International Race Relations Day

Today is International Race Relations day. We are celebrating the day by trying to greet each other in all the different languages spoken by the children of our school.
For more information visit http://www.hrc.co.nz/2012/celebrating-race-relations-day

One Year On

Today is the first anniversary of the earthquake that destroyed a large part of our city. At 12.51 today we all meet together for 2 minutes silence. We also decorated the school's front fence with hearts with our  hopes and wishes written on the back.
Thank you to all those people who have sent us their good wishes.

Samoan and Tongan First Language Groups

The Samoan and Tongan children have been working hard over the last few weeks learning colours, numbers,  fruits and vegetables and animal names in their first languages. They have also been very busy making resources so that they can teach others. 

Bingo's Adventures in the Playground.

Here is the last of our preposition stories about our friend Bingo. Written by Peiai, Lance and Sovichea, photography by Peiai and Lance. Great work team.

Tongan Language Week

We had a wonderful week. It was great to hear lots of adults and children in the playground greeting each other in Tongan.

• We kicked off the week on day 1 with a list of greetings for the teachers to use in their classrooms. 
• Then on day 2 the children presented each class with a counting poster The children had made these posters using Kid Pix.
• On day 3 the children gave each classroom a ‘Tongan Colours Poster’ that we had made using our own photos.  
• Day 4 the children gave the classroom teachers some more classroom instructions to learn.
• On day 5 each class was given a list of classroom objects. 

The Tongan children all loved being teachers for the week and can’t wait to do it all again next year.

Prepositions - Bingo's Adventure

By Miracle, Marla and Neelofar

Tongan Language Week Day 2

Today we took some 'kid pix' counting posters that we made to all the classrooms. 

Bears in the Night - our version.

We have been learning about prepositions. First we read 'Bears in the Night'. Then we made our own story using our friend Bingo. Great pictures Victory, Wendy and Trissa.

Tongan Language Week Day 1

Today was the first day of 'Tongan Language Week'. The children took the first page of their booklet around to all the teachers. Then they helped them too say the words in Tongan. It was fun hearing all the teachers in the playground using the Tongan greetings they had learnt. Tomorrow we will hand out page 2 and some counting posters.

Tongan - First Language Group

Last Friday the Tongan children got together to work on a resource booklet for our teachers to use during 'Tongan Language Week'.  They are going to teach the teachers some Tongan words to use in their classrooms. 
The children are all excited about taking part in our very first 'Tongan Language Week' project.

Tongan Language Week

We are supporting Tongan Language Week 
4 - 10 September 2011

Pacific Island Readers - Tupu Series

Today the Samoan and Tongan children used some of the wonderful books in the Tupu series to read to the younger children. The children love these readers and we are sad that the Education Ministry has now stopped producing them. They are such a powerful resource for the children. We have some in our school library so the children can take them home and read them with their parents and grandparents. To read something in your first language is such a powerful tool.