Saturday 28 December 2013

Thank you

Thank you to all my students for the beautiful cards and gifts.

Thursday 21 November 2013

All about me MEME


  1. What time did I wake up this morning?
  2. What do I like most about myself.
  3. What do I like least about myself.
  4. Can you sing?
  5. Can you dance?
  6. Can you swim?
  7. Year you were born?
  8. Favorite colour?
  9. What scares me most?
  10. My favourite subjects at school?
  11. What time do you go to bed?
  12. I live at home with . . . 
  13. My favourite thing to do is . . .
  14. My favourite thing to eat is . . .  
  15. When I get cross I . . .
  16. Sometimes I worry because . . . 
  17. My favourite book is . . .
  18. When I grow up I want to be . . .
  19. Things that make me smile...
  20. Things that irritate me...
  21. My favourite TV show?
  22. My favourite movie...
  23. My favourite meal..
  24. If I had R100...

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Christmas at school

 I have had absolutely NO input into what they chose to do. All I did was show them my pins on http://www.pinterest.com/misstylersmith/christmas/ and give them free reign all day. This is what they created.I didn't even take the photos - they did.













Friday 15 November 2013

The Best of the M9-12 Exam Answers this Year

(Idioms)
"A bird in the hand...will peck you!"
"Too many cooks...make too much food"
"You can lead a horse to water...but it prefers hay"
"A penny saved...isn't much"
A chip off the old block... means making stuff out of wood.

History Q: Name an animal the Incas kept.
A: Picachu

History Q: Describe the Inca's homes.
A: It was ok but they didn't have pinterest, so it wasn't great. They had no windows and no doors because they didn't know about doors. They were sphere shaped.

The Incas Lived in Egypt and were destroyed by the Greeks. Their king was called the "super" Inca!(Sapa Inca) They rode around on Guinea pigs and ate tacos

Why did the Inca become so successful? I think they became successful because they had really high self esteem and they didn't give up!

Why did the Inca empire end?
I think it ended because there was this Spainish(sp) guy who was power hungry and he just wanted to kill everyone. He just came with his armer(sp) and just attacked. The Incas were too stupid to hide away.   But some did. That's how we know what happened.

Geography Q: Name produces produced by the fishing Industry.
A: fishfingers, chips, fish, surf and turf.

Science Q: How do you prove that air exists in water?
A: You google it!

Grammar Q: List the degrees of comparison for "dead"
A: A little bit dead, mostly dead, very dead.

Thursday 31 October 2013

Happy Halloween!


 The craft table, sequins, glitter, tiny spiders, black feathers, ribbon, paper straws, stick on diamonds, wobbly eyes.



Monday 28 October 2013

Halloween

 3 sleeps till Halloween. My class is already decorated! Want themed ideas/worksheets? … 
There are lots of little bits all over the class, spiders hidden, bunting, pumpkin lights around the board, streamers etc. Very hard to take one photo to get the "feel" of Halloween.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Burning House

If your house was burning, what would you take with you? It's a conflict between what's practical, valuable and sentimental. What you would take reflects your interests, background and priorities. Think of it as an interview condensed into one question.



Going on a message


Tuesday 22 October 2013

Google Doodle

The 216th anniversary of the world's first parachute jump is the inspiration behind Tuesday's interactive Google Doodle.

The first ever parachute jump was made by Andre-Jacques Garnerin, a French balloonist and the inventor of the frameless parachute, on 22 October 1797.

Today's interactive Google doodle depicts a parachutist going up in the air with the help of a balloon and making a descent as he runs into clouds and flying birds. One can even change the direction of the parachute by pressing the left and right keyboard buttons, as the parachutist lands.

Garnerin made the first descent on 22 October 1797 at Parc Monceau, Paris, with a silk parachute that was shaped like an umbrella, approximately seven metres in diameter. It resembled a closed umbrella with a pole running across its centre and a rope running via a tube in the same pole, connecting it to a balloon.

He sat in a basket tied with the parachute and after reaching a height of nearly 3000 feet or 1000 metres, untied the rope that connected the balloon and the parachute to make the descent. Garnerin was successful in landing uninjured and was given the title of Official Aeronaut of France.

Garnerin was a student of the ballooning pioneer, professor Jacques Charles, and worked with his brother Jean-Baptiste-Olivier Garnerin. He was involved with the flight of hot air balloons, and

Garnerin, along with his wife Jeanne Genevieve, who was also his student, made a number of demonstration flights.

Garnerin died in Paris on 18 August, 1823 in a construction site accident when he was hit by a beam while making a balloon.

My day yesterday


In our class, when someone makes a poor choice, there is a short activity they complete. It consists of a "Feelings and choices" worksheet, a "How am I feeling today?" page and an apology letter.
It works very well.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Seth's healthy snack ideas by Seth (Grade 4)

Good morning World!

I drank chocolate Milo drink for breakfast and I am very tired  this morning.  Most kids in my class who had unhealthy breakfasts or no breakfast at all can't concentrate till break, but the kids who had fruit or toast and egg are much more energetic. Here is some advice on healthy breakfast choices. . Come visit again!    

written by Seth in Grade 4

Are your kids eating a smart breakfast?

 The message has been out there for a while now – kids need breakfast. Now new research has shown that what kids eat at breakfast time is also important when it comes to their academic performance.

In general terms, kids need to "carb up" before school to ensure their brain has enough energy to sustain learning. But not any carbohydrate will do. It's important these carbohydrates are "smart" ones – that is, have a low glycemic index (low-GI).

What this latest research has shown is that kids who eat a low-GI and higher carbohydrate breakfast were able to do maths tasks more quickly and accurately and displayed improved attentiveness.

Understanding GI

Now that dietary experts are all talking GI these days, carbohydrates have come in from the cold – at least in health circles. But does the general population know the importance of eating the right carbohydrates, particularly for our active kids?

Low-GI foods are considered healthier because they don't cause sudden spikes in our bodies' blood glucose levels and instead release glucose more slowly and provide sustained energy.

And it's not rocket science working out which foods have the "dumb" carbs – basically anything that's high in refined sugars and flours also have an unhealthily high-GI.

What's the GI link with kids' brains?

Research has shown that the human brain is powered only by glucose and has essentially no reserves, making a constant supply of glucose absolutely essential to ensure optimum brain function.

"One-third of our bodies' daily glucose requirements is used by the brain," says Dr Alan Barclay, chief scientific officer at the GI Foundation.

"What this latest research has confirmed is that when children have a low-GI breakfast they are better able to perform the harder cognitive tasks.

"Eating a low GI breakfast provides a more constant level of blood glucose compared with the fluctuating glycemic response to a high GI breakfast, resulting in a smaller decline in concentration."

He reinforces the message that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, particularly for kids, and urges parents to ensure their children eat something before they head off to school. Yet are kids and parents getting that message?

What's so important about breakfast?

Research has been piling up showing two things: more and more children are skipping breakfast, and those who do go without are less healthy.

A 2009 study found that 42 per cent of children go to school one or more days a week on an empty stomach. When parents were questioned in the study about the reasons their children skipped breakfast, more than half said there was "no time" because of the pressures of being late for school or work or because of sleeping in.

This is consistent with other research that shows that at least 15 per cent of Australian teenagers rarely eat breakfast.

Yet studies have linked skipping breakfast with:
  • a higher likelihood of  kids being overweight or obese
  • a diminished mental performance at school
  • kids making poor food choices throughout the rest of the day
"There's no excuse for parents letting their kids skip breakfast when it doesn't have to take much preparation," Dr Barclay says. "My kids' favourite is a slice or two of fruit bread and a glass of milk – how easy is that?"

Eight healthy breakfasts for kids

Here are some ideas from the GI Foundation for healthy brekkies for kids. Tip: look for the low-GI symbol on food packaging:
  1. Wholegrain, low-GI breakfast cereals with reduced or low fat milk and fruit
  2. Natural muesli with reduced or low-fat milk
  3. Low-GI bread (with a teaspoon of margarine and your favourite spread (vegemite/peanut butter etc…)
  4. Baked beans on low-GI bread
  5. Poached or non-stick pan-fried egg on low GI bread with margarine
  6. Fresh, canned or dried fruit
  7. Plain or diet yoghurt with fruit
  8. Fruit bread with a teaspoon of margarine and a little of your favourite spread (such as jam or marmalade)link to the article

 Hi, I am Seth and this is a website full of nice recipes I found: www.freshforkids.com.au/recipes/breakfast_brunch.html

When you click on the recipes it turns it into a PDF printable page - how cool??

Cranberry & raspberry smoothie

 Ingredients

  • 200ml cranberry juice
  • 175g frozen raspberries, defrosted
  • 100ml milk
  • 200ml natural yogurt
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste
  • mint sprigs, to serve
Method
Place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve topped with fresh mint.
 
 
 
 In our class we have kids that eat doughnuts, Milo and chips for breakfast. We found that they struggle to concentrate in the mornings, here is an article our teacher found about bad food choices and attention: http://www.gifoundation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=41

Tuesday 8 October 2013

Blogging Workshop for Grade 5 - 7

Useful Links For Your New Blog:
Student Blogs to visit:

 

 

 

 

Saturday 5 October 2013

Children From Around The World Photographed with Their Toys

Toys can tell a whole story about the child’s background and family, and even the professions of the parents. In his photo series ‘Toy Stories’, Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti traveled around the globe for 18-months and photographed children with their toys.
Gabriele would often play with kids before actually starting the photoshoot, and he noticed how differently children from different backgrounds accepted his presence:
“The richest children were more possessive. At the beginning, they wouldn’t want me to touch their toys, and I would need more time before they would let me play with them. In poor countries, it was much easier. In Africa, the kids would mostly play with their friends outside.” 

Children also ascribe similar functions to their toys – during his journey, Galimberti met a boy in Texas and a girl in Malawi who both believed their plastic dinosaurs would protect them from dangers at night. And even though the project is about children, photographer says he learned more about the parents – commonly toys represent their occupation and hobbies. 

Chiwa – Mchinji, Malawi

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Jaqueline – Manila, Philippines

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Tangawizi – Keekorok, Kenya

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Julia – Tirana, Albania

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Orly – Brownsville, Texas

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Alessia – Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy

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Abel – Nopaltepec, Mexico

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Allenah – El Nido, Philippines

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Lucas – Sydney, Australia

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Keynor – Cahuita, Costarica

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Arafa & Aisha – Bububu, Zanzibar

Shaira – Mumbai, India

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Bethsaida – Port au Prince, Haiti

Ryan – Johannesburg, South Africa

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Pavel – Kiev, Ukraine

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Watcharapom – Bangkok, Thailand