The Library is opening on Tuesday 2 June

Kia Ora,

The school library is opening from Tuesday 2nd June. Thank you for your patience.

There will be a few hygiene measures in place.

Books coming back to school will go into a box for three days (based on information about how long COVID19 can remain on plastic surfaces). Then I will scan them back in. I will do all the scanning (except for Wednesdays when teachers will do it for their classes)

Children will be able to issue books again. Please send their library bags to school on their library day.

Hand sanitizer will be provided for children and teachers to use.

I'm really excited to welcome you all back!

J.K. Rowling fans - this is for you!

Squee! I'm so excited ...

J. K. Rowling will be publishing a stand-alone children's book called...

THE ICKABOG

"It will be published for free on this website, in instalments, over the next seven weeks. A chapter or two or three at a time" says Rowling. She also says, "It isn't Harry Potter and it doesn't include magic. This is an entirely different story."

I can't wait to see what J.K. Rowling has imagined up this time... can you?

Astronauts Read Aloud

Who would like to listen to Astronauts reading bedtime stories from space? For real!

https://www.boredpanda.com/story-time-from-space-nasa-astronauts-childrens-book-stem/?fbclid=IwAR37FwLQC1d22RjZX5AgGgCPQzXNiSMFF4PsJx8WAmq6PxP6vtWlNTZgIeE&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

Samoan Language Week

Talofa,

It's Samoan Language Week.

Here is a Samoan Language activity book free to download:

https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/learn/for-educators/free-downloadable-activity-books/samoan-language-activity-book

Fab resources

Kia Ora,

Zero new cases today! Such good news. Keep up the good work NZ.

Here are a couple of resources for those of you who are still learning from home, or just if you like to come home from school and relax to a story being read aloud:

Granny McFlitter the Champion Knitter

and

Join Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Taika Waititi as he reads James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, in full across 10 episodes, to raise money for @PartnersInHealth at: http://www.pih.org/giantpeach

The first episode is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29LDBdpNMRc&fbclid=IwAR0jzHan60Qp4K8Fr2OCPqhQwzb1Y3qtTyqJn8n96WaRBnNeKVP0umXC--4

Plus, any Kate DiCamillo fans out there? Me! Me! Here she is with Scholastic's John Schu talking about Mercy Watson/

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=984163645319972&ref=watch_permalink

I've completed recording up to Chapter 20 of The Mapmaker's Race. Please email me if you need the links. Who is going to join me to complete the story?

Ka kite
Kate

New books

Kia Ora,

While the library is closed for the first couple of weeks, it is giving me a chance to process a box of new books. Check them out!

Aren't they fabulous!?

I'll post a few reviews up when I get a chance to read some of them. But for now, I'm cataloguing, putting on barcodes, spine labels, genre stickers, taping, stamping and covering. 

I did take a delicious moment to read the Song of the River - a picture book by Joy Cowley. I'll pop back with a review soon.

Library news

Kia Ora,

Just a heads up that the school library will be closed for the first couple of weeks (from 18 May).

Please hang on to your books (if you have books to return) while the library is closed.

Teachers will be able to come to the library to issue class sets.

I will keep you posted about developments as we feel our way through the beginning of Level 2.

With regards to The Mapmaker's Race, I have recorded 18 out of 25 chapters, so I am going to keep going with that. If you are waiting for chapters to be uploaded to class Seesaw (you may be ahead of others), you can also email me at library@woodlandspark.school.nz and I will email you the youtube links.

Wishing you all the best as we transition into this new stage.
Blessings
Kate

More Kahoot! Quizzes

Morena,

Here are a couple more Kahoot! Quizzes as promised:

Graphic Novels

https://create.kahoot.it/share/graphic-novels/a66a8a89-cc1c-439b-ac28-ea07eb8b9407 

Mythology

https://create.kahoot.it/share/mythology/3e7b9798-7613-4c8f-940f-888e6a4e99c6 

I'm back in the library today, doing a little tidy.

Ka kite ano

Escape Room

Mrs Lile, a fellow SLANZA librarian has kindly allowed us to share her Escape Room. It is such fun. Give it a try, Woodlands Park - to test out your library knowledge.

https://sites.google.com/lincolnheights.school.nz/lhslibrary/home/escape-the-library?authuser=1&fbclid=IwAR3N3qt5h4EbIkDekY1N-6jeC1NJQNmqNR9EGJiSinXxq-qd7TV69tFTi3Q

Now I need to figure out how to make one of these!

Chat later
Kate

Kahoot! Literary quizzes

Hi everyone. Well, I'm a bit late to the party, but this lockdown I discovered Kahoot! After dinner, we have family games. Nick is best at anything to do with natural history, football and geography. Emma has an awesome knowledge of many things, especially films. I tend to do best in the children's literature games, and Dylan is practically a palaeontologist!

It's such fun and a great way to test your knowledge and speed up your memory retrieval. I have tested out a few literary quizzes (thanks to Clare Forrest for sharing these). Some of them have one or two intermediate or YA questions, but on the whole, they are relevant to primary school readers. I suggest you play as a family.

If like me, you hadn't tried Kahoots before, this is how you do it.

Click on the link below - then click Play as Guest. Choose Classic to play on your own or Team mode to play with family. It will give you a game pin. Then those of you who have downloaded Kahoot! as an app on phones, can type in the pin, and you're ready to play. 

Have fun! I will post a few more tomorrow.

Literary numbers:

https://create.kahoot.it/share/literary-numbers/06923af2-d699-40b8-9639-9432a2b27fae 

Location, location, location:

https://play.kahoot.it/v2/gameover?quizId=a38f204b-b569-4ed6-99a7-c8ad57cb618b

Togs Togs Undies Undies

https://create.kahoot.it/share/togs-togs-undies-undies/1ebe4046-72e8-40ac-b378-36d3eb0a9c26 

Cat Characters

https://create.kahoot.it/share/cat-characters/82e4f6a6-7653-4306-84e4-b55077333ca3 

New Resources

Kia Ora,

Well, after my husband, teenagers, dogs and cats have all finished using the internet, I'm getting a chance to go online. If we all go on at once, it crashes. Anyway, first world problems...

I completed an interesting Zoom series this morning, hosted by the National Library of NZ. I have been posting links they have shared with me, on the wakelet. Here are a few more:

Topic Explorer:

Their Topic Explorer page is excellent, curated by experts and easy to navigate. Check it out here:

https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/topics#

Hauora:

Here is some more information about Te Whare Tapa Wha, relating to our Hauora, for parents.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/getting-through-together/parents-and-whanau/te-whare-tapa-wha/

And if you want to help fundraise for the Mental Health Foundation, there is a Go The Distance Challenge:

Now for some FUN!

Lockdown Wriggles and Rhymes at Takapuna Library:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=916431395476158

Biblionasium:

"Biblionasium is a safe, fun, social reading community for kids, friends, educators and parents" 

It talks about different reading levels to what we use in Aotearoa, but nonetheless, it is a fun place to share books read, rate and review books. Think Goodreads, but for children. My next job will be to build my own virtual bookshelf.

The Mapmaker's Race:

Thanks for your emails. I love hearing your thoughts about the book. Please keep them coming. 

Hope you have a restful weekend everyone.

Kia Kaha

Kate

Teacher Appreciation Week, and some new resources

Hi everyone, You're all doing so well with online learning, or learning at school in different circumstances. 

In the USA it is Teacher Appreciation Week. 

I wanted to give all our Woodlands Park School teachers a shout out: 

Today I have some wonderful new resources to share with you! I have added them to the wakelet - but I will post a few links here too:

https://www.hachette.co.nz/news--events/kids-activities/

https://www.dk.com/uk/information/home-learning-for-kids/

https://www.nzgeo.com/together-at-home/

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

http://classroom.walkerbooks.com.au/home/

Off to read another chapter of The Mapmaker's Race aloud. Find them on the Seesaw.

Ka kite

Kate

May the Fourth & other news

Hi everyone,

May the Fourth be with you!

Reading aloud

Chapter 9 of The Mapmaker's Race has been uploaded to the Seesaw. With each chapter, I have added a suggested activity for you. I would love to see your creative answers. Please email me at library@woodlandspark.school.nz

Funny Kid author's youtube channel

I found a fun youtube channel today. Matt Stanton, cartoonist and author of Funny Kid has a super inspiring channel. You can tune in to weekly cartoon drawing lessons on his Funny Drawing Show, or listen to his Writing Tips, or listen to him reading aloud during Storytime. Looking for creative inspiration, fun and humour, check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN_X2r0FCEVpW6VLIKYbO_Q



Hope you have a happy day
Kate

That's not a Hippopotamus

Kia Ora,

Yesterday our wifi trickled through, and we needed to prioritise. My husband had a lab to upload to the Uni, Mr 16 had a Science lesson to watch and Ms 18 is doing NCEA level 13. After countless phone calls to our service provider, it seems we are 'far away from the exchange', and are on the best package possible for our area. Bring on fibre!

So, I decided to do my work on Saturday this week, to give the others a chance to get stuff done. I bet there are many of you in this situation. I read a post somewhere, that it's a good idea to schedule a meeting in the morning to see who has what on, and to try to work around each other. First world problems, I know. But, with that explanation out of the way, today I will be posting the next chapter read aloud, of The Mapmaker's Race, to the Seesaw.

I also have a few updates for the wakelet:

That's not a Hippopotomus!

Watch Juliette MacIver read her award-winning "That's not a Hippopotomus!" Many of you will know this fabulous story from school.

https://wakelet.com/wake/BYiFNo5lfilJ0n5M6DF3g/edit

Frog and Toad anniversary event kit

Also, did you know it's the 50th Anniversary of Frog and Toad? There is a Frog & Toad event kit with kite craft, colouring and more.

Free Ebook

Lastly, my first book, Trainsurfer is available as a free Ebook. Fill in a form to sign up to my newsletter (I seldom send anything) and I will email it to you. Recommended for reading age 10 up.

Hope you enjoy this sunny day.
Kate