would grab it.  But if it wouldn't work I would throw a brick.

Then we created the coolest art work with all the bits stuck in the tree....love them!