We asked for your 'Lockdown Learning' photos .. and you sent us some really great pics.  Here's a gallery of those received  so far.  Keep them coming!!

As part of our topic on Festivals and Celebrations, Pukeko Class had their own Chinese New Year celebration on Friday. The children practised cutting skills by making lanterns to decorate the classroom. They had a go at using chopsticks to eat noodles and they even made a dragon so they could do some dragon dancing. We had great fun!

Last term our students enjoyed  some clay modelling sessions under the expert eye of artist and Mt Carmel parent, Natalie Stamilla.  Take a look at their fantastic creations in the gallery below.

The children of Kea have created portraits of their 'royal' selves.  In the planning stages the children looked at the symmetry and portion of their faces using a mirror to determine the position and shape of their own facial features.  They also considered what would make them 'royal' - the clothes they draw, a crown perhaps, and finally a title of King, Queen, Prince or Princess.  Using pencil drawing first, then paint, then a finishing touch of glitter - how majestic the final masterpieces are!

Our senior student observations of Mt Carmel, displayed in the admin entrance during Term 1, 2019.

As part of their Sustainability and Technology unit, Tui class have been learning new skills to create a Wall Hanging art piece made out of recycled fabrics. The process began with a concept drawing where each child drew their own unique design. These designs were then cut out of recycled fabric, and sewn onto a backing fabric square. All the squares will be sewn together to create the finished article. The children then used the iPad's to create a Poster advertising a raffle that they will organise when the wall hanging is complete. Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to a charity the children have chosen. This project has involved design, sewing and technology skills and the children have really  enjoyed working on a project from start to finish to create an art piece to raise money for a worthwhile cause.

Hihi class have been having lots of fun exploring the world of science.  Last week they made a Lemon Volcano!

This involved students getting the citric acid in the lemon to react with a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate to create a foaming chemical reaction that was cool to watch. Firstly, they cut a V in the top of the lemon. Then the students created more citric acid by using a stick to mush the centre of the lemon.

Next, they added a few drops of food colouring and a squirt of dishwashing liquid to the centre of the lemon. Finally, the good bit!  They added 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate and watched what happened!

They discovered the more they mushed the lemon and mixed in the sodium bicarbonate, the more the volcano foamed! And because of the food colouring it was a foaming rainbow extravaganza!

As part of this term’s topic ‘Trash to Treasure’, Pukeko class have been learning how important it is to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle by learning how to make their own recycled paper. The class had fun ripping old newspaper and old photocopy paper into small pieces.  After leaving the pieces of paper to soak in water, everyone had a turn at using the blender to turn the old paper into pulp. The pulp was then put into a large tub and a fine mesh screen placed into the pulp. It was left to settle, and then carefully lifted out.  After leaving the excess water to drain off for a while, the pulp was flipped onto a towel and left to dry overnight. Once the paper was nice and dry, the children used it to make their own bookmarks ready to use during Book Week. They were very proud of their efforts.

Mt Carmel turned into a sea of green on Tuesday for Mt Carmel’s Nude Food Day.

You are no doubt aware that this term’s topic, throughout the school, is Trash to Treasure/Sustainability (We use the Earth’s resources with respect).

Nude Food Day seemed to be the perfect way to kick things off, showing how easy it is to reduce and reuse when we try.  It was great to see 245 Mt Carmel kids with reusable containers, sturdy drink bottles and we also spotted a few beeswax wrapped sandwiches and snacks. Since we began our WasteWise journey in 2012 we have seen a steady decline in the amount of litter brought to school each day but there are still several chip packets, biscuit wrappers, drink cartons with straws and Glad Wrap snacks/sandwiches which make their way into some lunch boxes on a regular basis. Maybe the fantastic achievement of today could become a regular routine for all our Mt Carmel families.

Our winning beeswax wrap designs are selling fast but there are still some left (on sale in our online shop) so why not ditch the plastic wrap for good and invest in an earth friendly alternative!

Our Mt Carmel students have had lots of fun getting familiar with control technology with the use of Bee-Bots and Sphero. It is a great way to encourage students to use directional language and to introduce simple programming. Thanks to the PTA for funding the purchase of these floor robots.