The tiring experience!

Read about today's language experience. Can you see how the author is trying to express their feelings in a creative way? 

The stair run: by Amy

"Just 4 minutes to run!" Mrs Millett said. "No way, it's too hard!" I needed to run up and down on the stairs. I hated it! I started to run up and down. At first it was all right, but soon I started running faster and faster. My feet were getting heavy... and I can't move! I heard Mrs Millett say, "3 minutes left!" and I thought, "Why, it is too long!"

The tiring stairs: by Benjamin

Stomp, stomp, stomp! I heard footsteps. We ran up and down. We were hot and exhausted. First I was powered up and now I was powered down. Mrs Millett was a very bad commander. I felt the yellow, shiny, bright sun shining on me.





The stair run:  by Nervaeh

My heart was pounding really fast. It was like a whirlpool going round and round. I was excited and annoyed. I felt like a bee that never stopped working. "Three more minutes!" she said. Time was going so slowly! I really wanted to stop. "One more minute!" Mrs Millett said as I zoomed back down the stairs.

Representing numbers using materials

In our numeracy group today we were talking about representing teen and two digit numbers with materials so that we could get a real sense of number and place value. 




We used sticks in bundles to make tens and individual sticks to make ones. Here's photos of some of our numbers.

A blinding experience

Read about this week's language experience. See if you can spot our deliberate attempts to add language features, strong verbs and adjectives and feelings.

The blind walk: By Logan S

I felt terrified as I closed my eyes for my exciting journey. I was not sure if could trust the commands from my leader. As I heard the commands the playful Connor, I was so confused. 
He ordered me to climb up the familiar tower. I thought in my head, "This is what it must feel to be blind!"


Being blind: By Ava P
Clap! The teacher clapped her hands and said, "We're gong outside to the playground!" The aim was to guide your partner while they closed their eyes. 
I closed my eyes. I was a little bit nervous if I was going to bang into something. Then my class came out and they made a lot of noise! It was my partners turn. I shivered because I didn't know what to do. Then I remembered what I had to do. My partner climbed up the rope wall and down again. 
When I was walking blindly I saw yellow stars popping up in my head. I saw a glimmer of light. I felt the ground shaking as if a tornado was coming at me!! I heard elephants stomping. It was a little bit annoying.

The bush walk

On Monday we went for a bush walk for our language experience. Here is some amazing writing about it. Notice the language features like similes and personification. Also notice how the writer's express their feelings in their recount.

I was soon inside the bush. There was some birds singing and buzzing bees. It was like a band. It was quiet and dark in the bush.
I heard calling and crunching footsteps. I smelled minty, fresh air and minty leaves and native trees. 
Next, I saw a beautiful, hovering fantail. It's tail was like a fan. It was fluttering fast like an umbrella. The also saw silver fern fronds. I felt some scratchy tea tree branches and some shiny, smooth flax. It made me feel so comfortable. The gentle breeze surrounded me like a blanket.
The birds and bees were calling, the crunching of footsteps, the cicadas were singing, and all together it was like a symphony! OMG, it made me feel joyful and they were so beautiful! 
BUT! Mrs Millett said, "Okay everybody- it's time to go back to class!"
By Hannah C


As soon as we walked into the bush I heard a symphony of cicadas. I felt a fresh breeze against my face. The leaves were dancing like a thousand fairies. The tuis were singing. It like a big concert. I smelt the minty freshness all around me.
 I saw a slippery wet bridge ahead of me."Eeek!" the old bridge yelled at me. 
The moss on the trees was dry and crumbly like an old apple skin. I felt calm and relaxed like a sleeping cheetah. 
By Libby I

The nerve-racking experience!

On Friday Mrs Millett explained that we were going to do a language experience. Then she told us to close our eyes. Lots of people were nervous about what was going to happen. Read these recounts about the event to see if you can figure out what did!

Shutting my eyes I couldn't see anything apart from pitch black. Then I heard rustling. "Oh no!" I said in my head.
"Snap, snap!" I was panicking, shivering. 
Then I heard something..."huffing" ... "Oh no"... "puffing". 
It got so loud like a firework. 
"BANG!" went the balloon. "BOOM!"
Screams went to the roof. Sadly the balloon had exploded!

By Caitlin J

"I wonder why they are making a funny noise? It is just a balloon... it's not the end of the world!"

Then I saw some black stars because my eyes were closed. The pearl white balloon popped as if it were dynamite. BOOM! BOOM!

"You can open your eyes now," said Mrs Millett.

By James M

Welcome to the Fast Track Zone! - Meet the team

We're all about accelerating learning in the "Fast Track Zone." Room 16 is the location for a number of programmes lead by a number of teachers. You may be a new learner of English and will be developing your oral and written language skills with Mrs Smith, Mrs MacFarlane, Mrs Yong, Mrs Ham or Mrs Yang. Mrs Millett, Mrs Thorburn, Mrs Brown and Mrs Janes will be accelerating learning in reading, writing and maths. Mrs Deighton and Mrs Shore will also be leading learning in phonological awareness and fine motor programmes. It's going to be a really busy place!!!