GARDEN TO TABLE

Today was our first day of Garden To Table. The class was split into two groups - the FRUIT group worked in the kitchen, with Virginia and her helpers, preparing our tasty dishes while the VEGETABLES group spent time with Sarah learning about our composting system and the tool shed. 

The Recipes for this week's Garden to Table:

Pakora

Ingredients

250g chickpea flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

250 ml water

600g any vegetables (onion, potato, beans, silverbeet,carrots, cauliflower, etc)

oil for frying in

What to do

1. Mix flour, baking powder and spices altogether.

2. Slowly add the water until you have a smooth, thick batter.

3. Add the cut up vegetables and mix well.

4. Heat a small amount of oil in the frying pan.

5. Carefully drop in teaspoons of the mixture into the oil and leave to cook for 4 minutes before turning and letting the other side cook.

If they are browning too quickly turn down the heat.

6. Keep the cooked fritters warm in the oven at 100 degrees.

Herb Raita

Ingredients

3/4 cup plain yoghurt (thick is best)

1 teaspoon lemon juice or cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt 

mint leaves and coriander leaves

What to do

1   1.  Mince the herbs (cut into little pieces).

     2.  Put chopped herbs into a bowl with yoghurt, lemon juice or vinegar and salt.

     3. Mix well.

4.  Serve with pakoras, curry or as a dip.

Lemon Shortbread Biscuits

Ingredients:

150 grams softened butter

⅔ cup icing sugar

Finely grated lemon rind of one lemon

100 grams cornflour

120 grams plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

What to do:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

1. Put the butter and icing sugar into a large bowl. Using the electric beaters cream the butter and icing sugar together.
2. Using the lemon zester take the lemon rind (the yellow skin only, the white underneath is the pith which is bitter) off the lemon and put into the butter mixture. Put the lemon back in the fridge.
3. Sift the cornflour, flour and baking powder over the butter mixture. Stir to mix in all the flour, but don't mix too much.
4. Put the bowl in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
5. Put small teaspoonfuls of mixture onto a baking tray and squash down. Leave space for the biscuits to expand.
6. Put the tray in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
7. Cool on a cooling rack.

School wide Focus - Weeks 1 and 2

Ramp Race

Throughout the term we have been experimenting with forces such as gravity, friction and air pressure. 

Initially the children were asked to put together their Lego car and push it, with themselves as the force, across surfaces such as carpet, wood and plastic. They then modified their cars to see if they could make them go further. Most groups took parts off their cars to lighten them.

Finally they were asked to modify their cars to see whose car could go furthest down the ramp outside the staffroom. There was a catch! They were not allowed to push their car. They had to find another force that would propel their car down the ramp, with interesting results.

Here is the video of the race:

https://youtu.be/iui9ouTj61A

Times table Champions

Congratulations to the following children who "monstered" i.e. mastered their 2 - 10 times tables:
Bitner   Anjola    Lucas     Alodia    Charli    Franny    Lillia    Luca    Jadarose    Vinnie

Every child will receive a monster card for the times tables they have monstered. Well done to everyone for working so hard to learn them all!!
Please continue practicing the times tables with your children, even if they have mastered them, as we need them for fractions and for problem solving.

On the subject of Maths, we have been learning to tell the time using analogue clocks. We can all tell the hour and half hour but some children still need practice with quarter past, quarter to, and 5 minute increments. Please help by practising at home with your child.

Have fun with Maths!

School Focus For Week 9 and 10

Yesterday we discussed what each of the points mean to us at school. Here are some clarifications we made:

• There are other phrases we can use as well as "please" and "thank you" but these are the most important. e.g. We should acknowledge someone when they say "thank you" by saying, "You're welcome."
• If we follow instructions quickly and quietly noone has to wait for us.
• We need to look at the person who is speaking, whether it is an adult or child.
• We should wait until there is a break in the conversation before interrupting unless it is an emergency.
• Walking quietly around the school means we won't disturb other classes who are working.

Auckland Zoo Trip

On the 9th June we visited the Auckland Zoo with a focus on the native animals. We spent valuable time with Kirstie, who spoke to us about kaitiakitanga and how we need to look after the animals and environment. After our walk about with Kirstie we were able to look around the rest of the zoo where we saw our favourite animals.

The children are writing information reports about their favourite animals at present and these will be published on the blog before the end of this term.

 Many thanks to To'a, Leonie and Mike who helped supervise the groups.

Entering the NZ bush enclosure.

Tane Mahuta carving

Leonie's group

Mike's group

Impersonations of a flamingo

GREEN WEEK ACTIVITIES

Week 6 may have been a short week but it was a very busy one indeed!
On Tuesday we decided on 6 areas of inquiry and the children opted into one for the two days we had to work on them. I have attached photos of the activities. Thank you to parents who supplied some of the equipment we needed.

Making flaps for bin covers

Making covers for the class bins

Designing posters

Upcycling bird houses from home

Making bird feeders

Growing seeds in hothouses

Charli, Anjola and Luca worked on an advertisement for Lost Property.