Thursday 30 October 2014

Boo!!!!

We learned about the history of the halloween traditions today. Then we played lots of games. We had to cooperate and play kindly together. There were lots of challenges too like eating a muncho off a rooe with no hnads and fishing fingers (baby carrots) out of the bucket of swamp slime....it had worms (noodles) and slime (lime jelly).
Joy even made us get our prizes out of the bucket of slime, yechhh!

Note taking in writing

We are going to be doing some work in the gardens over the next feww eeks. We need to find out about worms so we can redo the worm farm (dad's we will need your help soon....). So today we started reading a book about worms. Joy was teaching us how to take notes. We did a really good job. Our writing was really interesting and used words we learned from the book.

Kids can cook

On Wednesday chris Fortune came to help us taste some yummy food. He was really interesting. He picked some silverbeet, dill, spring onion and celery from our garden and rolled it up with some grated apple in a crepe he made. rona got to help him with the cooking. He called her a sous chef. That means second chef or second boss.

Thursday 23 October 2014

End of term 3 already?

Well the end of term has arrived again. We are all tired and ready for a rest. We went out to watch the staff play the senior girls netball team and the senior boys basketball teams on thursday. Both school teams have won their grade so it was hard work. Troy, Stephen and Nic did their best harlem globetrotters routine and Joy got subbed on to Goal Attack. She usually played defence in her youth but to her and everyone elses amazement she managed to score a goal. Big thanks to Deb for being quick enough to capture the moment on her phone:
At final assembly Riley scored MVP for his hockey team. We wwre also proud to see Cruze collect bis certificate and book for graduating from Reading Recovery. Check out their proud and happy smiles.
I hope evryone has a lovely holiday. I am writing this post on the plane flying from LA to Dallas on my way to Little Rock to see my sister. Check out the gorgeous day. I spent an hour waiting to board my plane sitting in the sun watching plane after plane take off.

Chris's cool race car

Chris brought his race car to school today to show us its cool new paint job. He had a matching t shirt. It even has Russell Street School on it as one of his sponsers. It was very loud. We all sat on the path an watched him zip around on the grass. He had a big smile on his face when he got out!!

Te Tinana - te reo lesson on parts of the body

Today we had fun sticking the maori names of body parts on giant picture of ourselves. We drew round ourselves, well a buddy did, then coloured it in! Look how much room it took! We took the finished work home so hopefully we can hang them in our rooms..

KOS lesson 3 Secrets and tricks

KOS Lesson 3 Secrets and tricks

Recap yesterday's lesson.

Constable Helen had some cards with situations on them to think about.
1. Picture of a present
Think about this - One of  your Dad's friends you don't know ell says he has a special present for you and he wants you to come by yourself to get it . What could you do to feel safe?
Ask an adult to come with you.

2. Picture of lollies
Think about this - you have gone to the beach with your parents. You kick your ball away. Some big kids come and say you can have a big bag of lollies if you come in the sandhills with them. What should you do?
Go and see mum and dad - never go with people you don't know. Ahk an adult to come with you.

3. Picture of a school.
Think about this - you are waiting for the oerson who picks you up after school. Someone you don't know comes past and says mum has asked them to come and pick you up. Do you go with them?
Run to a safe place - inside the school and see Ag. 
Think - do you think your mum and dad would send a stranger to pick you up? No - they might ring the other parent to get you, ring Ag to send you a message to wait in the office.
Do you stay out the front waiting when everyone has gone home? No, come back inside and see if Ag can find out what has happened

4. Picture of a baby
Think about this - an adult from the school asks you to go home with them to see their new baby by yourself. What should you do?
Tell them you would have to ask mum and dad first
We never go somewhere with anyone without telling mum and dad.

5. Picture of money
Think about this - an adult or big kid sits by you on the couch and says they will give you $20 if you take your underpants off. What will you do.
Say no, go and find mum.
They say they will give you more money.....say no, and go find mum.
Why? That is a private part of our bodies, no one touches us for fun, no one should ask you to take your underwear off.

How should you say No?
Say it loudly and firmly, like you mean it. Then walk away straight away and tell an adult.

KOS lesson 2 uncomfortable touch

KOS day 2

Review of last lesson - what did we talk about last time
Our bodies
Names of body parts - we don't giggle because they are just a part of our body like nose or arm
Remember the story we had when the little girl wasn't sure about the doctor having a look at it. She felt shy about showing him her bottom after she fell on it. She changed her mind when the teacher would stay with her and keep her safe.
We talked about touch we like and don't like.

Today.
We started with some picture stories.
1. Taylor is packing up for school. Mum takes him to the bus stop and gives him a hug goodbye.
Why did mum walk with him? To keep him safe
How did the hug make him feel? Happy, it is nice touch.

2. Taylor goes out at lunchtime and likes going on the slide. Someone from another class pushes him very hard out of the way.
Who likes slides?
Why did the other boy push him? To get a turn. 
Is that what we do? No, you have to be patient
How did Taylor felt? What was he thinking? Sad, why did they do that
What should he do? Tell an adult

3. Taylor goes next door to play. He meets cousin Jay who helps him make a sandwich. Jay puts his hands down Taylor's pants.
Why did taylor go nextdoor? To play
Who was staying? Their cousin Jay
How did Taylor feel? Sad
What should he do? Tell an adult
We used the had reminder to remember what to do - say Stop, walk away, tell and adult.
Why did jay put his hands in Taylor's  pants. Because he was naughty, what he did was wrong, we know that we don't touch people's privates ever.

We did some role plays about touching we don't like (hair pulling, too hard hugging, tickling, hand in the wrong place.) for the children to practise what to do when things happen we don't like,
Tell an adult
Suggest a better way to hug
Say stop it, walk away, tell an adult
Know that if someone touches you in the wrong place they will have to sit out at lunchtime

A story "i like you to make jokes with me"
A boy is shopping with mum. There is a big man who works at the store who scares the boy a bit. One day he tickled the boy and scared him. He ran to mum for a cuddle. The man came to see what was the matter. Mum told him he had scared her son. He said sorry, that he was a silly man and not to be scared. At home mum said if he scared him again the boy had to tell him. The boy hoped mum would but mum said he had to do it. Next time at the supermarket the boy wanted to get some strawberries but the man was too near. The boy said " i like it when you make jokes with me but, i don't want you to touch me" "OK" he said.
Next time they went they found the man at checkout and he just smiled and said hello to him. The boy was pleased because he didn't touch him. "Of course I didn't said the man because you asked me not to!"

Why did the boy feel better about the man at the end? Because he had done what he was asked and respected their decision.

Sunday 19 October 2014

Keeping ourselves safe

Thanks to those who came to the preparatory meeting last week. We have embarked on this project to  try and give the children some tools to help them look after themselves. Constable Helen came roday for her first lesson with the children. Below is a transcript of the thirty minute conversation she had with them. She is very frank and did not linger on any one point. She made sure the children were comfortable and treating the subject sensibly. It was good to introduce the correct rerminology for body parts in a non-threatening, relaxed way. It made the children feel quite grown up.
I will post the next lesson transcripts too. Come and see me if you need to.

KOS with Helen.

What makes people sad?
When people aren't nice/ mean
When you hurt yourself
When someone dies
When people can't join in the game

We have  to try and keep out bodies safe but sometimes accidents happen

Boys grow up to be men or dads
Girls who grow up to be mums or ladies

Think about how girls bodies are different from boys bodies
Their private parts - what are their privates called? Why do people laugh? They are just part of the body and have proper names. Which are penis for boys and vagina and breasts for girls.
In some countries they don't wear clothes but we do so we don't see each other all the time and keep ourselves covered up so we feel funny when we see people or say the words.

Why do we call it privates - because we keep them covered up and they are just for us.

Who does your body belong to? Myself
Our bodies are our own - it is up to us who touches our bodies
Who can touch us?
Doctors - so they can see what has happened
Mum and Dad - to hug us, to help us get washed
Hospital people - to help you, do xrays
Dentist - in your mouth
Teacher - to help you
Friends - to play games

Nice touching
Holding hands - not squeezing hard
Pat on the back
High five
Arm round the shoulder

Bad touch
Punch
Pinch
Kick
What about if someone touched your private parts what would you do.
Run away to tell the duty teacher / adult
Say stop it I don't like it
Hand reminder about what to do -  stop sign, walk, talk

Are people allowed to touch you on your privates ? No

Then we had a story that underlined the ideas from the lesson, my body belongs to me, your body belongs to you, nobody touches me unless i want them to, no one touches you unless you want them to.

Come to assembly.

.At the moment we plan to start at 2.10 on friday. There is a lot to fit in. The kids are practising hard. They had a notice today about what to wear on Formal Friday that day. Our kids will also need a teeshirt rhe right colour for their costume. Green for frogs and alligators, stripey if poss any colour for snakes, and pretty any colour for the birds. Josharn needs a green or brown shirt, Aaliah cna choose what she wants and Rebecca can choose too. 
Here they are making their masks.