Book Reviews - by The Book Club

Hi there! We are the Gracefield School Book Club. We meet each week in Room 7 at the moment, while the building work is still going on at school. We are definitely looking forward to meeting in the library when it is open again!

Each week we discuss what we are reading and if it is amazing… or not! We also share authors, like if you have enjoyed this, then try this. AND we have started writing some reviews. Our group also shares what writing we have been working on too. It is awesome.

Below are a few reviews of what we have been reading recently. These are great reads and we definitely recommend them for your own tamariki!

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Review from Oscar.

Book title: The One and Only Bob

Author: Katherine Applegate

What is about - This story is about a dog who has a home now, but something is missing in his life… his sister!

Favourite part: I think my favourite part is when Ruby and Ivan come to the rescue because the pets in the animal shelter are almost going to drown and Ruby and Ivan come to the rescue. It was exciting because the story got really dark, but then good things happened.

Who would you recommend this for; I would recommend this book for people who like animals and sad, emotional writing. I would definitely recommend reading the first book in the series too.

Out of 10: 10/10

Link to the book.

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Review from Eliza.

Book title: The Thunderbolt Pony

Author: Stacey Gregg

What it is about: It is about a girl named Evie whose life is flipped upside down by the Kaikoura earthquake, and she’ll have to take a long, gruelling journey with her loyal companions to be able to save her pets!

Favourite part: My favourite part is when Evie decides to start her journey to Kaikoura because it was such a brave decision for a 12-year-old to make.

Who would you recommend this to: I would recommend this book to any horse/animal lover. Also if you like adventure stories then is the book for you.

Out of 10:10/10

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Review from Maya.

Book title: The 26 Story Treehouse

Author: Andy Griffiths Illustrated By Terry Denton

What it is about: This book is about Andy and Terry who are trying to write a book to give to Mr Big Nose their publisher, but at the same time they're trying to tell the “Readers” about their story. But, then one of their stories comes to life (The Captain Woodhead Story) and he tries to take over the treehouse. Terry and Andy must find a way to get rid of him!

Favourite part: My favourite part is the part where Jill tells the story about how they meet with Captain Woodhead.

Who would you recommend this to: I would recommend this book to kids who are aged from 9-12, as it is quite long. But, it's really a book for everyone so it could be read aloud to younger children.

Out of 10: 10/10!

Cross Country 2020

Today we held the Gracefield School Cross Country. It was a wonderful day with loads of sun in the afternoon for our colour run. Check out a few of the photos below!

Gracefield School Community Update 14th May 2020

Kia ora Gracefield whanau,

WE ARE OPEN ON MONDAY!

Our focus over the next two weeks is to make sure that the transition back to school for our children is one where they feel safe, happy and are ready to learn. We will be designing learning programmes that focus on wellness, relationships and connections as these are the foundation for effective learning to take place.

Every teacher at Gracefield School is passionate about designing learning programmes that are shaped to meet the needs of the learners in their spaces. So this will look different across the school. There will be lots of rich and deep learning opportunities being driven by the arts, health and PE, digital technologies, science and social sciences curriculums.

The Covid-19 event has caused huge changes in our own personal lives, within New Zealand’s society and across the world! It has changed the way we behave, interact with each other and has without a doubt highlighted the inequities within our communities and the need for people to focus on wellness, relationships and connections.

In education, the Covid-19 situation has given us an opportunity to pause, question the education system and has given us thinking space to reimagine what education could be and what we now think is important. We know that innovation, agile thinking, communication, creativity have been critical throughout the Covid-19 event and in moving forward, we would like to work alongside whanau and students to understand what learning might look like at Gracefield School in the future. We will make time for this some time soon so keep an eye out for information early next term. Otherwise please feel free to send me an email

NEED TO KNOW INFORMATION

At Alert Level 2 there are some changes to the way school will be operating at least for the next two weeks. Below is some key information that you need to know.

* No parents onsite for the next 2 weeks

* School will open at 8.30am and close by 3.30pm. Teachers and admin staff will be off site by 4pm.

* The school playground is closed from 3pm

* Please ensure social distancing of 2 metres is adhered to during Alert Level 2

* Kelly Club will be operating at Alert Level 2, so please contact them to organise after school care

* No school lunches for the next two weeks

* Water fountains will not be working, so please ensure children bring a water bottle

* IF children arrive late to school, please send the children to the office to sign in. A reminder that parents/caregivers are not allowed on site during alert level 2

* Please name your child/rens belongings especially clothing

* No school assemblies this term

GRACEFIELD SCHOOL CAR PARKING

With the current building refurbishments happening at our school, car parking will be a challenge. So we encourage whanau to park along Riverside Drive or further down Bell Road and walk to the designated pick up areas. Most importantly, as a community we really need people to be aware of children walking to and from school. There will not be any road patrollers for the first two weeks of school.

REVIEW

We will be reviewing these processes after two weeks. A reminder that, while we know some of you will be anxious at this time, we assure you that school is a safe place for your children to be.

We will be following the most up to date advice and guidance from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. We believe that the Health and Safety measures that we have in place to support children and staff to transition back to school are extremely robust.

We can’t wait to see you all!

Mauri ora,

Kelly Barker, Hamish Regan and the Teaching Team.

Bouncy Egg Experiment by Rylee.

Have you ever wondered what a clear egg looks like? Or if an egg can bounce without cracking? I did, and when I saw Miss McAuliffe's post on our class weekly grid, I really wanted to try it.  

There were three stages to the experiment. The first stage began with me begging my Mum if we could do the experiment. Once she said yes, we were good to go. We had to find a clear container, an egg, and white vinegar. Luckily for me, my Grandpa is a real baker, and so he had all these items at home. My Mum and I gathered the items, and then we had to watch the video clip to follow the steps.

Firstly, we placed the egg inside the container and then filled the container with white vinegar until the egg was under vinegar water. We closed the lid, and I had to hide the container somewhere that my little sister couldn't reach or shake and crack the egg. 

Next, we had to wait 3 days/36 hours to let the egg soak in vinegar. After day one, I noticed that my egg had bubbles around it. By day two, my egg had grown fat, and the shell was disappearing. By day three, the shell had completely disappeared and I could see the yellow yolk of the egg. 

Finally, I was able to bring the egg out of the container. Man, the vinegar smell was so strong, it STUNK! But I carefully brought the egg out of the container and it felt like a jelly ball. I was recording my video with my Dad, and I was bouncing the egg and surprised at how it bounced without cracking. Nekk minit - CRACK! The egg split open and the yolk was liquid. The membrane was the cool part. It felt like slime!

Check out Rylee’s other videos here.

Gracefield School Board of Trustee News

Welcome Whaea Kelly

Happy New year to all returning and new children and whānau. We were straight into it this year officially welcoming Whaea Kelly with a full school pōwhiri.

We would like to thank all of the teachers, staff and whānau who took time out of their school holidays to plan and organise the Pōwhiri, the parents and whānau who attended and/or helped, to the tamariki who embodied our steps for success throughout the day and a very special mention and a thank you must go to Robyn and Konga.

It was really lovely to meet all of Whaea Kelly’s whānau and the entire busload of Hampton Hill children, staff and parents who came to support Kelly. We are so pleased to officially welcome Whaea Kelly and her whānau to Gracefield School and we know that she is looking forward to meeting you all so please if you haven’t already, don't be shy, stop and say hello.

2020 Building Refurbishment

For many years now the Board of Trustees have investigated several options to try and extend the teaching area of several classrooms (Rooms 3&4 and Learning Support) in the main block. Unfortunately, most of the options that were available to us did not justify the cost involved for the very little teaching space that we would gain. However, last year the Ministry of Education offered schools specific funding to design Innovative Learning Environments, which are spaces best designed to develop and grow 21st-century learners.

Initially, the BOT agreed that in principle it would be a great way to modernise and maximise the limited space in our main block. After much discussion, research and communication back and forward with the MOE over many months, the work was confirmed and went out to tender at the very end of last year. Since then, everything has moved along at speed and just this week we found out that the builders will arrive in the next few weeks!

We know that many of you will have questions and or concerns about the project, especially those of you with children in the classrooms who will be directly affected. We want to assure everyone that we have considered the implications this project will have on staff and children carefully and we believe that the outcome will be well worth the short term disruption. We are also very fortunate that Whaea Kelly has worked with the same Ministry of Education Project Manager and the construction company Peryers, who have a good reputation working with schools.

We have informed the building and design team that we expect clear and regular communication throughout the project, so we can inform the community and staff of any health and safety issues, timeframes and progress.

At the Meet the Teacher Evening on Wednesday, we will have information about the build, including plans and timelines and staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have. For those who are unable to make the evening, we will have information available on the school’s website.

Information and basic timeline

1. Ashby Property - MOE Property Managers

2. Peryer Construction Company - Building company

3. DesignIt - Architecture company

4. Classrooms affected - Rooms, 3, 4 and Learning Support - Toilets in between library and Room 2

5. R4=Library R3=Room 10 Learning Support working across the school - Toilets TBC

6. Building company will be onsite from Monday 9th March

7. Possible time frame = 14-16 weeks

8. Start date 9th March / End date - Mid to late term 2

Health and Safety aspects

● Peryer Construction will provide a Safety Access Plan - This includes an aerial map of the school where safety fences will be placed, access ways into the school, car parking, storage for the building company workers

● All onsite workers will be police vetted and will be available to Gracefield staff

● Sign in book of all onsite workers will be accessible to Gracefield School staff at all times

● Peryer’s will only use staff toilets, breaks will be taken during morning tea and lunchtimes

● Access to the site will only be during class times not during the school times allocated to morning, lunchtimes and before and after school

Powhiri - 5th February.

On Wednesday, 5th of February we will be holding a Powhiri to welcome Whaea Kelly to Gracefield School. All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend. Please be seated in the school hall by 11.55am. Seating will be available in front of the stage, behind the students for families. 

All Year 5 and 6 students will all be involved in the Kapa haka group.  Year 5 and 6 boys are to wear plain dark shorts if possible. All other students will be seated with their teachers. We look forward to sharing this occasion with you.

Christmas in the Library!

Kia ora! Over the past two weeks, we’ve had loads of Christmas books out on display in the library. The teachers have been reading these most days and we’re starting to feel like it is nearly time for Christmas! Check out some of our festive titles in the photos below.