Grapevine!

Last week we found out all about grapevines from fantastic Robert Lindsay (local grape growing expert). 

Grape expert (and awesome dad) Rob Lindsay

We found out that grapes came into existence a long, long time ago. People who study the past (archaeologists) have found evidence of grapevines all over the world, especially in Europe. France is famous for growing grapes and making wine. There are different types of grapevines and they make different types of grapes – green, red, blue, purple and white – which can be eaten fresh, dried into raisins or used to make different varieties of juice and wine. Even the grape seed can be used to make oil. Grapevine is an amazing plant!

Grapevines drop all their leaves in autumn and grow new leaves again in the spring. Did you know you can eat grape leaves? We also found out that grapes are pollenated by the wind, not bees!

Tiny grape flowers

Grape flowers are plain and feathery and bees don’t even notice them. Eventually those tiny flowers swell into yummy grapes! Birds eat the grapes and take the seeds (in their stomachs) and poop them out. The bird poop makes good fertiliser for growing a new grapevine from the grape seed.

Vineyards are planted by taking cuttings from existing vines (not planting seeds). The cuttings come from budding one year-old wood (the new growth). When planted the buds below the soil turn in to roots and the ones above become the new vine. Tens of thousands of cuttings are used to make a new vineyard.

Grapevines aren’t strong enough to support themselves – they climb up trees or fences to reach the sunlight. The leaves grow out of each side of the vine, and little tendrils come out too, to hang on to the tree or fence that it is climbing.

Vineyard grapevines don’t fruit in the first year or the second year (or even the third year!) After fours years the vines are ready to fruit! Grapevines can live for hundreds of years. The French settlers who landed at Akaroa on Banks Peninsula brought cuttings from France and those vines are still growing and fruiting now!


Thank you so much Rob for teaching us all about grapevines!

Book Week Dress-Up Day

Room 3 is full of interesting characters!

Grass!

Last week we found out all about grass (also known as lawn or turf or pasture) from the amazing Nigel Johnston (local grass growing expert).

Grass roots - literally!

We found out that grass doesn’t need soil to grow – it needs sun and water. The soil is good for cows to sit on though. Grass in lakes wouldn’t help the farmers very much. Farmers feed grass to animals because it is a cheap form of food (because it grows back!) One seed grows a hand-size clump of grass that can live for 1 or up to 10 years. Grass does have flowers – not big bright colourful ones – they look like little green and brown seed clumps. Grass ‘leaves’ are called tillers.

Rye grass

Rye grass is the most common form of grass grown in New Zealand soil. It is a very soft and juicy grass – just perfect for cows. Rye has red or purple colouring at the base of the leaves and has smaller roots, so it can only survive a few weeks without rain.

Cocksfoot grass

Cocksfoot grass is used for sheep and beef farms in hardier climates. It has a bigger root system and can survive a long time (3-4 months) without rain. It is much tougher.

Clover

Clover is the most important plant for NZ farmers. It has large round leaves that hold more digestable energy for cows and sheep. Clover roots spread out across the ground to make new plants without any seeds! Clover even makes its own fertilizer, which can be used by the other plants around it – it is a magical plant! Clover needs a lot of water because it has quite small roots. Clover has white flowers.

Nigel loves clover!

Worms keep the soil healthy for the grass. Grass grubs eat the roots of the grass and it can die. People should not eat grass – people don’t have the right kind of stomach to digest the fibre in grass and you would get a very sore tummy! 

Thank you Nigel for teaching us all about grass!

Nurture and Nourish

Last week we visited Riccarton Bush / Pūtaringamotu and the Botanical Gardens.
At Riccarton Bush, Ranger John guided us through and pointed out three types of trees; Totara, Mahoe and Kahikatea. Totara are very tall with papery bark, Kahikatea are tall with roots that look like piles of rope, and Mahoe is a small tree with leaves that have 'zig-zag' edges. We had morning tea in the bush and when we left John gave us a kahikatea sapling!
After playing at the Botanic Garden playground and some lunch, Katie and Brian taught us about three types of birds that live in the gardens; Korimako, Kererū and Pīwakawaka. We even learned to recognise their bird calls. Korimako says "plink-plink-plonk", Kererū says "kuu-kuu" and Pīwakawaka says "cheet-cheet-cheet".
Then we went searching for bugs in the garden. Afterwards we were blindfolded and had to make friends with a tree. We felt the leaves for shape and smoothness, we felt the trunk to find out how thick and tall our tree friend was, and we even smelled the leaves. After we took our blindfolds off, we could easily find our tree-friend!
Check out our photos of the day!
Room 3 Garden Field Trip 2013 on PhotoPeach

Springston School Library Blog: Scholastic Book Reviews

Did you know that the Navigators took all three top spots in last term's NZ Book Council book review competition? That's right! 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the 5-7 year old category. This is an amazing result and well done to everyone who entered - I am so proud of you!
Read what our favourite librarian, Mrs Winter, posted on the Library Blog below...

Springston School Library Blog: Scholastic Book Reviews: During Term 2 ten of our children wrote reviews that were entered in the NZ Book Council's competition. I was thrilled to learn in the ...

The Fish of Maui

At the end of last term we celebrated our Kiwiana learning with a Big Night Out! All the children at Springston School put together a show for our parents and community. Here is Brooke's story about the event..."Room three read The Fish of Maui. We drew pictures of costumes we could make inspired by the book. I decided to be a fish. Mary and I googled fish costumes and found one to use. We sewed colourful bits of material onto an old top. I am a rainbow trout."

Well done to everyone in Room 3 - you worked so hard on your costumes and I am so proud of you!