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Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa te whanau whanui o te Kura Tuatahi o Whakatu – greetings to friends and family of Nelson Central School.

Children’s writing

The Tuatara
This informational report is on the tuatara. I will tell you about their physical description, reproduction, habitat, diet, predators and weird things. Did you know that the average tuatara grows to 50cm long and weights 550 grams?

Diet
The diet of the tuatara includes berries, bugs, spiders and small birds. When they see food they usually run straight at it really fast! Around one small bird could last one tuatara for about five weeks. That is a lot longer than humans.

Physical description
They are greenie brown and they have a line of spikes down their spine. It has lots of little scales. It’s got quite short legs but can run very, very fast! Because the tuatara hardly moves at all you would think, ‘how do they run so fast?’

Predators
The predators of the tuatara are cats, possums, stoats, big birds, rats and all sorts of other rodents. Sometimes the tuatara fight the attacker and win and eat it.

Weird things
Did you know that the tuatara can hold their breath for one whole hour? That’s a long time and they don’t stop growing till 35 years of age. Also the average tuatara lives for more than 100 years. The young tuatara hunt during the day because if they hunt in the night the might get eaten by an adult tuatara. Did you know some people call them living fossils because they have been around for 200 million years? That’s longer than dinosaurs!

Habitat
Did you know the tuatara like to live in cool places but the male tuatara stays in warm places to attract female tuatara? They usually live on islands, mainly around the North Island.

Reproduction
The eggs of the tuatara are 4cm long and after birth they have to wait 4-5 months before they can have more babies. 11-16 months later the eggs hatch, they have very soft shells. They use a little horn on their head to get them out of their eggs. It grows away two weeks after hatching

Conclusion
My informational report was about the tuatara and I have told you about the diet, physical description, predators, weird things, reproduction and habitat. Did you know that the oldest tuatara is one hundred and eleven years old? Thats old! (Louis)

Teacher Celebration
Last Friday we celebrated Moana Forbes and Lynley Walters’ graduation as Fully Registered Teachers. We are very proud of them and the persistence they have shown in achieving that status. Both have relocated to Nelson from other parts of the country and in the process have had to make adjustments with their families, learn about a new school, adapt to new tutor teachers and cope with significant changes in education. We admire the ‘grit’ they have shown on their learning journey and look forward to the contribution they will make to children’s learning in the future – well done to you both.

Reports
Teachers are in the process of preparing end of year reports for children. We expect to send them home with children on Friday 16 December. If you will be leaving school before that date please ensure you leave a forwarding address with the school office and they will be posted to you.

Congratulations Room 7
Room 7 entered a competition organised by the Land Transport Authority to promote safer journeys to school. They were one of 5 runners up from throughout the country. They won a set of books for their classroom. See their entry at: 7 http://www.feetfirst.govt.nz/ See elsewhere in this newsletter the children’s thoughts on their entry.

Staff update
What do teachers do when they leave our school? This week I caught up with Viv Leachman (formerly teacher in Room 5) and you will see from the item below what she is up to.
The Druids Olive Oil
For some years now, she and Andrew have been growing olives on a friends’ farm in Waiau. This year they produced their largest crop for pressing and the extra virgin oil is just beautiful, with subtle differences between the varieties. This year their varieties are:

FRANTOIO: A full bodied oil with nutty flavours.
LECCINO: An intensely fruit-flavoured oil with a peppery aftertaste.
Their GROVE BLEND which includes PICUAL, BARNEA, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN VERDALE AND BAROUNI: A well-balanced, fruity oil with strong green notes.

In case you are interested here is the Druids Olive Oil price list:
250ml bottle         $10.00
500 ml bottle        $15.00
4 Litre tin               $80.00

If you would like to buy some of our oil please call me (leave a message if I am out or away for a few days) and I can deliver it to you.

Phone: 5480557 or 0275480557
E-mail: Vivleachman@xtra.co.nz

Dr Paul Potaka
PRINCIPAL

Calendar

Dates for 2011

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Did you know that the average tuatara grows to 50cm long and weights 550 grams? Diet The diet of the tuatara includes berries, bugs, spiders and small birds. When they see food they usually run straight at it really fast! Around one small bird could last one tuatara for about five weeks. That is a lot longer than humans. Physical description They are greenie brown and they have a line of spikes down their spine. It has lots of little scales. It’s got quite short legs but can run very, very fast! Because the tuatara hardly moves at all you would think, ‘how do they run so fast?’ Predators The predators of the tuatara are cats, possums, stoats, big birds, rats and all sorts of other rodents. Sometimes the tuatara fight the attacker and win and eat it. Weird things Did you know that the tuatara can hold their breath for one whole hour? That’s a long time and they don’t stop growing till 35 years of age. Also the average tuatara lives for more than 100 years. The young tuatara hunt during the day because if they hunt in the night the might get eaten by an adult tuatara. Did you know some people call them living fossils because they have been around for 200 million years? That’s longer than dinosaurs! Habitat Did you know the tuatara like to live in cool places but the male tuatara stays in warm places to attract female tuatara? They usually live on islands, mainly around the North Island. Reproduction The eggs of the tuatara are 4cm long and after birth they have to wait 4-5 months before they can have more babies. 11-16 months later the eggs hatch, they have very soft shells. They use a little horn on their head to get them out of their eggs. It grows away two weeks after hatching Conclusion My informational report was about the tuatara and I have told you about the diet, physical description, predators, weird things, reproduction and habitat. Did you know that the oldest tuatara is one hundred and eleven years old? Thats old! (Louis) Teacher Celebration Last Friday we celebrated Moana Forbes and Lynley Walters’ graduation as Fully Registered Teachers. We are very proud of them and the persistence they have shown in achieving that status. Both have relocated to Nelson from other parts of the country and in the process have had to make adjustments with their families, learn about a new school, adapt to new tutor teachers and cope with significant changes in education. We admire the ‘grit’ they have shown on their learning journey and look forward to the contribution they will make to children’s learning in the future – well done to you both. Reports Teachers are in the process of preparing end of year reports for children. We expect to send them home with children on Friday 16 December. If you will be leaving school before that date please ensure you leave a forwarding address with the school office and they will be posted to you. Congratulations Room 7 Room 7 entered a competition organised by the Land Transport Authority to promote safer journeys to school. They were one of 5 runners up from throughout the country. They won a set of books for their classroom. See their entry at: 7 http://www.feetfirst.govt.nz/ See elsewhere in this newsletter the children’s thoughts on their entry. Staff update What do teachers do when they leave our school? This week I caught up with Viv Leachman (formerly teacher in Room 5) and you will see from the item below what she is up to. The Druids Olive Oil For some years now, she and Andrew have been growing olives on a friends’ farm in Waiau. This year they produced their largest crop for pressing and the extra virgin oil is just beautiful, with subtle differences between the varieties. This year their varieties are: FRANTOIO: A full bodied oil with nutty flavours. LECCINO: An intensely fruit-flavoured oil with a peppery aftertaste. Their GROVE BLEND which includes PICUAL, BARNEA, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN VERDALE AND BAROUNI: A well-balanced, fruity oil with strong green notes. In case you are interested here is the Druids Olive Oil price list: 250ml bottle $10.00 500 ml bottle $15.00 4 Litre tin $80.00 If you would like to buy some of our oil please call me (leave a message if I am out or away for a few days) and I can deliver it to you. Phone: 5480557 or 0275480557 E-mail: Vivleachman@xtra.co.nz Dr Paul Potaka PRINCIPAL Calendar Dates for 2011
	The Feet First Picturebook competition was a picture book competition run by NZTA. To enter a class had to write and illustrate a picture book based on the theme of safe active travel. Judging was finished recently and Room 7 were one of the finalists. They used Greenscreening with photos they had taken and pictures they had drawn themselves to illustrate their great story "The Amazing Race". It was a phenomenal co-operative effort from the whole class.


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