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Warrington School/Educational projects
From WikiEducator
The Produce Shield - Environmental Education
For 2 years we encouraged children to grow a pumpkin in their garden at home
- We used an old school shield and a new brass plaque to record the heaviest pumpkin and pupils name
- Hybrid giant pumpkin seeds were purchased at a garden centre
- Our first year's champion pumpkin weighed in at 13kgs and the second year's pumpkin was a whopping 36kgs. A great effort
In keeping with our focus for free and open and envirethical we are now using heirloom runner beans
- These jet black seeds were handed to a parent of the school who gave some beans to the principal to grow in his garden out of the Warrington community
- He grew plenty of large runner beans for eating and left enough pods containing bean seeds to give to every pupil of the school.
Common Bean
Runner Bean
Edible Gardens for Otago Schools
Produce Shield Beans Competition
Two bean seeds were distributed at the beginning of the summer term to every pupil
The student instructions are:
- In the summer place a bean seed in wet soil beneath a structure it can climb up.
- Keep away from other beans.
- Water once the plant has leaves.
- Feed it compost or manure.
- Pick beans to eat when bigger than a hand - (little hands like tender beans).
- Leave a few bean pods on the plant and pick when dried out.
- Have a meal of beans and write down the recipe and who you shared the meal with.
- In Autumn bring back your recipe, bean pictures and 4 jet black seeds to school (double what was given out).
- The bean seeds will be collected and placed in a storage container for next year.
- The recipes will be collected and placed on the school's wiki as recognition for the effort.
The Produce Shield Winner will need to:
- Demonstrate age appropriate skills (younger students will need greater adult assistance) in all three areas - recipe, plant growing (picture/photos evidence) and seed growing.
- Create drawings or digital photos of their plant during its growing cycle on an A4 paper
- Write a child friendly recipe that is suitably illustrated on an A4 paper
- Return 4 jet black bean seeds in a recycled envelope with the name of the student and dated.
- Judges may be teachers, garden club members or an expert
Unfortunately the growing season for the beans was not good so we ended with few entries
Rabbit Island - Health and PE EOTC
- This island sits in the tidal estuary of Blueskin Bay and at low tide is able to be walked to
- It has been lived on by various people over the years but does not have fresh water available
- Year 7 and 8s use this as a great venue for an overnight camp in term 4
- Pupils do a reconnoitre of the island ready for the overnight stay
- The overnight camp is undertaken with low tide scheduled at 4pm(ish) allowing for afternoon tea before plodding across the mud flats
- Setting up camp, digging a latrine and making a cooking fire before any exploring is allowed
- Wandering in the dark gives an opportunity for the pupils in groups to make their own way back to camp - parental back-up
- The following day's activities - swim, exploring,weeding the flowering broom
- The removal of the broom found seedlings of flax/harakeke, broadleaf/kapuka, coprosma and pittosporum/tarata
- Lunch around the camp fire then it is cleaning up of the area, covering the fire with water/sand
- Filling in the latrine and repositioning a flax seedling into the hole
- Walking home being met by adults who were willing to lighten our loads is appreciated
- Parent Information
- Rabbit Island RAM
Software Freedom Day - ICT
On or near the International Software Freedom Day
Early September 9am - 9pm
Aims
- Learn about:
- Software freedom
- How to install free operating systems
- How to use free applications
- How to wiki
- How to use email and the internet
How
- Organise for some expert adult helpers to offer their skills in Free Software
- Have some spare donated computers to install Gnu/Linux operating systems on
- Invite community members to join in an impromptu manner to view what we are doing
- Establish a group of senior pupils who are interested in helping
- Have free disks and instructions to give away
- Have free computers to give away on the day
To look at during the day:
- Applications - such as Gimp, F-Spot, Open Office, Kino, Rhythmbox
- Knowledge sharing - wikis, emailing
- Peripherals - cameras, usb memory sticks
- Tweaks - security updates, installing software, connecting to the internet
- Make a list of people interested in a free computer and things they would like to learn from us
Twelfty Square - Drama
- Court markings are 4 x 2 metre by 2 metre squares painted onto the court
- Each square is numbered 1, 2. 3, and twelfty represented by the digit in the left hand photo
- One or more pupils stand in a square
- An invisible ball is released by the person/s standing in the twelfty square
- The imaginative calling out of the twelfty square people,guides the invisible ball back to the squares
- Move out of the twelfty square when a called mistake is spotted or its time for someone else to have a twelfty square turn
Gratitude - Mission
- Our Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) shared some research on teaching gratitude to children.
- He encouraged us to allow the children to record in a small notebook examples of gratitude happening in the school.
- Examples he shared were “my coach helped me at mini-ball”, “I go to a good school”.
- The most significant finding from the research he presented was that pupils noticing gratitude (counting their blessings) reported more satisfaction with their school.
- Research also showed, school satisfaction is directly related to academic and social success.
Wear-It-As-Art - Technology
- Planning the costume based on the theme and criteria sheet
- Working on our own or as part of a group
- Gathering recycled materials from home and school
- Telling a hall packed with people information about my costume
- Walking the catwalk
Related materials
Matariki - Maori Technology
- Using toetoe stems and old tissue sewing patterns make lanterns with parent helpers and pupils. Make a toetoe lantern
- On the best night weather wise around the official Matariki or mid winter, pupils, families and community members meet at the four corners of the village at 7pm.
- Begin the walk towards the school with lanterns, noise making equipment and repeating chant/song. (15 minutes)
Parade onto the playing courts, continue with chant and noise making,at signal (lots of drumming) all stop and place lanterns on the ground
- Children move into their starting positions for a floodlit performance of their Kaupapa Maori items(15 minutes)
- At the conclusion children disappear to play with torches in the shadows of the trees and at the edge of the school playing area while parents chat over tea and cake
- As parents depart with their children and they collect lanterns to store at home
- School cleaned up and gear put away by 8.30
Safety stuff
- Lanterns need prior check at school for candle wobble, loose paper and wired on stick strength
- Children encouraged to wear wool, cotton outer garments
- Children to carry lanterns at arms length in front of them and told about the stop, drop and roll procedures
- If a lantern catches on fire place it on the ground, stand back and watch it burst into flames. At the completion of its combustion all nearby are to clap.
- At completion of the pupil's performance adults to snuff out candles so children are not tempted to play with the lantern
Equipment - lanterns, parents plate of supper, tea/coffee etc, floodlight, safety extension cords, torches, matches, water bottles, musical equipment for performance and walk
We also combine our Matariki week with a beach clean-up. Collecting washed up junk found on our almost pristine beach that we either recycle or place in or besides the council rubbish bins.
3 Peaks Sand Sculpture Challenge - Technology Visual Art
Before event
- Schools choose a theme before the event
- Groups of pupils any age, gender or number plan a sand sculpture
- Plan the themed sculpture on an A4 piece of paper
- Turn the plan into an A4 flag on a stick
- The flag contains the school and group names
On the day of the event
- On the day of the Wawa challenge bring necessary equipment to create the sand sculpture
- Work to start only after Wawa shield has been awarded
- Only the flag and flotsam and jetsam found on the beach that day to be allowed in sculpture
- No judging of the sculptures
Wawa Challenge - EOTC Values
- 3 Peaks School's Cluster beach triathlon
- Held on Warrington beach at the end of February or beginning of March each year
Homework Challenges
Room 1 set homework challenges occasionally for the children to take up. Here are some of the creative results!
Antarctic Explorer InvestigationItalic text A speech by Andrea There was once a guy called Ernest Shackleton who wanted to be the 1st person to walk across Antarctica. His journey started on the 5th December 1914. Shackleton sailed to Antarctica when unfortunately his boat the Endurance got caught in pack ice where it got crushed and eventually sank. His crew and he were pack ice refugees for a year until they found Elephant Island where they camped and stayed. One day in 1916 Shackleton and 4 of his crew mates set out to find help at the south Georgia whaling station. They eventually reached south Georgia! But they still had to climb up razor like cliffs and make human toboggans to get down. Once they had done that they borrowed a boat from the whaling station and set out to find the rest of there crew which they did after trying 3 times! Miraculously the rest of the crew were still alive and they all lived happily ever after returning on the 20th may 1916. amazing isn't it!
Warrington School Open Nights
- Junior - to share what happens when little people enrol
- Senior - to share what the oldest pupils will be doing for their last 2 years
Pet Day
Equipment:
- Rope and poles for ring
- Pre-signed certificates
- Table, cones, wheelbarrow, poles, hoops and long flat piece of timber for obedience section
- Clipboard, pen and envelopes to keep certificates in
Organisation:
- Pets are to arrive at lunchtime 12.30 -1.30 unless a prior arrangement has been made with the classroom teacher.
- Dogs will be on leads and when not being shown will be tethered to the tennis court.
- No cats.
- Children will need to bring a water bowl and other necessary equipment for the welfare of the animals.
- No wild animals.
All animals will be under control or caged - pet rocks and siblings are encouraged.
Showing Categories:
- Caged animals – furriest, longest nose, decorated cage etc.
- Swimming animals – slimiest, sharpest teeth, cutest, shortest nose etc.
- Big animals – longest tail, waggiest ears, beautiful breath etc.
- Dogs - waggiest tail, shiniest coat, cutest eyes etc.
- Obedience – pet rocks, siblings, dogs etc.
Each category of animal will be called into the showing ring where they will be judged for above
- Certificates will be awarded to all animal entrées
- Obedience course will be the last event - no certificates - just lots of applauding.
Pet day certificate featuring Gnu and Tux
Library - Englihs
- The school has been involved in a School Library Focus
- The Blueskin Bay Library Book Car visits the school every 2 weeks
- A children's bookclub is held every 4 weeks
After School Sport
Surf Group - EOTC
During the summer months, students and parents meet at the Warrington Life Saving Club and change into their wetsuits to spend an hour in the surf. They borrow body boards from the surf club and some students have their own soft-top surfboards.
Hockey - Health and PE Warrington School participates in the Dunedin Primary School Hockey Competition at Logan Park and had a number of children go on to represent Otago in the Year 4, 5 and 6 Girls Development and Collier B Team. Congratulations to these children.
Rippa-Rugby - Health and PE This term - Term 4, The WWW Warriors consisting of Year 2,3,4 children travel into the Edgar Centre to play in the Rippa Rugby Competition. We have an extremely dedicated parent who coaches this athletic group of children and their skills are just blooming. Go Warrington!!!!
