Typing Competition Winner!

Congratulations, Keely Puklowski! After winning a gruelling Typing Ladder (similar to a Tennis Ladder), Keely had to play against our previous competition winner - Malik Ryniker.

Keely won.  She typed at a rate of 65wpm with 96% accuracy! Well done!

Please share your current word per minute rate and accuracy, in the comments box below. 

#gigatownpmn - Have you signed up yet?

Prizegiving

The Power of Two - Prize winners

School Prizes:

Citizenship Award - Jesse Hickmott

Year 7 Arts and Performing Arts - Jude Van Houtte

Excellence - Ben Baas and Jesse Hickmott

Achievement - Serena Matson and James Waterson

Supreme attitude: Keely Puklowski

Student of the Year: Jude Van Houtte

and then.... Serena's seat was called for the lucky draw!

Roman Numerals

During our morning maths hotspot we had to answer 20 mathematical questions from a range of strands, as well as numeracy.
One of the questions was about Roman Numerals. We had to write 475 using roman numerals.

Monique and Tiaana came up with two different answers:

CCCCLXXV

and

CDLXXV

Do you which one is correct?



We were a little confused, but with a bit of research we came across this website that helped explain when to use the subtracting rule.

Purple Math - Roman Numerals
The next number is 4, which is 1 + 1 + 1 + 1, but using four I's for "4" isn't allowed (because we can't do four of the same numeral in a row). If we were dealing with money, we could pay four dollars with four singles (which is 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4) or we could pay with a five and get a single in change (which is 5 – 1 = 4). In Roman numerals, we "subtract" the 1 from the 5 by putting an I in front of a V: IV is "four" in the sense of "one, from five, leaves four".

IV = (5 – 1) = 4

In Roman numerals, we can do this subtractive thing with Is, Xs, and Cs (that is, with ones, tens, and hundreds) but not with Vs, Ls, or Ds (that is, not with fives, fifties, or five hundreds). 

So we now know that the correct answer is: CDLXXV

Can you give us some reasons for learning about roman numerals?

Veronika, Paige, Tiana and Monishan's Cyberbullying video

Charlotte and Jesse's Cyberbullying video

Jude and Kaleb's Cybersafety video

Ehinar and Tash's Cyberbullying video

ACB essay competition

Mr Butler organised an Essay Competition in honour of his mother and her love of writing.

By clicking on the name below, you can read that person's essay:

Caelan
Ben 
Ehinar 
Leo 
Monishan 
Louise 
Matt 
Jesse 
Kane 
Paige 
Veronika 
Serena
Monique 
Charlotte 
Tash
Keely
Tiana
Nathanial
Malik
Kaleb
Tiaana
Trinity
Jude
James

Pepeha

This term we have been learning Te Reo Maori with Room 3 on a Friday morning. Next week we are going to be sharing our pepeha with the class.  Today we are practising our pronunciation.  Here are a couple of websites that we are using to help us:

For pronunciation: 

http://www.maorilanguage.net/index.cfm

For translation: 

Maori Dictionary

Here is the outline of our pepeha (where I come from):

Tena koutou e hoa ma.

Ko _________________ te maunga

Ko _________________ te awa

Ko _________________ te iwi

Ko _________________ toku ingoa

Te kau ma _______________ oku tau

Ko _________________ raua ko ______________ oku matua

No Papaioea ahau

Ko Whaea Pia Bradshaw te kaiako

No te whanau Ngata ahau

Ko matua Wayne Codyre te tumuaki o taku kura

Tena koutou, tena koutou tena koutou ka toa.

Here is another example of a pepeha: 

The Order of Introduction

Ko ____________________ toku maunga

Ko ____________________ toku moana

Ko ____________________ toku awa

Ko ____________________ toku waka

Ko ____________________ toku rohe

Ko ____________________ toku iwi

Ko ____________________ toku hapu

Ko ____________________ toku wahi

Ko ____________________ toku marae

Ko _____________ raua ko ___________oku kaumatua

Now if your parents come from the same place, continue as follows:

(a) Ko _____________ raua ko ___________ oku matua

Ko ____________________ toku ingoa

If your parents come from two different places you do your father´s side first.

(b) Ko ____________________ toku matua tane

then go back to the top (Maunga) and come down your mother´s side.

(c) Ko ____________________ toku whaea

Ko ____________________ toku ingoa

If one side is Maori, choose (a) (b) or (c) and then finish off with:

Ko ____________________ toku ingoa

Who can see what you put online?

As part of the Keeping Ourselves Safe health unit, we have been learning about how to keep ourselves safe online.  We were pretty surprised to find out how many people can see the photos we put on the internet and that they can be altered, pretty easily.

Have a read about what happened when this teacher put her photo online, as an experiment for her class.

Read more by clicking here

Cyberbullying videos - Can we keep ourselves safe online? #gigatownpmn

Our school-wide Cybersafety Video Competition has a new branch, the Room 2 Cybersafety Competition.  Prizes include iTunes vouchers and McDonald's vouchers.  

We have been working hard to get them ready for tomorrow's deadline.

Check out the range of applications and programmes we have been using:

 Ehinar, Tash and Veronika using Wideo

James using iTunes and YouTube to look for music

Charlotte, Jesse and Monishan using Photobooth to film

 Malik, Matt and Kane using Go Animate

 Paige and Tiana using iMovie to edit

 Trinity, Keely and Serena play back on the macbook after filming on ipod

Nathanial creating each image on Pages before presenting on Keynote

End of term typing challenge

At the end of this term, (#gigtownpmn) we are going to have an online typing challenge. Over the next few weeks you can practice typing using any of the games from this website or nitrotype.

For all the details, check out the Edmodo assignment here.

Newsletter Term 4 Week 6

If we were #gigatownpmn, just imagine how fast you could download this newsletter!!  Check all the wonderful things the Ross Intermediate kids (and their teachers) have be up to recently.  Download this week's newsletter here. If you would like to receive our newsletter straight to your inbox, then you can sign up here. As this is a forward to a friend link from our newsletter, your own name goes in the 'your friend's name' box).  Otherwise send me an email and I will have your name and email address added.

Homework Term 4 Week 6

A little later than normal, but it is here.  Week 6 homework. Make sure you have an adult sign off each task you complete.  Well done Jesse, Tiana and Veronika for achieving Expert status in your homework this week.  Let's see who else will join them in receiving a Choice Award for their efforts.
This week's homework as a little extra, a Te Reo Homework sheet, based on what we have been learning with Room 3 on Friday mornings.
Apologies for the mistake on the homework sheet, Ruma Toru, not Ruma Rua - we are Ruma Rua!!
I look forward to marking your homework on Monday 25th November.

Fantastic work, Kane!!

Kane has a great day at Hockey Prizegiving on Sunday!

Here he is with his all his trophies.
- Hatch Cup Boys A Team
- Most Improved Player for Boys A Team
- Most Improved Junior Umpire

Well done, Kane!!

Edmodo spelling and basic facts videos

 How many devices can you spot in this photo?

Before school this morning Mrs Bradshaw found these Room 2 girls working hard to complete this week's spelling and basic facts testing videos. Once completed they need to be uploaded to Edmodo, so that Mrs Bradshaw can see how much they improve each week.  No wonder their spelling is so good and they are racing up the Basic Facts Ladder!

Homework Term 4 Week 5

Just a couple of changes to this week's homework sheet. As per usual it can be found on the Homework blog page.

If you have any school work that is unfinished for any reason, remember that you can complete this at home. 

Writing google docs are available anywhere there is a working internet browser - this could be on an Ipad, PC, Macbook or...your phone!  

Literacy books can go home, but MUST be returned to school the very next day, as you know, we work in these books EVERY DAY. 

Edmodo videos can be completed at home, once again, using your phone.  You can then upload the video to Edmodo once you arrive at school - as long as it is before 8.40am. 

Did you enjoy reading the newsletter with your family? We will have another one out on Thursday.

The NAPE (Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner, Expert) rubric has been added so you can see what needs to be done to improve on last week's effort.

Take care and do your best to get it all completed by Monday 18th November.

Algebra Games

That's right we have pretty much finished working on Statistics and Fractions for the year.  Soon we are going to be moving on to ALGEBRA.

Here are a few Algebra games to help with our learning. Do you know of any awesome algebra games?  If you do add them to the comments box below.  Then check back and see which ones we have tried and tested, and match our learning.

Building with Functions

Fun with Fibonnacci

Fibonnacci sequence

Equation game

Pattern match

System of Equations - a fun game invoing basketball hoops

Learning greater than and less than

Comparing numbers 100 - 10,000

Comparing numbers up to 1,000,000 - using greater than and less than


A range of fun algebra games

Homework Term 4 Week 4

It's that time of the week again.  Room 2's homework has been added to the 'homework' page on our blog.  Remember to can download and print a nice colour copy from here or you can collect a black and white copy from the class notice board. 

Homework is due on next Monday 11th November. 

One of the MUST DOs this week involves reading a section of this fortnight's newsletter.  You can find it on the previous blog post to this one. Enjoy!

Newsletter Term 4 Week 3

To download a copy of this week's newsletter go to the 'letters' page on our school website.

Can we make Facebook - Safebook?

Of course we can! Follow these simple rules and stay safe on Facebook.

For further information: http://www.fuzion.ie/index.cfm/page/cyberbullying

Homework - Term 4 Week 3

This week's homework is now available on the Homework page of our class blog. It is due back on Monday the 4th November. As always you can download the homework sheet from our blog or you can collect a printed copy of the noticeboard in our classroom.

It's great to see so many people improving in spelling and basic facts ladder due to the practice they are putting in at home.  Are you improving?

Novice: 4 or less MUST DOs completed and signed off by your parents.  Apprentice: 5 MUST DOs completed and signed off by your parents.  Practitioner: 5 MUST DOs and 2 CAN DOs completed and signed off by your parents.  Expert: All MUST DOs and ALL CAN DOs completed and signed off by your parents.

Production DVD

#Pinktober for Breast Cancer Awareness at Ross Intermediate

Post by Ross Intermediate School.

Angles shots

This week we have been experimenting with angles.  Which photo do you like the best?

Action Photos - second attempt

Our second attempt at taking Action photos showed that we had learnt a lot about taking this kind of photo. Which one do you think shows action in the best way?

Duo-blogging just became Trio-blogging

Make sure when you are working on Duo-blogging this week you check out Room 6 at Halcombe School. This week we got a mention on their class blog.

A CHOICE AWARD will be awarded to EACH person who can explain why it is now called trio blogging - when they Turn-in this week's blog comment on Edmodo.

Homework Term 4 Week 2

I look forward to marking everyone's books tomorrow afternoon, in between writing a few more reports. This week's homework will be photocopied and available on the in class noticeboard. Otherwise you can download, print and glue it into your book at home, from here.

Printmaking with Miss A

Jude and Kane show us how the Printing Press works.

Ross Intermediate Newsletter Term 4 Week 1

In this week's newsletter:

Hats and Jackets reminder
Special request form - request a teacher for 2014
School athletics Information
Guitar lessons
Oliver auditions at The Regent
Achievements - Wearable Arts and Basketball
Community Notices
School calendar
Class request form - attached

Have you received your copy of newsletter? If not, contact the office and sign up to receive either a paper copy - personally delivered to your doorstep by your darling son or daughter or an e-copy, delivered to your email inbox.

Photography

This term We Are Learning To....recognise and apply the key elements of photography.

Here are our first attempts at taking ACTION shots:

Trinity's comment got 'retweeted'

Trinity mentioned the book 'Quake Dogs' and it got retweeted by the photographer of that book - Craig Bullock.

My fav book is Quake dogs i like it coz its bout dogs and how they reacted thro the christchurch earthquake @kidsedchatnz #RossintTrinity
— Mrs B's Room 2 (@MrsPBradshaw) October 16, 2013

Author response on Twitter - Joe Craig

During yesterday's kidsedchatnz twitter discussion on books, Nathanial mentioned Joe Craig's book 'Jimmy Coates'.

It was pretty exciting when Nathanial's tweet was favourited:

And then he got a response!

KidsEdChatNZ on Twitter

This afternoon our Tweetperts had lots of fun on Twitter.  They joined the twitter group - @kidsedchatnz.  You can read more about it on the official kidsedchatnz blog.

Today's questions were on the topic of books. I wonder if any of our tweets will win the prize for "Tweet of the Week"!

You can follow The Power of Two on Twitter here.

Novel Study - The Giver and The Silent One

This term we are working on a novel study.

One group will be studying "The Silent One" by Joy Cowley

Synopsis: The Silent One is Jonasi, sent from the sea as a baby to grow up in an isolated Pacific village. Separated from the villagers by his silence and their prejudices, Jonasi finds solace in his underwater world where he develops a special relationship with a huge white turtle. However, the superstitious villagers see both Jonasi and the turtle as evil spirits. A series of natural disasters and a struggle for leadership within the village sweep Jonasi toward his strange destiny.

The other group will be studying "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

Synopsis: This novel follows a boy named Jonas through the twelfth year of his life. The society has eliminated pain and strife by converting to "Sameness," a plan that has also eradicate emotional depth from their lives. Jonas is selected to inherit the position of "Receiver of Memory," the person who stores all the past memories of the time before Sameness, in case they are ever needed to aid in decisions that others lack the experience to make. When Jonas meets the previous receiver—The "Giver"—he is confused in many ways. Additionally, the Giver is able to break some rules, such as turning off the speaker that listens to peoples' conversations in their homes, and lying to people of the community. 

Have you ever studied a novel? Which novel did you study? What activities did you do?

Homework Term 4 Week 1

Only a few days and we will all be back at school, ready for another exciting term! Are you bored during the holidays? Why not get started on next weeks homework? It's not due until Monday 21st October (week 2).  

As always, you can download homework sheets from the Homework page of this blog.  

When you click on the homework sheet you will be taken to the PDF copy of the homework in our class dropbox folder. Then you can download it, print it, glue it in and get started!

Capital letters....when to use them and when NOT to use them...

by grammar.net.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

7 Questions to Answer before Sharing Photos Online.

Holidays are a great time to hang out with friends, take photos of each other, share them online...

Teachers' Onesie Friday @ Ross Intermediate

Thanks to Miss Tetera and Miss Gibson suggestion - a way to MAKE THEIR DAY for the kids at Ross Intermediate, the teachers got dressed up in Onesies.  Can you work out which teacher is which?? Who is in the Skeleton Onesie?

Holiday helper for Parents

If you are a parent and you try this out or your parents try this out on you, comment below and let us know how well it worked!

R U Ready? Ross Intermediate School Production

Post by Ross Intermediate School.

Ngata Production - SUP

What a fantastic show! Well done.
All of the students from Ngata came alive during the Production last night. What amazing actors and singers.

These songs will forever have special meaning for you all.

• Slice of Heaven
• Don't forget your roots
• Summer Nights
• I'm always here
• and Walking on Sunshine for the finale!