Eating like ANZACS

What a way to finish our ANZAC Day learning journey! Today our class stepped back in time to experience what it might have been like to eat like a soldier in World War 1.

On the menu:
 🥣 Bully beef stew – today it was bully beef, onions and a little soy sauce.
 🥖 Hardtack (just like the old-school army biscuit!) – recipe at the bottom of the post
 🍪 ANZAC biscuits (the sweet ones we all know and love) – recipe at the bottom of the post

First up was the bully beef stew—a tin of corned beef turned into a hearty dish. While some wrinkled their noses at first, a few brave tamariki gave it a go… and were surprised at how much they liked it! Some even asked for seconds (and thirds!)

The hardtack was very tasty and enjoyed by many! We learnt that ANZAC soldiers would sometimes soak it in tea to make it softer. We didn’t have tea today but some tried their hard tack with a little jam which was very tasty! 

Finally, the students had an ANZAC biscuit—golden, very sweet, and crunchy. These are very different from the hard, dry original army biscuits.

These were some of the words they used to respond to their eating experience;

Be honest, thumbs up or thumbs down?

The students asked for the recipes for Hard Tack and the ANZAC biscuits so here they are:

Hardtack Recipe ( I doubled the recipe for the class)

2 Cups – All Purpose Flour – Do not use self-rising flour
3/4 Cup – Water

  • Preheat oven to 200C
  • Mix the flour and water in a bowl.
  • After mixing completely, the dough should be a little dry (and not stick to your fingers).
  • If your mix is still too sticky, you can add more flour in small increments until the dough is dry enough. See the tips section below for more information.
  • Use a roller to spread out the dough on a counter, large cutting board, etc.
  • To prevent sticking to the counter or cutting board, you should spread a little flour on the surface before rolling the dough. Also spread a little flour on top of the dough to prevent the roller from sticking to the dough.
  • Cut the dough into pieces or it can all stay together like the picture below.
  • Poke narrow holes in the hardtack biscuits with a chopstick or fork. The holes should go all the way through to the other side of the hardtack. This prevents the hardtack from puffing up.
  • Place the hardtack biscuits on a baking sheet/tray.
  • Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 200C or until brown.

I didn’t cook ours for too long as did not want them to be too hard. They were softish but firm.

Edmonds ANZAC Biscuits – I quadrupled the recipe for our class

 

 

That Was My Holiday – Poetry and Publishing

The tamariki explored a fun and creative way to write a piece of poetry. The exemplar provided an excellent scaffold for students to reflect on and share memories from their holidays. We began by reading an example of the poem and discussing how its rhythm, repetition, and simple sentences help to paint a picture of personal experiences.

From there, each student planned and wrote their own version of That Was My Holiday, capturing the moments that stood out for them — whether it was whānau time, outdoor adventures, or hanging out at home.

The next step was publishing, and this is where they were able to use their creativity!

Using Google Drawings, students learnt how to;

  • Change the background colour
  • Add and format text
  • Insert and reshape images
  • Add borders to their pictures

Learning these tools takes time, but it’s always worth it. There’s a lot of clicking, experimenting, and sometimes undoing — but they stuck with it.  Tau ana, tamariki mā!

 

There are 5 more to be completed – watch this space!

 

ANZAC – Whānau – History – Sharing

As part of our ANZAC Day learning, our class explored the importance of remembering those who served in WWI and WWII and learning about whānau who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. Students were encouraged to talk with their whānau about relatives who took part in the wars, and many brought in taonga to share, such as photos, medals, and special family stories. It was a meaningful way to connect with our history, honour the courage and sacrifice of those who served, and reflect on the legacy they’ve left behind. We felt proud to learn more about our whānau and remember them together as a class.

Click on the link to check out our ANZAC Day learning.

 

This is Kyle’s great, great, great uncle Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett. He was a New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry “in the face of the enemy” that could be awarded to British and Empire forces at the time. He served in WWI and WWII and there is a lookout in Auckland named after him.

Pink Shirt Day

Pink Shirt Day is an important day to spread aroha and kindness and end bullying! On Pink Shirt Day we wear pink to stand together against bullying and show kindness to everyone. It is important for everyone to treat others with respect, celebrate differences, and create a safe, inclusive environment! By wearing pink today, we show that we care about each other’s well-being and are proud to stand up for each other!

Ngā mihi nui Whaea Darlene

Support Staff Day is a special time to thank the amazing people who help our school run smoothly every day. In our class, we are especially grateful for Whaea Darlene, our wonderful teacher aide. She supports us in so many ways—helping with our learning, encouraging us when things get tricky, and always showing kindness and patience. We appreciate everything she does to make our classroom a better place, and we want to say a big thank you for all her hard work and aroha. Ngā mihi nui, Whaea Darlene!

NZSL WEEK 5TH – 11TH MAY

This week we celebrated New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week with a special visit from Billie-Jean and Leah from Te Puawai. They taught us how to sign the alphabet and how to introduce ourselves by saying, “My name is…” and signing our name. Everyone had a turn sharing their name with the class—it was fabulous! We also began learning how to sign the Duffy Song and our kai karakia. What an awesome way to celebrate one of Aotearoa’s official languages!

Click on the link to our class site to learn more about NZSL

Porihanga – Community and Partnership

Saturday sports started with a roar last weekend, and we have lots of Te Manga kids participating in netball, soccer, and rugby on Saturdays. We also have students who play darts, take part in gymnastics, dance, and play basketball. They are a very active group. Congratulations to all the tamariki and their wonderful supporters who make sure they get to practice and games, plus all the in-between running about.

   

Kyle’s Cookies and Josiah’s cupcakes and Easter Eggs

Today we were treated to sweet birthday delights from Kyle and Josiah. Kyle brought in delicious chocolate chippie cookies and Josiah brought in delicious cupcakes and easter eggs as they have birthdays at the beginning of the school holidays. Ngā mihi nui to them and their whānau for sharing their treats with us, especially on the last day of Term 1. Hari Huritau ngā tama!

Tangaroa’s Gift Art

This term, we read Tangaroa’s Gift as part of our Seaweek learning. We started with chalk to create swirly waves. Then we used pastels and paper towels to blend our colours. Next came the green and yellow pastel for the seaweed, then the blue dye to create the underwater scene. The paua was another process. We added designs to our paua, coloured them in, then scrunched up tissue paper to add effect and volume to our artwork. Finally, we added beads, and Whaea Deb added a sprinkle of glitter to finish them off. Our paua nestled amongst the seaweed under the ocean make our classroom look like an undersea garden. Tino pai to pikitia ngā tamariki!