Y5 Cricket Match

Year 5 Cricket Match 2015 Summary Stevens XI v Parker XI Played at Wellesley, Monday 7th Dec, 11:15 – 2:45pm, breaking for lunch at 12:45pm. Batsmen have 4 overs each, in pairs, with 4 runs being subtracted for each ‘out’. Bowlers have a maximum of 4 overs each, bowled in spells of 2 at a time. The Stevens XI won the toss, and elected to bowl. Runs from Gaurav (16), Eddie (15), James (15) & Ben (9), along with around 60 extras, gave the Parker XI a score of 137. Best bowling figures came from Efe, with 2 wickets for 9 runs, off 4 overs. Tight bowling and excellent fielding from the Parker XI kept their opponents penned in, and despite runs from Ari (21) and Efe (13), they managed 30. Pick of the bowlers were James, with 3 wickets, 1 Maiden, for 1 net run, off 4 overs, and Xandi with 3 wickets, 1 Wicket Maiden, for net -5 runs (!) off 4 overs. Pairs of wickets also for Jack, Ben and Captain Gaurav added pressure on the batsmen. The game was won by the Parker XI, by 107 runs. It was a most enjoyable day of cricket, with the game being played in excellent spirit by both teams. The parent spectators were complimentary of the boys, and of the fixture, which has become a tradition. Many thanks to Matt, Jacob and William from the First XI, as well as Harry Pegg, for their assistance on the field as Umpires, and with the scoreboard. Year 5 Cricket Match - 2015 on PhotoPeach

Year 5 Market Day - 2015

The Year 5 Market Day this year was another great success. What an amazing array of products and all to a very high standard. The boys had a fabulous time, producing, promoting and selling to their customers. Year 5 Market - 2015 on PhotoPeach

Samuel Had A Little Lamb, Little Lamb, Little Lamb!!

There was much excitement in 5S last week, when Samuel bought his pet lamb into school!

Grandparents' and Special Friend's Day

Once again, this proved to be a wonderful Wellesley event with so many special people coming along to spend time with the boys and enjoying being with us here at school. Here are just a few of the special guests we had a chance to meet: Grandparents' and Special Friend's Day on PhotoPeach

Art Week

Art week has been an amazing experience for all the boys in 5S. Working in a huge range of mediums, they have produced art of the highest standard, demonstrating an incredible wealth of creativity.

Check out these wonderful art pieces:


Art Week on PhotoPeach

Meeting Harold

Over the last couple of weeks we have spent a couple of sessions in the Life Education Truck, which included Harold The Giraffe.

Harold is the yellow giraffe, with brown splodges dotted all over his body. He also wore loom bands around his black horns and he is the mascot for the Life Education Truck.

During our sessions we learnt about the food pyramid, which had 5 parts to the food pyramid, and they were, Fruit and Vegetables, Wheat Products, Dairy Products, Meat and Treats. We also looked at foods that would and would not be recognised by our Grandparents and were amazed at just how much food has changed over the years and how much more of our foods come in processed packages and are not always in their natural state.

Other things we learnt were about the different parts of the food pyramid and super 7 protein, water, fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and fat. This led us onto how to read food labels and we were totally amazed at just how many different names there were for sugar! It was also surprising that foods that we thought were healthy, such as Nutrigrain and muesli bars, turned out to be very UNHEALTHY indeed!

We also learned about Lauri’s insides, as we x -rayed him and learned about his morning breakfast, (which was porridge), his dung and extract of chemicals that are bad for your body, it showed the process of how food goes through your body, starting with the oesophagus and ending with bladder and bowel.

We bounced in Harold’s truck (trying to make Mrs Stevens’ head touch the roof) and finally Harold came home from his ballet lessons and we got to meet him. Harold was in a good mood today because he lent us his food basket that we used for learning what Harold’s Great Grandmother would and would not recognise as food.

5S thoroughly enjoyed our sessions with Harold and Andrea the Life Education teacher and we are looking forward to when they come back to Wellesley in two years time.

By Joshua

 Life Education Truck on PhotoPeach

Feeling Under The Weather!

With so many boys getting coughs and colds at the moment - it is a good thing that we spent a session with Mrs Hawthorne, testing various substances for Vitamin C levels!



Testing for Vitamin C on PhotoPeach

Y5 Trip to Te Papa

On Thursday 18th June 2015 Year 5S and Year 5P from Wellesley College travelled to Te Papa by car, with our parents.

 When we arrived at Te Papa we split into our respective classes and, with each class going to view one of two exhibitions for an hour and then swapping over. 5S went to the Awesome Forces section first - which was to fit in with our Changing Landforms unit. Following this, we then went to view the Weta Studio’s Gallipoli Exhibit about World War 1.

 At the Awesome Force, we first met Andrew. Andrew talked to us about what we were going to view, so we trampled through the door to the Awesome Forces room.The first sight we saw was inside a volcano in Auckland. Nobody knew which volcano it was. After we viewed the volcano we got to pick up rocks. The heaviest was iron and the lightest was granite. Secondly we went through another Awesome Forces room door it led to the major earthquakes section. Andrew gave out cards with questions on them. Some were very easy and some were extremely hard. We had to walk around the various parts of the exhibition to find the answers. Once we had found all of the answers we reported back to Andrew and he asked what we had learnt. It was great, as much of the information supported what we had been learning in class and helped us to extend our knowledge of the topic.

Once we had completed our work, we then moved onto the next exhibition, which was the Australia and New Zealand Army Corporation display. In the exhibition there were statues of dying soldiers and shared lavatories. We could clearly see that life in these war condition was not the little game that these young soldiers were expecting. It was amazing to see just how realistic the models of the soldiers and their surrounding were - quite scary in fact. The last thing I want to say before I bore you, is that unless you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the country, DON`T GO TO WAR!


 Finally it was time to leave. All of 5S and 5P had really enjoy the trip to Te Papa. 5S and 5P are excitingly waiting for the next school trip.

 By Joshua and David

Expert Knowledge

Nothing can beat getting in an expert, when you're in the midst of a fascinating inquiry. Today the boys in 5S were lucky enough to have Volcanologist and Wellesley Parent, Mike Ross to come and share his knowledge and expertise with us. The boys enjoyed watching amazing video clips filmed by Mike and asking questions, enhancing our learning around our Changing Landforms inquiry. We could have kept in the class all day - so we're hoping for a return visit! Thanks Mike.

Frank with Mike - wearing "Volcano Protective" gear.

The Power of Wind and Rain!

Science this week involved the exploration of how rain and wind changed and impacted on our landscapes. The boys had to make models and then observe what was happening to them, as they subjected the models to rain and wind. A great hands-on experience - followed by lots of interesting discussions. Thanks Mrs Hawthorne. Exploring Erosion on PhotoPeach

Anzac Chapel Service

On Wednesday 23rd April, the school held an Anzac Day Chapel service - gathering around the flagpole to pay our respects to the fallen. It was a very special and moving service, with the boys demonstrating their understanding of the occasion.

Stream Inquiries

The culmination of over a month of study, has resulted in these outstanding inquiries.

The boys presented their work to the class in the last week of term, impressing us with their detailed knowledge and depth of learning, around their chosen stream plant or animal.



Stream Inquiries on PhotoPeach

Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? - No It's Just A Wellesley Student Arriving At School!

Never A Dull Moment At Wellesley - James Biggins (Year 7) arrives to school this morning in a helicopter:

James is raising funds for Mila - see details: 

James’s page: http://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/pleasehelpmila raising awareness Mila.

 Mila has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. And James is hoping to raise awareness and funds for her surgery, the surgery costs = $100,000 (currently $58,004.40 donated on Mila’s page). James has raised $1222.00 WOW.

Year 4 - 5 Swimming Sports

What a great display of swimming skills we had on show at the Year 4-5 Swimming Sports yesterday. We had slippery eels, dashing dolphins and feisty fish making their way across the pool. Congratulations to David - our Year 5 Swim Champion for 2015 and a great win for Marlborough house! Year 4-5 Swimming Sports - 2015 on PhotoPeach

Congratulations 5S Councillors!

Congratulations to Cam and Elliot - who were voted as our Student Council Representatives for 5S this year. Cam did a particularly innovative presentation to win his votes!

Stream Inquiry

This week has seen the boys in 5S embarking on our first big inquiry of the year - an in depth look at our Wellesley Stream. The boys are expected to conduct themselves like real scientists in the field, carrying out a range of tasks.

Today's field work consisted of carrying out quadrant counts and measuring the stream velocity, along with investigating what life our stream may contain and how healthy our stream is.

Stream Inquiry on PhotoPeach

Camp Photos - What A Great Time We Had!

Camp 2015 - 1 on PhotoPeach

Camp - 2015 - 2 on PhotoPeach

Camp 2015 - 3 on PhotoPeach

Year 4-5 Camp Report

What a great way to start the Year 4-5 Camp on Wednesday 18th February. There was beautiful sunshine as we get ready to go on the Butterfly Creek tramp of  about 1½ hours there and the same on the way back along a tree covered track up the ridge and down the other side.

The terrain was rough but we managed to make it through and by the time we were there everyone was panting and sweating. After a quick lunch at Butterfly Creek, like a time bomb everyone found the energy and rushed out and rummaged through the woods and played with sticks to form houses it was amazing!

Next it was heading back up the ridge to be greeted with the most spectacular view from the top; Somes island in the middle of Wellington Harbour,  people ( or shall I call them dots? ) were walking their dogs on the beach “I`ve never seen anything like it.” I sighed.

We could even see the Eastbourne Pool, to where we were headed - if only we had a ‘zipline’ to head straight down as the water looked so cool and inviting. When we finished the tramp I had butterflies in my stomach and  it was nice and refreshing to finish the tramp and have a rest and a drink.

Then we went to the Eastbourne Swimming pool for an hour. The noise was tremendous the amount of splashing and chatting! But before long, it was back to school for dinner with our families.

After saying ‘Good-Bye’ we headed to the hall for our Team Building Challenge. We were given a set time and only a certain amount of materials, from which we had to construct a Pikau (which is Maori for backpack). The different designs from each group were amazing and the competition was tough - but Mr Parker could only choose one winning group!

Finally, after an exhausting day, it was ‘lights out’ - “time to go to sleep!” The teachers shouted. I wonder if everyone got as much sleep as they should have?

The next day experienced the first five of our rotations, these were made up of the following activities: kayaking, golfing, orienteering, camp art, camp cooking, paddle boarding and fishing.

After such a long day, we were pretty hungry and tired - but a big dinner of Fish and Chips, followed by an ‘Eskimo’ pie, recharged us for some night activities. Firstly we headed down to the beach to create a positive sculpture/message that could be seen from the sky. Next it was back up to school for the highly anticipated game of ‘Spotlight’. It was pretty freaky running around in the dark with torches, but lots of fun too.

Sadly Friday was the last day. “Time to pack up” the teachers grunted, obviously just as disappointed that camp was over as the students were! The big camp clean-up, including pulling down the tents and sorting out the gear was quite a mission. But we finally finished and it was off for our last two rotations of camp activities. It had all gone by too quickly and before you know it, we were lining up for our last lunch, which was something to remember; ham sandwiches, chocolate cake and apples.

Camp is a good way to bring others together and know each other better. Also it’s about getting outside doing things that you wouldn’t normally do at home.

What a great camp, with so many experiences and great memories. We would like to thank all the teachers and parents for helping and making it possible.

Don't forget to check out the camp photos.

Joshua and David.

Life's A Beach............. At Wellesley!

What better way to cool off after a busy, first week back at school - than to head to the beach!! Beach Boys on PhotoPeach

Introducing 5S - 2015

Take a look at 5S - 2015! What a great bunch of students - this is definitely going to be a very exciting year.


Introducing 5S - 2015 on PhotoPeach

Welcome to 5S

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the students and parents of Year 5. I hope you have all had a wonderful break over the holidays and managed to get some rest and relaxation yourselves. I am sure that the boys will be fully charged and are ready to get stuck into the new year.

The main purpose of this letter is to introduce myself as your son’s teacher for 2015 and to outline our programme for the term. My name is Veronica Stevens and I am thoroughly looking forward to working with your son. I was previously a teacher here at Wellesley College from 2002 – 2006, before I left to go on maternity leave. Our daughter Taylah is now 8 years of age and we also have a son Reuben, who is 5 years. I returned to Wellesley in August of 2011 and am relishing the opportunity to be back teaching at a school that enables me to maintain so much enjoyment and enthusiasm for my profession.

We have a busy schedule planned for Term 1, but we will endeavour to keep you up to date through emails, class blog and the school and syndicate newsletters on a regular basis. Some of the main events and activities coming up in the next few weeks include:

·         School Starts: Monday 2^nd February

·         Parents Information Evening: Tuesday 3^rd February

·         Goal Setting Interviews: Week 2 (9^th – 10^th February)

·         School Picnic: Friday 13^th February

·         Year 4-5 Camp: 18^th – 20^th February

      Year 4-5 Swimming Sports - 6th March

If you are reading this letter on our class blog  - you have obviously found the link. It is a good idea if you are able to check here once a week, as it is a good place to keep up to date with what is happening in the class and around the school. 

The main areas of learning for this term are:

·         Health/PE – Water Safety

·         Social Science: Me & My World

·         Science: Meandering Moments – A Stream Study

·         Reading – Kiwi Corkers – Fairy Tales with a Kiwi Twist

·         Writing - Narratives

·         Maths – Introductory numeracy and number knowledge

The classroom programme will also be based around the timetable attached (varying from time to time with the addition of school trips, ICT, visiting performers/speakers, ICAS Exams etc). To complement the classroom programme, the boys will be required to complete regular nightly homework, with a homework sheet given out most Monday or Tuesdays, to be completed by the following Monday. It is expected that approximately 30 minutes a night (4 days a week) is spent on this. However, there is flexibility to allow for the boys to be involved in the many after school activities that they frequently partake in. In addition, Maths homework is usually given out each week by your son’s Maths teacher.

Homework is given for the following reasons:

·         To provide an opportunity for parents to share and interact with their son.

·         To revise and extend work covered in the classroom.

·         To develop your sons’ organisational and time management skills as well as independent work habits.

·         The main areas of emphasis will be:

-          Spelling

-          English – including reading/writing/language skills

-          Topic work/Research/Inquiry

Silent reading and discussion of newspaper items, television news, current events and documentaries are also worthwhile extension activities and should not be overlooked.

Our homework hint – please let your son carry out their own research and word processing, and simply offer encouraging guidance where needed. Too often we mark work that has been beautifully presented by Mum or Dad at the last minute. This makes it difficult to measure where your son is at, as well as defeating the purpose of the exercise. Time management is a key tool for the boys so if you could encourage them in this area (eg: using a timetable) along with ‘brainstorming’ or ‘mind-mapping’ at the beginning of an assignment, it would be most helpful.

Please don’t let homework cause any heartache or stressful times at home. A note to me highlighting a ‘rough night’ or an overload of extra commitments will hopefully alleviate any stress.

If your son experiences difficulties with the homework or you have any other concerns, feel free to contact me at any time. (It is expected that your son produces work at his ability level and endeavours to extend this even further.) I encourage you to use the school diaries or email as a good way of letting me know how things are going.

Your son will be given all of their stationery when they arrive at school on the first day. However, it can be useful to provide a pencil case, to ensure that belongings are easily kept together.

The items provided, does not include additional extras such as colouring pencils etc. These are not compulsory, but you may wish to provide such items if you choose. We do recommend that all stationery is taken home to be named and covering books does aid in keeping them in good condition.

It is also a good idea to periodically check with your son from time to time, that they still have all of the necessary items such as pens, pencils, rubber and ruler, as they can be quite disadvantaged, when attempting to do work and they are lacking some of the equipment they require.

I look forward to meeting with you all soon and I can be contacted by phone: 562 8030 (Ext: 840) or email: veronica@wellesley.school.nz