Slack-lining

What a great way to improve your balance and motivate you to try something different. I am looking for places around the school to set this up. Harry and I went for a look around the playground but didn't find many suitable places. We thought maybe we could set it up at the park, using some of the trees close to the AstroTurf. Will have a go on Friday and then maybe continue to use on fine days over the winter.

Dan at home having a go. His cousin who travels to Nepal to do trekking showed the kids how to do this a few weeks ago and they are now hooked, going out most evenings to try and improve their skills.

Bec showing that it can be a great fun activity - she fell off straight after this, but is determined to master the skills before her cousin comes home so she can show her how much she has improved.

Taking Risks and Sailing

An interesting few days with the opportunity to attend two days of sailing with Wha Team classes. Great to see so many children trying something new for the first time. Some nervous groups who very quickly came to grips with the difficulties of sailing a small dinghy and their enthusiasm to just keep trying. A great time had by almost all.

It was interesting to note however a small group - predominately boys - who did not or would not participate. Was this because they had a fear of failure in front of their peers, or were they genuinely afraid of the water? Observation showed that while one or two may have be more afraid of the water others simply were more afraid to fail and therefore missed out on an amazing learning opportunity and a chance to have fun with their peers. Next question - how do we fix this and change their mindset about failure and success?

Blogging in R2

More blogging around the school. Working on links and what to actually put on their blogs etc.

With support from Miss Avent, the Wha Team have made an axcellent attempt at making these old buildings look more appealing to the eye. They are also portraying a message about NZ and what it means to them. Well done guys, these look amazing.