Welcoming Our New Principal with a Special Pōwhiri

This week, our school came together for a heartfelt pōwhiri to welcome our new principal. The occasion was made even more special as he brought along the talented Kapa Haka group from Dominion Road Primary, his previous school.

During the pōwhiri, the connection and mana were powerful, resonating with everyone present. Team Kererū and Team Kea had the privilege of singing waiata alongside the visiting Kapa Haka group during our lessons, creating a beautiful harmony that reflected unity and respect.

It was a moving and memorable event that showcased the strength of community and culture in our school. We look forward to the journey ahead with our new principal at the helm.

Exploring Symmetry Through Art in Room 5

In Room 5, we’ve been combining maths and creativity to explore symmetry through art. This project is part of our learning focus, connecting geometry with MITEY’s well-being themes.

Students began by learning about symmetry in maths, understanding how shapes and designs can be mirrored across a line of symmetry. From there, we applied this concept to create symmetrical artworks that reflect balance and harmony, aligning with MITEY’s values of mindfulness and self-expression.

Each piece showcases the learner’s creativity and understanding of symmetry, with designs drawn, flipped, and colored to highlight the mirrored effect. These stunning artworks symbolise balance—both in art and in life—reminding us of the importance of mindfulness and perspective.

We’re proud of the effort and thoughtfulness our learners put into these pieces, and they look fantastic on display. Take a look and see how maths and well-being come together in Room 5!

Bringing Myths and Legends to Life Through Sport

Yesterday, during our football lesson, the coach began by sharing the myth of how Kiwi lost its wings. This well-known Māori legend tells how the brave Kiwi sacrificed its wings at the request of Tānemahuta, the God of the forest, to save the forest from a plague of destructive bugs.

We then played a warm-up game inspired by the story. Two teams played the role of bugs, while one team was the Kiwis in the middle. The bugs had to run through the middle to reach the other side. It was not only a lot of fun but also a fantastic connection to the myths and legends we’ve been exploring this term.              After the warm-up, each team took turns playing soccer against one another. We had a great time putting into practice the skills we’ve learned throughout the year in HAL’s and Kelly Sports. 

          What other stories, myths, or legends can you think of that could be transformed into a game? We’d love to hear your ideas—feel free to share them in the comments! We’re excited to try out new games and would be happy to update you on how they turn out.

Fake images

Today we continued with our fake images lesson. It was extra fun today because we are more confident and more creative. The challenges was about us being in different backgrounds. We had to take photos of us posing a certain direction to fit the image we were using for our backgrounds. We still used Remove.bg to remove the background of our images. Our class members showed more of our creativity abilities today exploring different images and backgrounds.

 

Helloooo Summer, Hello Glen Taylor Pool….HAL’s

Summer has arrived, and at Glen Taylor School, we’re fortunate to have a heated swimming pool right on our grounds. Last week, Team Kererū had their first chance to jump in, cool off, and enjoy some fun in the sun. As part of our Healthy Active Learning (HAL) program, swimming is not just about fun but also an essential life skill.

In our initial session, we focused on demonstrating our confidence and existing water safety skills. This allowed Ms. Karl to assess our comfort and competence in the water before letting us enjoy some well-deserved free time.

Living in New Zealand, surrounded by water, being water-smart is crucial. Next week, we’ll begin developing and strengthening our water safety skills. These lessons will help ensure we stay safe while participating in the many water-based activities our beautiful country has to offer.

HAL’s – How High Can You Jump?

This week, as part of our continued Healthy Active Learning, our Kelly Sport Coach, Hunter, set up the high jump to help us apply what we’ve been learning about the biomechanics of jumping. We began by practicing our scissor kicks using skipping ropes, an essential technique in high jumping. The scissor kick helps generate height and maintain balance, which are critical for clearing the bar safely and effectively. Each of us took turns jumping over the ropes at varying heights, exploring which leg felt most natural as our take-off leg.

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Once we were confident, we transitioned to practicing with the bar and mat, refining our technique to combine power, coordination, and control. Building on our practice, many of us felt quite nervous, especially as the bar was raised higher. However, the experience was both exciting and rewarding, as it gave us a chance to improve our technique and build confidence. With Athletics Day just around the corner, this practice has been invaluable. We now feel more prepared and ready to perform at our best, aiming to represent our school proudly and possibly make the Tamaki Cluster team.

 

Manaiakalani Film Festival 2024

Today, Glen Taylor School had the exciting opportunity to attend the 17th annual film festival at Sylvia Park. It was an inspiring day where we watched incredible films created not only by our peers but also by learners from other schools across the Manaiakalani cluster. Being part of this experience allowed us to celebrate creativity, see the variety of stories and skills shared across our community, and feel connected to a larger network of young filmmakers. Back at school, our teacher gave us time to explore even more films we didn’t get to see at the cinema. Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to watching additional films and leaving comments on the class blogs, supporting and connecting with other students through our feedback.

Did you attend the film festival?  Which film was your favourite and why?  Please share with us in the comments below.

Creating fake images

Today we created fake images in Google Drawings. This is part of our Cybersmart learning on Smart Media. We used google drawings to create our fake images today. We also used Remove.bg to remove the background of images we used. Mrs Tofa set up a challenge for us to create different images today.

Image Challenge (Choose one to create)

  1. A person collecting shells on a beach in the dark
  2. A birthday cake with dolphin decorations
  3. A house surrounded by a candy cane garden

It was a bit challenging to create the images today and we had to use our problem solving skills. Here are images created by some of our class members today.

HAL’s – Ready, Set, Throw!

This week, we continued developing our athletics skills by learning the biomechanics of throwing. We focused on our stance, the positioning of our arms, head, and body, and the force needed for an effective throw.

We then solidified this knowledge and developed the skills by practicing with tennis balls and frisbees, before using shot puts.

We are feeling ready now for our whole school athletics day coming up next Friday.  Watch this space for updates on how we went.

We wondered what is your favourite sport to participate in on Athletics Day’s at your school.  Let us know in the comments below.