Listening to Diana reading Piggity-Wiggity

The Book has Arrived

We are very pleased to announce the much awaited arrival of Diana's book: Piggity-Wiggity-Jiggity Jig. Diana rushed in to show us and treated Q Zealanders to another enjoyable reading - this time with the real thing. Congratulations, Diana. We are very proud of you and what you have created.

Flash News... Party Time

Rachel and Kylie have offered to host an end of year party for us at one of their houses!!!

So... we thought maybe a barbeque... bring sausages..? maybe the Quiddage awards..? maybe see if the pool will be available..? Could the spelling winners do their cooking for it..? Music..? What else???

Post ideas and/or volunteer to help with the organisation.

Newsflash... not to be confused with 'Flash News'

Diana has invited us to do a recording of the Piggity Wiggity song in a recording studio.

We may end up singing one of the tracks on the Piggity Wiggity CD that will be included inside the cover of its second publication.

The plan is for the whole class to sing the choruses and perhaps some soloists or small groups to sing the verses.

The recording would take place at Freyberg High School (in the evening) in a couple of weeks time.

Digital Stories

Remember there will be a S2000 bonus for all Digital stories completed by 6 December

ePortfolios

As it gets closer to the end of the year, ePortfolios need to be moved up a notch, ready to be saved onto a disk to bring home. If yours is a bit thin, find plenty of evidence of your progress to put into it. You need to feel proud of your ePortfolios and the learning that has taken place this year.

Parents, please ask to see your child's ePortfolio when you come to drop off or pick up your children.

Speech Finalist

I feel really pleased with the high standard of speeches this year. Every Q Zealander should be proud of his or her achievements. They were well written, and well prepared.

Congratulations Lydia on reaching the Skyscrapers Speech Final.

Success Criteria for Writing a Speech

• My speech followed the hamburger technique
• The message/information/story came through
• The ending was effective & finished off the speech
• My speech was well-researched
• My speech was logically sequenced
• My speech was suited to my target audience
• My speech was in my words

Researching our Speeches

We have some great speech topics lined up and students have been brainstorming on their 'Ideas Maps'.



The next step is to research our topics. Speeches need to contain some factual information, but it needs to be balanced with interpretations and perhaps some interesting stories.



Next week we will start writing the speech. We have discussed the hamburger technique for writing a speech.

Speech Topic

We are nearly ready to start writing our speeches. Children will come tomorrow with their finalised speech topic, relating to the theme of "It's a Small World". We will then brainstorm our topic by using an ideas map.

Speeches

We are about to start learning about how to write and deliver a prepared speech. Our theme will be "It's a Small World". So we expect topics to range from "Interesting Insects" to "The Advantages of Being Small" to "The Dangers of Small Mindedness" to "Microscopic Creatures which Inhabit our Skin" to "Globalisation" to "We're a Tiny Part of the Universe" to "They Can't Make Me Feel Small". What else?

The speeches will be written at school, and perhaps finished or polished at home but would be really helpful to discuss ideas at home.

One person from each class will be selected to speak at a Skyscrapers team final. Then there will be a trophy for the winning speech maker.

Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig

Diana came in to read us her third book - about Piggity-Wiggity going to a school concert.

It was a cool story and I like how Piggity-Wiggity saved the day. The 'iggity' words are really nice to say (Tori).
I like the rhyme and flow of Diana's stories (Lauren).
I feel like we are very privileged to hear Diana's stories (Kate).

Nancy in China - the Wedding

We slowly trudged up the stairs leading to my cousin's house. When we reached there, I nervously knocked on the door. When the door opened I saw my cousin. When I saw her, I thought she looked like a dazzling diamond. Everyone of my relatives that came with us all said; ' The bride is so beautiful.' Shortly after we arrived a huge BOOM BOOM BOOM sounded outside my cousin's apartment home. Those big bangs were really fireworks sounding. My little sister so frightened that she looked dazed. Next after the frightening fireworks, the bride's brother piggy-backed my cousin down to the 1st floor. You see, my cousin's house is on the fifth floor. After the business of piggy-backing the bride, taking photos and putting off fireworks we drove to the place where my cousin's wedding was to be held. When we entered the wedding banquet we had to find the right room, the correct table and how we were going to sit. Then we had to wait, wait, wait, wait and wait for the wedding to actually begin. You see, the wedding started at 7:00 and we arrived at 4:30 so we had to wait for 2 and a half hours. Finally the wedding begins. It started off with the bride and the bridegroom walking on a red carpet leading towards a platform. Then they stood together side by side and this presenter person went on and on about love and blah blah blah. Straight after that the bride and the bridegroom had to fill a wine tower which they have to pour wine in the wine cups. Then everyone started to enjoy the dinner provided on their table.
While they are enjoying their dinner the bride and the bridegroom had to give a toast to every table and which there are fifty tables in total. Soon some people started giving out wedding chocolates to everyone. The boxes were shaped in hearts and was deep red in color. When we've finished our dinner the bride and the bridegroom had already gone downstairs and thanking people for coming to their wedding and saying goodbye to them. The bride couldn’t eat a thing from when she has her dress and makeup on to after the wedding which was about 6 HOURS!!!

Class Photo - Room 13, 2007

Zain's Sky Tower

Zain had a dream... Inspired by Sarah's fabulous Drury Tower investigation, Zain imagined what it might be like to try to build a model of the mighty Auckland Sky Tower. According to his mum it kept him out of trouble for most of the holidays! We were mightily impressed by his efforts. Great Personal Investigation, Zain

From our Chinese Correspondent

The time came when to depart for Auckland. My mum, my little sister and I got on the plane and found our booked seats. I felt really sad that my dad wasn't coming with us to China. With one sad wave through the oval window we took flight. Up we soared like an albatross, gliding on the sea air.

While sitting in the plane heading towards Shanghai I only got ONE hour of sleep. You see it takes 24 hours to get to China so I spent most of my getting to sleep time watching telly.

Finally we arrived in the Shanghai Airport. The people on the plane including us started to get off the plane. Once we got off, we felt the heat of summer. As well as finding our luggage we went to look for the exit and find my two Aunties.

Once out of the airport, we went to my Aunty's house and then we got onto a train going to Hefei, where my grandparents live. We had to find our booked beds. I fell asleep straight away.


We arrived in Hefei. I couldn't wait to meet my grandparents for the first time! We were finally getting c l o s e r and closer towards my grandparents' home. Suddenly my grandparents came into view. What a rejoicing took place! Hugs and tears and... um, something else. To be continued...

Ratatater Hunt Sell Free Sherbert

"Today at Ratatater Hunt, we are selling sherbert... free!"

"But if it was free you couldn't be selling it."

The market day began. Everybody lined up in front of Ratatater Hunt. We found that the sherbert was free, but we had to pay 15 Snidges for the straw!

Cricket Reps

Blake and Tim have been selected for the Manawatu Cricket Rep team. Congratulations Boys, we are really proud of you, and look forward to seeing your progress towards the Black Caps!

How Can I Do a Self Portrait?

The Green Team

With Q Zealand designing and setting up our paper recycling system, we have this great team of superheroes who keep things running smoothly. Logan, Blake, Callum and Matthew are the mighty Green Team

Can I do up my pink and white bike? Tori's Personal Investigation

What can I find out about the F5E TIGER II? by Callum

Paper Planes

WINNERS:

We had our first 'throw off' today. Congratulations to Logan and Shayden. Your plane could just about make it all the way to Auckland.

It was just a test though. They are your first prototypes. Next we'll do some experiments to change one variable at time to see how it affects the flight of your planes.

Variables we came up with in our discussion today were:

• Nose Shape
• Folds
• Wing shape
• Tail shape
• Weight
• Proportion of wings to body size
• Symmetry
• Wingspan
• Weight distribution

We decided that we would only allow an A4 sheet of paper to be used; with no other items such as staples or tape. We also agree that while it would be good to hold the competition inside, our hall might not be long enough. So we've decided we'll hold it outside, even if it is windy.

Good luck pilots and aeroplane engineers.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Winners of the great 'Fly-Off':

1st (S500 prize):Tim and Taylor

2nd (S300): Nancy, Blake, Matt

3rd = (S100): Lydia and Kate

Callum

Diana's Book

We have been so lucky to have Diana Neild to share the process she has been through to publish her books; "Piggity-Wiggity-Jiggity Jig" and "Piggity-Wiggity-Jiggity Jig Goes to Dad's Café".

It has taken Diana nearly a year to arrange the publishing. Firstly she had to find a company to publish her book (Scholastics), then the company had to approve the book and after that they found an illustrater to draw the pictures. The illustrater chosen is a man called Philip Webb. Philip had to draw rough sketches of the characters before he drew the real copy.

Today Diana brought in two of Philip's illustrations to show us. They are really detailed.

We are really proud to have an author of our own.

by Nancy

Quiddage Tax

Taxes

• Gambling Tax - 90%
• Sugar and Fat Tax - 60%
• $NZ Tax - 30%
• Services, events etc which include none of the above- 0%

Subsidies

• Using only recycled products - 30% subsidy

Technology and Market Day

The Technology prototypes have been interesting and hugely varied.

We are having a whole school Quiddage Market Day, on the last Tuesday of the term. We will be selling the structure / mechanism products we have been designing in Technology.

As the products continue to be developed (and hopefully more products made) in the students' own time we will be focussing at school on the marketing side as well as naming the products, including warnings or instructions, pricing, making their shops attractive etc.

Discussion about this at home would be helpful.

Matt's Personal Investigation

What is it like to live in Japan?

Kara's and Lizzie's Personal Investigation

This is our Personal Investigation. It is a life-sized papier mache pony. It has a wire frame. It took ages to make.

Quiddage

Gringots Bank of Q Zealand staff have a big job managing all our personal and business accounts. Manager Lydia and her team do a great job calculating tax, deposits, withdrawals, pay and profits.

Sarah and Paige lead the way with their attractive, delicious and enterprising business.

Q Zealanders LOVE Quiddage...

Personal Investigations

Q Zealanders carry out a Personal Investigation each term for their homefun. Here are some of the interesting topics we have chosen this year:

• Rocket making


• Icecream designing


• Kitchen design - including a scale model


• House design - including a scale model


• Parkour (look it up on the net or look at Tim's display in Room 13)


• Designing and building a scooter/skateboard


• Making a working wind turbine


• Mediaeval Castles


• Volcanoes


• History of the Tour de France


• Deconstructing and reconstructing a bike


• Poisons in the World Wars


• The Eiffel Tower


• Adventure stories about Q Zealanders


• Erecting Tents


• Freestyle Motocross

Students are asked to use the Enquiry Approach when they carry out their investigations.

1. Decide on a topic of interest


2. Ask a question (e.g. how can I build a beer powered radio?)


3. Research the question


4. Perhaps make a model


5. Present what they have learnt (can be a booklet, poster, chart, oral talk, PowerPoint, movie etc.)


6. Present it to the class


7. Include a bibliography