The Treaty of Huia 1

We have been learning about the Treaty of Waitangi and have formulated our own class treaty. Just as the chiefs and Captain Hobson discussed the important issues which needed to be included, so also did we discuss what was important for us to get along together peacefully in our classroom. This is the treaty that we all decided upon:

We, the members of Huia 1, 2011, agree:

- to respect each other, the staff and our community

- to be loyal to our school

- to lead proudly

- to set and achieve goals for now and the future

- to have fun

- to treat people the way you want to be treated

- to work hard

- to have a positive attitude

- to make cool choices

Students line up to sign our treaty.
Some wanted to be the last to sign so they could put their name at the very top - as Kawiti did when he wrote his name above Hone Heke's.

After signing the class treaty, class members shook hands with "Captain William Hobson" and received a gift of a lolly - unlike the Maori chiefs who signed and received a gift of tobacco...

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Sewing Update:

The year 8s are making a pair of boxer shorts each. Last week we learned to pin the pattern pieces to the material, making sure we had each piece laid correctly on the grain of the fabric.

Then we cut each pattern piece out carefully.

Each pair of boxer shorts has four pattern pieces - two front and two back pieces.

Current Events - in Huia 1

Our school has subscribed to a weekly current events quiz. We get a new quiz every Monday. Some of the questions are multi-choice, some have photos.

This is the current events quiz we did this afternoon. Some of these questions will be in the Friday morning Quiz. How many can you answer correctly?

1. What has the minimum wage in NZ been raised to?
2. What internet site is said to have played an important part in the demonstrations in Egypt?
3. What decision is the Maori Party making about Hone Harawira this week?
4. Which NZ cricket player was accused of poor behaviour on a flight from Sydney to Dubai?
5. Food poisoning is said to have caused the death of a NZ woman and serious illness for two others when they were travelling in what country?
6. What is the name of the current system affecting weather in the Pacific? (Hint - it brings wetter weather,including cyclones and is a Spanish word....)
7. Which English actress has been linked to Australian cricket player, Shane Warne?
8. What was significant about a special landing of a plane at Wellington Airport last week?
9. In what country is Johannesburg the largest city?
10. Bush fires have destroyed houses in which Australian city last week?
11. Police are trying to get rid of an overseas gang from which country?
12. Which team won the Team of the Year at the Halberg Awards last week?
13. In what South American country were there two large earthquakes over the weekend, after a devastating 8.0 earthquake this time last year?
14. Margaret Thatcher was the prime - minister of which country?
15. Which NZ town is famous for gumboots?

In assembly this morning we learned about what happens to the paper we bring to school for recycling. We get paid $50 per tonne of paper and cardboard we bring to school. The company which recycles the paper needs as much as they can get because they do not have enough. Paper that goes into the ordinary kerbside recycling bin gets mixed up with glass and is no good for recycling into other paper or cardboard products. Broken glass can damage the machinery and cause millions of dollars of damage. So... tidy out your cupboards and send all your unwanted and unused paper, magazines, books and cardboard to our school.

We also had a "Financial Literacy" lesson today with a guest speaker, Julian, from the ASB. We learned how to save money by setting "CAR goals". CAR stands for Clear, Achievable and Realistic goals. We played a game where each team had $1600 and we had to make decisions about what to buy and what not to buy to go on a holiday to Hawaii. We had to consider using cash or credit cards, insurance and package deals including food. We learned that we have to pick a job that we like, not necessarily a job where money is the most important. It's good to have passion for the job you do. It is good to spend money wisely.

On Friday we had our first Options classes. Everyone has a Spanish lesson with Mrs Lee, Mrs Vincent or Mr Yates. Year 7s learned to say, " ¡Buenos días!”. We are practising singing Frere Jacques in several languages (at once) for our assembly next week. We plan to sing it in French, Spanish, English and Mandarin.

The ICT options class with Ms Gifford is learning to use a computer programme called "Pencil". We are learning to make a 30 second movie. It involves a lot of copying and pasting. At the end, there are 30 clips and you have to press play for your movie to start. In Mrs Irwin's and Mrs Whitehead's art classes we are learning to do sketching and in Mrs Hansen's technology class we are learning about basic circuits.


We had our first ukulele lesson with Mrs Lee and learned to play C,F,G and G7. (There is no chord called H!)

(Written with help from Hoani and Bhaban)

Practise our 100 Need to Know words here (Part 1a) and here (Part 1b).

Preview the vocabulary for the next 3 chapters of the novel "Holes" by Louis Sacher here.

And remember ... our first homework project is due on Friday.

Sew and Sew

Today, in Poutama (technology), the Year 8 sewing group learned how to sew straight lines and zig zag on the sewing machine. We learned how to use an iron and practised by ironing our calico sample for the hot setting and on Mrs Vincent's rayon table cloth for the cool setting.

*Mrs Vincent thinks she might bring her ironing every week now that the Year 8s can use an iron safely.*

Make sure no one can trip over the cord and check the water level if it is a steam iron. Check the heat is at the right setting for the type of fabric.

We learned how to sew on a button (and it's fun, says Hunter.) Some of us need to practise for homework. Here's a Youtube site to help you learn how to sew on a button.


We also used tape measures to find out our hip measurements so we can get the right amount of material to make a pair of boxer shorts each.

Year 7s learned to cut wood, drill holes, hammer nails and how to make a star with nails and fishing line. We learned that we have to wear goggles and ear muffs when we are using the drill.

Tomorrow we start our first Spanish lessons.

¡Hasta mañana!

Welcome to Huia 1, 2011 ...and so it begins

Here is our new class for 2011.
This is a photo of Huia 1



Today we have two students from Korea visiting our class. Their names are Lia and Woon.

an nung ha se yo
jua nun woon em ni da
jea nun yuk ku yo
jea eap aee eat nun yoja nun lia
lia chak hae yo
gam sa haam nida

Hello.
My name is Woon.
I'm funny.
The next person is Lia.
She is kind.
Thank you.

So far this year, we have learned a bit about the Treaty of Waitangi, such as Hone Heke was the first one to sign it but Kawiti signed it later and put his name above Hone Heke's. Hobson was very sick at the time. A French man, named Baron de Thierry wanted to be the ruler of New Zealand.

We have learned how to write a formal letter of application for class jobs and school responsibilities. We have started learning Spanish and all have a number in Spanish which we say in order instead of taking the roll every morning.

We are learning how to read books aloud for junior students, especially how to enunciate words well and use good volume.

We are practising basic facts and the goal is to achieve 100% in less than 5 minutes.

We have done a 100 Need to Know Spelling Words test and for homework we are learning the ones we got wrong. We have done heaps of handwriting and we have to hold our pens correctly.

On the first day, Mrs Vincent gave us homework which is general knowledge research about New Zealand.