Moana traded the classroom for the great outdoors today, heading down to the Pekapeka Stream for a hands-on investigation into our local ecosystem.

Rosie had been busy setting traps the day before, and we were excited to see what was waiting for us. To add to the count, the rest of the class used nets, exploring the banks and rocky areas. After gathering our specimens, we spent the morning identifying our catches. By looking closely at the inhabitants we were able to get a real sense of the stream’s biological health.

We also put the water itself to the test! Our young scientists used a variety of tools to measure the stream’s “vital signs,” including:

• Water temperature & clarity: checking how clear and cool the habitat is.
• pH levels: ensuring the water isn’t too acidic or alkaline.
• Nitrates: testing for nutrient runoff.
• Conductivity: measuring the dissolved inorganic solids in the water.

Despite all the mud and slippery rocks, we managed to keep almost everyone dry!

This fantastic field trip wouldn’t have been possible without an amazing support crew. A massive thank you to Rosie, Sarah, and Ella for their expert help and supervision. We also want to extend a special thanks to Jolene and Lance Gravatt for giving Team Moana access to this beautiful stretch of water. We learned so much by being able to study a real-world environment right in our own backyard!

What was your favorite find in the nets today, Team Moana? Let us know in the comments!

Dive into our student blogs and see the mahi our class has been producing. Reading their posts is a great way to stay connected with their learning journey.

How to Get Involved
You can find the direct link to your child’s individual blog on our main class site. We encourage you to leave a message—it means the world to the students to see an audience for their writing!

Earn Points for Your House
To make things even more exciting, we are awarding one Pou point to a student’s house for every comment they receive on their blog. It’s a fantastic way to support your child while helping their house win.

Shout-out to Our Trailblazers
A big congratulations to Grace and Jordan, who are our very first students to receive comments!

Happy reading and commenting!

We were lucky enough to host Hayleigh from Hato Hone St John, who led an essential workshop on first-aid basics. The session focused on how to stay calm and act fast during emergency situations.

Mastering the Essentials

The students got hands-on experience learning how to respond to various emergencies. A key takeaway was mastering the DRSABCD checklist—a vital tool for assessing any medical situation.

This training couldn’t have come at a better time. With our upcoming ski trip just around the corner, our students are now equipped with the confidence and skills to look out for one another on the mountain!

Rosie Palmer from the ‘Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust’ is teaching us about the importance of healthy waterways, the consequences of pollution and what we can do to protect or improve the quality of our local streams. On a recent visit, Rosie showed us how to use the water testing equipment to test water pH, temperature, conductivity, and water clarity. We’ll be gathering this data on our first fieldtrip to the Pekapeka stream next week.

A massive thank you to everyone in our community who pitched in for our recent fundraiser at the Taiamai Fair. Whether you baked a show-stopping muffin or lent a hand on the day, your support made all the difference.

Because of your generosity, we successfully raised all the funds needed to build our brand-new chicken coop!

With the coop officially greenlit, we’re moving full steam ahead. If everything stays on track, our favorite feathered friends, Priscilla and Henny Penny, will be able to move back to school later this term. We can’t wait to have them back! Stay tuned for more updates (and maybe some “housewarming” photos) soon.

Kia ora and welcome to Team Moana’s online home! This blog is our dedicated space to share our learning journey and classroom adventures throughout 2026. Follow along with our class projects, daily discoveries, and updates right here. We will update often, so stay tuned!

Welcome to Team Moana 2024!
We have a busy year ahead! SKI TRIP!

We have lots of fundraising to do. Watch this space!

This term has been very busy and we have enjoyed every bit of it! Check out our assembly slideshow. Also within it is our Ski Trip Movie and our Ohaeawai Pepeha.

Thanks to all the parents and businesses that donated/sponsored our Ski Trip!

We appreciate you all!