Extraordinary frontiers

Room 15 went to the Nelson museum to be the trial class for the Cawthron Exhibition. Thomas Cawthron came to Nelson in 1849 and gave money to the city for many projects. The Cawthron Institute is named after him.   

Scientists from the Cawthron recently investigated why dogs were dying on an Auckland beach. We acted as detectives to find out how they solved the mystery.

We found out how important fish ladders are for native fish that need to travel upstream past dams.

Long fin eels use these fish ladders. They can grow up to 2 metres long and live to be 50 years old. When they are ready to breed they swim nearly 5000 kilometres from NZ to Tonga. They only breed once in their life and then they die. The Cawthron Institute helps long fin eels survive by monitoring the water quality in the streams which are their habitats.

The Cawthron Institute also has a laboratory to test how some natural products can help us. 

In the jars are some herbs and spices.

Scientists at the Cawthron aquaculture centre at the Glen experiment with growing  different kinds of algae to feed the shellfish larvae that they breed. We liked the feel of the fake algae.

It was a very interesting exhibition and we all learnt heaps!

Springing into spring!

We have been writing senses poems about spring.

Spring
Smells like soft rose petals
Looks like a great forest
Sounds like baby birds chirping
Tastes like a crunchy apple
Feels like a lambs soft white coat.
by Maya

Spring
Feels like summer is coming
Tastes like nectar
Looks like blossoms
Sounds like birds
Smells like flowers.
By Caleb

Spring
Smells like flowers sprouting
Looks like sun as bright as fire
Sounds like a rolling tyre
Tastes like candy floss
Feels like summer's coming
by Elisha

Mask Making

Have a look at the amazing masks we made for the mask parade!

Tree-planting at the Glen

Last term we went tree-planting at the new Glenduan reserve at the Glen. The Nelson City Council gardeners provided the plants and taught us how to plant them properly. Some of the things we planted were rushes, harakeke (flax), coprosma and kowhai. There were lots of fat worms in the soil so we think the plants will grow well.

Crazy Hair Day 2011

A Funeral For a Special Mouse

Our class mouse Jellybean died last week. We made her a beautiful coffin lined with fluffy sheepskin and buried her up in Nature's Way. After singing a waiata we read our  farewell messages then put some flowers on her grave.

"It's time to say good-bye to the smallest member of Room 15. Jellybean was a good friend and we liked having her. She led a very adventurous life and we will miss her alot. I hope she is happy in her new mouse home."

"Jellybean was a great mouse to the class. Even though she had only one eye she was very cute. She probably had a great life here in Room 15. She had lots of kids to pat her and look after her."

"Dear Jellybean, we are so upset that you died today, we hope you rest in peace. we hope that you have a good time in heaven."

"Goodbye Jellybean. We will miss you. I hope you had a good death, not hard, and go into heaven. We might not replace you. You will be sad and we will be sad."

The Clifton Terrace Cross Country

 

Room 15 shows perseverance yet again!
On Wednesday the first of June we had our cross country. When we lined up by our ages I was very nervous. After the six year olds and seven year olds had gone it was the eight year old girls. When we had just lined up I was getting really nervous.
"Ready, set, go!" The whistle went. I ran as fast as I could. We went down the steps, across the bridge, up through the trees, down the hill, through the mud and in between the fence and the fitness circuit. I could hear people cheering and I had to do two laps. When I got to the finish line I found out that I came thirteenth. After all of that I was tired.      
By Bella-Rose

"Go!"
Running, coming first, Marcus is in front now! Kaio is in front of me, now I am coming third! Up the hill I go. I have now got a mark on my hand. Ryan is in front of me- now I am coming fourth. I don't want Joseph in front of me. Now up here, going down. Now I am running past the fitness circuit, now I am running past the playground.  Now on my second lap, I am running up the bank again past the muddy part. Now I have got another mark from Dene, running down the hill, going up puff puff, going past the fitness circuit
again, past the W again, past the playground again - finished!
 I came fourth now I can get a drink, that was fun! My Mum is proud of me. It is sad I don't get a medal.           By Oliver

"Ready, set, go!" Racing across the field. "Go, go, go!" is all I hear. I try my hardest. Everyone is watching. The harder I go, the faster I go, everybody cheering in my ear. I try to get up the front but I can't, it's too hard, so I try again but I still can't,  so I try again, but I still can't.      by Latoya

At the cross country I was nervous because there were lots of people. When I had done one lap I slowed down like a soft green leaf floating in the air..... but then I sped up like the wind, it was blowing in my face.   By Elisha

Bees are special!

On Monday the 11th of April my dad Norbert came to talk about bees. He said that bees are different than wasps because bees have a little bit of fur and wasps have no fur. We got to hold a male bee. They won't sting. We also had honey tasting. The flavours were manuka and honey dew. My favourite was the manuka because it had more taste. He showed us some pollen, we can eat pollen. It is so, so yum.
By Elisha

Norbert came to talk to us about bees and wasps. The drones can't sting, they are the males. The females are worker bees and they feed the queen.  This was one of my favourite things. The bees and wasps are cold-blooded. A bit of smoke makes them eat a lot of food so they become calm. This is funny but bees are furry! After questions Norbert showed us parts of  the hive. Then we got to taste some honey. I tasted manuka honey first, then honey dew, then honey comb. The honey comb was chewy. He then showed us the smoker. We went outside and he let everyone have a turn, it made smoke come out when you pushed it in and out. Then we all went back inside and he showed us the drones and the worker bees. He took the drones out because they don't have a sting. Everyone got to hold one. Then he packed up and went home.
By Erica

On Monday we learnt about bees. There are over 200 kinds of bees. Bees are furry. Some bees make honey that is good for cuts. Bees die after they sting but if a queen bee stings it does not die, it pulls its stinger back into its body.
By Ollie

Elisha's dad, Norbert, came to Room 15. He works with bees. He has a funny costume, a hat and two gloves to wear. He said male bees can't sting you. I held the male bee. The bees are cute.
By Maggie

Bees make honey for us. Female bees sting, males don't. I love bees, they are fragile. Wasps are meat eaters. Some bees live in a box. I got to hold a bee. There are more than 200 kinds of bees.
By Latoya

Norbert showed us how to use a smoker to calm down the bees. When you blow the smoke in the hive the bees think that there is a bush-fire so they fill themselves up with honey and leave the hive so we can collect all the honey without getting stung.
By Leah B

Bees die after they sting except the queen. The queen can't die because she can pull her sting back in. Males can't sting. Bees collect nectar and pollen. Bees are cold-blooded and furry and they eat honey. They're vegetarians.  Smoke calms them down.
By Caleb

Can you spot the bee?