In groups, LS2 have been exploring and unpacking the importance of Matariki. We used our smart searching skills to create an idea of what Matariki is so that we could explain to other people who might not know what it is.

Matariki is an important celebration because of the meaning and history behind it. Matariki is a cluster made of stars which represent and symbolise the nature of Earth. 

Each star symbolises a different element and concept. For example: Waiti is the star connecting to bodies of freshwater and Waita is the domain of Tangaroa with oceans. 

The Matariki celebration holds a great significance to the early Maori as it was a sign to start harvesting the crops they had previously grown. The Matariki cluster also helped them determine the direction whenever they would travel. The whole concept of Matariki is to bring people together, reflect, celebrate and plan for the future. Reflecting on the past means that you will have a clear understanding of what you can change, keep the same or add. Celebrating is to commend on the present achievements. Planning for the future is to create goals for the future.

I enjoyed this task because it expanded my knowledge on Matariki and how each star represents different elements of the earth. 

Link to the screecastify

LI: to look at the significance of harvesting during Matariki.

This coming Friday it is Matariki so our class decided to do challenges based around the nine stars. There were three sets of challenges, Matariki itself or Harvesting or the food preservation process. Our group chose harvesting.

After picking one set of challenges we then created a DLO of any sort but we decided to create an information poster showing the time of harvesting, why was it important to early Maoris, the foods that was harvested, the tools used to harvest and how they were used.

I found this task enjoyable because it expanded my knowledge on how the early Maoris harvested their crops/food back in the day.

Link to the DLO

This week our current events challenge was to find good news stories. We looked at Kiwi Kids News, Kea Kidz, NZ Herald and Radio NZ to find articles to match the purpose we were searching for. We then created a new map in Google my maps, plotted the event on a map, added the link to the article, added the author’s purpose, an image and sumarised the information.

LI: To strengthen our trust with others.

This activity was about having trust between our classmates to see how well we could cooperate. We each had a pencil and paper, and drew something on the paper while putting the paper on the back of our pairs. The person who was drawing against a surface was attempting to mimic their partners drawing as best as they could. This would let us improve our confidence and teamwork with each other.

For reading I have created a TEEL Paragraph about the Treaty of Waitangi. A TEEL paragraph is a structure used to write a paragraph that gives the reader correct information when they are reading about a text. In the TEEL paragraph I have written, it explains about when it was signed, the problems it caused from the British, how it was fixed, and how it could be honoured. The first paragraph is about what the treaty is, the second one talks about more about the treaty, like what happened before it as signed. The third sentence explains about the solution of the problem, and the last sentence explains how the treaty could be honoured, and how the rules are changing slowly over time.

I found this activity fun because I learnt more about the Treaty of Waitangi and writing the TEEL paragraph exapanded my knowledge tabout the Treaty.

This term we have been building our leadership skills. Our challenge today was to write a cinquain poem to help us strengthen our connections to description that describes leaders who inspire us.

A cinquain poem has 5 lines. Each line has a different purpose. Line 1 is a noun which is a name. Line 2 has 2 adjectives that describe the noun. Line 3 has 3 verbs that end in ‘ing’ and describe the actions. Line 4 is a noun phrase which is a group of words (not a sentence) that go together to describe the noun. Line 5 is a synonym which is a word with a similar meaning to the noun.

I found this activity fun because when writing the cinquain poem I learnt new words and their definitions other than just writing hard worker into more powerful words.

Our challenge today was to learn how to get the boat ready, rig the sails, check for safety, launch the boat and have a go at sailing. Our coaches Colin, Steph and Holly taught us how to sail, wear a wetsuit, how to tow and also how to capsize

My favourite part fo the day was the sailing down the bay because it was refreshing to take evertything from the mind.

I would like to thank the St Johns Rotary for giving us the awesome opportunity.

LI: To set learning and personal goals.

An Agent of Change is someone who makes switches to their learning opportunities. Each year we set goals for ourselves to help us strengthen our connections to our learning and challenge themselves. LS2 uses the phrase ‘Agents of Change’ as this is how we see ourselves. My DLO shows the goals I have set myself this year so that I can become an Agent of Change.