Our "hand" made Christmas tree ( LOL see what I did there... hand! ) It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in Ruma Tahi!

Superhero Dress Up Day for Heart Kids!

Look at all these amazing Superheros! Thank you to Meara and Sophie who made my "Queen of Justice" crown :)

Some awesome writing by one of my stars! (I have 28 of them ;)

Super Squirrel

“Aaaaaaah. The city’s running good and I can relax, haaa.” Super squirrel declared. Everything was going good. The luscious green grass flowed in the direction of the wind, yellow flowers dotted the grass, and brown leaves danced off Super Squirrels tree lair... but little did Super Squirrel know that Doctor Stoat was sketching up a NEW, EVIL, PLAN!!! 

Back at his lair (/hole) Doctor Stoat was successfully sketching up blue prints. “Haha, my EVIL PLAN IS BOUND to work! I shall rule this park in no time! MUAHAHAHAHAAAA, MUAHAHAHAHAHAA, cough cough) My plan has three easy steps, and one back up plan, and if this doesn’t work I'm stuffed! Ok...

“I am so legit” said Doctor Stoat. Unexpectedly Super Squirrel dropped through the door. “Mmmhmm, that’s what you think!” replied Super Squirrel sassily.

“Super Squirrel! How’d you find me?”

“Are you seriously asking me that question? You live in a hole under my tree!”

“It’s a laaaair.” Doctor Stoat said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. This fight went on and on until finally Super Squirrel kicked his butt (Doctor Stoat just kept trying to talk his way out of it).

Two hours later… “ Oh good, you’re awake.” Super squirrel said.

“You’re so predictable S.S!” Doctor Stoat replied

“No nicknames! you're at Super S.H.Q (Super Squirrel Head Quarters). Suddenly Doctor Stoat inappropriately started singing “You used to call me on my cellphone" ”No singing!!!” Super Squirrel shouted.

Super Squirrel called the BOYS to take him away. As they dragged him on the cold stone floor he screamed…  “NOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Super Squirrel wondered if Dr Stoat would manage to escape someday? Then he said  “Naaaa, not with these guns!”  

By Mabel Candy Mason

Today we visited St Aiden's Church. It was a lovely service and the students really enjoyed it. We would just like to say an extra special thank you to all those R.E teachers that give up their free time to help our students learn.

The Key- By O'Meara-Jean Daniela

The Key

                   Chapter 1

It was 8:30pm my bed time for school days. I did my homework till 8:45pm, then I put my homework on my bed side table, left the book on the pale white page, fell asleep and had a dream about a pitch black door in our house never opened, I always wondered what was behind the door, would it be Candy and Sweets or Monsters and Ghouls, ugly oh so ugly Ghouls, well, I told myself, I guess we won`t find out.

I woke up at about 6:30 to pitch black, was this what was behind the door? Was it only pitch black behind there. Darkness surrounded me, I was falling now, falling to my death. Shaking my head, “ NO, NO! This can't be happening! I'm to young to die! Please I`m only 10! I'll be a good girl! I SWEAR!!”

       Chapter 2         

I was still surrounded by darkness, still falling. Then I realised I was tangled up in my blankets and had fallen of my bed. I untangled myself and tried to grab my homework book, but I failed, I got up, I brushed my dark long hair out of my face, and just then my light blue eyes saw my homework book with a pitch black key and writing that said “You know what to do.” Was this the key to the door? The pitch black door that stood in our house? Questions rushed through my head. What should I do? Should I tell mum? Why does it say you know what to do? Who put it there? Question, questions, QUESTIONS!! I started to feel dizzy. My mum ran into my room saying “Why are you screaming questions?!” I started to fall like I was in a dream again but only this time it was real. Before I knew it I was on the ground. I had fainted.

         Chapter 3

I woke up to a big golden ball. The Sun. Mums long black hair was tied up in a pony tail. Blurs suddenly became clear, and I realised Mum was shaking me, trying to wake me up. I saw a worried expression on Mum’s face, I could see that she was scared, scared of losing me like she lost Dad. I got up slowly, I could hardly even talk, I saw Mum change her expression,  she gave me a big hug. “Oh my gosh Sarah. You almost gave me a heart attack! I`ve already lost your Father and I'm not going to lose you too! ” “ I...I...I...I`m ok Mum s...s...seriously. ” I choked out.

That afternoon I couldn't stop thinking about my dream and the key. I had decided that enough was enough. I ran up to my room and grabbed the key and ran back downstairs… right to the door. I stood in front of it panting heavily staring at the door that had stood there in our house untouched for all those years, I grabbed the key from my pocket and held it the in the middle of my palm. Mum came running into the hallway and gasped “Sarah! no don't put that key in the hole you have no idea what's going to happen! Please don't open it, the thing inside there... it killed your father and now it`s coming for me! ”

       Chapter 4

I ignored her. I mean, you know Mums, they make up stories to scare you. “Dad died in a car crash, and you know that Mum, because you were there when it happened!” I screamed “Sarah I'm telling the truth. Please your Dad didn't die in a crash.”

“Well then tell me the truth Mum. Tell me the truth!”

“Ok then, you were just a baby when it happened. It was the day we moved in. Your father and I found the door and the key, so we unlocked it, and that's when it happened. The monster charged out and next thing we knew it was going for you, your Dad was heroic enough to save you. He jumped in front of it and died. He slowly pushed it in the room again and died in the room behind that door.” I still didn't believe it. I put the key in the hole, twisted it and opened the door…

                                     Chapter 5

I gasped as I saw Dad`s 9 year old skeleton “DAD!” I cried “Sarah, you have no idea what you have just done!” A big black cloud of fog emerged “RUN SARAH, RUN!!” Mum pushed me out of the way. The black fog charged at her and killed her like it killed Dad. I started to run because I knew it was coming for me. I burst out of the door and ran down the street to my friend Faith’s house. I ran through the door and screamed “Faith! You have to help me, or I'M GOING TO DIE!!!” “Ok just calm down Sarah.” she said

“ CALM DOWN!!! HOW CAN I CALM DOWN FAITH!! I'M ABOUT TO DIE!!!. ”

“ Sarah… ”

“ Don't you Sarah me Faith. you don't get it, I'm am about to…”  Knock, knock, knock. 

“ NOOOOO!!! IT`S AT THE DOOR! IT KNOWS I'M HERE!! ”           

“ Sarah, it's just my aunty. Relax, I`ll show you that it's just Aunt Mabel.”

“ NO!! DON'T GO OUTSIDE!! ” but it was too late Faith had already opened the door.

“ See it`s just my Aunty. ”

“ I...I...I SEE IT!! ” I ran down the hall and out the back door. I knew that the beast had claimed another victim. I didn't dare look back. To look at my dead friend. To see the terrified look on her face.

                                        Chapter 6

I ran down to the local park where all my friends were. I told them about the black fog and how it killed Faith but they didn't believe it , they just laughed, so I decided to leave, and as I ran, i yelled out “I won’t be there for you when the fog comes!”

CALENDAR ART! 2015

This is what we have done for our Calendar Art Fundraiser this year...

We have been learning about poetry in Ruma Tahi. Below are some of our amazingly scary acrostic poems!

PURPOSE: to learn what an acrostic poem is.

WALT convey a specific feeling in our writing (to scare our audience)

Halloween is a day for all the dead to take their revenge.

All I can hear are the unholy ghost moans.

Loud noises haunt the night and fill my head with nightmares.

Longing to get inside away from the cold black night.

On the strike of midnight on the 31^st the monsters creep up and kill.

When the wind howls the wolf comes out of its cave and howls back.

Excruciating fear shakes my body like an earthquake.

Evil stares into my eyes through the dark.

Nothing could scare me more than HALLOWEEN!

By Mabel Candy

Halloween finally became the spookiest day of all.

All hallows eve was remembering the people that died.

Lanterns eyes were glowing and glowing.

Lollipops were red and green the spookiest colours on Halloween.

Out in the dark was shadows trying to reach at me.

Witches brooming around my house.

Eyes were glooming in the dark bushes.

Evil was coming near us around the dark, dark path.

No trick or treats in our house and if you knock I will HAUNT you down.

By Ji’reh Williams

Halloween is awesomely spooky.

Amazing scary ghosts turn up to my door at mid night.

Lanterns flicker all night through until the dead comes.

Licking lollipops like vampire teeth sucking blood.

Out in the dark I see glowing red eyes in the bushes.

Witches floating around in the dark night putting a spell on you.

Evil eyes flicker red around you in your bed.

Evenings arrive the dead come out and haunt you anywhere you are.

No trick or treaters, no lollies here or… we will haunt you!

By Brooke Corlett

Halloween is the day of the dead.

All the ghosts come and haunt you.

Lightening strikes down.

Lanterns as red as blood.

Wolves howling at the moon.

Evil trolls come and kill you.

Elves come and steal your gold.

NO! I WONT LET YOU KILL ME, I WONT!

By Tydde Thomas-Connor

In Room 1 we have been learning about “The Growth Mindset” which means thinking positively when facing a challenge, and being aware of the vocabulary we are using during a challenge. So instead of thinking “I can’t do this” we tell ourselves “I’ll get this if I keep trying”.

Below are photos of an activity, where a model was supplied to each table. The students were then instructed to attempt to make the model without touching it or picking it up.

Although the mindset vocabulary varied across the class (as shown below), not one single kiddo gave up! I’m so proud of you Ruma Tahi! 

Some End of Term Fun!

Just a couple of belated videos to show our end of Term fun (that the kiddos had TOTALLY earned!)
The first is a human-sized game of Hungry Hungry Hippo...FUN!

This Term we have been trialing a new classroom management system that incorporates financial literacy. The students have expenses such as rent for classroom equipment, earnings for doing their classroom jobs/class leader responsibilities etc, and fines such as  homework  not being handed in or Journals not being returned. The students then got to spend their calculated earnings on items from the prize box via an auction. The students learn that hard work is rewarded, and the opposite results in not such a great prize from the auction, very similar to life, when you don't turn up for work. The desired effect was achieved. Those that didn't have much to spend said  they were going to make sure their homework was handed in, or that they would do their classroom job next term.

The second video is of Vala's prize that she won at the class auction. She chose a can of silly string and sprayed the class with it...MORE FUN!

We all thought it would be nice to show our appreciation by doing a little something for all our volunteers and helpers. We have an amazing school, and your help contributes to making our school what it is. If you have ever lent a hand, this video is for you!

Yipeeeee! PRODUCTION IS COMING

Make sure you get your tickets and invite all your friends and family :)

Ruma Tahi Demonstrating Their Learning About Fractions

This Term we have been learning about Fractions. In the video below you will find students talking about fractions, explaining their thinking, their strategies and articulating their learning. The kiddos have done an amazing job, don't you think? :)

Ruma Tahi learning about Writing Perspectives