Busy Bubbles

A big Autahi welcome  to Term 2!

One of the nicest things after a holiday is re-connecting with friends, finding out how they are and hearing about what they've been doing.

So, here's a little catch-up blog, collecting some of the photos you've shared recently on Seesaw. 

I have had a bit more time for guitar practice than usual and I think my terrible F chord is starting to sound better.

I have also been battling with a huge ivy hedge outside my house. Each day I chop down a bit more. I'm not sure if I'm winning yet, though! (And yes, I have been wearing dungarees everyday.)

Elena has been getting crafty decorating some pinecones with paint. What a great idea: there are a lot of pinecones around at the moment. She has also planted some plum stones to see if she can grow her very own plum tree. Grow little plum tree, grow!

What a beautiful Easter egg! That colouring must have taken a lot of time and care. Did you make a picture like this for the Easter egg hunt? Sophie has been also been working on some exciting drawings and stories with her brother and sister.

Marco has been going for walks and teddy bear hunting along the way. He has also been learning to play a new game with his family. Looks like fun, guys!

Louis' bubble is at his Granny's house. A couple of weeks ago, he caught a fish in the river. He found a picture of it in this book. It's called a Common Bully. Good job, Louis!

And, finally, if anybody is hungry after all that action, Carl baked these yummy-looking scones. Thanks, Carl. I'll have jam and cream on mine.

I hope that you had a good holiday. More fun times to come this term!

Who can play?

In Autahi last week we explored whether there are games just for boys and just for girls. At times we have all heard 'you can't play because you're a girl' or 'that's not for boys'. We decided to explore whether there really were games and toys that were just for boys or just for girls. It was a great exercise in seeing many different perspectives. Many shared their ideas and we learnt a lot about what people like to play.

To start with we sorted all of the games and activities into boys, girls or both. As you can see there were some clear initial thoughts.

After having a chance to challenge the initial ideas we started to see that in fact all of these games can be enjoyed by anyone.

Again we had similar results with our second group.

Learning to challenge ideas in a respectful way is another way that we can grow connections with one another. Embracing everyone when we play leads to a greater feeling of inclusivity and respect. The learners in Autahi always amaze me with their thinking and care for each other. They are showing that they can connect in many different ways and enjoy lots of things together.

Two future aviation engineers. Instructions for constructing an aeroplane.

I am Connected- Tuakana Teina Whānau Buddies

Our Learner Attribute for this term is I am connected.

As part of building on our Learner Attribute of I am connected, some of the year 2, 3 and 4's have become tuakana (older) whānau buddies for the new members of Worser Bay School from Autahi as they begin their learning journey at our kura.

Over the next few weeks, they will get to know each other and do different activities together to build their relationships.

First, the tuakana (older) buddies made an introduction card for their (younger buddies).

Next, one group of tuakana got to know their teina buddy by interviewing them, making connections and then spending some time playing games.

Here are some of our thoughts from the afternoon:

Tuakana buddies:
Eddie- It was exciting to meet my new buddy because it was fun to get to do something with someone you have never done something with before.
Lillian- It was fun to show someone little how to do things.

Teina buddies:
Leo- I want my tuakana buddy to help me make more friends.
Violet- I want my tuakana buddy to help me learn maths.