He rangi mokopuna

Kono continued their mission to work as a kapa today to ensure the ongoing health of our maara. It was a beautiful day so we jumped in the school van and took a haerenga to the beach to collect seaweed. We will use the seaweed to make seaweed 'tea' to fertilise our plants.

We trouped down together and very quickly filled our bucket with many different kinds of seaweed.

It was Eleanors first day at school. It was lovely to spend such a relaxed time together, playing and exploring the sands.

Whaea Ursula will sleep well tonight after an extended session of tag with the tamariki. There was exploration to find shells, sandcastle building, and beginnings of hut building! It was quite hard to leave our beautiful surroundings and return to school!

Good job we did though! Lunch was delicious!

After watering our plants this afternoon, Kono also filled up the bucket of seaweed with water. We'll place a lid on it and leave it to sit for a couple of weeks. Then it will begin to look like a 'tea'. We can then mix this 'tea' with water and feed our plants.

Huawhenua

Before we finished up for the term we worked in our maara kai to get our tipu huawhenua in the ground, as well as sow some broad bean, snow pea and spinach seeds. Kono has done a great job looking after our maara putiputi (flower garden) in order to encourage the bees around the school. We are looking forward to these vegetabes growing and making soup and other kai to eat.

Duathlon

In the last week of Term 1 we had the full-school duathlon! This is a huge event that everyone takes part in. First the seniors have their events - then the teina have theirs. It's very exciting! First there is a long run aeound the whole field (it's a long way for such little legs!). Then they jump on a bicycle for two laps of the field. We are so lucky at Ōtaki School to have our own bikes and pump track. It means it's very easy to run an event like this, an awesome experience for all our tamariki! He mihi nu nui ki a koutou mō tō tautoko ki ngā tamariki hoki. Thanks also for your sponsorship support!

How Mauī slowed the sun.

Kono has been really fasinated by the pūrākau about how Mauī slowed the sun. We have read the book by Peter Gossage so many times it has been worn out! Tamariki had so many questions about what is described in this book - as well as the art.

Kono created their own artwork in response to their interest. Only a picture of each tamaiti features instead of Mauī. We have some pretty amazing tamariki in Kono - every bit as clever as Mauī.

Ambulance!

In the last week of term we were lucky enough to welcome to the school Chad and his ambulance. tamariki were able to climb aboard the ambulance and have a relly good look inside - as well as being whizzed around on the different stretchers. Some tamariki also heard their heartrate. This was a wonderful opportunity for our tamariki to have a positive experience with an ambulance.

Bunny ears...

In preparation for the Easter Egg Hunt we made bunny ears!!

Easter Egg Hunt!

We had our Easter Egg Hunt on the last day of term.

First we gathered as a full school in the Whare Manaaki - where the tikanga for the morning was set out. We are always guided by our school 'STAR' values. Te Noho Haumaru - Safe - Totally Responsible - Tau kē ki te ako - Awesome Leanrers - Whakaute atu Whakaute mai - Respect. And away we went!!