Term 3 Week 5!

Halfway through already! What a week it was too!

We were very excited to have the official opening of our new Thomas Brydone Learning Centre on Tuesday.  The TBLC is an extra-large classroom where we can have school celebrations, jump jam, visiting performers and special events.

The library is on shelves at the back of the room and we can't wait to be able to get our hands on all the new books Mrs T has got waiting there for us!

Mrs Johansen and Hayden tell us about Thomas Brydone

Mr McKenzie welcomes everyone

Lanney from Room 5 Kereru gives the karakia



Board chairperson Mrs Heads, MP Eric Roy, Minister of Education Anne Tolley, Mrs Jo and Hayden



The room also has two small teaching spaces for small group work, and the back corner has a special e-learning room for videoing and animation - this week Kieran, Josh R and Tom have been learning how to use the animation software so they can be the experts who teach the rest of us what to do when it is our turn.

For the opening we had the Minister of Education, Mrs Anne Tolley, and MP Eric Roy, here for the official opening as well as many other special guests who had been involved with the building. We sang our school song and Mrs Johansen talked about who Thomas Brydone was.  We wish to thank Mr McKenzie for all his hard work over the past few years to get this new building here for us to use! It looks awesome!

We first used the building last week at the LMV Speech Contest - well done to Josh J for being the runner-up in the Year Six section!  All of the speeches were great and we had a lot of fun listening to them.

On Monday we were in the new Centre for a first aid lesson with Jo from St John's.  We learnt how to put people in the recovery position and also how to help them if they are choking.  We practised wrapping bandages on sprained ankles too. 

Two teams went to Waianiwa on Tuesday for the BP Technology Challenge - Madi F, Anton, Gabby, Kim, William, Renee S and Madi S, and Jordan had built two wind-powered racers, practised building a flagpole and then also had to build a catapault for a pingpong ball.  Unfortunately neither team was placed, though one team won drink bottles for their enthusiasm and teamwork.  It was a great experience for all involved and thank you to Mrs Knapp and Mrs Schreurs for taking the cars. 

Today we are celebrating Dad's Day - we have got a lot of dads, grandads and uncles in the school to join us for jump jam and games.  In Room Six some of us have shown our dads what we get up to on the internet and we are playing board games as it is too wet to go outside.  Thanks to all the dads who were able to drop by and visit.