Prizegiving

It was a fantastic prizegiving for Room 3. Congratulations to Mizuki who was awarded the Squire/Strang Fine Arts Cup for his outstanding performance in visual arts,  Sativa who received the Duncan Sports Cup for being the Year 6 girl's most outstanding sportsperson and Charlotte for receiving the rosette for being Room 3's most outstanding student.

Collage Birds

After learning about our native birds we decided to create some collage artworks depicting imaginary birds.

The Usual Suspects

After reading about the impact of introduced pests on the New Zealand bush we created these wanted posters.

The Hedgehog by Sativa and Charlotte

The Mouse by Jack

The Rat by Sam

Stoats by Harrison and Nikhil

Hedgehogs Vs Mice

We used information from the Department of Conservation (DOC) to compare and contrast the hedgehog and the mouse.

Animal pests such as possums, rats and stoats are well known for eating the eggs and young of our native birds and destroying plants and trees. However these are not the only introduced pests that threaten the survival of our native plants and animals. Two lesser known, but equally problematic pests are the hedgehog and the mouse.

Size - Avengers

Although relatively small in stature, the hedgehog and the mouse can still cause big problems for New Zealand’s flora and fauna. One of the smallest pests in New Zealand is the mouse. This small brown\grey rodent is measured 10cm long. Slightly bigger the hedgehog measures 20-30 cm long. The hedgehog is a small brown creature with sharp spines covering their bodies.

Eat Native Species - Justice League

When hedgehogs were first brought to New Zealand it was thought that they would only eat slugs and snails, but the settlers were unaware that soon this pest was going to eat native animals such as lizards, snails and invertebrates. They also eat eggs and chicks of birds especially those that nest on the ground, for example the dotterel and tern. Hedgehogs are also known to consume weta and giant centipedes. One hedgehog was found with 283 weta legs in its stomach. The mouse might be small but they have an enormous appetite eating a range of native plants and animals such as bird’s eggs, chicks, invertebrates, leaves, seeds, fruits, fish eggs and insect larvae.

Brought to New Zealand - X-Men

Historical evidence states that it was early European settlers who were responsible for introducing both the mouse and the hedgehog to New Zealand. However it is believed only the hedgehog was brought here intentionally. The hedgehog was brought to New Zealand by early settlers to make them feel more at home. People thought that the hedgehogs would eat slugs and snails from vegetable gardens but people didn’t realise that they would endanger our native environment. However the mouse was different as it was accidentally brought here with the early settlers on ships and boats.

Maori Names - Guardians of the Galaxy

The Maori have given names to both of these pests. The hedgehog in Maori is known as tuatete. The English name hedgehog comes from pigs (hogs) because of the grunting noises they make. Mice also have a Maori name which is kiore, they share this name with rats too. When mice first arrived in New Zealand, they were not known as mice but Henrietta’s. This is because they arrived on the Australian ship the Elizabeth Henrietta in 1824.  

Although both pests are known to wreak havoc on New Zealand’s flora and fauna evidence suggests it is the mouse that has the greatest negative impact in comparison to the hedgehog. The mouse far outnumbers the hedgehog, has a greater appetite (eating a wider variety of plants and animals) and can cover a wider area as they can also climb trees. When pests and predators were introduced to Aotearoa they took a serious toll on the survival of our native plants, birds, reptiles and invertebrates, who were ill equipped to deal with the threat. To this day animal pests continue to be a major threat. Therefore controlling these pests is essential for the survival of our special native plants and animals.

Hour of Code

We are participating in the Hour of Code. Follow the link below to find activities for you to master!

Hour of Code

Kitekite Falls

As part of our inquiry into the New Zealand bush we visited Kitekite Falls in Piha

Possum Products

After reading about New Zealand's possum problem  in "Designed for Good" by Philip Cleaver, we created advertisements for products that use the meat and fur to encourage people to tackle the problem. 

Possum Coat by Charlotte

Possum Pants by Harrison

Possum Pie by Harrison

Possum Pies by Kristy

Possum Pie by Nikhil

Possum Socks by Sam

Possum Pie by Alexus

Lino Etching

In art we created lino etchings featuring Polynesian designs.

Possums

We wrote texts about one of New Zealand's most damaging pests - The Possum. We had to listen carefully to a series of facts being read out loud and then re construct the information in our own words. 

Possums by Kristy

Finding Pounamu

The Guardians of the Galaxy used information in the text "Finding Pounamu" by Bronwyn Tainui and their own research to create an information poster about pounamu.

Pounamu by Tariq

Life Cycle of the Kakahi

The X-Men used information in the text 'Counting Kakahi" by Hannah Rainforth to sequence the life cycle of the kakahi.

Visual Sequence by Sarah and Siya

The Koura

The Avengers summarised the information in 'Counting Koura' by Brian Gore. Here is Harrison and Jack's infographic

Saving Poorman's Stream

After reading 'Saving Poorman's Stream' by Maggie Lilleby the Justice League evaluated the claim 'The council should be responsible for cleaning up rivers and streams'.

Many New Zealand streams and rivers are polluted with rubbish, including Poorman’s stream in Nelson. Poorman’s stream was monitored by a group of school children which led to the formation of a local volunteer clean up group. However we question whether it is the responsibility of the local community or the council to maintain the health of local streams and rivers.

One reason why the council should have been responsible for the clean up of Poorman’s Stream was because they had the resources. Councils have tips and refuse centres that can dispose of any rubbish collected. A further reason in support of council’s being responsible for the health of rivers and streams is that the council can pay people to clean rivers and streams. They can budget for clean up crews and allocate funds accordingly.

On the other hand one reason why the local community should clean up the streams is because it is the local people who are polluting the streams and rivers. Mitchell, a local school boy said that “most of the rubbish is near the bridges that people walk across,” this indicates that it is the local people who are throwing rubbish into the local stream. Another reason why it should be local people and not the council cleaning up is that they are more willing to volunteer and clean up streams compared to the council. Lots of people wanted to take part and volunteer in cleaning up Poorman’s stream, including school students from all five of the nearby schools.

We believe the council should help with river and stream cleaning by collecting and disposing of large items of rubbish but ultimately, the local community should be responsible for cleaning and maintaining local rivers and streams since they contributed significantly to the problem in the first place. It is important to maintain river and stream health because there are many native birds such as the kotare that rely on the local streams as a vital food source. If you discover rubbish and pollution in any local waterways it is best to contact your local council or the Department of Conservation (DOC) immediately.

Whakatauki

The X-Men discovered a whakatauki - Maori proverb in the text 'Kaupapa Kereru". This led them to discover some more whakatauki that resonated with them. How do you interpret these whakatauki?

Sarah's Whakatauki

Siya's Whakatauki



Liam's Whakatauki

 Sam's Whakatauki

Sativa's Whakatauki



Arav's Whakatauki

Connor's Whakatauki

Trash Novel Study

The Justice League collaborated on a novel study of "Trash" by Andy Mulligan

New Zealand Native Birds

In writing we wrote about a range of native birds. See more great examples on our individual blogs.

Ruru by Nikhil

Fantail by Jacky

Kotare by Alexus

Kaka by Tariq

Harrier Hawk by Harrison

Black Robin by Brianna L

Kakapo by Charlotte

New Zealand Falcon by Joshua

The Tui by Liam

The Weka by Suyash

Lost in the Bush

The Avengers summarised the events "Lost in the Bush" by Serie Bradford in the form of a radio news broadcast.

The Kereru

The X-Men summarised the article Kaupapa Kereru in the form of an infographic.

The Kereru by Sativa

Pests Cause and Effect

Continuing our inquiry into the native bush we collaborated on a cause and effect of introduced species to New Zealand.

Possums, rats and stoats have had a huge impact on our environment since their introduction to Aotearoa. To combat these pests New Zealand has an ambitious aim to be rid of them all by 2050.

Possums

Possums were introduced to New Zealand from Australia in 1837 to establish a fur trade. However there numbers soon grew to such an extent that there is now approximately 30 million possums in New Zealand. The effect of this invasion is the serious damage of native trees. Possums eat a huge number of leaves. This can stress a tree so much it will eventually die. Some forests have lost all of their rata and kamahi, two of the possum’s favourite species. Possums have no natural predators in New Zealand therefore numbers must be controlled with traps, poison and by being hunted.

Stoats -

Stoats are public enemy number one and were introduced to New Zealand by European settlers in 1879 to control the number of rabbits and hares.  An unexpected effect of their introduction though was to cause the extinction of many native birds. Stoats attack birds that nest in trees such as the mohua and kaka. Stoats can take out eggs, chicks and incubating adults in one go. The stoat has also caused many subspecies to become extinct such as the bush wren, laughing owl and the New Zealand thrush.

Rats -

Norway (brown or water) rats were introduced to New Zealand unintentionally by being stowaways on the boats and ships that arrived in the late 1700’s. The introduction of rats contributed to the extinction of some native bird species. Rats are especially dangerous because they are able to climb the trees and enter the nests of native birds.

Possums, rats and stoats are New Zealand’s most wanted pests having caused the destruction of the native bush and the extinction of native birds and animals. To protect our native forests, animals and plants we must rid these species from our shores for good.

Kereru Vs Kakapo

After reading "Kaupapa Kereru" by Ross Calman the X-Men used a SOLO Hot map to compare the kereru with the kakapo.

When walking through the bush, you’re likely to hear kereru crashing through the trees, wings flapping noisily. You may also catch a glimpse of their plump shape and sleek, colourful plumage. Another native bird you may encounter, if you are lucky, is the largest flightless parrot in the world, the kakapo.

Native to New Zealand - Liam and Connor

The  kereru and kakapo are amongst many birds native to Aotearoa. The kereru can be found in the lowland, native forests of the North and in the South island. The kakapo is found in the forested islands of Maud island and Little Barrier Island.

Vulnerable to Extinction - Arav and Sam

Like many of our native birds, the kereru and kakapo is under threat of extinction. The kereru is under threat by Illegal hunting. Some other threats include being eaten by animals such as cats, possums, stoats and rats. These creatures have been reducing the numbers of kereru over the years. The kakapo however is in more immediate danger as numbers have reduced to only 126 birds.

Eggs in nests - Siya and Sarah

Both the kereru and kakapo build nests to lay eggs and raise their young. Kereru lay between one to three eggs depending on the food source available. The nest is an untidy platform that sits in the trees. The parents lay one egg at a time and take turns looking after their young which takes about a month to hatch. However the kakapo is different as it lays between one to four eggs on the forest floor.

Organisations helping protect them - Angelika and Sativa

Luckily for the kereru and kakapo there are organisations that have been formed to help protect them. Kaupapa Kereru was first created in 2000 by Ngai Tahu to help protect the kereru. Actions Kaupapa kereru have taken have been growing plants that kereru eat, trying to keep cats away from breeding grounds and schools have also been helping by making and selling kaupapa kereru calendars. As for the kakapo a partnership between D.O.C and forest and birds was formed to protect the kakapo.

Although both birds are taonga to Aotearoa it is the kakapo that is under more serious threat of extinction. Therefore we need to take action to prevent their loss by donating money and volunteering our time to the D.O.C and forest and bird, as well as helping eradicate threats such as cats, dogs, stoats and rats.