Spotlight Kakariki Term2 2026

Kākāriki Class has been learning all about water, from the 5 oceans of our world to our New Zealand marine animals, to water in our homes, and in our local area.  Excursions (Kelly Tarlton's in Term One) and incursions (from Watercare in Term Two) brought this topic to life.

Sarah, an educator from Watercare, visited to teach us about the differences between stormwater and wastewater.  We were fascinated to learn what happens when the wrong things go down the drain, and what we can do to improve the water quality in our local environment.  The children loved hearing about how our wastewater is cleaned before being allowed back into our ocean. They went outside to create a terrain with lakes and rivers to model the journey water makes from lakes, down rivers and smaller waterways to the sea. Ping pong balls were used as pollution, and as the water was poured onto our 'river' we saw how pollution can make its way into the sea to where our marine animals live.  We followed up this learning with whole-class reading all about stormwater and wastewater.  You would be surprised by how interesting this subject is to your children!

Sadly, our second lesson with Sarah from Watercare, had to be postponed, but later this term we plan to take the children to Bonnie Brae reserve to collect a water sample to see if there are bugs living in the water.  The presence, or absence, of water bugs will indicate the health of this body of water.

Most recently, the children have been exploring the concept of floating and sinking using lessons and activities from the "Float My Boat" kit from the House of Science.  They loved their Flinking Challenge, which developed the children's ideas of floating and sinking.  They were tasked with building an object that neither floated, nor sank, but which remained suspended in the water.  They were given polystyrene balls, paper clips, pegs and other materials to make an object which "Flinked".  You can see they had great fun.

The photos show just a few of the water-related learning and activities we have taken part in so far.

Love Mrs Frogley and Kākāriki Class