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!

Romilly's Weet-Bix tin

Last term we were bringing objects from home to share as part of our inquiry into Kiwiana culture. 
Romilly brought her colourful Weet-Bix tin. Romilly even made herself a matching bowl by covering an ordinary bowl with lots of Kiwiana pictures!

Sanitarium's Weet-Bix was originally made in Australia back in the 1920's and was introduced to New Zealander's in 1928. It quickly became a popular breakfast cereal here in New Zealand. Sanitarium say that nothing can stop a Weet-Bix kid and encourage all Kiwi kids to get involved in their annual Try-athlons too.
Whether you have it with water, milk, fruit or yoghurt, almost every Kiwi kid agrees that a big bowl of breakfast is the best way to start the day! 
Thank you Romilly for sharing your Kiwiana with us!

Aria's Buzzy Bee

Last term we were bringing objects from home to share as part of our inquiry into Kiwiana culture. 
Aria brought her Buzzy Bee toy. This Buzzy Bee is very special because it belongs to Aria's grandma who has had it since she was a child.

Buzzy Bee is a wooden pull-along toy with rotating wings that make a distinctive 'click-click' noise. It was first made in New Zealand in the 1930's and many Kiwi kids have played with their own Buzzy Bee over the last 80 years. The Buzzy Bee company also made the colourful string doll Mary-Lou.

Thank you Aria for sharing your taonga with us!