Helpful Maths Equipment

In Maths learning this week. We explored some helpful maths equipments to help our maths learning.

We used unifix cubes, counters, a 1–120 chart, number lines, multiplication tables, and place value charts.
Students worked out different maths equipments, trying out each to solve addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems. It was great to see them thinking hard, using strategies, and talking about their ideas.

We are also worked out our own 1-120 number chart. I had so many successful learners who enjoyed doing it! Connor worked by himself and he completed in 7 minutes! Ka pai, Connor!

We’re learning that maths isn’t just about getting the answer – it’s about finding the best way to solve a problem and explaining our thinking. Ka pai, team!

Last Day of Term – Thank You and Happy Easter!

Today marks the last day of a wonderful term with our amazing students. It has been a busy, fun, and rewarding few weeks filled with learning, laughter, and lots of memorable moments.

We are so proud of the progress everyone has made – from working hard in reading, writing, and maths, to exploring exciting topics in inquiry and sharing stories together. It has truly been a pleasure to grow and learn alongside each and every student. Congrats to Dahlia who got our Assembly certificate for showing excellence on completing learning tasks!

As we head into the school holidays, we encourage everyone to stay safe, enjoy time with family, and get some well-deserved rest. Every student has taken home a Home Learning Book, which includes some fun and simple tasks to keep their brains active during the break. We look forward to seeing what they’ve completed when we return!

Lastly, we wish all of our students and families a very Happy Easter. May it be filled with joy, kindness, and perhaps a few chocolate treats too!

See you all next term! 🐣🌸

Duffy Assembly: Miss Universe Visit

Today, we had a very special visitor at our Duffy assembly – Diamond Langi, Miss Universe New Zealand 2019! Diamond is not only known for her beauty and elegance, but she is also an amazing role model who inspired us all with her message about confidence.

Diamond shared her personal story with us, including her journey as an English language learner and the challenges she faced at school, especially in reading. She spoke about how, with the support of her teachers and her own determination, she was able to overcome those difficulties and find success. Her message reminded us that with confidence and effort, we can achieve great things too.

We felt truly honoured to have her at our school. She encouraged us to believe in ourselves, be proud of who we are, and never give up – even when learning feels hard.

At the end of the assembly, we took a whole-school photo with Diamond to capture the memory of her visit. Just when we thought the morning couldn’t get any better, our senior Kapa Haka group surprised everyone (including Diamond!) with an incredible performance to show our gratitude. It was unplanned but heartfelt, and a powerful way to say thank you.

What a beautiful and inspiring morning it was. Thank you, Diamond Langi, for reminding us to always shine with confidence!


Exploring Poetry and the Story of the Taniwha

Yesterday, we had a wonderful time exploring poetry in our classroom. Poetry may be short and simple in structure, but it carries powerful language and meaningful messages.

To introduce the lesson, I shared a rhyme poem I had written about a Taniwha living in the Tāmaki River. As I read it aloud, I used different tones and voice pitches to model expression and emotion. I wanted to show students that even a short poem can tell a story or share a strong message from the author.

After listening, I asked the students to discuss what information they had learned from the poem. We talked about finding clues in the words – hints that tell us more about the Taniwha, the river, and the atmosphere of the story. This helped students practise inferring meaning and looking closely at the language used in poetry.

Students then worked in groups of four to identify these clues and interpret the poem together. They thoroughly enjoyed collaborating and sharing their ideas. Working as a team gave each student a sense of purpose, and many expressed how proud they felt when they achieved the task together.

It was inspiring to see how much can be uncovered from just a few lines of poetry. I look forward to exploring more poems and encouraging our young writers to create their own!

What a Sunny Day for a Walk

What a beautiful sunny day it was for a school walk! Woohoo! All of our PBS students had a fantastic time walking along the Tāmaki River paths, starting from Dunkirk Playground and finishing at Point England Reserve.

This was a great opportunity for us to explore our local community and learn more about the importance of the river in our daily lives. Walking the path allowed us to see the area with our own eyes—and feet!

We had so much fun enjoying the stunning views, spotting birds and boats, and yes… even a bit of sweating along the way!

Collaborative Writing Fun in Room 5!

In writing today, we had a bit of fun with group activities! Instead of working individually, we collaborated in teams. Each person worked on one part of the writing, and once everyone finished, we combined our sections to create a complete piece.

The purpose of this activity was to introduce time connectives. These are really helpful when writing about events in a clear sequence. Using time connectives also makes our writing flow more smoothly.

Working as a team gave everyone a sense of responsibility. It was also lots of fun to see how each person understood and wrote about the same topic.

Looking ahead, I’m planning to give the class more opportunities to work on narrative stories or creative topics. It will be exciting to see what stories they come up with next!

Volleyball fun in Room 5

This week in Room 5, we had an exciting time learning how to play volleyball! We learned important volleyball terms like dig, serve, block, and set. Everyone worked hard to practise these skills and improve their game.

After getting the hang of the basics, we were divided into teams and had friendly matches, competing against each other. It was great to see everyone cheering each other on and showing fantastic teamwork.

Volleyball has been a brilliant way to stay active, learn new skills, and have lots of fun. We can’t wait to keep practising and see how much we improve!

Go Room 5! 🏐

Procedural Text in Writing and Reading

This week in Room 5, we enjoyed lots of fun ‘to do’ activities as we explored procedural texts in our writing and learning.

Procedural texts are very useful in our everyday lives. They guide us when we’re unsure how to do something, help us successfully complete tas

ks, and teach us new skills.

Some of the fun activities we did included putting the steps of having a shower in the correct order, giving our teacher instructions to make a cup of tea, and making a burger by carefully following the instructions!

It was a fantastic week of learning, and we can’t wait to see what new skills we’ll learn next!

Cricket Fun with Kelly Sports! 🏏

Today, room 5 had a great time trying out cricket with Kelly Sports! Everyone gave it a go, cheered each other on, and showed great teamwork. It was fantastic to see students supporting one another and giving their best effort.

I also made a short video to capture the fun and encourage participation and discipline. Well done, everyone! 🎉👏

Cybersmart on-Hand experience!

Welcome back to school, time flies, it is third week of the new term in 2025!


Today’s Cybersmart session with Mrs. Grant in Room 5 was filled with excitement and learning! Our Year 4 learners had their first hands-on experience with Chromebooks. Unlike iPads, Chromebooks were completely new to them. A huge thank you to Mrs. Grant and our senior school teachers for their support in making this first experience possible! I can’t describe how happy I was when I heard every student exclaim, “WOW!” as they saw our Room 5 site appear on their own Chromebook screens—not just on the TV!

To support this new learning, we took things at a slower pace with extra patience at every step. From opening the Chromebook and turning it onto logging in and using the touchpad, every small step was a big achievement for our learners today.