Bark hut

I've always wondered about how the early settlers built their bush huts out of bark in pioneer times. Aborigines of course built shelters out of bark but not semi permanent structures like the one in the photo below ( usually constructed before they could build something more substantial)
Well we have some very big gum trees around the school (refer to the photo below) that have shed enormous slabs of bark that would be ideal for a pioneer style bush hut. (refer to the photos below)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

I took the kids to Her Majesties Theatre in Melbourne to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang today. Not my favourite musical - like a lot of people my generation I saw the movie as a kid ( I think at Frankston Drive In....yes that's how old I am) and I was terrified by Robert Helpman's performance as the 'child catcher'.
The production was very good. The dance numbers were slick and the singing was very good, especially the 2 children who held their own with the adults. The lighting and sets were effective but the real star of the show of course is the car.
It's eventual arrival was stunning and the audience which was mostly kids and old aged pensioners went wild! The car performed some terrific stunts in the air and looked majestic and authentic . I think the kids liked the dogs (remember the sweet factory scene) the best. The problem of course with musicals is that you get the songs (sometimes not very good ones) stuck in your head for ages afterwards. Right now 'toot sweet' is buzzing around in my head waiting to get out and my feet want to dance a cockney jig about bamboo poles!

New sign for our veggie garden.

Student Teachers

Our student teachers made volcanoes ( vinegar and bi-carb) as part of science and also skipping as part of health studies with the children today.

Printing

Using an idea I got from Pinterest...Where would I be without it? we created some underwater pictures for Island of the Blue Dolphins.
As we did with the Silver Brumby picture we created a background using tissue paper then we drew pictures of dolphins on foam and then I cut them out with a Stanley knife. They dipped those in paint ( black worked best) and then used these stencils to print dolphins on their undersea scene.

Busy Day

Got to school early this morning ( Saturday morning)to finish off the Annual Report and to clean and prepare a few things for next week.I was there from about 7 until 1 and still left a few things undone. Those people always complaining about lazy teachers and all their holidays should spend a week in my shoes!
There was a kookaburra just outside the classroom window this morning and I was able to get quite close to it with my iPad and take a snap. Usually they fly off but this one didn't seem to bother about me. They used to sit on the playground equipment every morning but this year they stay mostly in the trees.

Current Unit - Island of the Blue Dolphins (TPT)

Click HERE to download this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers


As promised,

Island of the Blue Dolphins is Scott O’Dell’s homage to Robinson Crusoe and a fantastic job he did of it. Students I have read it too have always been engrossed by the trials and tribulations of Karana, the brave Indian girl left behind on a rugged Pacific island to fend for herself. What a powerful, positive role model for girl readers. We are half way through the book with lots more to read and some fun literature and art activities to complete based on the book. Download the unit from TPT for a mere $2.00!