Tag: 2023

2023 Water safety & awareness swimming week

Our Year 5 students were fortunate to receive a week of free swimming lessons focused on water safety and awareness.  They had a fun and engaging learning experience, gaining valuable knowledge and skills to navigate  water safely.

Key learning outcomes from the lessons included:

Safe Entry and Exit: Students learned how to safely get in/out multiple ways, to test for depth, use slide entry, stride entry, and compact jump. They also learned safe exit techniques.

Submersion Comfort: Students got comfortable being submerged in water, controlled their breathing underwater, and performed simple tasks like retrieving objects from the pool floor. These skills enhance their underwater confidence and safety.

Personal Buoyancy: Students gained an understanding of how their body composition affects buoyancy and how to adjust their body positioning to float effectively in various positions. This knowledge is crucial for maintaining buoyancy and staying safe in different water depths.

Emergency Response: Students learned to recognise water emergencies, signal for help, and perform reach and throw rescues while prioritising their own safety. They also gained insights into assisting others in distress.

Overall, the swimming lessons empowered students with the knowledge and skills necessary to enjoy water activities safely and responsibly. By instilling water safety awareness, these lessons aim to prevent water-related accidents and promote lifelong aquatic enjoyment.

 

Reference:  waterskills

Farewell Coach Trey

 

Today we bid farewell to an exceptional Kiwisports Coach Tre. Over time, he became an integral part of our Pt England family, where he no longer needed introductions. He knew everyone’s names and quickly grasped their individual skill sets.

It has been remarkable to witness the growth in enjoyment, strength, and skills of our students, especially those who were initially less confident, under Coach Tre’s expert guidance. And to see our top athletes further develop their abilities and camaraderie with their peers.

As you embark on new endeavours, Coach Tre, know that you will be dearly missed. Please keep in touch!

Manamea Production

Recently, few of our PES staff attended an evening dance production called ‘Manamea’ (Samoan meaning of my ‘sweetheart’).

One of our former teacher support Roni Wright played the lead role of Sitione, who falls in love with Palepa.  However, both their families are involved in a long-standing land dispute.

Roni’s performance was truly exceptional – at Pt England, he’s typically the one behind the scenes, shinning the light for all students to be stars!  This resonated deeply with me, as we have students in our learning spaces who don’t always have a prominent voice, but with consistent support and encouragement, they have the potential to blossom into remarkable individuals.

Although our Pt England family missed your debut Roni, I know they would be cheering you on to see you flourish.

E felelei manu ae ma’au i o latou ofaga (Birds migrate to environments where they survive and thrive).

This proverb teaches us that adaptation is essential for survival and success. Just as birds must adapt to new environments, we too must be willing to adapt to new situations and challenges in order to achieve our goals.

Your journey is an inspiration to us – be open to new possibilities and to never give up on our dreams of greatness!

Thanks Roni – look forward to seeing more of your work on stage!

2023 Manaiakalani Film Festival – ASMR 2.0

Kia ora! Welcome to our ASMR movie!

Join us on a magical journey to a dream world
filled with delicious, crunchy sounds … including the peasant pear.

ASMR is perfect for relaxing and de-stressing,

(whisper) so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

Nga Mihi Nui!

Creating a Wharenui through tinkercad

Our reading group read a text called ‘Building a Wharenui’ by Dougal Austin. It was full of interesting facts, such as:

  • The kaikaranga (welcome ceremony) is performed at the front of the wharenui.
  • The wharenui represents an ancestor.
  • Each part of the wharenui represents important aspects of tangata whenua culture

 

We examined the design thinking process behind building a wharenui through an inquiry lens. We learned that whakairo (carving) begins 3-10 years before construction, and that no nails are used; instead, rope and wood hold the wharenui together.

Check out Ofili’s design of the wharenui (created in Tinkercad) and his recording of the building process in iMovie.

http://Ofili’s blog
Task Description:Today i created my WhareNui by using a website called Tinker Cad i had to make a WhareNui,by using all the different objects and features.

Rm 9 PENN ‘A Time with friends’…

Before our writing test, Room 9 and 10 had a challenge – to design couture attire using toilet paper in groups of 3-4 friends. We had 8 minutes to create this wearable art.  The outcome was both hilarious and stressful.

Our class had a great time collaborating, using their creativity, communicating with each other, and critically evaluating their designer dresses.  Check out our PENN

Keeping ourselves Safe – No excuse for Abuse

We had our 2nd visit from Constable Gordon to talk about different forms of harm.  This was a valuable experience for students. It is important for learners to know about harm so that they can identify and avoid harmful situations.

The activity that Constable Gordon facilitated, was explaining different forms of harm and their rights.  He went through different forms of harm (they labelled and blue-tacked around the room, on the wall) used various of case scenarios, then the students had to stand beside the headings (classified forms of hard).  This activity was thought-provoking for students, as they had to discuss why they stood under that form of harm.  This was a great way of critical thinking to develop a better understanding of harm.

I had some interesting feedback from students about this activity.  A few students were uncomfortable with some of the terminology that was used.  A few students were able to describe some of the forms of harm that they have been exposed to and we talked what their next steps would be.  A few students asked if Constable Gordon will be returning for further learning.

Here are some questions that could be asked for our students to reflect on the activity:

What was the most challenging part of the activity?
What did you learn about yourself and others from this activity?
How can you use what you learned in this activity to help yourself and others?
I believe that it is important to have open and honest conversations with students about harm. By talking about it, we can help to break down the stigma and make it easier for students to seek help if they need it.

Having these open and honest korero/talanoa with students about harm, allows them to break down the stigma and make it easier for students to seek help if they need it.

Link to the lesson plan

Niuean Language Week

“Fakatūleva e Vagahau Niue mo e Tau Aga Fakamotu ma e Tau Atuhau”

Sustain Niue Language and Culture for Future Generations.

Fakaalofa lahi atu – this week is Niuean language week.

This week is Niuean Language Week, and did you know that Niue has the world’s largest raised coral atoll?

In New Zealand, 12% of the 30,867 Niueans speak the language. However, only 7% of children under 15 speak Niuean, which is a concern for the future of the language.

As a class, we acknowledge and recognise different ethnic cultures, within in our school.  As part of our cultural responsiveness, we research in depth Niue, it’s customs, culture and its people.

One of our outstanding students, Meki, will now introduce himself in Niuean.  Check this out!

Meki’s Edublog link

“Keeping ourselves Safe” – Safe or unsafe

Constable Gordon, our community guest speaker, talked to us about the real world today.  We used laminated cards with different case scenarios to spark discussion in small groups about how to categorise them as safe, unsafe, or unsure.

Each case scenario was ambiguous because it depended on the context and the people involved. For example, “if someone is staring at you while you come out of the pools…”. If the person staring is a toddler or someone with learning challenges who is unaware of social etiquette, it is unclear whether the situation is safe or unsafe.

Key ideas:

• identify behaviours of other people that make them feel unsafe or uncomfortable
• distinguish between touch they like, touch they don’t like, and touch that confuses them
• say “no” to unwanted touch
• use Stop, Walk, Talk in risky situations.

Overall, the activity made us all more aware of our safety boundaries, regardless of who the other person is.

If you have any questions, talk with your teacher or an adult you can trust.

Keeping ourselves safe

Life Ed – The power of words

During this week, we’ve had Life-Ed trailer arrive to our school escorted with Harold the giraffe. Sylvia and Monica were talking and coaching us on “mind chats,” or conversations we have in our heads. They explained that if our self-talk is negative, our brains start to believe it. This led to a discussion about fixed vs. growth mindsets.

We then watched a video about the difference between bullying and being mean or rude. It was important to learn the distinction between the two so that we could be up-standers and do the right thing.

We learned that words are powerful and that we can show empathy and kindness by being mindful of our language.  We also discussed the importance of not conforming to negative behaviour.

Finally, we learned strategies for shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. In our learning, what are some of the areas we need to shift from fixed to growth mindset?