What is Poetry?

According to Wikipedia, poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language—such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre—to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning.

According to the children in our Year 4 and Year 5 class poetry has more meaningful significance. Here are some responses from the children, giving some idea of their depth of poetic understanding-
  # Poetry can be inspire by things around you (Liberty)
  # Poetry can show feelings (Pete)
  # It is when there is a rhyme (Hyla)
  # It is made up of words that are interesting (Hyla)
  # There is a use of the senses such as hearing and seeing (Elise)
  # It can be about joy and happiness (Connor)
  # Poetry can relate to emotions (Sophia)
  # It can be a gift to somebody (Liberty)
  # There are messages about the past and the future (Hyla)
Pretty good effort don’t you think!

Cinquain Poetry

Cinquain Pattern Line1: A noun Line2: Two adjectives Line 3: Three -ing words Line 4: A phrase Line 5: Another word for the noun

Cinquain Pattern Spaghetti Messy, spicy Slurping, sliding, falling Between my plate and mouth Delicious

Cinquain Pattern Mules Stubborn, unmoving Braying, kicking, resisting Not wanting to listen People

 Examples of Rhyming Couplets

In poetry, a couplet is a pair of lines. Typically, they rhyme and have the same meter. They make up a unit or complete thought.

Rhyming Couplets in Literature

"’Tis education forms the common mind,

Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined." - Alexander Pope

"Singing he was, or fluting all the day;

He was as fresh as is the month of May." - Canterbury Tales by Chaucer

Rhyming Couplets from William Shakespeare

"The time is out of joint, O cursed spite

That ever I was born to set it right!" – Hamlet

"This precious book of love, this unbound lover,

To beautify him only lacks a cover." - Romeo and Juliet

"For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;

Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds." - Sonnet 94

Water Safety
When the weather turns warm, everyone wants to be in or around the water. Hanging out at the pool or the beach on a hot day is a great way to beat the heat.

Between having fun and checking out the lifeguards, most people don't think much about water safety — but they should. For people between the ages of 5 and 24, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death.

It doesn't have to be that way, though. Most water-related accidents can be avoided by knowing how to stay safe and following a few simple guidelines. Learning how to swim is essential if you plan on being on or near water.

Here is Elise’s message on water safety.

Water safety

Everyone this summer needs to be aware of the water.

Rips are the most dangerous part of the water.  If you are in a rip you let it take you out till it stops and then swim to the side.  If you don’t know how to swim put your hand up high and that is the help sign. 

If you are at a picnic and someone needs help in the water you can throw  anything that floats. Give them instructions how to use it.  After that they should be safe. 

So be safe this summer in the water.

By Elise

 Swimming Smarts

"Buddy up!" That's what swimming instructors say. Always swim with a partner, every time — whether you're swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake.

Get skilled. It's good to be prepared. Learning some life-saving skills, such as CPR and rescue techniques, can help you save a life.

Know your limits. Swimming can be a lot of fun — and you might want to stay in the water as long as possible. If you're not a good swimmer or you're just learning to swim, don't go in water that's so deep you can't touch the bottom and don't try to keep up with skilled swimmers.If you are a good swimmer and have had lessons, keep an eye on friends who aren't as comfortable or as skilled as you are.

Charlie knew the right thing to do when you read her story.

To the rescue.

‘HELP!  HELP!’  someone screamed.

 I turned around and looked out to sea. I could just see the tip of a finger bobbing up and down.

 ‘HELP  ME’. There it goes again.

What should I do?
 Do I tell the life guard or do I swim out and help them?

As I thought that, three life guards zoomed out into the sea on a life boat to save the person in distress.

 One of the life guards pulled a boy out of the water and ended up back on the sand.

By Charlie Kennedy

 Swim in safe areas only. It's a good idea to swim only in places that are supervised by a lifeguard. No one can anticipate changing ocean currents, rip currents, sudden storms, or other hidden dangers. In the event that something does go wrong, lifeguards are trained in rescue techniques.

These were some of the messages shared by Tracey, a member of the Royal Life Saving, who gave us lessons on dealing with rips, swimming safely in the sea and rivers, and learning ways to rescue those in trouble. Here we are beside our school pool listening to instructions.

There was a clear message from Tracey when swimming in the sea. Swimming in an open body of water (like a river, lake, or ocean) is different from swimming in a pool. You need more energy to handle the currents and other changing conditions in the open water.

If you do find yourself caught in a current, don't panic and don't fight the current. Try to swim parallel to the shore until you are able to get out of the current, which is usually a narrow channel of water. If you're unable to swim away from the current, stay calm and float with the current. The current will usually slow down, then you can swim to shore.

But there can be fun at school. A water slide was set up at school for the children to enjoy. Here is Hyla’s story.
The Water SlideAs I run up the hill I had a tingle in my body.I saw the water slide which was amazing.I was excited waiting my turn.When it was my turn Mr Barclay said go.I fell on my stomach.The muddy slide was scary.We saw so many people lining up.We see people going down the water slide.We were waiting for Mr Lovell to have a turn He ran and ran and then he landed under the mattress.
By Hyla

Food and Nutrition
The senior classes, Room 5 and Room 6 had a visit from a health nutritionist, where we looked at the food pyramid, visited our local Four Square Supermarket and purchased ingredients to make sandwiches in the classroom. Here are some of the points that were covered during the week.

Your guide to healthy eating

Life as a young person can be fast, furious and fun. To grow and be healthy, you need to be active and eat the right foods.

Make healthy food choices

• Look after yourself. Your health is important, and it’s affected by what you eat.
• Help with preparing the family meals. You could even have one night a week when you cook for the whole family.
• As often as you can, eat meals with your family and whānau.
• Lead by example – encourage your family and whānau and friends to make healthy food choices.
• Eat three meals every day plus two or three healthy snacks during the day. You also need to drink plenty of water.
• Always take time to eat a healthy breakfast – so you have energy to start the day.

Eat many different foods

Eat a variety of foods from these four food groups every day. They are in our food pyramid.

• vegetables and fruit
• breads and cereals
• milk and milk products
• lean meats, chicken, seafood, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Vegetables and fruit

• Provide carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals, fibre and are low in fat.
• Eat them with most meals.
• Great snack food.

How much do I need?

• At least 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day.
• Eat many different coloured vegetables and fruit: tomato or strawberry; broccoli or kiwifruit; carrot or mandarin; eggplant or plum; potato or pear.

Breads and cereals

• They also include rice and pasta.
• They provide carbohydrate, which can be an important source of energy and fibre, and some vitamins and minerals (especially wholegrain breads and cereals).
• A great source of energy for growth, sport and fitness.
• If you’re hungry, fill up on these foods. They will keep you full for longer than biscuits, cakes or sweets.

How much do I need?

At least 6 servings every day – if you’re very active, you may need more.

Milk and milk products

• They include milk, cheese and yoghurt.
• They provide energy, protein, fat and most vitamins and minerals, including calcium.
• You need high-calcium foods to build strong bones.
• Choose low-fat milk (yellow or green top) for extra calcium.
• Try milk, cheese and yoghurt as snacks.

How much do I need?

At least 3 servings every day. Choose low-fat options.

Lean meats, chicken, seafood, eggs, nuts and seeds

• All contain protein, which your body needs to grow.
• Also contain fat and many different vitamins and minerals – especially iron, which is important for your blood and brain.
• Your body easily uses the iron from meat, chicken and seafood. To help use the iron from legumes, eat fresh, vitamin C-rich vegetables and fruit at the same time, including kūmara, broccoli, tomatoes, oranges and kiwifruit.
• Limit processed meats, such as luncheon, salami, bacon and ham as they are usually high in fat and/or salt.

How much do I need?

At least 2 servings every day.

Healthy snacks

Snacks help provide the extra energy you need for growth and physical activity. If you are going to be out and about, take snacks with you. Choose healthy snacks that are low in fat, salt and sugar, such as:

• bread, bread rolls, bagels, rēwena and pita breads or French sticks. Try some wholegrain varieties and have them with your favourite low-fat fillings
• crackers, fruit buns, scones, fruit bread, pancakes, popcorn (try popping your own)
• pasta and rice
• breakfast cereals with low-fat milk/yoghurt
• low-fat yoghurt, plain or flavoured low-fat milk
• fresh fruit – whole, with yoghurt, blended in a home made smoothie or with a slice of cheese
• vegetable sticks together with a low-fat dip or spread (hummus, cottage cheese or yoghurt-based dips)
• reheated leftovers, for example, stews, soups and vegetables (such as potato, taro, pumpkin or kūmara)

Have plenty to drink

Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses every day. Drink even more during hot weather and when you are very active (especially before, during and after exercise).

Drink more of

Water is best – it’s free and easy to get.

Low-fat milk is also a good drink; it’s rich in calcium and makes a good snack.

Drink less of …

Fruit drinks and juice are high in sugar. If you choose juice, dilute it with water (1/2 juice and 1/2 water) and have it with a meal rather than on its own. This may help to protect your teeth from the sugar.

Soft drinks are high in sugar and energy (calories) and can contain caffeine. They should be occasional drinks (less than once a week).

Energy drinks and energy shots are not recommended. They contain added vitamins and caffeine. They are usually also high in sugar. Most of the added vitamins are not needed.

Sandwich making in the classroom

The children purchased items from the local supermarket to make sandwiches at lunch time. Here they are in their groups with healthy food items on display before they start making their sandwiches.