Puriri Team Arts Event

This term Puriri Team has been learning, with an Arts focus, about our 2016 schoolwide theme, Making The World A Better Place.  We all worked hard on writing and producing a play called ABANDONED!

It’s just a normal morning in the houses of two families. Or is it? Mum and Dad seem to be playing a very serious game of hide and seek. Either that, or they’ve gone somewhere and left the kids behind!

Our play is a tale of how children would cope in a world where all of the adults have mysteriously disappeared. Will they repeat the mistakes of the past or make the world a better place?

On Wednesday 7 September we displayed children’s artwork and held two performances of our play.

We would like to thank the children for all of their hard work.  A big thank you to all of the parents that have helped us in so many ways.  Well done Puriri Team!

Green Week T2

What a great Green Week!

This week we have been:

• having healthy, wrapper-free lunch boxes
• doing book swaps
• learning about the Enviroschools Guiding Principles
• caring for our environment
• coming to school in a TravelWise way
• dressing up in green.

Our key learning this week was about the Enviroschools Guiding Principles:

• Empowered Students are enabled to participate in a meaningful way in the life of their early childhood centre or school. Their unique perspectives are valued for the knowledge and insight that they bring, and they are supported to take action for real change.
• The principle of Learning for Sustainability recognises the types of teaching and learning that foster student empowerment, decision-making, action and sustainable outcomes.
• The principle of Māori Perspectives honours the status of tangata whenua in this land and the value of indigenous knowledge in enriching and guiding learning and action.
• Respect for the Diversity of People and Cultures acknowledges the unique gifts, contributions and perspectives of individuals and groups, reinforcing the need for participatory decision-making in Enviroschools.
• Sustainable Communities act in ways that nurture people and nature, now and in the future, to maintain the health and viability of our environment, society, culture and economy.

Room 6 prepared an awesome Green Day assembly.  They had lots of interesting facts and information – everyone learnt something; even the teachers!  Well done Room 6.

Congratulations to Amy, who was awarded a very special Green Day medal for all of her efforts looking after the environment and caring for our chickens.

Thanks to everyone who dressed in green and came to school in a TravelWise way!

Green Week T1

Wow – what a fantastic Green Week!

There have been lots of things going on at Owairaka School.  We have been:

• reviewing our Care Code
• having healthy, wrapper free lunch boxes
• doing book swaps
• dressing up in green
• caring for our environment.

In class children have been wondering:

• Where does honey come from?
• How do chickens lay eggs?
• How many seeds are in a pumpkin?
• Why are leaves green?
• What happens to rubbish that is left on the ground?
• Why do plants grow well in spring?
• What are ant nests and how do they work?
• How much oxygen does one tree make?
• How many different plant species are there?

Today was Green Day and Walk to School Day.  Thanks to everyone  who dressed in green and came to school in a TravelWise way.

Race Relations Day 2016

Race Relations Day is always a very special day for our school community.

The theme for this year was, Welcoming Diversity: Learning From Each Other.  

At 9.30am, we went to the hall for a special assembly.  We shared greetings in different languages, sang our school song and the children participated in a costume parade – they looked amazing!

In class, children and families shared their culture with each other, learning languages, customs, songs and dances.

Everyone brought food from their culture and we had a shared lunch together. We all enjoyed tasting the delicious food!

It was wonderful to have so many families at school sharing their culture and enjoying the day.

Cultural Festival 2015

What an amazing festival on Saturday!

We are all very proud of the seven groups who performed at the Eden/Albert Cultural Festival on Saturday 28 November.

The groups who performed were: African, Indian, Kapa Haka, Niuean, Samoan, Scottish and Tongan.

A huge thank you to all of the children, staff and families that made this day such a success.

Awesome Owairaka, awesome!