Hoplite Friday

Good evening,

Today was another occasion to break out the shields.


And a good time was had by all!

Have a great weekend,

Mr Grant

Oh, and another thing, or two

Good afternoon,

Again,

I forgot to mention that...

1. We are presenting some money for Jose tomorrow at assembly, so any additional gold coin donations would be very gratefully received.
   
   
2. I'm hoping to have the children complete an assessment on our ancient civilization's topic. Please remind them to think about...
   
   • What two things the Ancient Greek City States and the Roman Empire had in common?
     
     • They both fought lots
     • They both had a government
   • How did they do these same things differently?
     
     • The Greeks fought their neighbours for land
     • The Romans fought everyone for glory and slaves
     • The Greeks had democracy and voted for their leaders
     • The Imperial Romans had a Dictator (Caesar) who no body voted for

Have a nice evening,

Mr Grant

Thursday's Thursday

Good afternoon,

If you're wondering where your children's reading text might be for this evening, well...I was too busy assessing to do much instructing! That's the way it goes sometimes...

But at least there were a good number of fantastic creations!


Oh, and as for our second hoplite phalanx demo tomorrow...it'll kinda depend on the weather...if it's on, it'll be on @ 12.

Bye for now,

Mr Grant

Two Photo Two's Day

Good evening,

Another busy day here (or there, as the case may be) at school today.

We had some visiting Year 10s from Hilmorton High who adapted, wrote, produced (including props and costumes) and performed The Cat in the Hat for OLA just after morning tea. Since I haven't their express permission to publish photos of said production, you'll have to trust me, it was well done and very well received. My favourite part was Room 2's reaction to some of the cheeky antics of the main players!

After lunch, and J Team singing...


...we ended our day outside enjoying some non stop cricket, complete with cricket tees that I didn't know of!


Thanks Mr A!

I won't be in tomorrow seeing as a group of us teachers will be spending the day at E-Time to set up Ultranet. Which reminds me, I've got to set up some administration accounts tonight...hope I remember how to!

Mrs O'Neill will be at the helm.

CU Thursday,

Mr Grant

Mr Grant's Sick

Good evening,

For the third evening in a row I have succumb to the effects of a slight fever. I thought the weather had simply cooled down a lot, but no, I'm running a temperature. So I'm keeping my sore throat and sore head at home tomorrow.

CU Tuesday,

Mr Grant

Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 7

Good afternoon,

Here is the Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 7.

Mr Grant

And that was the end of that!

Good evening,

Well, instructional swimming for Room 2 for 2012 has finished!


So it's back to the regularly scheduled programme next week.

Have a good weekend,

Mr Grant

Room 2 Gangnam Style

Good afternoon.

The sound track to this morning's swimming...


...was what we went to Room 4 this afternoon to learn to dance to.




And a good time was had by all.

Tomorrow is all about water safety. Goggles can stay at home. Time to fall out of a boat and float in life jackets.

CU then,

Mr Grant

Wednesday

Good afternoon,

Not really much to report.

More swimming...


...and more measurement.



CU in the morning,

Mr Grant

Tuesday's Tuesday

Much the same as last Tuesday really.

Good afternoon,

We swam...


...and if you were to believe the photographic evidence, that was it. To be fair, we did do some other stuff, even reading instruction...

CU tomorrow,

And, at the same time, not. I'm off to a union meeting in the afternoon, so the class is being split three ways after lunch.

Oh, and I may have forgot to mention this.

OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION SCHOOL
GIFT GIVING CEREMONY - CHRISTMAS SOCIAL ACTIONDear Parents,

We would like to raise the social conscience of our students by them performing an action for someone less fortunate than themselves.

We are suggesting that each child either donates a portion of their pocket money, or earns money by doing a task so that they can buy a small Christmas gift for a child of their age who will not be able to celebrate Christmas to the same extent as they will this year.

From December 3 through to Dec 12 we ask that the gifts be brought to the classroom and placed under their class Christmas tree. Please label the gift with the gender and appropriate age. The gifts will be distributed by the St Vincent de Paul Society.

On Friday December 14 there will be a Gift Giving Ceremony at 11:45 approx. in the School Hall. The students will come up and place their gifts under a school Christmas Tree.

Regards,

Term 4 Planning Team

It's only a couple of weeks late...

Mr Grant

Monday Monday

...so good to me...or not...having just discovered another half dozen children to write literacy comments for...

Anyway,

Good afternoon,

And welcome to week two of our swim fortnight.


We came back and joined Room 12 to measure our hands.






And a good time was had by all.

Oh, by the way, we had a shared book for reading this afternoon (quite a good one too) instead of reading groups, so the children took (or were 'sposed to, anyway) a browsing book home to read tonight.

Mr Grant

Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 6

Good afternoon,

Here is the Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 6. Not much different from last week really, 'cept those who didn't go to the union meeting last Wednesday will go this Wednesday. Including me.

Bye for now,

Mr Grant

The Day's Been Dragon...

Well, not really!

Good afternoon,

This morning, when we got back from swimming...


...we read this...


...broke it down to it's narrative bones, so to speak...



...and then drew dragons!



After lunch, Ma group read us a quick poem.


And a good time was had by all.

Have a great long weekend,

Mr Grant

Absent Wednesday

Good afternoon,

And a lovely afternoon it has turned out to be. Much brighter than it was at about 10:30 - that partial eclipse was pretty cool. Literally, you could feel a drop in temperature.

Anyway, today, while I was beavering away at report comments Room 2 look to have had a great time.

Some swimming...


...some measurement-with-non-standard-units...





...as well as some reading. And response to reading. Specifically Whero group built the Barnabys' house.


Initial feedback from this afternoon's union meeting seems to be that the government is offering teachers a 0.5% wage increase. The CPI increased 0.8 percent from the September 2011 quarter to the September 2012 quarter according to Stats NZ. So...they're offering a pay cut?

And then they want to install a secretary of education that would have the power to override any collective agreement that NZEI signs. Sounds like a bad idea to me...

Mr Grant

Tuesday's Swim Day

Good afternoon,

Not much to report really.

Bit of swimming...




(take 2 - EMI didn't like the 45 seconds of Yellow Submarine that I attached to the first take of this slideshow...)
...and some other stuff.

The class was split up this afternoon so I could talk UltraNet with Mrs Earl.

Tomorrow I'll be here, but not. Mrs Hooker will be in the room, looking after your cherubs.

So I will, and at the same time, will not see you, depending on how you look at it, tomorrow.

Mr Grant

Room 2's Swim Fortnight, Day 1

Good afternoon,

And away starts our swim fortnight!


Lovely weather for it!

When we got back, we did some maths...


...ate inside while watching Vege Tales...




...and finished the day learning the pick 'n mix that is a You, Who, Do, Through prayer...



...which I tidied up thusly.





The children choose one bit from each page and drag them onto a new page to create a new prayer of their own.

Pretty cool, eh?

CU in the morning,

Mr Grant

Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 5

Good evening,

Here is the Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 5.

Thanks again for all of your support for this Hoplite stuff, it's been brilliant!

Mr Grant

Hoplite Friday

Good afternoon,

Thanks to everyone who was able to turn up this afternoon for our wee Hoplite phalanx demonstration...








...it was fantastic to see you there...and have you throw tennis balls at us!

A big thanks to Melissa, Kerry, Bronwyn, Ginny and Fredrika for the food too, it was delicious.



If you've got any more you'd like to share ('specially video) I'd love to have them.

We also did some fitness...


...and read a book.


Thanks again, and have a great weekend,

Mr Grant

Dress Rehearsal Thursday

Good afternoon,

The children got all decked out this afternoon, and they looked amazing!



Better still, they are getting the hang of this whole team work thing too, which was kinda my point behind it.

They'll look fab tomorrow, I hope you can make it to our Hoplite demo. 12 o'clock start.

And thanks Dale for the helmet, it's brilliant!

Mr Grant

Wild, Wooly Wednesday

Good afternoon,

This morning Ma Reading Group shared the bulk of today's text with us The Wild Wolly Child.

Which I can't seem to upload from home. Trust me, they read it well!

After lunch the Kapa Haka group had their first public performance for the year to greet the two ERO assessors.


They did a fantastic job. Well done!

Mr Grant

No Photos Tuesday

Good afternoon,

'Twas only after school finished that I realised that I've been too busy during the day to take photos of the children doing stuff.

Sorry about that.

Thank you Dale and Ani for spending so many hours cutting out the helmet components and for coming in this afternoon to fit them on the children. Thanks Melissa for lending a hand with that too. They look way cool!




Speaking of thanks and way cool, Sarah Clapp dropped off the shields that she was painting for me. Thanks Sarah, they look, well, way cool!




And speaking of other way cool stuff, the chitons that Fred made us all, the ones that were sent home to be dyed (or not, no worries) over the weekend, can they please be sent back to school tomorrow and Thursday. I'd like to have a dress rehearsal, of sorts, for Friday's demonstration on Thursday afternoon.

As for tomorrow, well, the room is looking great (thank's ladies!!) and I even managed to find the top of my desk!


You won't see that sight very often!

Thanks again, and see you in the morning,

Mr Grant

Absent Monday

Good afternoon,

I was out and about today doing some ICT stuff, which was cool, so Mrs O'Neil was at the con for the day.

And a good time was had by all!

They did a whole class reading activity...




...which is now sitting pretty across the back of the room, as well as popping outside to practice walking and working like a Hoplite.


I'm sorry, but they look COOL!

By the way, we've got to learn this for Wednesday.

Maku ra pea
(I will perhaps)

Maku ra pea
(I will perhaps)

Maku koe e awhi e
(I will help you)

Ki te ara, ara Tupu
(Upon the pathway, of progress)

Maku koe e awhi e
(I will indeed help you)

Or acapella style...


Mr Grant

Hoplite Shields

Good afternoon,

I've been thinking a bit about what the children will do tomorrow. Something like this...


...but without the pointy sticks.

Further to this, I found these clips fascinating.






For the technically minded among us.

(Interestingly, this fellow plays Crossfire too, just like me and Mr Atherton!)

Don't forget School Photos tomorrow.

Mr Grant

Oh, and by the way, I found this. Could be fun...

Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 4

Good afternoon,

Here is the Room 2 Newsletter for Term 4, Week 4.

Have a great weekend,

Mr Grant

The Generosity of Parents

Good afternoon,

Windy, aeh?

This morning saw us veritably awash with parent help, picking out the detail on our shields that our children would have found a bit beyond them.



Thanks guys, this whole Greek shield couldn't have happened with out you.




I must say Dale, using twink was inspired!

After a quick goodbye (and inspection!), we popped outside for a game of Rob the Nest.



They approached it with good humour and fair play. Everyone played by the rules and were cheering each other on. Lovely stuff.

Just prior to hopping outside, we wrote a poem together. Well, two actually.




After morning tea, I then set the children to write their own in pairs, which I'll put up in the room somewhere. If I can find space.








And a good time was had by all!

I won't be in the room on Monday, I'll be doing some ICT stuff here and off site, but remember - SCHOOL PHOTOS!. Come dressed in your best duds - not fitness gear. We'll probably be before morning tea - might see if we can go first, 'cause I won't be here after 9:30.

Have a great weekend,

Mr Grant