Sunday, December 17, 2006

Bridge Valley Camp

We had a wonderful couple of days away at Bridge Valley Outdoor Education Camp. Here is a view of the complex overlooking the lake.
As soon as we got there we started on our activities. Jamie found out that he was quite good at archery. You had to be careful not to shoot the arrows when any one else was in front of the target.Jillian got a clever bull's eye. Three arrows all on the target was excellent.
Bull's eye for Jamie! Robin Hood had better watch out!
While one group was doing archery another was out on the lake doing kayaking. Susa got tired from all of the having fun and thought she might have a bit of a rest! What a lovely way to spend your day.
Elliott knows how to enjoy himself too. He is a really good kayaker. His Dad must have shown him!
Maddison had a good time out on the water as well. Kayaking was loads of fun so we had two goes at it!
The third group was going horse riding while all this was going on. Jillian looked like a natural on her horse.
They had a horse that you could groom and stroke while you were waiting for your turn on the horses. Georgia has made a new friend.
Dino had been riding before and knew what to do.
Gloria was an excellent rider. She was trotting and even got into a short canter. It was great to see her skills.
Tiny Ted was out and about as well. He had to wait for his turn like everyone else.
After lunch we had a go at the confidence course, the climbing wall and the go-karts. Dillon managed to get up the wall really easily.
Lara showed that girls are good at climbing too. It was a long way up and we abseiled back down again.
Jordy and Nathan whizzed around the track in a cloud of dust!
Georgia proved to be just as fast as her Dad on the racetrack!
Maddison and Lara had to lean into the corners they were going so fast.
Jackson shows Tiny Ted how to swing on the confidence course. He thought it was great.
Jackson's Dad organised a tug-o-war. I wonder who won???
After our second round of activities we had some free time. Miss K had to take a heap of photos before she got this one of Georgia up in the air.
Foos ball was very popular as well. You can see how excited we were by the game!
After that free time we went up the hill to the water slide. It was pretty hard to catch the action in a photograph. Steve was a hero when he leapt into the water to pull Brittany out at the bottom. I am not sure how Tyler is feeling in this photo.
I am not sure who this is at the bottom of the waterslide but I bet they made a big splash when they hit the water.
The long flying fox was super fun too but Sue got a bit dirty pulling the T-bar all the way back to the top again.
Emily hung on tight when she went over the lake.
Everyone waited patiently for their turn on the waterslide and flying fox. Another big splash at the bottom!
Susa's hair streamed out behind her as she sped down the flying fox.
After tea we had a pillow fight on the slippery pole. It was lots of fun. You had to hang on tight to the pole with your legs and try and knock your opponent off. There was lots of yelling from the audience as well!
After that we wrote in our diaries and went to bed. Miss K was very pleased by the way we all went to sleep when we were told to.
The next morning we did a repeat of the kayaking, orienteering and a low ropes confidence course. Shanac and Jessica knew how work out the map.
We had to work collaboratively and support one another to get around the low ropes courses. We were all there to support one another if someone looked like they might fall.
In this activity we had to arrange ourselves on the wire in alphabetical order. You were not allowed to put your feet on the ground. It was fun to do and watch.
We worked really well as a team. It was a good exercise.
We had a great time on camp and you were an excellent group to take away. Your parents can be proud of you. Thank you.
I have made a vodcast and put it on our podcast page at
www.allanah.podomatic.com It is 20MB big so best not attempted unless you have broadband. I have also made a DVD of camp with the photos on it as well as a CD of just photos. If you would like copies bring a blank CD to school or if you would like a DVD bring $3 to school on Monday.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Bridge Valley Class Camp

What a fabulous day we had on camp today. Here Tiny Ted prepares himself to go kayaking and Dillon shows him how it is done!
The camp where we are staying has an unprotected wireless broadband connection so here I am updating the blog in the hallway outside the mostly sleeping children after our first big day on camp.

The children have been wonderful- getting on so well together and thouroughly enjoying themsleves. The parents too have been great.

Just received a Skype call from Wales but didn't like to wake anyone up to listen. I will put lots of photos on the blog in the weekend.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The Skype Talk to Wales

This morning at 8:00 we Skyped our pen pals. They came back to school at night because we have a 13 hour difference. Lately we have been class to teacher talk. We arranged it to be on Wednsday 13/12/2006. We have all been waiting to talk to the class in Wales.
The conversation was really going well while it lasted but the connection kept on cutting out.
Dino is really keen on chatting some more. Miss K will take her laptop on camp and see if we can connect while we are there.
Only one more sleep until we go on camp. We can't wait. We will take lots of photos so we will have lots to blog about. Tiny Ted is coming along too. I hope he goes to sleep at night like a good teddy should while he is on camp. Travelling Ted is coming as well so he will not be left out!

Monday, December 11, 2006

Funny Faces

Wow we got some new loan computers. They are really flash! We got to morph some really funny faces. We all had a good laugh even the people who don't laugh much.
We all looked soo funny!
The programme is called Photo Booth on the Mac Book computer.
Jamie looked really surprised.
It is a shame we have to give the computers back. They were lots of fun.

By Raven and Sam P

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Cefn Fforest Skype Call

This Friday teacher, Paul H from Cefn Fforest School in Wales asked that I hold a Skype conversation with his class while a photographer for the Times Educational Supplement newspaper came to take photographs for an article on using Skype and podcasting in the primary school. Paul thinks that his school may be one of the very first in the UK to use Skype. I was happy to oblige and chatted away with Beth-Ann for quite some time.The photographer emailed me these photos which I thought were really great. It is great to see such quality photos of our podcasting e-pals. The article may well be in this Friday's paper in the UK. We wait with eagre anticipation.
This Wednesday morning our time, nine o'clock at night their time Paul is asking keen children to come in for a child/child conversation which will be very exciting as so far, because of the time difference we have only been able to have mutual child/teacher Skype VOIP conversation.
You are welcome to come join us and see how easy and free Skype is to use.

Friday, December 08, 2006

A Surprise Party


You think you know the children that you teach after spending six hours a day with them five times a week over, in some cases, two years. But today I got a lovely surprise! Some time ago as you might remember we had a thousand hits on the blog. You may recall we had a party to celebrate. Jackson V has been keeping a careful watch on the hit counter and noticed that it had gone way over two thousand and we hadn't had a party yet! Very uncharitably I said we can't keep having parties! Well this was not good enough for the secretive plotters. They decided to organise a party of their own!

I was busy doing my talking thing today as teachers do and Georgia sneaks up behind me with a blindfold, puts it over my eyes and says, "Keep still and keep my eyes shut!" As I thought I was about to be kidnapped by pirates or the like I did exactly what I had been told to do! There was much scurrying about and when I was allowed to open my eyes there was a party all ready to be eaten!

I had tears in my eyes and I was 'touched' that the children had done all this- completely organised it themselves. So much self-confidence and good will. It was really lovely. What a great team we are. Thanks to the Mums and Dads for their contribution too.

Pet Show Day

Yesterday we had our Pet Show. It was all day.

First a SPCA visitor came to Appleby School. She told us how to look after our pets.

Then a police dog handler came with his police dog, Edge.
Some of us drew pictures of animals in Kid Pix on the laptops. This is my drawing.
We had a photo competition. We will find out who wins at assembly this afternoon.




By Jackson P, Shanac and Miss K

My new foals

We got two new foals. They are both boys. They are very cute.
We are enjoying having a great time watching the foals being born.
By Gloria.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Tiny Ted out sailing!!!

Tiny Ted and I went out sailing. Tiny Ted got to go on the power boat. After the day sailing Tiny Ted and I had a rest. We had cake, a packet of lollies and a big bottle of Coke. We hope we will have a better time sailing next week.
By Jackson C.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Our Podcast Statistics in the last month

Our Podcast Podomatic Web Page

For the next eleven days Podomatic are giving their non-paying members like us access to their advanced features-statistics, figures and maps. Here are a couple of zoomed in maps of where our podcasts are being downloaded and listened to in the last month. I can see Belfast, Durham, Leeds, Cambridge, London, Wales and Amsterdam. If you are reading our blog as well please leave us some feedback.Here we zoom in on our American and Canadian listeners. We see Vancouver, Seattle, 30 downloads in San Francisco, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas, Florida, Baton Rouge, New York. I wonder if the San Francisco downloads are a school pod of computers!
It is really interesting to see where our listeners are coming from around the world.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

A Kiwi Arrives in Wales

On Friday night NZ time and Friday morning in Wales, after only one short week of jet setting about the globe Cuddly Kiwi arrived safely at Cefn Fforest School in Wales. With him he took letters, photos and the good wishes of all the children in Moturoa classroom.Here he is just as the children discover what is in the parcel. They had heard some chirpy noises coming out of the parcel before it was opened as Mr Harrington had squeezed it a little too tightly! Cuddly Kiwi was ready for a breath of fresh air.
He soon set out to discover his new home. It is Christmas in Wales as well. Look at the wonderful Christmas tree in 3H classroom. Kiwi aren't used to perching in trees but he is doing well.
Here is where 3H class does some of their computing. He is starting to feel at home!

Friday, December 01, 2006

Kids for Kids Concert

We all had lots of fun at the Kids for Kids Concert with Suzanne Prentice on Wednesday night!
We all had to dress up in something Christmasy. All of us had lots of different things!
All of the people sang their hearts out. There was a big audience.

By Gloria & Emily

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

What a Rehearsal!

We had a fabulous rehearsal today for the Suzanne Prentice's Kids for Kids Concert. I was very cheeky at the end and asked Suzanne if she would pose with Brittany and Tiny Ted for a publicity shot and she did. Brittany was ever so pleased because her Grandma is coming to the concert tonight and she really likes Suzanne Prentice's music. She really is a wonderful singer and along with 400 students from all over Nelson we are really looking forward to the big event tonight. I will take more photos tonight when we are all in our flash party clothes.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Tiny Ted on the Port Hills

Tonight Tiny Ted went out for an evening drive and ended up at the top of the Port Hills that look out over the Boulder Bank. If you click on the photo you will be able see it more clearly. You can just see Fifeshire Rock on the left hand side. The island is called Haulashore Island. In the very distance you can see the lighthouse. Way, way away you can see the Abel Tasman National Park. Miss k

Our Calendar Art

For are calendars Miss K took a photo of the back of our heads. Then we went over the lines with Indian ink.

Then we got a piece of paper and two lines around the inside of the paper and went over the lines in Indian ink.
Then we planned a design to go in the middle of the paper.
After we had to draw a good one in the middle and paint all of it.
We had to cut- out the background of the photo and paste it on.




We thought that they all turned out great.


By Emily and Gloria