Thanks You for supporting Walkathon 2015

A big thank-you to all students and families who participated in our Walkathon this year.  The school raised $7400 towards our environmental projects and outdoor areas.  We would like to acknowledge Sophie Bryhn for raising $282.00.  
Well done everyone top effort!

ANZAC Ceremony

Room 21 (The Green Dragons) held an ANZAC ceremony last week.  Below is some of their writing.

World War 1

103,000 New Zealand Soldiers served in the First World War including 2200 Māori and 550 Pacific Islanders thinking it was a big adventure but men weren't just fighting in the war in fact 550 Woman joined to be as Nurse's to look after men that would get injured.

Then the shock of war came as there was more than 41,000 casualty's was recorded at the end of war, about 18,500 New Zealander died, that's why we have Anzac Day to remember  them.

• Ten Nurse's died when a German U Boat sunk their ship.

• World War Started in 1914 when people assassinated Franz-Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in Serbia
• It ended in 1918
• Gas was introduced as a weapon
• The New Zealand soldiers fought at Anzac Cove Gallipoli
• A Soldier wrote a poem called in Flanders Fields
• Poppy's are used to remember them as the only thing to grow between the Chaos  

By Brendan

Passchendaele

The battle of Passchendaele started at 12 October 1917 was New Zealand’s darkest day. 846 young men were killed or mortally wounded in the first 240 minutes of the battle.

Men volunteered and thought it would a fun adventure and they would be back for christmas but unfortunately they were wrong.

Instead they stayed there for months and months (actually years).

By Renee

The Poppy

Have you ever wondered why we have to wear a poppy on Anzac day? Well read this and I will tell you.

People have been wearing poppies for a long time but its not because the flower is beautiful, its because in 1915 a lieutenant named John McCrae saw Poppies growing on Flanders Field. It was the first time he had seen Poppies growing on the battlefield. John McCrae thought the poppies were beautiful so he wrote a poem about the poppies growing on the battlefield. Once the poem got let out to the world, it was very popular. The poem became so famous that now people on Anzac day wear a poppy to remember the soldiers.

By Hollie

Flanders Field Poem

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
se Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The End of the War

Our New Zealand Soldiers walked through the cheering crowds when they returned. Over time the Soldiers who fought in the war didn't talk about their experiences.  The Soldiers who were left behind will always be remembered.  

On the gravestones of the soldiers who couldn’t be identified are the words “known unto god.” These crosses are the memory of those who risked their lives for our country that couldn't be found or couldn't be identified.


By Ellie

Our School Powhiri - A Warm Welcome!

Kia Ora, last week we had our first school Powhiri.  Everyone had to sit down for ages but it was all worth it in the end.  At the start Mrs Robinson greeted the Maori visitors to Gulf Harbour School.  Our Te Reo teacher Whaea Anna was a great help for the Powhiri. We sang a waiata. The song we sang was called ‘He Honere’. Then Hayoto spoke with great dignity, after that we sang another waiata. This one was called ‘Te Aroha’.

Then it was the visitors (Manuhiri) turn to speak, after that we sang one more waiata this one was called Tutira Mai Nga Iwi. They did an awesome job at singing the waiata. Everyone did a great job on the day.

Thank you to all the students and parents who participated  on that day. After the Powhiri the parents had morning tea. They said our singing was awesome!

By Laura & Ellie

Edited by Anna

Super Animal Card Craze!

Hey you listen up, Countdown have made some collectable cards that are spreading throughout the coast and everyone is collecting them. They are animal cards! Most kids have brought the cards to school and have been trading them.

Some kids have the entire collection. Some kids are still trying to get them all. There are 108 cards to collect.

The cards have been a big thing our school. The cards are called Super Animals. We will list 9 animals and the different categories...

1. Free tailed bat - Fastest.

2. Honey badger - Toughest.

3. Southern cassowary - Deadliest.

4. Green tree frog - Smartest.

5. Monkey eating eagle - Fiercest.

6. Narwhal - Weirdest.

7. Tokay gecko - Sneakiest.

8. Oil bird - loudest.

9. Black tailed trainbearer  - Showiest.

...and there are a lot more. The cards are a huge addiction to kids.

Some of the animals on the cards are herbivores. Which means they eat plants and some are meat eaters. Get into the latest craze!

By Nicole and Tammy

Swimming Sports

We got off the bus and were buzzing with excitement. Everyone wanted to run to the pool and jump in but we had to controlled ourselves and wait. There were competitive and non-competitive events. It was amazing how many people did the competitive ones, but it would have been awesome if all Year 5-8s competed.

There was Medley, Freestyle,  Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly. Not that many people did Butterfly. Well done to the people that tried doing butterfly it is stroke that is tough (well for us it was!). We have some great swimmers.

There were some fun non competitive activities that the kids enjoyed. There was a motorbike race that students did to the other side to the pool (using noodles). They also had a horse race and lots of other non-competitive things too.

People had lots of things to say after swimming sports. Here are a few comments.

“Swimming sports is really fun I think we should it every term!” - Jemma  

“It was so awesome everyone had a great time,” - Liam

“It was such fun!” - Renee

All in all, we had a great day! Congratulations to everyone involved! (More pictures below)

By Isi and Hollie

It's Good to be Back to School

Welcome back, great to see all the students back to Gulf Harbour School.  

We’re off to a great start. We are in week 2 already, team names are sounding pretty good.There’s Poutama which means building up, the Shire which is from the Hobbit, there’s the Thunderbirds which is a movie made in the 1960s and the Stadium which is undecided.  It’s really good to see the teams getting together.

Year 5 camp to Whatipu is coming up soon. Year 3-4s are getting ready to go to Shakespear.  Camps are in Week 4.

The Stadium challenged the teachers to a game of Cricket. Quite a lot of students turned up with signs that they made saying ‘Go teachers’ or ”Boo Stadium’. The Stadium won but the teachers are still not sure about score. Every kid in the school is learning how to play cricket.  I’m pretty sure that at least one student in Gulf Harbour School will make it into the Black Caps. Watch this space! They will be learning how to catch and hit a ball and all of that type of stuff.

The water slide has been in action this week, people have been slipping and sliding down it like crazy. Soon we will be having a speed competition teachers against students. Can teachers get their revenge?

The picnic at Shakespear was really fun. There were Bouncy castles, Sports equipment and loads of people introducing their parents to their teachers.

So all in all a fantastic start to the year!

By Ellie and Anna