Melville Intermediate - Swimming Sports

On Tuesday 23rd of February 2009 Melville Intermediate held their School Swimming sports to select our school team for the Inter-Interzone competition on Monday in Cambridge. We had a film crew there who filmed the event, and also added a little impromptu commentary during some of the events! Presented and filmed by Bailey at the University of Waikato Swimming Pools. This is our first major event online in video form for 2009. We're going to be reviewing this in class next week so if you'd like to give us feedback that we could include in the class discussion then please leave a comment.

Melville Intermediate - Melville Intermediate

Melville Intermediate Promotion

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Melville Intermediate - Mould Experiment

Today Keegan and Leigh started their mould experiments. We are researching the growth of mould on food. To that end we prepared sandwiches in the classroom. The following report is written by Keegan about the experiment.

Today on February 26th Me and Leigh, Scott, Rachana, Raukawa, Kalib G, Arahia and Dylan made sandwiches. Leigh and Keegan took the photo's. The ingredients that we used are jam, marmite, peanut butter, margarine and tomato sauce.

We have made predictions about what will happen, what will go mouldy first. We are leaving them in a special place for the rest of the year or until we can't stand the smell anymore. We will keep everyone as the mould develops with regular updates on this blog.

Melville Intermediate - Web Check.

The following listed blog is by Piers. Piers is an eight year old New Zealand student who has just started blogging. He's just put on an impressive post about adjectives. It's impressive work from someone whose just starting out in the ICT world. We will be running through this slideshare tomorrow in class, viewing it, carrying out an activity and then giving Piers some feedback.

If you'd like to visit his wonderful site (it would be great for our friends from overseas and I just know he'd be blown away by comments) then click here.

Melville Intermediate - Meet the Teacher Night

This evening we had our 2009 Meet the Teacher Night at Melville Intermediate. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet many of the parents of students of Room 8. We also carried out a little photographic activity the results of which will go online tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who came in and saw the classroom, played with the plasma ball or the water glitter ball, had their photograph taken or brought their dog!

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Melville Intermediate - International Blogging Challenge

One of the exciting events that is coming up soon (next week I believe) for our students is the international blogging challenge. There's a link to it here.

You can read all about it through the site but there are hundreds of students taking part and its going to really be a positive for the students of Room 8!

It will mean a lot of work but our students will be thrilled to be involved!

Melville Intermediate - Sports Update

Today our School Swimming Sports were held to select the School team for next weeks Inter-Intermediate Competition. This morning there was significant rainfall which led to the competition still going ahead, although it was in a slightly reduced format. We were there with our camera and Bailey from Room 8 will be presenting a video of the event soon. Those students who meet the qualifying times will be travelling to Cambridge on Monday for the competition.

Tuesday night Touch saw Melville Intermediate's teams still searching for their first wins of the competition. The Girls were defeated by Peachgrove Intermediates Mixed team, although the score couldn't have been closer at 0-1. The Boys had a rematch against Morrinsville and although last weeks game was close Morrinsville Intermediate really showed their class tonight with a 2-8 win. This game was filmed and the highlights will be available later in the week. Some of the tries have to be seen to be believed!

Melville Intermediate - Worm Farm Photostory

This is a PhotoStory about the Melville Intermediate Worm Farm. It was created by Caitlyn assisted by Leigh. The photographs were taken by the group of students working on the Worm Farm Presentation, part of our online work, when the Worm's were shifted to their new bath's at the start of the year.

Melville Intermediate - CPA Group

CPA stands for Cultral Performance Arts. CPA is a dance like when I started CPA I had to do four Island dances, they were Cook Island, Samoa, Maori and another Island dance. I joined CPA because I wanted to know more about other cultures.

CPA is only for people that are really sure that they could think about dancing and always come to practice every Mondays and Thursday afterschool but sometimes Fridays as well.

In CPA if you have stuff thats important you can only have three excuses only if you have important stuff to do as to why you can't attend the practise. We have practices during the holiays as well.

CPA is a dance competition between other schools. It is a cultral dance. It is a dance to represent cultures from other countries around the world. There is a school trip later in the year to Australia to Sydney for competition.

Vitolina, Room 8, Melville Intermediate.

Melville Intermediate - Worm Farm Slideshow

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Melville Intermediate - Worm Farm

Arahia, Caitlyn, Rachana and Janice went to see the Worm Farm at Melville Intermediate School. The worms that we have like to eat paper and fruit skins but not orange skins because they have cirtrus in the skin. The worms live in big bath tubs in the Biology Gardens. The worms have to be moved from tub to tub depending on their size. The worms have to fed everyday.

In the worm farms there are earth worms and tiger worms, We had to move the worms and this allowed us to get better pictures and see the worms. We found some information on the worms by looking on the internet. Tiger worms can live to between 4 and a 1/2 and five years. At our school are fed apples, carrots, bread, paper, banana's, vegetables, tea bags and coffee grounds. We learnt that tiger worms cannot compost egg shells.

At our school each classroom has a worm bucket and after lunch the monitors come around to each class to collect the worm food then take it away and feed the worms.

Melville Intermediate - 500 Milestone

Students will be thrilled on Monday that this site has reached 500 visitors, in the three weeks that it has been running. We have a number of special events taking place at school this week.

On Tuesday we have the Inter-Inter School Sports Competition. This is the 11 Waikato Intermediate's competing with Melville Intermediate having a squad of 120 students. Also on Tuesday our Touch teams have their second games of the year in the after school competition. Our Boys Team takes on Morrinsville Intermediate in a rematch of last weeks second game.

Wednesday night we have our 2009 Meet the Teacher Evening. Those parents who are attending will meet first in the hall at 7pm before moving to the classrooms. Next week all of our online projects that students have been working on over the last week will be filmed and then published online.

Melville Intermediate - Swimming Try Outs

When we went to the pools for our try outs. We were really nervous, after our try outs, all of us were puffed. Were waiting for the teacher to tell us who made the team and who didn't.

The Melville Intermediate school swimming team is being selected next Tuesday for the Waikato Inter-Intermediate Competition.

When we have a sports event that's part of the Inter-Intermediate Competititon we will be competing against Berkley Intermediate, Cambridge Intermediate, Fairfeld Intermediate, Maeroa Intermediate, Matamata Intermediate, Morinsville Intermediate, Peachgrove Intermediate, St Andrews Middle School, Te Awamutu Intermediate and Tokoroa Intermediate.

We will be swimming at the Univesity of Waikato Swimming Pool for our school Swimming Sports on Tuesday and the winners and those with the best times will be competing in Cambridge the following Monday.


By Janice

Melville Intermediate - Help An Australian

Mr Lamshed's class are in need of help New Zealand. As part of his work in his classroom this term (studying New Zealand and Maori) he has student's studying the Treaty of Waitangi and they've put a request for help with research, information and ideas! Just click on the link and leave them a comment on their wonderful blog.

Make sure you take the time and follow the link to their blog as its an opportunity for students to help another school across the Tasman Sea!

We're also preparing some additional work on this topic, as its been our topic for the start of the term as well!

Melville Intermediate - Video Examples to Consider

As we're about to move 'full steam' into video productions there are a view videos that I would like you to consider when thinking about your filming.

Most are from an Auckland site called 'Tamaki Today' that was from Tamaki Intermediate in Auckland that ran in 2008.

Have a look at the footage and then we will brainstorm in class about the positivies/negatives of each.
'Girls Rugby Tackles' is a video showing the School teams playing Rugby. We could consider this for sports related tasks. What do we like/don't like about this video? How could it be improved?

'Learn to Speak Samoan 2' two students teach you some Samoan words that you could use. Again things to consider are - what do we like/what do we think that the students could have changed in the video? 'Learn to Speak Tongan 1' Is similar to the last video but involves one student instead of two. Which do you prefer? Why? In 'Virtual School Tour' watch what the presenter is doing carefully... how is she talking, what else is she doing well? What areas of our school could we do the same sort of thing in? What would we need to show? In 'Camp Video' one of the student gives you a tour of the schools Camp from 2008. What does he do well? Is there anything that you would have differently if you had been the person presenting the video?

Finally for your final challenge you are to locate the schools "Learn to Sasa Video" a Sasa is a Samoan Slap Dance. How can you find the schools video? Was it easy to find? Watch the video... what information did you learn as a student? What would you have done differently?

Melville Intermediate - Touch Highlights

This is the final trail video before we start regularly recording material and transmitting next week. This was filmed (badly) by Mr Webb at Touch in Frankton on Tuesday 17th February and contains some footage of Melville Intermediate Vs. Crashaw School and Morrinsville Intermediate.

It was edited and put together by Kaleb in Room 8. There wasn't a tripod used during the recording which is one of the reasons that the quality is as it is! From next week a team has been assembled to record, edit and publish our Melville Intermediate sporting events as they happen, we hope to be having a next day turn around with most events which you'll be able to catch live on 'Room 8 @ Melville Intermediate....' stay tuned for more!

Melville Intermediate - Comments Reminders

A reminder to all students of Melville Intermediate that comments on this blog need to include your first name only and your classroom.

Comments should be written in full English not in 'text language' or using 'slang'. If you are not sure ask one of the students in Room Eight and they will be happy to assist you with your comments!

Thanks for your input to our site and if your not sure about something don't forget to ask one of the friendly faces from Room Eight.

Melville Intermediate - Sports Results

One of the features of this blog is that we will be keeping you up to date with some of the exciting activities related to Melville Intermediate School.

Our sports for 2009 kicked off on Saturday 14th February when the Melville Intermediate Softball team played against Southwell School losing 6-16.

On Tuesday 17th February our Touch Teams Competed in the Hamilton Touch Competition at Frankton. Our Girls team lost to Peachgrove Intermediate 2-4 while our Boys had a tough double header. Their first game was against Crashaw School which they were narrowly defeated 3-5. They then had to back this up against Morrinsville Interemdiate (don't forget to check out some of their fantastic blogs through the links!). It was close at half time the score being 3-5 to Morrinsville but a combination of outstanding play from Morrinsville and the effect of playing two games in a row saw the score move to 3-9 in Morrinsville's favour. We'd like to congratulate all three teams on their sportsmanship and efforts.

We took some footage at the venue on the day and our students will be working hard to edit and rework the footage, hopefully it will be ready to go online tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Melville Intermediate - World Cup Video

This is our second video production for 2009. This is edited highlights of the Rugby League World Cups visit to Melville Intermediate. It was edited by Arahia and Vitolina and put together as part of our video work for 2009. We are still working through issues so although the quality of this video may not be the best its important that the students are able to 'get it out there'. We used a microphone to add a commentary at the start of the video! Next we're going to use photo-story to create a logo at the start of, and then closing credits for the end of our videos! After that we're going to look at improving the quality of them.

Melville Intermediate - The Literacy Process 3

Today students spent the time in class preparing the drafts of the story board for their ICT presentation. Students had to prepare a minimum of five squares and write a description of the shot in each box as an explanation as to what was happening. The students have been working on this now for nearly a week and its only now that they will begin the process of filming the clips that will soon appear. You'll of course see the finished products but don't forget the work that's gone on beforehand!

In other exciting Melville Blog News our students were thrilled that their Mihi work is now appearing on google searches allowing people to locate the site. It's our first google top ten hit for 2009 and the students were very pleased to be featuring worldwide as a result of their work! Hopefully it will be the first of many as this site gains in popularity!

Melville Intermediate - The Literacy Process 2

Students are well on the way to completing their first special online presentation for this site. They have organised themselves into groups of between 2 and 5 students. They have decided on a feature of Melville Intermediate that they want to promote or explain to their audience. Students completed a brainstorm of ideas first on Wednesday, reworked and edited the material Thursday and started drafting their scripts for the written component of the posts on Friday.

This approach has already paid dividends for our group working on the Environmental Worm Farm at Melville Intermediate as on Friday afternoon Mrs Bleakin (Deputy Principal) had to move the worms from the 2008 worm farm to the new accommodation. We already had a group of students ready to go to produce online material related to the shift! The photographs from this were a great element of 'opportunity' and one the students involved grabbed with both hands! Look for the photographs tomorrow!

Melville Intermediate - World Cup Slideshow

One of the fantastic things for students at Melville Intermediate School is the opportunities for technology and options. Last week in computing students were given one hour to complete a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation about the Rugby League World Cup and its visit to Melville Intermediate School. Students had only an hour from start to finish this was produced by Kalib from Room 8.

Rugby League World Cup

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Melville Intermediate - International Music

Mr Lamshed's Boy Class at Hackam East School in Adelaide, Australia class continues to amaze me with the creative, innovative and superb teaching idea's that they come up with. In their sites latest post two of the students Sam and James have recorded a famous New Zealand song - Pokarekare Ana, they've recorded it using Garageband and place it on site for people to listen. It's a maverlous effort and the quality of the recording sounds fantastic!

While we're following a singing theme if you have visited the other side of the world today (well it is the other side of the world for New Zealand pretty much, another of the blogs that I alwas loved visiting it 'At the Firepalce' in Abanskaya, Russia. It's an innovative blog that really gives students in New Zealand an opportunity to explore schooling from another perspective. Yesterday they posted a 'Song of Cheburashka'. We were playing in class in Hamilton, New Zealand on Friday and students were singing along, and doing a form of dance in time to the music. Its one of those opportunities for everyone to make the world a smaller place and share the world with our students. Yes that is a picture from the School playground in Russia!

While were on the subject of music and international links its also another time to mention my all time favourite blog - Mr C's class from Noel Elementary School in the USA. There's always innovative approach to lessons and work. Recently they were cleaning a group of 45 records that one of the students Saul found. The whole process has been documented on the class blog. It is work that inspires me every time I visit and where I get a huge amount of ideas from. You can check out his wondeful site by clicking here.

Melville Intermediate - Melbourne Storm

On Friday 13th February 2009 Room 8 and Room 2 went to the Gallagher Pool at Melville College for our swimming lesson. The Melbourne Storm players were there. We were able to get some photo's of ourselves with some of the players. Description by Vika, Photographs taken by Kaiya.

The Melbourne Storm NRL side were in New Zealand as part of their pre-season build up. They'd played in Hamilton the night before against the Warriors.

All students at Melville Intermediate School have the option of taking part in swimming. Our school is in the process of selecting the team for the Inter Intermediate Sports competition. This competition involves all of the major schools in the Waikato area competing against each other throughout the year in a variety of sports.

The first school event of 2009 is the School Swimming Sports. Melville Intermediate will be taking a team of around 120 students to this major event. We also next week have the start of our afterschool sports teams with both the Boys and Girls Touch teams starting on Tuesday night and Saturday morning Softball's first games taking place this weekend.

Melville Intermediate - The Literacy Process

At the moment students of Room 8 are working on a variety of project related to Melville Intermediate. Currently our students are planning tours of different parts of the school, special features of some of the special areas of our school, and writing scripts related to these pieces of work.

The literacy process is very important and although its the publishing side that you'll see through this blog it is important to appreciate that the students carry out a significant amount of preparation work before anything is published as this is very much the last part of the literacy cycle. The first of this work will be appearing online tomorrow and over the next coming weeks.

We'll also be starting a series of tutorials and language lessons based around some of our students at school. We have a huge number of activities at Melville Intermediate from our wonderful CPA (Cultural Performing Arts) Group, Wearable Arts Competition, Music - including a band and orchestra! not to mention Sport and will be trying to cover as much as possible of this online for you to see.

Rugby League World Cup Slide

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Melville Intermediate - Rugby League World Cup

Today at school we had a very special visitor, the students were excited about our 'special guest' who came in for assembly... it was the Rugby League World Cup. New Zealand won in 2008 for the first time ever beating Australia in the final. Sport Waikato brought it to the school.

The cup was part of the build up for the Melbourne Storm Vs. Vodafone Warriors NRL pre season game which is taking place at Waikato Stadium this Thursday.









We learnt the following things about the Rugby League World Cup

• The Cup was made in 1954, that makes it 55 years old!
• The Cup has only been won by New Zealand once!
• The Cup weighs 18 kilograms!
• The Cup is worth about $40,000!
• New Zealand have been runners up twice and one it only last year
• The next World Cup will take place in 2013
  

The above picture from our special assembly is of some of our Rugby League Players holding the trophy. Thanks to Sport Waikato for allowing us the opportunity to see up close this very special trophy.

Melville Intermeidate - First Impressions

As part of our students initial introduction to Melville Intermeidate our students have to publish a piece of writing called 'first impressions'. This is for students portfolio's and also for consideration for the end of year School Magazine.

I like Melville Intermediate because people are friendly and having a vegetable garden in school is great. It gives the school a fresh smell. I've also made a few new friends here which is great. The field is a good size and the playground is really awesome. Its hard to do the obstacles! The teachers are cool because they set up fun things for the classes. Having a canteen is cool so you don't have to order ice blocks and drinks with your food. And last of all, PE gear. Its so great having PE (Uniform) because you don't get sweaty in your normal uniform. Those are my first impressions of Melville Intermediate. Nick, Room 8.

Melville Intermediate - Powhiri 2009

This is a video created of the School Powhiri last week. It was filmed by Miss Day and is the first video production for 2009 by Room Eight. It was edited by Vika and Jamie with help from others. This is a work in progress but good to post so that the students can move forward.

Melville Intermediate - Blog Check

Those of you interested in following a new blog that's just starting should take the time to click on the link and take a visit to Morrinsville Intermediate. There blog has only just started from Room 10 but defiantly has a nice 'professional' feel to it, and I know they are getting very excited about it, particularly any over sea's visitors who might be passing through, would stop and leave a comment it would be appreciated.

Melville Intermediate - ICT Interaction in Action

We're always very pleased to be networking with students and classrooms from other countries. Although our blog has been going for less than one week we've already had a special educational moment, our first of 2009!

1 . As part of our 'Getting to know Each Other' students have to learn a Mihi, a Maori introduction. We published Liam's slideshare using slideshare.net online for everyone to view,
2. Mr Lamshed's classroom Hackham East Schools in Adelaide, South Australaia who are learning about Maori Culture for Term One saw the post, and as a result two students from their class created their own Mihi based on Liams instructions. You can find out more about Mr Lamsheds special Boys only classroom by visiting their fantastic website, through our class links.
3. The students, Sam and Ashton published the Mihi on their website
4. We're going to be viewing thier work as a class in our room this week and give them feedback.
5. We're going to help Mr Lamshed's class with their unit as much as possible, learning about the Maori culture involving other students at our school and answer any questions they may have.

Technology can be a powerful tool for students to share their learning with others and this is fantastic example! If you haven't check out any of the work involed in this process - Liam's orignal Slideshare about the Mihi, Mr Lamsheds Boys Blog in Australia, the students work then do so!

Melville Intermediate - Mihi Instructions

Maori Mihi 2

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Melville Intermediate - Room 8 2009

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Melville Intermediate - Waitangi Day

Today in New Zealand, Friday February 6th is Waitangi Day. Waitangi Day is a National Public Holiday for everyone to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in Waitangi, Bay of Islands on February 6th 1840. It was signed by the then Governor of New Zealand, on behalf of the Queen of England.

James Cook had been the first European to land on New Zealand in 1769, following Abel Tasmans discovery (but not landing on). of New Zealand. Captain Cook in his boat the Endeavour landed and claimed New Zealand for the British Crown.

The different Maori tribes of New Zealand signed the Treaty, which is viewed as the founding document of New Zealand. The agreement was made to shape the future of the country.

In Room Eight we have been learning about aspects of the Treaty of Waitangi in preparation for signing of a classroom treaty next week. If you wish to research more about the treaty of Waitangi and the history of New Zealand we would suggest that you have a look at NZ History Online the wikipedia information about it or the Christchurch Library Site.

Melville Intermediate - Creative Photography

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As part of our getting to know ourselves and others introductory week students in Room Eight were instructed to take two photographs - one of themselves, a traditional shot that you might find in school photographs and the second was to be a creative shot with the students coming up with something interesting to take a picture of!

Melville Intermediate - Mihi Format

A Mihi is a Maori introduction or greeting, this is part of our unit of work involving getting to know one another and ourselves. The list below is of the Mihi criteria that students at Melville Intermediate in Year Seven need to learn. We will be producing additional material to go with this over the next few days.

ko Te maunga [................................. is my mountain]
ko Te awa [.................................is my river]
ko Te iwi [.................................is my tribe]
ko Te marae [ ............................. is my marae]
ko Te kura [ ................................ is my school ]
ko Te tumuaki [ ..............................is my principal ]
ko Te kaiako [....................... is my teacher]
ko Taku Ingoa [................. my name is]

http://www.coolmath.com/

Melville Intermediate - Maori Greeting

As part of the start of our 'getting to know you' unit of work students have been working to prepare a Mihi. A Mihi is a greeting in Maori that informs someone about where you come from and your background. This piece of work was created by Liam from Room Eight.

Mihi - Maori Language Instructions

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Melville Intermediate- Welcome to Room 8

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This is the before photographs of our 2009 Classroom taken the day before the students arrived to start work on the year. We'll be working considerably over the next few days to make this a vibrant, exciting place to learn!