Springston School Car Boot Sale

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What learning is happening here?

These Room 6 students are nearing the end of their Term 1 Inquiry ('Power Up'). They have decided to create videos to share their learning and teach others what they need to know about how to be healthy.

They have been putting their A+ Learner skills into practice in many ways. They have worked on their presentations in groups and used Flip video cameras to film the scenes they have planned. Most importantly, they have worked hard to share out the different roles and cooperate in a group, taking turns and planning the next step.

Here is a list of just a few of the skills these students have been developing today with this activity:

1. Work cooperatively in a group.
2. Plan a presentation cooperatively.
3. Plan scenes using a storyboard.
4. Plan a video that is manageable in size for the time available to make it.
5. Write scripts and sequence ideas clearly.
6. Choose actors and take turns with the videoing.
7. Convey their inquiry findings in their presentation.
8. Manage tasks in small steps rather than run around like headless chooks. eg - video one short clip at a time.
9. Work quickly to meet a deadline.
10. Be accepting of other people's ideas - reach a consensus or take turns with the decision-making.
11. Smile on camera.
12. Acting skills.
13. Speak slowly and clearly, and loud enough for the camera to hear you.
14. Write down what they need to remember - spelling, punctuation, grammar, neat writing that you can actually read when you're being videoed.
15. What things people need to do to keep healthy - eat a good lunch, take brain breaks.
16. What things NOT to do if you want to be healthy.
17. Operate a Flip camera - on/off/record/play/delete - what to do if it freezes!
18. Take a video that can be seen and heard (be close enough, don't use zoom).
19. Try things out, and if they don't work try something different.
20. Adapt to the busy room around you.
21. Be quiet when someone else is recording.
22. Count down to start the recording so everyone knows when to start.
23. Download video clips - not delete what you've just done.
24. Delete the clips not needed.
25. Transfer clips to the server as they are created so they are not lost.
26. Undo on the computer.
27. Open different windows to move files between.
28. Take turns with each task.
29. Import video clips into iMovie - add clips to the timeline.
30. Play and stop a clip in iMovie.
31. Trim a video clip to remove the parts not needed.
32. Put the clips in order.
33. Play and review what has been created.
34. Add a title to a video clip - spelling, choice of font/size/colour for the viewer to see clearly.
35. Add transitions between clips.
36. Make the transitions or titles slower if they are too quick.
37. View the video and check for errors.
38. Enjoy the job completed and well-done!

A Team Leadership Day

On 5 and 6 April Springston Schools A Team was lucky enough to have two leadership training day with Chris Allan from the Joshua Foundation.

The first day was all about learning what a great leader is with challenges in between a slideshow of what being a leader means.

On the second day Yaldhurst school came to us and we joined together to make four determined teams. Together we faced hard, challenging tasks that tested our leadership skills and communication. These tasks included much creative thinking and teamwork. Getting to know the other people in your team was very important. The first five challenges were on the field using planks of wood, barrels, rope and lots of ammo boxes. The final two challenges were water tasks using wood and inner tubes to make a bridge across the pool and filling a barrel with holes to the top with water.

All in all the day was great fun and the whole A Team really enjoyed getting active and using all their leadership skills!

Reporters: Courtney, Hayden and Madi

Hard Work On The Rail Trail

Rail Trail on PhotoPeach

Yesterday, Tuesday 12 April, Rooms 5 and 6 biked either 22 or 13 km to raise money for new sports equipment. It took about 4 hours to bike 22 km from Little River to Motukarara and about 2 hours to bike 13 km from Birdling’s Flat to Motukarara.

Parents came to bike with us. Some parents took our bikes in their trailers instead.

Thanks to the Room 5 and 6 teachers for organising it and also thanks to the parents for volunteering to help!

It was a FANTASTIC day!

Reporters: Anna and Georgia

Lego Robotics

Freddie, Billy and Oliver have been learning to construct and program a robot using a lego mindstorms robotics set. The set is made up of lego pieces that resemble the Lego Technic kits, 3 interactive servo motors and various sensors including the colour sensor, light sensor, ultrasonic sensor, touch sensor and the sound sensor.

The robot can be programmed to do just about anything, from dancing to playing soccer!

There is a robot competition, called the Robocup. There are 3 categories: Rescue, Soccer, and Dance. We plan to enter this competition, which is part of the reason the school bought the set in the first place! There is also a competition called the FLL (First Lego League). We hope to enter teams of students in these.

So far Freddie, Billy and Oliver have succeeded in building a robot that is sturdy, robust and, most importantly, can follow black lines, part of the rescue section of the Robocup. They are continuing to make more advanced and effective programs for the robot and have high hopes of doing well in the competition! More students will have the chance to learn how to program the robot next term, before we look at who will be in our team/s.

We thank the PTA for donating the money that bought the set.

Reporters: Oliver and Freddie.

School Newsletter 8 April 2011

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Springston Agrikids are winners!

Awesome Field Days on PhotoPeach

The Lincoln Field Day was held on Friday 1 April not far from Springston School. People came to show what they knew about farming and agriculture.There were lots of displays with tractors and other farm machinery. There were lots of tents with other displays about things to try on your farm.

Four teams of Springston students from Rooms 5, 6 and 7 were entered in the Agrikids Competition, competing against teams from as far away as Westport. There were three students in each team. And guess what - our Year 7 Team won! They got filmed for What Now, and will be going to compete in the national finals in Masterton in June! That team is Oliver, Hayden and Billy. Congratulations!

Some of the competition activities were: Push someone in a go-kart, use a slingshot to put a sheep into a sack, milk a fake cow, put the fake parts of a sheep together, build a gate and put on the hinges and put it on a poll, pour water into a pipe and get a packet of biscuits on the top, identify machinery, put a bridle together and put it on a horse, identify breeds of cows and whether they were for meat or dairy, identify safety checks and equipment for riding a motorbike, and there were also random general knowledge questions.

A wonderful group of friends and family of our school volunteered to be part of the overnight security for the Field Day and raised a lot of money for our school.

Reporters: Anna, Georgia, Bailey