Visiting Libraries...

The Library Focus went for a library crawl and visited five libraries.  We visited the library spaces at Halswell School and Heaton Intermediate.  Then we visited the South Learning Centre, Kaiapoi Community Library and Aranui Community Library.

At each library we observed how adults and children were using the library spaces and what activities they were doing.  We also looked at furniture, shelving and how different spaces were created within spaces.

This visit will help us all design a library environment that suits our learners.

New Books in the Library...

Have you read any of these new books at the QE2 Base library?

Dave gets stuck in the cat door....how does he get out?

The Scarecrow's Wedding is written by the same author who wrote The Gruffalo!

Honeybees

Want to know all about Honeybees and the problems these wee insects have?

Then read the Case of the Vanishing Honeybees, by Sandra Markle.

Side view of a honeybee, can you see her antennas? 

Can you see the pollen on her head?

Want to learn more about Honeybees watch the movie below....

Books for Matariki....

Matariki takes place on 18th June 2015.  On the Christchurch City Libraries web site is a list of events to celebrate Matariki.

Some classes at Rāwhiti School went and visited the New Brighton Library to learn more about Matariki.

Want to know more about Matariki constellations click here.

Captain Underpants...Meeting Dav Pilkey

On Friday 22nd May a group of children went and saw Dav Pilkey, the author of the Captain Underpants series.

We were all very excited!  Dav Pilkey had a rough time at school.  He learnt in a different way and back then his teacher wasn't very supportive.  Dav used to make his classmates laugh and he was always drawing.  He loved drawing and making comic books.  His teacher would shout at him for making comic books, she thought this was a waste of time.  She'd make him leave the classroom.

Dav said his teacher said something about not talking about underpants in class and the children thought this was funny.  This lead to him creating the character of Captain Underpants.

Dav Pilkey lives in Japan.  Guess what?  He writes in a cave.  Imagine having your own cave to write in.  I actually think there's no other writer who has to kayak to their cave and then write.

Dave gave each school a large picture he drew of Captain Underpants.

Some of Dav's slides as he told what his life was like when he was at school....

This is the cave Dav writes in....

Can you see Dav's pet beetle?

Dav Pilkey drawing some of the characters from the Captain Underpants series...

Dav Pilkey signing our Captain Underpants books....

All of us waiting to see Dav Pilkey!

Check out Dav Pilkey's video...Reading gives you Super Powers!

Have you Filled a Bucket?

Are you a Bucket Filler?  A Bucket Filler is someone who says positive comments to others, helps them out and it can even just be a smile!  Filling someone's bucket can make you feel happy too!

Have you read the book 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today? This story is written by Carol McCloud.

Today The Year 4 Beach house had our buddies visit us from QE2 base.  We helped them to make buckets, so they can be bucket fillers too!