Oh yes it is!!!!

This term we are using Minecraft in class to create 3D digital models of what our school has changed over the last 150 years. It is our 150th celebration this Easter Weekend.

To showcase our work we are going to use AppleTV to cast from the ipads to the class digital whiteboard. Our teacher Mr Brown says we have never been so engaged in our learning. Some of us are even continuing our work AT HOME IN OUR OWN TIME!!!! WHAT THE?????

Any our teacher is dancing around the classroom singing “21ST CENTURY LEARNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!”

He is a bit odd, but hey at least he is excited. And so are we. Co-operation, problem solving, digital learning. Room 6 is buzzing with it all. Here are some pics.

Well we have been training our brains (and our hands) for 2 weeks. Visualising, meditating, goal setting and practising every day and I think you will agree the improvement is astonishing….

Spring has sprung and Room 6 has sprung back too. We have been going beserk in the class garden working our green fingers to the bone to get our grow on. We have been turning the soil, adding compost (our own home made) turning again and finally this afternoon, some planting. At last. We’ve got our tomato plants in as well as broccoli, lettuces, beans, beetroot, cauliflower, radishes, parsley, tatsoi (whatever that is) and mustard greens. We are also involved in the Spud in a Bag Challenge. We have six spuds growing. We are working caring and growing the spuds in teams and have even given them (the spuds) names. Which one do you like best?

In this bag is Channing Potatum.

These fine young men are looking after “Spudmuffin”

These green thumbed students are caring for “Chip”

These girls are taking care of “Wedgie” the spud.

Here we have “Benny”

This one is called. Ma Baker – Geddit???

Yesterday we put on our whole school production. Here we are in our costumes for our part- a skit based on the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory .

This winter weather has really bitten out at Papakaio this week. It is 8:00am and has been snowing solidly for the last couple of hours. Here are some pictures of the area around school. BRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Stay warm everyone

Francis Brandywine

She calmed herself and once again thought that the knocking was just her imagination. But the knocking came again even louder than before thrashing the boat so hard she fell backwards. This time she knew she wasn’t just imagining it. She screamed out  “HELP! HELP!” But no one answered she was all alone. Or was she…?

She saw a dark shape coming extremely fast towards her. She crumpled into a ball in the middle of the boat. and prayed the knocking would not come again. But it did.

“KNOCK KNOCK!” This time the knocking was so loud and so strong the boat tipped right over. She screamed and tried kicking away whatever was clutching onto her feet. She couldn’t stay above the surface anymore. She gave up letting the monster win with her life. As she got pulled under, swallowed by the inky blackness, her last vision was of a terrifying figure in the water. And then she was gone. That was the end of Francis Brandywine. She was never seen or heard from again.

Police searched the lake, but they didn’t find her body. The only thing they did find was the boat with a pack of cigarettes and her notebook. These were the only clues that she ever existed. After a week of searching, they stamped the case UNSOLVED and went to tell the family the horrible news. That she wasn’t found. The family cried “Why? Our only daughter!” Even now- years later, no-one visits that lake. Because of the story, I guess.  Nobody has ever dared to go there again. Or maybe they have but they have just never come back…

By: Katie Richardson

It was a wet day in Papakaio and many of the kids couldn’t get to school. So their teacher old Mr. Brown decided that assessing explanations wasn’t a good idea. He decided to t-t-t-t-ell the k-k-k-kids the ghostly tale of Frances Brandywine. Little did he know the horror that he would unleash……….

Watch the video below to hear the legend for yourself. We stopped the movie after 4:50 and wrote our own endings for the story. The results were creepier than a barrel full of centipedes………….

Check out our student blogs for the results……….. If you are brave enough…….. MWAAAAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAHAAAHAAA!!!!