Science Roadshow

This week Totara Team visited the Science Roadshow. What a fantastic experience! To start with the presenters demonstrated a wide range of exciting experiments based on the Material World that had our heads literally exploding with amazing facts and questions.

We were then able to explore the exhibits that were set out around the Gym. All the exhibits were hands on, the explanation boards were easy to interpret and the helpers from Room 4 were great at supporting us with our science learning. Many of us took up the opportunity to enter the science focus quiz.

We finished the experience with another presentation that was based on the Living World. Again lots of amazing facts and models! Many of us left wondering if the digestive track, that the presenters gloved hands were holding, was really real?

Balloons Over Waikato - 2014

This week we have seen many balloons flying over Hamilton as part of the Balloons over Waikato festival.

On Friday we were lucky enough to have a balloon visit our school. Many students and parents turned up early to see the balloon inflate and a short lift-off. Team Totara's Sam and Blake were chosen as helpers to get the balloon ready, quite a unique opportunity!

Below you can see photos of Sam and Blake helping on the day.  You can also see photos of other balloons we saw this week and the balloon at our school.

Room 20 in Term one

A lot of work has been happening in Room 20. Students are settling well and it is as if we have always been together!

Homework is a cause for concern as many students are not completing it. This term was to be a trial. If homework was carried out well then I would reinstate the rewards programme. Thinking about this I have decided that I will start it in Term two. It will mean that each week that homework is completed will see students earn a step towards the final reward. e.g. Week one earns the first step to being able to watch a video chosen by the class. Week two confirms that the students will be able to watch the video. Weeks three and four earns popcorn, and so on until week nine. Students who complete homework for all nine weeks earn the last week of term with no homework.

PE gear needs to be at school every day. Dance/Drama requires PE gear to be worn and other events arise that also require PE gear to be worn. Sincere thanks to those who have been doing this already.

Uniform is usually a high standard with just a few slips. Canvas shoes are NOT to be worn at any time. They are not supportive and they smell in the wet and the heat. Try working in a classroom with them! Maeroa uniform requires sandals or lace-up shoes and socks. Having sustained a serious injury to my foot I realise how good a decent shoe is.

Thinking like a Scientist
The school focus is Thinking like a Scientist. It applies to all that we do as the students are challenged to look past the obvious in what they are doing. Creates some really amazing discussions!

This week will see us take part in the Science Roadshow and then we will be taking part in the school Science Night. I will be asking for volunteers to support our table on that night. This week will also see us carrying out some amazing experiments - watch this site for photos of what we do!

Science in Room 21

Our big focus this term has been thinking like a scientist. We have completed a wide range of experiments and been working hard to use the science lab equipment safely, fine tune our observational skills, make predictions, ask questions and make hypothesis based on the experiments results. The slide show below shows some of the experiments we have completed.

Swimming Sports

We had a fabulous day for our swimming sports. The water was warm, many of our students dressed in our team colour purple, there was certainly plenty of cheering from Totara students and everyone swam with great determination!

The Results:

We were very proud as 34 of our swimmers received placings in their events. 

• Totara Team was placed 2nd for overall points.
• Jakeb Stent was runner up Year 8 Boys Champion.
• George Armstrong was first equal Year 7 Boys Champion.

Science continues in Room 19

This week we explored the properties of solids and liquids. As a class we made Oobleck which consisted of:

• A cup of cornflour
• ½ a cup of water
• a few drops of food colouring (Ms Parkers favourite colour!)

This substance presented us with many questions. While it looked like a solid and acted like a solid, it also had many properties of a liquid.

We had great fun learning (and making a mess!) and learnt how the strength of the molecular bonds determined the properties displayed.  Here's a couple of photos - unfortunately more were not taken as clean-up became a priority.

LET THE MIXING COMMENCE!

SAM PROVING THAT A SOLID CAN BE MADE

Science in Room 19

Our school wide science focus this term is 'Thinking like a Scientist". Through this the students are encouraged to develop their own curiosity and generate/ask their own questions with the experiments we do.

This week we carried out an experiment where we placed wooden skewers through blown up balloons.  Many thought this was impossible.  We had great fun and plenty of popping balloons as we rose to the challenge.  Many students were successful and well done to Kennedy who managed to get over 10 skewers through her balloon before it began to deflate.  

We had many questions and had a great class discussion about our thoughts and ideas.

Below is a YouTube clip explaining the science we discovered and also a few photos of our fun!

To see the YouTube Video - Click here