Happy Divali to all!

Did you notice we have changed our wall paper?
There is a Rangoli pattern there now. Do you know what that is?
Where would you find one at this time of year?
They are very beautiful and are part of the Divali celebrations some Sunnyhills' School families will be taking part in this weekend.
We are going to make some Rangoli patterns of our own in the next week - they will beautify our classroom!

Sunnyhills Kapahaka rocks at the Koanga Festival at BBI!

Timothy and Olivia represented our school with great enthusiasm and we are so proud of you 2! You have practised your waiata and kanikani with the Kapahaka group all year and are amongst the youngest of our performers! 

Whaea Tearani, Tiana, Kylie and Matua Jimmy have led our tamariki beautifully and thank you to our whanau for getting us to school for our practices. 

Our own straw stadiums!!

Mr Armstrong Jessica's Dad was very helpful today and helped us with our own creative designs.

Lots of fine motor skills, cutting, sticking, estimating, changing ideas and adaptation - and great fun!

The Olympics starts in Room 20 with a popular Chinese sport - table tennis!

The Chinese team won all of the Gold Medals at the London 2012 Olympics. You can play this game too - there are tables to play on at school.

How do you step up to a challenge or new learning? Think about what your first reaction is when you find something tricky or new - you might not get it the first go but..

The Olympic Torch arrives at Sunnyhills School

Today R16, R21 and R20 enacted the torch relay. 

'Athletes' were represented by Andreas, Olivia and Andrew who brought the torches into the playground. They passed it on to each athlete in Team 16, 21 and 20 to the cheers from other class teams who braved the elements to watch the occasion. 

Now there is a torch in our room for the duration of the Rio Olympics until it is passed on to a representative from Japan for the 2020 Games. 

A stunning end to our journey through art inspired by Janine andCharles Williams.

A special thanks to the children in R8 and their teacher Ms Bedford, at Bairds Mainfreight Primary School who inspired us with their creativity!

Our School houses of Takahe, Hoiho, Tui and Kea are represented in our paintings and designs. After spending hours pencil sketching, researching the birds' habitats, mixing colours and understanding what complimentary colours do to the eye, using mixed media; and cutting and designing layouts inspired by the murals by Auckland artists, Janine and Charles Williams, we have completed our own works of art!

Each art work contains the chosen Bird, which the children are to protect as they grow up in Aotearoa. The children can become the kaitiaki or guardians of these native birds so that they will continue to see them in years to come.

Making our own art in the style of John Pule

John Pule had painted a story about the move from one country to another - Niue and New Zealand and drawn all sorts of things to remind him of the place he had left.

We had to think and dream about a place we had been to and quickly record ideas. 

Next we used very fine brushes and sticks to dip into ink to paint our own story or journey. 

Diane showed us how to use the ink creatively. We could dip, add more water, blow, paint with the ink. 

Bairds Road Mainfreight Primary - Art Inquiry - visiting other children as artists

Bairds Mainfreight Primary School welcomed a group of R20 and R16 children into their Year 5 class. Their teacher Mrs Bedford was very welcoming  and her class had made a fantastic slideshow presentation about their Art Experience. 

Sunnyhills children had their interview questions all ready to go. They buddied up and off they went with iPads to record the interview!

A big thank you to Ms Kardos, Evie's Mum, who helped with transport and the interviewing!! 

Now we have been able to use this experience as a great launching pad into our own Art Inquiry starting this week! 

Room 20 has been debating the New Zealand Flag referendum. We have drawn our own designs as well as choose from the different designs that the Public have been voting for in 2015.

Which flag would you choose if you had the chance to vote?

Buddy Reading with our pals in Room 16

Who are we? A wonderful group of Year 2 and 3s!

There's always room for lots of fun!