Rippa with Tiny and Mitch

Next Tuesday the 15th is the South Otago school's Rippa Rugby tournament. Our three Year 3's will be part of the Year 3/4 team from Romahapa.
We have had Tiny and Mitch at school teaching us some rippa skills. We have heaps of fun playing games and learning new skills.

Rippa with Tiny

Rippa with Mitch

Jill Eggleton comes to Romahapa

Our school was extremely lucky to have Jill Eggleton and her husband Nelson visit our school on Tuesday May 1st! Jill lives in Auckland and has written many school books that we have in our school. She is known internationally for her literacy knowledge.
Jill came down to Romahapa and read some of her books to us. She also answered some really good questions that we had about her job as an author.
She was in town for a teacher's workshop the following day that Mr Preddy, Mrs Gilder and myself were lucky enough to attend!
Here are some photos of Jill reading to the children.

P.S Jill LOVED our Cass the Colour Robber stories!!

Cass the Colour Robber

Each week we have a new big book and we read this shared big book everyday. Each day we focus on something different like comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and phrasing, and phonics and spelling.
Cass the Colour Robber is a big book written by Jill Eggleton. She is our favourite big book writer!
Usually on a Friday we write a response to our big book for our writing.
Here are some of our stories and our awesome pastel drawings that we drew to go with them!

Anzac Day

This year the Juniors baked Anzac biscuits for Anzac Day.
We learned that the soldiers that went to war were sometimes sent these biscuits from their families because they kept very well.

We shared our biscuits with the Seniors and the teachers! Everyone thought they were delicious!!

New kids on the block!!

Wow! It's been a busy few weeks since the school holidays!
Time for a blog update!

On the first day of term we welcomed two new entrants to our school!

Nicole and Sophie

Nicole is Kirsten's younger sister and Sophie is the first of her family to start at Romahapa School.

Welcome Tyler

Yesterday Tyler started school as a new entrant.

Tyler is the first of his family to come to Romahapa. We welcome Tyler and his family to our school.

New Headphones!!

Mr Preddy let us buy some new headphones! We can now listen to stories and songs on the listening post without disturbing the rest of the class! We are very excited!

Basketball with Mitch

On Monday last week, Mitch came to see us for the third and final time this term. He taught us some basketball skills like dribbling and controlling the ball, passing the ball around our bodies and through our legs. We have lots of fun with Mitch!

Art with Norman Sinclair

On the afternoons of Thursday the 8th and Friday the 9th of March we were lucky enough to spend some time with Norman Sinclair - the artist!
Norman uses watercolour in his paintings and he showed us how as we painted our own apples!

Norman showing us what to do



Norman showed us how to draw turtles and other things too



I think Logan is probably drawing a whale!



Kairus is concentrating on his turtle



Devin's work of art!

Our watercolour paintings drying in the sun

The paintings look great, and we are looking forward to having Norman back on the 30th to finish them off!

Small Schools Athletics

It was the perfect day on Monday March 5th for athletics day!
Everyone tried their very best and Kirsten even made it through to the South Otago Athletics for sprints!

Logan is very enthusiastic about athletics day!

Kirsten competing in the sack race

Devin jumping into the long jump pit

A great shot of Hayden mid jump

Kairus after finishing his long jump



Goodbye Brayden

On Friday, Feb 24th it was Brayden's last day at Romahapa School.
His family have moved to Temuka and he now attends Winchester School.
We are missing Brayden in the Junior class but wish him all the best at his new school.

Brayden is cracking up at Mr Preddy on the boat in Stewart Island

Kate starts school - Feb 20th

As soon as we arrived back from camp, Kate turned 5 and started school as a new entrant in our class.
Kate is the first member of her family to come to Romahapa.
She has lots of interesting stories to tell about her brother, baby sister and all the animals on the farm!

Kate's buzzy bee!
"Lovely little things with lovely little wings. That's what bees are."
(From our big book of the week - Bertha and the Beeman)

Stewart Island Camp - February 12th-17th

Stewart Island was awesome!
We did so many memorable activities: rocky shore study, bush walking, swimming, fishing off the wharf, fishing off the charter boat, visiting the museum and DOC, just to name a few!
I have had trouble loading camp photos onto this computer and Mr Preddy's take too long to load, so here are a small few photos to remember our 2012 camp by!


We made it to the top of Garden Mound!

Hayden and his fish

Logan and his fish

Having a great time digging holes and swimming at Bathing Beach

Fishing for spottys off the wharf

Wahoo! Finally I caught a spotty!

Do I really have to kiss it Jules?

The sea lion who ate my spotty once I had thrown it back!

Brayden was very proud to catch a spotty, just not so keen to touch it with his bare hands!!



Aaron and Jethro with his blue cod