Dougal came to visit

What a surprise to meet Dougal again. He was a member of Room 9 about 10 years ago and now he has nearly finished high school. I remember you well Dougal.

Back to the Allen Centre we go

It was so good to welcome Mrs Stedman back to the Allen Centre. As usual, she had amazing stories  to tell us before showing us how to make these wonderful containers. With Christmas approaching Mrs Stedman wanted us to think about giving as well as receiving.

We wear black to support the All Blacks

Today we wore black to support the All Blacks. It is the big final early on Sunday morning and we are all supporting the All Blacks. Go All Blacks!

Pyjama Day

We had a pyjama day at school to raise funds to support our Buschl friends. We all wanted to do something to help.

Investigating Pulleys

Away we go, investigating again. First we thought about the question, "What is a machine?" We decided that it is a thing that makes a job easier and quicker to do. We talked about simple machines and complicated machines. Then working in groups we used a rolling pin and string to lift a book. At first we pulled the book up by turning the rolling pin. We then tried again and discovered it was easier when we pulled down on the string in the same direction as gravity. Mmm interesting!

Outram School Pet Day

We had a wonderful time at Pet Day. Judges checked all the animals and winners were chosen. There was a variety of competitions such as dog handling, lamb feeding and gumboot throwing. A real highlight was the Grand Parade complete with a piper out front. It was a great day!

Brilliant ukelele playing

It was good to get the ukeleles out again and to discover that we still remembered our three chords. Mmm I wonder if we will play them in assembly in Week 5?

The final challenge

Today we completed the final paper tower challenge. This time the tower had to support a paper cup with water in it and then remain standing in a hurricane and in an earthquake. There was a hive of activity as towers were planned and then constructed. Incredibly there were several towers that succeeded. What fun we have had!

High jump preparation

The Athletics sports are two weeks away and there has been a lot of preparation. Today there was a focus on high jump skills. It was important to find the right side to take off from.

Well done Koalas reading group

Earlier in the week the Koalas reading group read a story "Born to Weave." Today their independent activity was to read the article, "Weaving Paper," and follow the instructions. They have all taken home a laminated placemat. Well done!

Photographer: Liam

Paper Towers

The challenge is difficult but the builders are determined. Today was our second attempt at balancing a paper cup on top of a paper tower made from 3 double pieces of newspaper. Once completed it had to withstand a hurricane and an earthquake.

The Paper Tower Challenges continue

Today there was a new challenge. This time the tower had to be able to support an empty paper cup while testing for a hurricane or an earthquake. The designs were much stronger and several teams had success. Tomorrow we will try this challenge again and those teams that did not succeed already have new ideas to try.

Our School Disco

We all had great fun at the Disco today. The theme was black and white and the hall looked brilliant. There were lots of competitions and we were proud that Mitchell won one of the prizes.