Pourerere Beach Trip, Friday March 7, 2008

Our trip to Pourerere beach was a great success and a lot of fun.

From the feedback forms we've got back so far, it really stands out just how valuable the shared experience of going on the trip with your own family has been to the children, parents and extended family members involved.

Meanwhile David has started typing up the feedback and putting the full colour versions into profiles, so if you haven't got yours in, please do so a.s.a.p. while the memories still fresh.

Examples of what made the day special.
"Mummy being there."
"A great joy going to the beach with my grand-daughter."
"Going on the bus."
"Excited about the starfish and crabs."
"Building sand castles."

A special thankyou to everyone who was able to come with us.

We'd love to put up some close up photos of the joyful faces, but we're still working through internet permissions, so here's some of the friends we saw and some long range shots.
A great fish castle.

A dressing crab / Paapaka Huna.

Chitin and Abalone/ Papatua and Paua.

Marine Bully/ Kookopu

Common Rock crab / Reerere

Building sandcastles


Sea Urchin:Kina, note his tiny tentancles coming out between the spines.

Hermit crab.

Octopus :Wheke


Pourerere rock pools

Getting water for the moats with an adult.




Sea lettuce: Karengo

Spiny star: Papatangaroa






Kina

Mottled Brittle Star :Weki Huna a type of snakes tail starfish.

Shield shell snail, Scutus Antipodes a type of limpet.

Easter Raffle 2008

Thanks to everyone who brought and sold tickets and contributed prizes.
All prizes have been collected.
Also thanks to the generousity of one of our families a fourth prize not shown on the tickets was added to the draw.
All up $1768.90 was raised. With on going development of the play resources and some upcoming projects like two new shade sails for the playground, this money is much appreciated.

First prize : Easter Hamper - Jan Stewart #0757
Second prize: Easter Hamper -Shane Godinet #0055
Third prize: Easter Hamper -Brian Price #0251

Fourth prize: Load of fire wood and ten choclate eggs- Rongomai #357

Favourite Playdough recipe

Families are always asking us for our playdough recipe. This makes a glouriously silky dough. I 'm not sure were we origanally got the recipe from as it's written in my hand on one of our recipe books.
It can be quite oily so best used on a table.
4 cups of flour
1 cult salt
8 tspns cream of tartar
10 Tbspn oil
4 cups boiling water
dye. (a slosh say 1/8 -1/4 cup kindergarten grade 2 litre bottle, probably less with concentrate)

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil and dye, then add the boiling water and stir vigourously till it's all mixed it. It should come away from the sides and be slightly tacky but not sticky on the fingers. Different dyes seem to yield different results as does the weather.
Keep in a sealed container when not in use.