BATTLE OF MAMETZ WW1

As a class, we REALLY REALLY REALLY recommend that you try to visit Shantytown and do this activity. This is our second year of doing ANZAC there and we can't wait to see what next years programme is. The teachers there work with our teachers to make what we do tie in with what we are studying. We have learnt heaps more about ANZAC this year from using a lot of resources from 'School Kit' and then visiting Shantytown to really live the lifestyle.

As part of our ANZAC study and followup from using the 'School Kit,'  we have been doing drama and we went to Shantytown to re-enact the battle of Mametz which is part of the Battle of Somme. The boys had to dress in a military fashion and the girls got changed when we arrived

We all had different roles but we got to swap over. When we first arrived at Shantytown we went to the school where we watched a poem  https://youtu.be/Nj43X-VBEPE  it is amazing. Then we practised listening to and solving morse code messages. We then marched in our units to Mametz and sang 'Its a Long Way to Tipperary' and 'Pack up your troubles ' as we marched.

When we reached Marmetz (in the middle of a field at Shantytown) we all went to our place. Some of the girls were in the hospital section and the hospital tent.

Others were in the Triage tent and helped carry stretchers and assess the wounded.

Others were running the supplies tent and cooking Billy Tea (made with Condensed Milk), feeding the wounded Tack Biscuits with it. Last year when we visited Shantytown we studied 'The Home Front' and made care packages. This unit delivered the care packages to the wounded in the trenches. (they contained mints, a comb, writing paper and pencil, tissues that could be used for the nose or the latrine and a letter from home.

When we were in the trenches after we received our parcel from home we had to write a letter home.







One of the men who work at Shantytown made replica rifles for us to use. The staff there had also dug a trench for us. When it was our turn in the trenches we had to keep digging to make the trench longer and fill sandbags to make it higher. Some of us got 'Trench Foot' and had to be carried to the hospital and some of us put out heads to high and got shot by the enemy. (our teacher with a water pistol).

We had turns at playing different roles during the day. There was a sentry at the gate and we had to have a password to enter the battlefield, the password changed many times during the day. It was an AMAZING day and its hard to its amazing to think how hard it would have been to survive in the trenches in the war. For us, one day was amazing and really uncomfortable being wet and crouched. For the girls dealing with the wounded (we made fake wounds from PVA and tissues) bandages wasn't easy either. In the real battle of WW1 the pain and noise, uncomfortableness and sadness must have been really really terrible. During the days different people were given different and secret scenarios to act out and others didn't know they were going to happen so it was really impromptu acting and thinking on your feet to make them seem real. The girls who were nurses had to diagnose what was wrong with the wounded and if the person was acting out a certain role they really had to be creative to find out what the problem was.

ANZAC

We were lucky enough to get a 'School Kit' Box about Anzac. We had an awesome time researching objects from the box. There were lots of discussions it was amazing the information we found out about the objects.

 We had made a slide show with the information about the objects and people we decided to research.  Check out our individual blogs as on the left as we have attached them there.

We really appreciate all the time and effort the people at 'School Kit' went made to find these pictures and objects. It was special in that it was connected to people and places in our country and not just a book. One of the 'School Kit Posters we looked at had a Picklehaub on it and we were lucky enough to borrow an original WW1 from a collector to have closer look. 

RESPECT RESILIENCE RESPONSIBILITY

We have been playing around with making our won sites about our school values.  If you would like to check out our sites- click the link below and see some of them.

Class sites 

Check this link to see our work

Easter Gifts for the A-Z Pre-School

Our class has spent the last couple of days making Easter Gifts for the Junior Room to take to the Pr-school tomorrow,

    A couple of weeks ago our school got several copies of the Prime Time Magazine and we saw an Easter Egg recipe. We decided we would make these as our gift. The eggs are made out of Rice bubble mixed with Marshmallows and butter, You melt it all together then form it into shape. THIS WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT and very messy!!!!!!!!!!!! In the end, we put lots of butter on our hands. You then dip half the egg in chocolate and sprinkles, that was another problem as the chocolate wouldn't melt enough. In the end, Jo (a teacher aide) suggested we add oil and it worked. PHEW !!!!!!!!!!!

 We made Easter baskets and labels. We printed the baskets but had to glue them together and then we glued purple ribbon around them to make them look better. We added yellow cellophane and gold Cadburys paper to the basket. After that, we wrapped them in Clear cellophane and tied on labels.

 We also had to make something for the junior class to take for sharing at morning teas time. We decided to ice and decorate some Milk Arrowwheat biscuits with M&M's. We are kind of wishing we were going to the pr-school instead of the juniors. There were some leftovers so we shared them around the school with students who have shown positive behaviour all term. 

Swimming

As our town swimming pool - "The Aquatic Centre" is closed, it has been closed for months to have the roof fixed. We have been busing to Cobden School to use their swimming pool every Monday. It is kind of shallow and much smaller than what we are used to but we are happy that have let us use it so we can keep developing our swimming.

We have 4 swimming groups all at different levels so that we are all learning at our own levels. Mr Clarke went early each day and roped the pool off into four spaces. It was a little cramped but it worked for us. We appreciate that Cobden School let us use their pool.

When it was our swimming sports time our sports were held at Runanga Pool which is bigger and deeper. Unfortunately, the junior school couldn't do swimming this term. Hopefully, our school PTF pays for us to swim next term. The school always pays for two terms a year.  If the PTF pays we will get e terms in the "Aquatic Centre'.

School Kit Get Writing

Today we received our school Kit parcel. It was fun reading the metaphors that the other school had written and putting our cards in order to form the message. We decided to put it on our classroom window so that people could see the message and if they were interested could come in and read the postcards. We also enjoyed reading the poster and looking to see where the other school is. It was Pukenui School in Te Kuiti (the North Island not the Mainland). We were curious about their school so looked up to see how big it was etc.

There Mauri stone was really interesting and had an interesting texture and feel we are going to see if we can identify what it is. There were also some cool words on their poster. We were hoping they had a blog so we could check them out but as they didn't we just sent an email message.

 We really hope that the school who received our poster has had as much fun as we have.

Omlettes 

When the year

7 and 8 go to tech we cook (we are year 6). Usually we make something that we can share with the rest of the school but this time we made omlettes.  They were ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 The teacher was very impressed that we were ablt to fold them so well. We had a choice of adding ham, onion, mushrooms and cheese.  We  fried these things in better before adding them to the omelette when it was part cooked.They were really filling. We had some leftovers so we made some for the teachers who were very impressed.

What You'll Need

• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese- onion, ham mushroom (all optional)
• cooking spray (or butter)

1.     Beat eggs, water, salt, and pepper until light and fluffy.

2.     Precook onion, mushroom ham etc. - in the pan with a little oil

3.     Heat the pan with a little butter in

4. When pan is hot (but not smoking), pour the egg mixture in.

5. As the omelette starts to set, lift an edge of the omelette
with a clean spatula and tilt the pan so that the runny, unset
portion of the omelette can run underneath and start to set.
Repeat on the opposite side. If adding vegetables or meats, do so now.

6. When the omelette is just about completely set, sprinkle
the cheese over half of the omelette. Then fold the other half of the
omelette over the cheese half.

7.     Or you can leave it unfolded and put grated cheese on it and grill it.