Crosscountry

Congratulations to everyone who took part in the crosscountry today.  The children have trained hard for the event and we had excellent class results.
A special mention to Akiva for her 1st place in 7 year old girls.
Other fantastic results were:
Emma Minshull - 2nd 7 yr girls
Tyler Bron - 2nd 7yr boys
Callum Mercer - 3rd 7yr boys

Joshua Valley

Once upon a time there was a mountain but it was no ordinary mountain.  It was a candy mountain.  That night it rumbled and grumbled.  In the morning it was going to erupt.  All the kids were happy.  They quickly raced outside.  Suddenly it erupted.  All the kids in Joshua Valley spent the whole day filling their mouths with candy.
By Joshua Briggs

Class Pet Number 4

Our new pets have arrived in LC6 and we are loving them.  We have 3 very funny little tropical fish and a big 'sucker' fish to clean the bottom of our tank.  They don't have names but feel free to suggest one.  
We take turns feeding the fish and are hoping they grow BIG very soon.

Pania of the Sea

Once there was a women called Pania.  She lived in the sea.  One day when Pania came out off the sea a man called Karitoki made her his wife.  Every morning Pania would go back to the sea to see her family and the sea people.  Every day when the sun went down Pania heard her husband singing so she came out of the sea to see him.  Karitoki didn't want Pania to go to the sea so he asked the Tohunga to help him.  The Tohunga made magic.  But, the magic did not work.  Pania was very sad because Karitoki had asked the Tonhunga to make magic so she would stay.  Pania dived into the sea and turned into stone.  She always stayed in the sea.
By Isabel Lu, LC6

Our Marae Writing

At the marae Mrs Mercer did the karanga and then we listened to a couple of speeches.  Then the boys did the haka and that was excellent.  Meanwhile, the girls were making pois and then the girls came outside and did a poi dance to the boys.  then the boys did the haka to the girls.  Finally we had a poroporaki or leaving ceremony.  By Jack

Mrs Mercer did the calling.  I thought they were talking in a secret language.  I thought I belonged there.  I saw new things and carvings.  I had lots of fun.  By Emma Ellwood


It's my first I've been to a marae!  We saw Mrs Mercer do a karanga.  I tried not to laugh at it.  We did a hongi.  I thought there would be more people to hongi at the marae.  Then a women talked about the pictures of the ancestors on the wall.  There were lots of kowhaiwhais on the wall.  Then women taught all the girls how to make and do poi.  It was very hard making them.  We saw the boys performing a haka.  Then the girls performed the poi.  I really like making the poi.  By Isabel


When we got to the Marae Mrs Mercer did the karanga.  Next we went into the marae and listened to a speech.  We have to hongi.  The boys went first and then the girls.  After the hongi Wiremu told us who the pictures on the wall were of.  In the marae there were kowhaiwhai patterns.  Before lunch the girls made poi and they learnt to do a waiata with the pois.  The boys learnt the haka.  The boys did the haka to the girls and the girls did the poi to the boys.  There was a tekoteko inside the meeting house on the ground.
By Emma Minshull

Poi

The boys Haka

Marae Visit - Thursday 16th May

The Middle Team visited the Marae yesterday (Thursday 16th May).  We had a fantastic time looking at the wharenui (meeting house), learning about Powhiri and we had to Hongi.  The girls learnt to make poi and the boys learnt a Haka.  We all had a wonderful day.

A special thank you to Mrs Peck and Mrs Mercer, Papa Jack and the parents that came with us (Tanya, Margie and Maryanne).