Ukulele

We've hired a class set of ukulele for three weeks. Ngaire Shand (who used to teach Nadine) came and gave us our initial instruction and since then we've practised our c and f chords every day with even a sneak peek at G7.

We've been learning some names for our fingers, Thumb, pointer, tallman, ringman and pinkie, names for parts of the ukulele, head, neck, body, frets, strings, tuning keys, and how to play the c and the f chord. I noticed we were getting pretty quick at swapping so sometimes we even have a go at song were we have to swap from one chord to the other.

We've been learning to play fast and slow, loud and soft as well.

Since Ngaire made us up a song we've also been making up our own songs and have noticed the children have been creating their own songs as well. In addition to as our more formal session for everybody we also have less formal opportunities to play for those who are interested, with a few extra instruments and the option to dance as well.

Christmas Party

Where shall we have our Christmas party? Well we knew we wanted a helicopter, maybe one could land at kindy amongst the trees and powerlines? Well maybe the school, not allowed due to regs, okay pity we can't have it at the aerodrome.

Why not, you can use our hanger.

Perfect, so off we went to see the planes.It was a great venue, big planes to look at, trucks and even two model planes buzzing around.

You launch them like this.

Santa came.

We wore beautiful costumes.

It was a great evening for the whole family to come to.

And to catch up with all the growing babies.

Our retiring Education manager
Liz made the trip over from Hastings with her husband Peter.
Cindy Berry one of our association's board members and a member of our local community came out as well.

Meanwhile the mums got busy preparing the food, no space left for any husbands to help, hmm I wonder who...err what they're talking about, well they seem to be laughing at something ;).

And here's the dad's cooking up the sausages.

More and more people kept coming making this one of our biggest and best Christmas parties ever.

Lots of space to park, and space to play infront of the hanger.

It was great to see the familiar faces of lots of our former pupils.

So we sat amongst the planes to enjoy our shared tea.

We have very loving, kind, sharing children.

Olivia wanted a picture of her brother, I don't think she realised he was already in one.

Then in came Santa in his helicopter.

Our sterling piper Louis, piped him in.

Sorry about the sound quality, much better live.

Time for requests and presents. Don't I know you?

And then came the singing.

Brilliant.

The paparazzi were there of course. :)

and who can blame them with stars like these.

Old lady who swallowed a fly

Kiri's Voice:
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.... do you know why?
The children today enjoyed a fun story and puppet show that I had brought in from home. The children were great at practicing patience, waiting for their turn, as well as learning to deal with disappointment if they didn't get their chosen animal. The children were using memory to recall which animal was going to be next and recalling which animals had been swallowed before, and they didn't complain once about my singing! What a great bunch of helpers they were for me and very attentive too. Kiri Fraser.
Pai ki ahau ki te whakarongo koutou tamariki. I like the way you all listened children.


David's Voice:
I was really impressed by Kiri's impromptu mat time. The children were able to come and go as they needed, and I noticed when children moved away (after all sitting still is the hardest balancing skill ) they were still very aware of the story and returned to it as soon as it restarted.

Informal free choice versus formal compulsory mattimes are something a lot of earlychildhood settings are currently thinking about.

Kiri must have sung the story twenty times, as new children joined in and others asked for it again and again, her group getting larger and larger. She managed the many and varied demands very well.

As we watched the video together and it was fascinating to see all the different ways the children had of participating in the story, each at a level they were comfortable with and it's not always necessary to sit up straight to be actively participating. I noticed Aidan dropping the old lady book on his head while he waited for the story to get organised, then sitting up ready to join in again as soon as it started.

I noticed how the children joining the mat would often stand on the outside observing the social rules of the group, figuring out how they could fit in. Often they innovated how they would participate, as when Lachie found his own puppet or Emma and Gina got chairs to become an audience. They also experienced negotiating and compromise as they weren't always able to get what they wanted straight away.

There was also sequencing, a math's skill.

As well as the, maths, music and social side of things there was also problem solving as the children figured out how to fit the puppets into the old lady.
Great story Kiri.

Nga Paki Ako - Term 3, Week 2

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

Mä is white

Adrianne's be singing a range of waiata Mäori with the tamariki, and it's great to hear they've been singing them at home.
Remember if your not sure of the words just ask we're always happy to pass on the lyrics.
Here's one popular one
Ngä Tae –The colours
Mä is white,
whero is red,
Käkäriki is green,
Pango is black,
Mangu too,
A, E, I, O, U
Köwhai yellow,
Parauri brown,
kikoangi blue, (Kahurangi blue)
karakaraka is our orange,
A,E, I, O, U.
Try http://folksong.org.nz/kids_waiata/index.html I'm pretty sure they have an mp3 of the song if you forget the tune.

Shark song-Mako

Ngaa kupu Maori ---literal translation via dictionary----Translation----
Mako haere roto wai - Shark moving in water - The shark moves in the water
Kimihia tana kai -looking his prey -To find its prey
Ngaa hua o te moana e - the fruits of the sea -the fish of the sea
Ngaa hua o te moana e - the fruits of the sea -the fish of the sea

Mako niho nui e -Shark teeth big -It's teeth are huge and sharp
Ka wehi ngaa ika e -scaring the fish -All fish are scared
Kei kainga e te mako nui e -lest eat! by the shark big -that they will be eaten
Kei kainga e te mako nui e -lest eat! by the shark big -that they will be eaten

Upoko weriweri -head ugly -ugly headed
Tinana korikori e -body curvy -curvy body

Taana mootoro haere - it's stealthy movement - as it steathily moves
he haere ohorere e - moving to suprise- to surprise its prey
Hei kai i nga ika iti e - let it be for, food the fishes little- to eat the little fish


From Waiata koohungahunga 6
double vowel = long vowel sound, can't seem to get macrons working.

Birthday Song

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Name
Happy birthday to you

Hari huri tau kia koe
(happy turning year, let to happen, you)
Hari huri tau kia koe
Hari huri tau kia Name
Hari huri tau kia koe

May your birthdays be bright
And filled with delight
Happy birthday dear Name
Happy birthday to you.