Pinecone Collecting

We were collecting pinecones because we are using them as fire wood this Winter.

by Baxter Ferguson

Here we are entering the pine-tree paddock at school.

There were a lot of pine needles so we had to look hard for the pinecones buried underneath.

Look I found one!

Hunter was one of our group leaders and helped point out pinecones.

Being distracted by the paparazzi

South Wairarapa Swim Sports

The start of the race

Hugo started our team off

Here goes Penny!

Laura all ready for her lap

Yesterday a group of 21 students represented Gladstone School and the Carterton Country Cluster at the South Wairarapa Swimming Sports. It was held at the Featherston Pools. Someone asked why it would be held there instead of at Greytown or Carterton Pools. It's because the Featherston Pools are the only summer pool that is race regulation length (25 metres) and the others are too long at 33 metres.

The Cluster had to come up with a relay team for the last race. It was a flying 10-person team with 5 girls and 5 boys (one from each age group). Our cluster chose the fastest 1 length swimmers from each age group and that meant that Gladstone had 8/10 swimmers in the team. We were up against:
* Featherston Cluster (St Teresa's, Featherston School, South Featherston School & Kahutara School)
* Carterton School
* Martinborough School
* Greytown School
Our Cluster team came in 3rd! 

Who's making the decisions?

In our Inquiry work we're looking at resources we have in our community and country. Then we're asking these questions:

• Who gets to make decisions about this resource?
• How do they make decisions about it?
• Who gets to use or access these resources?

Here's an example:

Here we are using the Gladstone School Pool

• Who gets to make decisions about this resource?
• The Gladstone School Board of Trustee's and the school Principal
• How do they make decisions about it?
• They have a school policy and they discuss it in their meetings
• Who gets to use or access these resources?
• The school students during school time and the school community get to use it after hours if they have a key to access it.

Now I wonder. Can you think about a resource, name it and write down the answers to those 3 questions in the comments below?

(Here are some ideas: parks, playgrounds, rivers, stadiums, schools, drinking water, national parks, walking tracks, airports...those are just some ideas but you might be able to think of your own).

Statistical Investigations

We are learning about statistical investigations. Mrs Rutene took a photo of the class sitting in order of the months they were born in. The month with the highest amount of birthdays is March and the smallest are May and October. We made a human bar graph to show this.
by Lucy and Baxter

The visual language of cricket.

This year we are looking at Homegrown and our focus this term is Homegrown events and resources. So, because the Cricket World Cup is a Homegrown event currently happening around our country, We Are Learning To identify the visual language of cricket umpires!

Perhaps you can work out what each of our umpires are signalling below:

Homegrown Places

Can you complete this puzzle, name the place and log your puzzle solving time in to the comments section below? Click on the photo to begin:


35 Homegrown Places

Homegrown events

Here is a puzzle of an event that is Homegrown. Can you solve the puzzle and write in the comment section what the event is and what your time was.


42 1655532_10153948588580541_1561297682_o

Working out Place Value

Today in maths I learnt about place value. In this photo I am working out the answers by counting out how many tens and then how many ones were in the picture. Then I made up the same number with money using $10's and $1's. After I did these two things, I wrote the number I had worked out in my book.

This helped me to understand place value because I didn't really know what to do at first but then I got the materials to work with and I could see what they looked like.

by Phyllis Pouanga

Homework Week 2

Easy peasy this week!

1. 20 minutes of reading each night
2. Sumdog if you are allowed to use the computers at home
3. INQUIRY: Can you think of a communal event, either in the Wairarapa or around New Zealand, that promotes well-being for the people involved? Remember 'well-being' is not just physical, but also mental, spiritual, or emotional. Answer this blog with the event and why you think it promotes well-being.

Waitangi Day in Auckland

I've learnt some new things about Waitangi Day. It celebrates when the Maori chiefs and the Queen of England signed a Treaty called The Treaty of Waitangi. I found out that the way some people celebrate Waitangi Day in Auckland is something called the Snapper Festival. It's about catching big fish so it's a fishing competition.

by James Tomlinson

Waitangi Day in Waitangi

We've been learning about Waitangi Day. I found out about the war canoes that Maori used and they still use them at Waitangi in Northland. I like that they are so long and can fit heaps of people in them. Here is a video I found of some of them:

by Viena Pouanga

Waitangi Day

On Tuesday we learnt about the Treaty of Waitangi. We wrote in our Inquiry books what we already knew. Everybody in Room 3 knew that we get a day off school, and some people knew that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the Pakeha (english) and Maori to live in peace together.
by Anika Stewart

Maths link: The question was put to us: If we live in the year 2015 and the treaty was signed in 1840, how old is it? Maybe you could put what you think the answer is below in the comments.

The English came in their boats all the way across the world to New Zealand. The Queen wanted them to 'collect' New Zealand as one of her new countries so they signed a Treaty with the Maori chiefs to agree to live together in peace.
by Asha Graham