On Friday 9th September,the day of the rugby world cup 2011 opening, we had a BIG school rugby day. The first thing we did was made huge corrugated iron rugby balls which read ALL BLACKS it is visible on both sides, school and road. We painted the letters white and the background black. Everyone wore black and white, some people even painted their face. Then we played a variety of rugby tabloids, they were ripper rugby, netball with a rugby ball and rugby relays. We also fundraised money by having a sausage sizzle for lunch at the cost of $2 each. With the money we raised we put aside for our school council to put to good use on the school. It was a great day for everyone. We also song the national anthem, done the Haka and raised the New Zealand flag. A couple of days later when the paint had dried, we hung the balls up on our school fence.
On Friday 9th September,the day of the rugby world cup 2011 opening, we had a BIG school rugby day. The first thing we did was made huge corrugated iron rugby balls which read ALL BLACKS it is visible on both sides, school and road. We painted the letters white and the background black. Everyone wore black and white, some people even painted their face. Then we played a variety of rugby tabloids, they were ripper rugby, netball with a rugby ball and rugby relays. We also fundraised money by having a sausage sizzle for lunch at the cost of $2 each. With the money we raised we put aside for our school council to put to good use on the school. It was a great day for everyone. We also song the national anthem, done the Haka and raised the New Zealand flag. A couple of days later when the paint had dried, we hung the balls up on our school fence.
Our river study culminated in a visit down to the Mangapuhoe stream that runs alongside the road that disects our school. We were trying to catch critters to assess the water quality in the stream. We learnt how to do this when we went to the National Trout Centre on our class trip. While we were there we searched for critters in the Tongariro River. This video also shows how we were able to use green screen techniques for a bit of fun.
Our focus for camp this year was a continuation of our 'Rivers and Us' study. We visited the Huka Prawn farm and learnt how they harness waste hot water to heat their ponds. Action world gave the kids a chance to push themselves outside their comfort zones, though some have very large comfort zones it would seem. AC baths was a hit with the hill slide and a BBQ dinner. We visited the Tongariro National Trout Centre where Ranger Anna had the children totally wrapped up in learning about water care, trout, and using critters to assess the state of our rivers. On our last day Simon was our very knowledgable (and entertaining) skipper on board the Ernest Kemp, taking us out to the rock carvings on Lake Taupo. A huge thanks to the parents that came on camp. Your help was very much appreciated and we can't do these activities without your assistance. Thanks for the great photos Rob, though animotos don't do them justice.
I'd advise starting this then pausing it to allow it to load.
Today Miss Wesley said we would be doing an experiment. She was going to show us what a catchment area was. First we all got a container each because we didn't have a hose. We walked down to the sandpit and made hills and mountains in the sand. (Just so it looked all bumpy.) We laid a plastic sheet over the sand. We sprinkled some sand on the edges of the plastic so it keeps it flat down. Then we raced up to the tap and filled our containers with water. When we were all back in the sandpit we tipped the water slowly onto the sheet. You could see all the water was running down the hills to the lowest point. Some of the water formed lakes. The water flows off the plastic sheet into the sand and forms a river. If we had of kept putting water on it would have flowed to the sea (eventually). 
Miss Wesley told us we were going outside to do an experiment. Everyone had to get a small container of water then listen to MissWesley . . .
We put some plastic on a hilly bit just out of the sandpit and put a cup down at the bottom of the hill. We put a bit of turf (grass) at the top of the hill. Miss Wesley poured water on the grass. The water flowed down into the cup, when it was full Miss Wesley picked it up. The glass had a few stray pieces of grass in it along with the water.
Miss Wesley turned the turf over so that it was dirt side up. When we poured water on to the dirt it stayed where it was but we could see that some dirt was running off down in to the cup. Miss Wesley picked up the glass; it had some dirt floating around. After a while the dirt sunk to the bottom of the glass and some grass made its way to the top.
We went back to the sandpit; Miss Wesley put sand at the highest point then sprinkled water on it. The sand washed down with the water. Miss Wesley picked up the glass. It had HEAPS of sand in it. While we went back to class, the sand was slowly making its way down to the bottom of the glass. The water seems to get lighter the higher up it is.
Our experiment told us that because grass has roots it all held in well. The sand didn’t have anything to cling on to so it slid down the hill. What happened to the sand is called ‘erosion.’ Out of the three glasses the grass side up one was the cleanest.
Who knew school could be so much fun? !!!
2011 is a prime number year, the first one since 2003.
2011 is also the sum of 11 CONSECUTIVE prime numbers: 2011=157+163+167+173+179+181+191+193+197+199+211
2011 is also the sum of 3 CONSECUTIVE primes 2011 = 661+673+677
Two prime numbers are “consecutive” if they follow one upon the other, in the collection of prime numbers. So, for example, 3 and 5 are consecutive prime numbers, as are 7 and 11.
2011 is ALSO the sum of a 2 prime numbers (11 and 3) of consecutive prime numbers.
The next year after 2010 that is a prime number and a sum of consecutive prime numbers is 2027 = 29+31+37+41+43+47+53+59+61+67+71+73+
79+83+89+97+101+103+107+109+113+127+131+137+139
but that year is not a sum of a prime number of consecutive prime numbers.
However, 2027 does have the curious and interesting property that it is prime and the sum of its digits 2+0+2+7=11 is also a prime number. It is the first year after 2003 that has this property.
The next year that is a prime number and a sum of a prime number of consecutive prime numbers is 2081 =401+409+419+421+431.
Happy New Year
Hi to all my students. I hope you are having a great break from school and enjoying our very hot summer. Some exciting things are happening in your classroom while you are away. We have had a permanent data projector installed in class, which is great and will make learning more fun in class. Also I am in the middle of planning the best ever class camp for term 1, so be very excited. I have had a great Christmas in Wellington and New Year in Taupo (checking out camp activities while I was there). Also I got my adrenalin fix by doing the Flying Fox at gravity canyon again...hmmm what next? I will put some photos up soon.
