Our Special Place Right Here in Riccarton

Our Senior ESOL group visited Riccarton Bush earlier this year as part of an environmental study.  Video footage and photographs taken by the students formed a visual record of the visit. Once the sequence of visual images was embedded into iMovie the students used Garage Band to record a commentary that was then attached to the movie track.

A number of parents attended a gathering at the end of Term Three to view this work. Feedback for the students was very positive. We appreciate the parents taking time out from their busy day to celebrate this work with ESOL groups.  This is the movie shared at the end of last term.

 

RADIO PLAYS for ESOL STUDENTS

We have been researching how effective it is to use radio plays in an ESOL setting to improve spoken English. To become fluent in a script of any length requires determination and much rehearsal on the part of the students. This video footage is the end result of a group of Year 2/3 ESOL students in our school recording their radio play using Garage Band. Elena (aged 7 years) kindly created a series of images that were able to be linked to the radio play using iMovie. The students are now able to share their work on the Blog with you. They all thought that this work was a fun way to learn to speak English. Please feel free to provide feedback.

TERM FOUR

ESOL Morning Tea

The Senior ESOL group will host a morning tea for parents within our ESOL Community. The students would like to share their Riccarton Bush Inquiry with you and answer questions that you may have about their learning experience. We would also like to give the Year 2/3 group an opportunity to share their radio play with you. This has been made into a short movie. We hope that you can join us:

Celebrating Cultural Diversity

The children have been learning that clothing often enables us to identify with a cultural group. Shiako’s mother kindly allowed Room 7 and our ESOL group to share some treasured items of clothing that are worn on special occasions. Shiako said that he feels very special when he wears his suit. I’m sure that you will agree that he must look very grown up.

Shiako told us that his mother might wear this dress to a special wedding.

Thank you for sharing your treasures with us Shiako.

Nothing Beats Hokey Pokey

Kiwis are very proud to claim Hokey Pokey icecream as their own. One of the Year 2/3 ESOL groups found out what Hokey Pokey really tasted like. Prior to the cooking session, the children wrote the ingredients and instructions for their recipe. Here they are with their freshly cooked sample. At this stage it was too hot to eat.

Our Unit on Cultural Diversity The children have been exploring some of the ways in which groups of people express their cultural identity. Pride in national dress was a topic that fostered much discussion and opportunity to use descriptive language in their writing. Vianca was keen to find out if we could wrap all those metres of fabric around her tiny waist. Sari can be worn in a number of different ways. A choli or midriff blouse is worn under the top of the sari.

Here are a few of the many images that were discussed by the children

Celebrating Raksha Bandhan

On August 2nd 2012, the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan was celebrated by a number of families within our school. On Raksha Bandhan it is customary for sisters to tie a Rakhi (a crafted and decorated silk thread) onto the right wrist of their brother as a symbol of their love and protection. The brother in return pledges to take care of his sister/s.

A group of ESOL children from Rooms 7 and 9 wrote about Raksha Bandhan and what it means to them. Aki wrote that the festival was very special to him. It was a day when he felt very important. Aki received this bracelet from his grandparents.

One of Rishik's bracelets came from his female cousin in America. We thank Rishik's mother for bringing the festival to our attention. We also thank Suma from Room 25 for speaking to her peer group about the festival.

Our Senior ESOL Group's Trip to Riccarton Bush

In Term Three it is hoped that this same group of students will be able to share their work on Riccarton Bush (as a forest study) at an ESOL parent gathering. The students will briefly share some of the highlights and photos of the trip in the blog. Trudy: On Tuesday the senior ESOL group went to Riccarton Bush to look at a forest that was in existence long before the Deans family arrived in New Zealand. The Deans family came to Christchurch in 1843 and built a cottage as a short-term home. Mahnaz: The Dean's house was very different to the houses I would see in my country. It was large and colourful. It was damaged in the earthquake so we were not able to go inside.

Lilly: When we walked through the forest we saw interesting little trees and plants growing at ground level. We even saw fungus growing on trees.

Suma's Report: Her Inquiry Question: How can a country like India with such a large population be economically strong? This is what Suma found out: There are seven billion people living in India. This is 17.3% of the World’s population. While there are many people that are rich in India, like China because of their large populations, these countries also have many poor people.

In this photo, the city skyline sits behind people living and working in the streets of Delhi. There is no minimum wage in India so the poorest people can live on only 65 cents a day. Could you do that in New Zealand? I don’t think so. It is believed that 36% of India’s population live on less than $1 a day. It seems strange that India is now one of the wealthiest countries in the world. So how do they do it? The main reason is that middle class families often send their children overseas to be educated. It is very difficult to get places in top universities. Families move to give their children chances to became better qualified. These people take skills back to India to set up businesses. These businesses can make lots of money.

But How Do They Do This? If a person starts a new business it is because they have a vision for their own company. They start their business on their own. They make their business rich by working hard and controlling what happens. They don’t have partners when they start their company but they bring others in to make their company strong and competitive. Did you know that 4 out of 8 of the wealthiest people in the world are Indian? People and companies outside of India arrange to have Indian companies make their products. The reason is because the worker get less in wages.

Parent Teacher Interviews These are coming up in Week 10. Please remember to make an appointment to see your classroom teacher if you would like to discuss the content of your child's report. If you are unsure of how to book an interview please speak to the office staff or the ESOL teacher. If you need support with translation, please make contact with the ESOL teacher in Week 9 or let your classroom teacher know. 家长教师访谈：10周 请记住预约看到你的任课老师，如果你想你的孩子的报告，讨论内容。如果您需要与翻译的支持，请在第9周接触的ESOL教师或让你的任课老师知道。 مقابلات الآباء والمعلمين في الأسبوع 10يرجى الاتصال معلمك الفصل الدراسي أو المدرس ESOL إذا احتجت لمساعدة في الترجمة. 10週の親教師インタビュー あなたが翻訳を手伝う必要がある場合は、教室の先生やESOLの先生に連絡してください。

Wow, eggs really are scrumptious One of our Year 2/3 ESOL groups read the book 'Eggs for Breakfast'. After discussing the content it was decided that a shared breakfast might be a great way to gain vocabulary linked to the preparation of a meal. Rather than have boiled eggs and toast, 'French Toast' with grilled banana and 'Maple Syrup' seemed that much more palatable. The names of the ingredients, cooking utensils and the cooking process provided the children with much new vocabulary. The children took turns at whisking the eggs or flipping the French Toast. Everyone found the flavour to their liking. Here are some photographs taken of our shared breakfast:

Working in the Sugar Plantations

Ruth wanted to know why people came from India to settle in Fiji. When asked what she knew about sugar cane processing in Fiji, she knew that sugar cane grew on the islands. To answer her question she needed to further research the history of this industry. This is what she found out:

When and Why Did People Come From India to Fiji? Background on Indigenous People: The first people to come to Fiji were from Africa. The Lapita people settled in Fiji about 2900 years ago. Life for the Fijian people changed when British missionaries arrived. The Fijian people became believers in Christian ways. Britain colonized Fiji in 1874 but allowed Fijian chiefs to govern their people as long as they cooperated with the British Crown. It was not until 1970 that Fiji became independent.

Between 1850 and the beginning of the First World War, 60,500 Indians came into Fiji to work. The sugar refining company CSR brought Indians into Fiji to work in the sugar plantations. They worked hard for very little money. Work in the sugar plantations was tough. Many workers died of dysentery. Those who survived the first three years often died of other diseases later on. The Fijian people could not be made to work under these conditions.

When they were finished working in the plantations many workers decided to stay on and not return to India. Today, most of this country's cane growers are descendants of those early laborers.There are many Indian people in Fiji who have their own houses and businesses. In many countries around the world people have migrated in the hope of a better future for themselves and their families.

Why is the Year of the Dragon so Important?

Lily wanted to tell the others in her group about the Year of the Dragon and why Chinese people are delighted if their child was born at this time. We suggested to her that she may like to do some further research on this subject and share her findings with everyone. This is Lily's Report: Why is the Year of the Dragon Important to Chinese People?

What is so important about the Year of the Dragon? 2012 is the year of the water dragon, and while dragons are linked with fire, for the year of 2012, being near water will be a good thing. People born in the year of the dragon will be very lucky and have a good life. Many people are looking forward to the Chinese Zodiac year of 2012. Couples in China are happy if their child is born in the year of the dragon. What Do We Know About Chinese Horoscopes? All the animals of the world were invited to visit Buddha but legend tells us that only 12 animals came. In order to award the animals for their loyalty, Buddha named a year after each one in the order as they came before him. The cycle of the animal names repeats every 12 years. People born in a certain year are thought to display behaviours that the animal they are born under does. Some animals, like people work better together than others.

MY HOROSCOPE IS THE YEAR OF THE HORSE! These are my characteristics: *People under this sign are independent *May talk too much. *May be popular with their peer group, but can trust the wrong people at times. THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON: *You are healthy, energetic, short tempered and stubborn. *You are honest and brave. *You are quiet and wise and like to to dress up. *You help other people but tend to over do it.

Lily convinced me that I should find out which animal was associated with the year of my birth and what was written to describe my traits. I couldn't believe how accurate the description was. I told Lily that my own daughter had informed me that she was born in the year of the dragon in 1988 and felt very good about it. Lily told me that she was very lucky. What a lot we have learned as a result of Lily sharing her knowledge with us. Thank you Lily.

Japanese Gardens - Written by Ethan

Abstract This report is about Japanese gardens. There are many elements that are special to Japanese gardens. I wanted to find out about them. I found out that the idea of a Japanese garden comes from a love of the beauty of nature.

The Elements Found in a Japanese Garden Some of the elements used are: rocks,bridges,lanterns,plants and sometimes teahouses. The gardens are often set in very scenic locations. This green spacious garden uses rocks

The idea of a Japanese garden has taken some 100,000 years to fully develop. For years Japanese gardens have been havens of peace and beauty. The Cherry blossoms (sakura) remind people that life is beautiful but fragile and brief. There are songs written titled ‘Sakura’. Many schools in Japan have blossom trees in their grounds.

The Moss Garden has been given the name ‘Saiho’. It is a mossy place that is lush and green.

Nature is a very important to Japanese people. They believe that trees have two lives. The first one is when the tree is alive and the other is when it dies and rots and returns goodness to the soil.

Bonsai Bonsai are dwarfed trees in pots. Some Japanese have had a bonsai tree for generations and they are real treasures and valuable. To create a bonsai the grower pruned the branches and the roots so the tree can’t grow any bigger. Zen Gardens Zen gardens are rock gardens. The rocks represent mountains. There are only rocks in these gardens so that means that there will very little weeding to do. Zen gardens were created at the temples of buddhism during the Muromachi period (1336 - 1573) . You are supposed to view these from a garden seat.

Senior ESOL Student Reports

A group of Year 6 ESOL students compiled reports last term. The learning intention required students to reflect on cultural differences, form an Inquiry question related to their own culture and write a short informative report that would capture their Inquiry process. There was much discussion during the questioning and drafting phases. Report writing became our writing focus. Some students created an abstract to draw their reader's attention to their research question. The challenge was not to deviate from the Inquiry focus. The students were encouraged to gather information from a wide range of resources, including their parents. Suma was very fortunate to have her father at hand to share his knowledge of her topic. We all found his knowledge enlightening. While the students used Pages to present their reports, we are unfortunately unable to post Pages directly onto the Blog. The content of each report will be posted as separate elements. It is possible that these students will invite you to attend a presentation of their work one afternoon later in the term in our ESOL room. We will keep you posted on this. REPORT !) Trudy Cai - Question: What is the difference between primary education in a New Zealand and Chinese school? This is Trudy's Report: Chinese School Report completed in April 2012

What Does A Classroom Look Like in a Chinese School?

In Chinese schools there are usually 40 to 60 children in each class School work is very hard and there is a lot of work to do everyday. These are some of the similarities and differences between New Zealand and Chinese Classes
 Similar: 1) There is much reading and testing 2) We learn to read letters and understand them at five 3) The teacher stays the same for a year 4)Primary School is Year 1-6

In China: 1) There is no talking in the Chinese classroom 2) Children may get punished if they talk 3) Children eat in a cafeteria and sit at tables during lunchtime 4) In Chinese schools a bright child can jump up a year ahead of others 5) Only some schools have TV and computers 6) Because children are often called ‘‘little emperors ’‘ and thought to be precious, there is a lot of pressure on them to do well at school 7) Schools teach English or another second language 8) Students know that they must make their families proud 9) The roll in Chinese schools can be up to 3000 children 10) There are between 40 to 80 students in a classroom

Trudy’s view of the differences: In my classroom in China we did not sit and discuss things like children do in New Zealand classrooms. I find it difficult to concentrate sometimes when lots of children are talking because I’m not used to it. I was 8 years old when I came into school in New Zealand so I had been used to a different system. I find the work now is easier to do because there is not as much. Now I have to think about what I know about the subject which is good for my thinking. When I write I use my own ideas. In China we had to write a lot and the practise made us better at writing. We need to write plenty to be good at it. If you were late to school in China you had to stay outside and you had a lot of work to do. You weren’t late for school. I think that children should have to tell the class why they are late and do extra work. We thank Trudy for her contribution to our ESOL BLog.

/Users/teacher/Desktop/chinese school.pages

Morning Tea for our ESOL Community

It was evident to all present just how global our school community has become when parents began to share their country of origin and backgrounds. An opportunity to meet each other informally over a coffee and share information was positively received. It was wonderful to have such a large number of parents attend. It is hoped that these informal meetings will take place once a term. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the PTA for their support.





Family involvement in children's education is very powerful.

Our Mini Inquiry

The senior ESOL group have been carrying out a mini investigation into one aspect of life pertaining to their family's country of origin. They have been assembling their information into a report format using 'Pages' an Apple application. There have been many questions asked and explanations shared. The group look forward to completing the work and posting it on the ESOL Blog to share with you.

Here are some photos taken during the Inquiry process.