CREATOR SPACE
This week we made shrinky dink pendants for necklaces. Some students chose designs that were outside of our normal rectangular or circular shapes! We also planned our tie-dye t-shirts for next week and worked on our mixed media canvases.
CULINARY KIDS: COOKING ADVENTURE
This week, the culinary students explored the flavorful world of Japanese cuisine. The young chefs prepared popular and delicious dishes, including musubi, yakisoba, chicken curry, somen salad, and fried rice. We hope your child is sharing what they are learning with you at home.
FULL STEAM AHEAD
This week in Full STEAM Ahead, we delved into the fascinating world of natural disasters. Our students had a blast learning about volcanoes, engaging in an art project, making predictions on explosive mixtures, and even building fences to protect imaginary homes.
Additionally, we explored tornadoes, where students designed homes that could withstand debris and strong winds. We also learned about how earthquakes are formed and constructed homes to test their resilience against quakes.
HNS: EXPLORERS
This week was all about small animals in Hawai’i! The students started out the week by taking a survey of the small animals we found in our school community. On Tuesday, we explored different endemic, native, non-native, and invasive animals. We explored the importance of endemic/native birds, bats, and snails and ways we can protect them. On Wednesday, we listened to a guest speaker from The Board of Water Supply and explored ways to conserve water and why it is significant. On Thursday, we listened to Aunty Winona with DLNR Forestry talk about the importance of native and endemic birds and how we can protect them. We had the opportunity to bird watch the Manu o Kū! On Friday, the Explorers researched their favorite native/endemic small animal and the invasive species that harms it. They created great ideas on how we can protect and conserve our native species in Hawai’i.
HNS: OBSERVERS
This week, students completed a Kalo painting activity to reflect on last week’s Lo’i field trip. They also learned about mammals, specifically mammals found in Hawai’i. And lastly, students completed their shoe box habitats for their chosen ocean mammal.
HNS: RESEARCHERS
This week, our class was busy with a variety of engaging activities! Students dedicated time to research for their final projects, deepening their understanding of key concepts. We had the wonderful opportunity to hear from our guest speaker from the Board of Water Supply, gaining valuable insights about water conservation and our local resources. Finally, our creativity flowed as we transformed leaves into beautiful art pieces, exploring nature’s textures and colors.
LET’S PLAY SPORTS
LITTLE JOURNALISTS
This week we completed our third installment of the Hot Summer News newsletter. We focused on using interviews when we don’t have much information on the person or topic at hand. Students learned about what kinds of questions to ask and how to properly introduce the topic.
On Wednesday, we went to the lo’i where students were able to immerse themselves in the culture of the land that we live in. There, students practiced their new skills, by interviewing the lo’i workers and the students from the other class who went with us.
MINECRAFT: CREATING AND CODING
This week, we worked on our Class Survival World and completed our Replicating Landmarks assignment. Students recreated (or reinterpreted) a landmark of their choice from around the world and presented it to the class.
Students also worked together to create a “Theme Park” utilizing Minecraft’s Redstone technology (Minecraft’s complex electrical-system).
Friday, June 27th, we went on a field trip to OCEAN IT, a local company that brings together people with different expertise to create innovative solutions through science, technology, and engineering. This field trip will prepare us for the coding unit of our class by giving us some insights on how computer science can be implemented.
ROBOTICS WITH LEGO EV3
This week our class had two exciting field trips, one to Waialua High School, and one to UH Manoa Lo’i. We got to see how a high school robotics team runs their programs, learn about their different tools, and also learn about sustainability practices. The LEGO EV3 class also participated in their mock competition this week to see how many points they could score for the real competition. They are now in their last few stages of preparation before their final competition on week 5!
THE LEADERSHIP LAB
The theme for the week: Social Awareness – “Seeing the leader in everyone.”
We practiced and applied our new leadership skills by preparing and executing activities with 1st and 2nd graders. The students prepared opening and closing questions, as well as a fun activity to do with the kids.
This week, we learned about:
– Empathy and compassion, and the difference between the two.
– Intent vs impact and using tone of voice as a way to convey intent.
– Group dynamics, group roles and discussed options for when members don’t adhere to group norms and agreements.
– Leaders as allies, sharing compliments and having an “attitude of gratitude.”
– Cultural awareness and appreciating differences.
– Awareness of their own social networks and who we can lean on for various types of support and encouragement.
– Community mapping and recognizing the strengths and needs in a community.