Seeds 'R Us

What has Seeds R Us been up to lately? 

Well we are just about to begin our trials for different types of pasture.  Thanks to PGG Wrightson we have some different varieties to test and study closely.  PGG Wrightson have also offered a beanie each to the team who grows the best seeds!  Wow - corporate sponsorship :-)

Firstly we needed to make our little greenhouses to put the seed trays into.  This means that we can be frost free and keep in some warmth to make the seeds grow in the winter.  We are planning to measure:

• Growth rate
• Soil nutrients
• The effect of different nutrients on growth, looks and nutritional value. 

We have also been looking at clover.  This is an interesting and clever plant that takes nitrogen from the air and turns it into a chemical that plants can use.  The nodules on the clover's roots have bacteria which turns nitrogen from the air into useable chemicals that plants can absorb.  This could lead into some really interesting trials that farmers could use!  Mmmm interesting food for thought! 

We look forward to seeing some experts in this area over the next few weeks and widening our field of expertise! 

Agronomists Soil Testing May 15

Today we began testing our soil samples from Pukemata to learn how to conduct the test.  Once we are confident, we can carry out the test in the field whilst on the job.  We learnt about extracting, pipetting and comparing to a colour chart. This is how the industry does it!  

Angus also shared with us what a "ruminant" is and we started to look at the anatomy of the animals on a farm.  I look forward to the posters explaining ruminants and their health issues! 

Whirikoka Yr 5&6 Dance Workshop 14-05

Today the Year 5&6's had a dance workshop with Lucy from The Royal NZ Ballet.  First we warmed up and then worked on the opening sequence.  Just before lunch we shared what we created and then went for a walk to the Botanical Gardens.  After lunch we worked on the final sequence and nearly timed it with the music :-).  It was a full on day but a lot of fun!  We really got cracking and choreographed about half of our dance!  Whew! 

The process we followed to choreograph was:

1. Look at vocabulary describing our scene/characters/feelings.
2. Turn those words into moves.
3. Create 8 count phrases from the moves.
4. Layer entries/exits/freezes and unisons into the mix. 

Don't forget Levels, facials and gestures and you have a great movement sequence!  

Ka Pai everyone!  Now we just have to remember it and practice it, create costumes/props and we're done....  (not a big ask really is it!)

Looking forward to our Sunday practices starting this week! 

Thanks Lucy!  You are awesome :-)

Here is a snippet of our work today.  I didn't video the rest of it but will do on Sunday!  

Pukemata Station - May 9

Today we went to Pukemata Station with Rongomatane. We spent the morning learning about farm life and the job of a farmer.  This introductory visit was to familiarise ourselves with a farm and the types of jobs and needs that a farmer has to do.   We watched the dogs working and a sheep being shorn!  Not a single nick!  Well done Wock!  And well done Angus for your wool sweeping skills!

From there we went to lunch and Wock even cooked us some sausages!  What a treat.  Angus, Mrs Allan and Wock were excellent hosts and we had a lovely time playing on the tennis court and tramp!

After lunch it was time for some science.  We put our square metres out with tent pegs and began to investigate what was in the soil and around the stems of the grass.  We had to count the species.  For some species there was too many to count so we had to use < and > to describe the amount.  It is interesting how farmers use different types of pasture to fatten the stock up!  Scientists work with farmers closely and lots of data collection is done the same way we did it!

Thank you to the parents who accompanied us, Ro, Tracey, Karen and Pam - Ethan's Nana.  Thank you also to Mrs Spence and Rachel who helped us in the morning.

It was a lovely day and we were treated to some spectacular views.  Thank you Allans!

Gymnastics

Here are the Gymnastics Routines for the festival in Week 4.  We have been practicing these at school and you can now practice them at home!  Remember to be safe with Cartwheels and forward Rolls! Make sure no-one is around you. 

Gymnastics Routines

Te Pakeke o Whirikoka

Today we visited an ancient Pa site in Whatatutu from the iwi Nga Ariki Kaiputahi (meaning The Chiefs who Partake of the Goodness). We were cloaked in the Korowai o Waikohu (the cloak of mist for the area) however it didn't affect our enjoyment and learning.  It was a very powerful experience to see everyone learning about our area's history and make a connection with local stories.  The Lloyd Whanau have collected and created some beautiful artwork and made their Pa a welcoming place for all.  Of great interest is the philosophy which our class follows closely Te Whare Tapa Wha - the four corner stones of health and wellbeing - Taha Wairua (Spiritual health), Taha Hinengaro (Mental Heath), Taha Tinana (Physical Health), Taha Whanau (Family), Taha Whenua (The Land).  We have ben learning about this and relating it to our own mindfulness particularly in sessions with Mrs Mill.  Below is a picture of the artwork that Marcus has created showing the concept and how they fit together with families - Beautiful! 

Before we went to the Lloyd's house we called into Mangatu Marae to be welcomed and practice our Powhiri.  Mangatu Marae is a different type of marae with no carvings other than the Tipuna - Tamanui as the people follow the teachings of an ancestor Te Kooti.  However the Whare Kai is beautifully decorated and is a place of sharing food and stories together.  

Thank you, thank you, thank you Marcus for a beautiful day!