Middles News

By Amy McBeath | Posted: Thursday May 11, 2023

Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou - Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing

Project Based Learning

It’s exciting to see the buzz from our middle syndicate students as they explore our Project-Based Learning (PBL) driving question for this term:  How can we as innovators explore space? This question has the potential to spark curiosity and inspire innovative thinking among our students.

The middles have been exploring our first two milestones: 'Develop an understanding of the concept of space' and 'Identify the objects visible in our solar system and beyond and describe their unique characteristics'.  We watched Rocket Lab launch a rocket from Mahia Peninsula earlier in the week which will monitor the formation and evolution of tropical cyclones, including hurricanes, and will provide rapidly updating observations of storm intensity.  Some students have been excited to share their own observations of the night sky and what they have seen from their houses.  

We are excited to see our students grow and develop their knowledge, skills, and passion for space exploration. We believe that this PBL project will not only broaden their horizons but also equip them with the tools and skills they need to become lifelong learners and innovative thinkers.  If you have any knowledge to share about space, observing the night sky, or robotics, which will be part of our upcoming PBL learning, we'd love to hear from you.

Syndicate Assemblies

Each Monday our syndicate meets for some shared time to learn and explore ideas.  The activities during these assemblies are structured in a way that allows students to interact and share their ideas and knowledge with their peers from their own and other classes in a supported way.  This term, we have been and will continue to explore the following:

Music - Mrs Kumar has helped us develop our ideas around rhythm and beat, and learning some of new vocabulary that helps us to explore music in different ways.  This term we're also working towards learning songs for Sing Up Day which is in June.

Mindfulness - Our mindfulness activities include guided breathing exercises, visualisation, and sensory awareness techniques that are fun and engaging. Through story and relaxing music, students have the opportunity to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness, empathy, and compassion, which are essential life skills for building healthy relationships and managing stress.

Road Safety - This term we will have a focus on how to be more aware and safer when using crossings.  This will happen through discussions, story, and quizzes.

KAIK Values and Zones of Regulation - Picture books linked to our school values and the Zones of Regulation lead to discussions about things we need to be thinking about, our responses to situations, and how we can make better choices or seek support to help us respond better to challenging situations.

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