Making Kites

It was a windy day on Wednesday so we decided outside that it was a perfect day for making kites. First we decorated the brown paper bags and chose our streamers to be attached. Next we had to add the string and the streamers and then they were ready to fly behind us as we run. When Tawhirimatea (the god of the wind) was out to play they worked really well. We shared stories about the Wind and Tawhirimatea and also shared a story about the kites of Matariki which we will celebrate in June. What a fun day playing with the wind!!

Going to the post office

Today we went off to post our Paper Dolls to the children who have organized The Paper Doll project (see previous post).

First we had to put our paper dolls into a big envelope and write the address on the front so the postman knew where to deliver our parcel too. The children purchased a stamp from the lady at the post office and we stuck it on the top right corner to show we had paid for our envelope to be sent. Then we put it into the post office ready for collection!

Process Cooking: Cheese Puffs - Tihi Whakapiki

Getting started - Hei timata tanga

This process involves following a set of instructions in picture form.  The pictures show how much ingredients is needed for each item.  We worked along the bench from left to right with our bowls putting in the various ingredients we needed to make our cheese puff.  This was an exercise in process not product!!

Have you washed you hands? - Kua horoia ou ringaringa?

We formed a line to take turns

Flour - Paraoa 1 spoon
Kia kotahi te pune

"Do I need just one?" asks CJ

Mix it all together

Sometimes the mixture can look a bit dry in which case you need a bit more milk.
If the mixture is too runny we have to add more flour

Egg mix - Heki 2 spoons
Kia rua nga pune

Counting to make sure we have the right amount of spoonfuls in our bowl

Developing science concepts as we mix the wet and dry ingredients together

The cheese puffs went into the oven for 10 minutes, they smelt good, I wonder if they taste just as yummy?.  We ate our puffs at lunch and some children got to take theirs home.

Tino Pai everyone, what great bakers you are.  I look forward to cooking again with you soon.

The blind taste test

On Friday we had a blind taste test. Many of the children were intrigued by this new game and were confident and willing participants to play straight away. Some other children choose to observe their peers first before plucking up the courage to have a go and some decided that this was not a game for them. It does take great courage and trust to put on a blind fold and be fed something without seeing what it is.

Our chosen ingredients for the test were different fruits and we discussed how we could use our sense of taste from our taste buds to tell our brain what we were eating instead of using out eyes to send this massage.

This was lots of fun...we mostly knew what we were eating just by the taste. Some us has not tried some of the fruits before but could guess what they thought  it might be!

Sharing our love and Respect - 2 minutes silence

Today we explained to the children that as a sign of respect we sometimes do a Haka or a time of silence and that today the whole of New Zealand was going to do a two minute silence to show our respect to our country and to all of the people around the world. The children all did so amazing and we were super proud of them taking part in this. 

The Paper Doll Project

Two Bay of Plenty siblings are eager for other Kiwi kids to support them in demonstrating that Aotearoa New Zealand is a place of diversity and acceptance. They want schools and families to send in their paper doll chains to form a single long, colourful chain representing harmony between cultures.

For more information or to be involved at home head to Education Central: https://educationcentral.co.nz/

This was a great way for Uxbridge to share the message of love and acceptance with the tamariki. The children had great discussion how everyone looks different, with different hair and different skin and different clothes but we are all the same. 

We will be taking a couple of children up to the post office next week to send off our paper dolls to be joined to the national Paper doll project. 

Thanks Tamariki and Kia Kaha Christchurch!!

WE ARE ALL ONE TOGETHER!!