Retrospective Music Videos

After a discussion about the meaning of retrospective, I asked the kids to create an imaginative music video using the last three years' video archives. They were encouraged to combine cartooning with green-screen video and still pictures; and add transition effects and voice-overs to narrate their life at Western Heights School over the past few Years.

We hope you like these examples.

Mark McLay

Presentation Videos Starting to Look Good

The class has been assembling the videos to argue for a stadium to be built at school. Some are more completed than others. The children created their own music tracks using Garage Band.

Some of our Commonwealth Games Artwork:

Term 4

Room 18 have had a great start to Term 4.  We are very lucky to have Mr Jackson, our student teacher, who will be joining us for the first 5 weeks.  We have an exciting term ahead with our Inquiry focus on 'Festivals'.  This will end with our own Middle and Senior School festival later in the term.

Here are some of Inquiry projects from last term:

Middle School Dance

Here are the Middle School children who chose dance for 'The Arts' with Mrs Aalbers.  They performed in Room 18 and 19's assembly to Katy Perry - Roar.


http://youtu.be/wVeXN9ypd90

Hi Room 18,

Here is the link to your KidBlog:

http://kidblog.org/Room18WesternHeights/

Find your name and log in using your password.  You can then begin a new post.

Mrs Aalbers :)

Commonwealth Games Stadium Constructions

Today was really exciting for the class.  In the morning we got into teams,  then each of us chose a particular Commonwealth Games sports event, one that no one else in our team had chosen.  Next we researched the event's facilities (ask your child what that word means), equipment and design. We saved the photos to our camera rolls for looking at as we worked.


Then the leaders of each team entered into a Minecraft world which had been created for them. The other team members joined them next and began working together to build the stadium structures.  Everything from roads, bridges, first aid stations, to TV and media platforms. Basically all the things the children had found in their research.

Danika, Alannah & Angela each working on their
gymnastic, netball and swimming stadium.

Selina, Alyssa and Navneet working from
their checksheet. Each stadium needs to
 include a list of things.  The girls are working
 on athletics, gymnastics, swimming

Nariko, Kayla and Eunice are helping eachother
build each stadium for: swimming,
gymnastics and diving. 

Vishal, Toby and Will are working on their
stadiums netball, weightlifting and swimming. 

Nikora, Matthew, Janna & Emily are
working collaboratively. Rather than building
their structures individually, they are building
each one together quickly then moving on to the next. 

Andrey (squash), Ma'u (diving),
Brooklyn (swimming) and Josef (shooting).   

Rhys (table tennis),  Trey (rugby 7's) and Anush (swimming) decided to work independently on each stadium. They are working together on the rail
track joining each of their structures.  

McKenzie, Madison and Siana are each building independantly
for their sports (diving, netball and swimming). They think they'll connect them
somehow towards the end.

Nariko's stadium so far.

This shows the road and train track linking
two stadiums.

Siana shows off her construction.

Rhys & Trey's structures side by side.

Working in teams has called for collaboration and
negotiation around space and size - a few things had to be
demolished and relocated.

Book Day

Check out our awesome Book Day costumes during Book Week at Western Heights.

Mrs Aalbers as the Snow Queen from Narnia

Matthew as Spider-Man 

Kayla as Dorothy

Alannah as a pirate and Nikora as Captain Jack Sparrow

Siana as a bumble bee, Eunice as Little Red Riding Hood and Danika as a unicorn

This term Room 18 have been following the INQUIRY process; posing questions, researching our chosen topics, and communicating our findings.  Our focus has been on animals around the world.  We decided to go to The Auckland Zoo to find out more information about animal habitats and adaptations. Here are some of the photos from our trip.

Look at these awesome cushions that we made with Mrs Anderson during our ESOL lessons.

                                                                        ANGELA

                                                                         SELINA

                                                                          MA'U

                                                                           JOSEF