Welcome back to school!

In the holidays....

During the school holidays I went to Vietnam, on an intrepid journey. I tried lots of different food like chicken pho (soup) and prawns and drank snake wine. Travelling by overnight train was memorable, as I had to clamber up to the top bunk which I shared with cockroaches and a mouse! Eekkk. My favourite type of transport was by motorbike up into the mountains to see a pagoda, and the Perfume River below. My smile was firmly in place when I road my bike through rice paddy fields and villages around Hoi An, dodging potholes. I met an old man called Mr Sun who is 94 and still farming along with his wife who is 89 years old. They live with their extended family with four generations in the same house. I won't forget their smiles, especially Mrs Sun's. One night I slept on a boat under the stars, it was peaceful, after I had kayaked through the bay in the early evening. To get through the jungle in the Mekong Delta I went on a four-wheeler where I got slapped by coconut palms and banana leaves in my face...it was raining too! Once we had finished lunch of fish and rice I got into a dug-out boat (sampan) to travel through the waterways back to our Dragon Boat. To get from place to place I travelled by bus and plane too.

How many types of transport do you think I used in Vietnam?

 

 

Happy Holidays

How I learn best

I visited the seniors this afternoon and they were putting their multiple intelligence test that they did into their blogs. So, I decided to do mine too. I found out the way I like to work best is Interpersonal (with other people) and Linguistic (with words). I agree with this!! I also found out that I am not musically smart, that's not me at all!

My Multiple Intelligence Test

This week has been really wet, lots of rain! I have really enjoyed visiting classrooms and sharing your learning with you. I enjoyed a play in Room 6, Cade was a great fox and Kaya acted as a clever Chicken Licken! The whole school listened well on Wednesday at the assembly practice....making today's assembly one of the best! On Thursday I got to take a workshop in the senior school, we are making colourful abstract masks. I am looking forward to next week when we finish them. At lunchtime on Thursday the library was packed with children exploring at Makerspace with Mr Lobb and Mr Arnold - I saw some children taking apart a microwave and others building and collaborating together on building with Klikko. The disco was my highlight of the week. Everyone who came looked like they had fun...I did!

Wed 9th March, Hamilton

WEDNESDAY 9th March  2016
I can't believe it is Wednesday already! Today we started learning at 8.30am at the Claudelands Events Centre, finishing at 5.00pm. We spent a lot of the day in our Learning Groups where we talk and ask questions, so I have to think a lot. In my group there are Principals and DPs from Hastings, Auckland and Rotorua. I have driven the furtherest to get here. We are discussing all about the schools we learn in and what is the best way for each school to make sure you have the opportunity to be Active Learners.
* Perhaps you might like to think about what it means to be an Active Learner and share your thinking with your teacher. I look forward to talking with you about this when I get back on Friday.

TUESDAY 8th May 2016
This morning I visited a brand new school here in Hamilton called Endeavour School. Have a look at the photos and see what differences you see, and things that are the same as West End. I talked to a lot of the children about their learning and what they like about school. They like the choices they can make and the brain breaks where they can eat while they are working. What do you think about that?