Celebrating Matariki

Last week (Monday 14th June) saw the start of Matariki, the Maori new year. To celebrate this the students who attended kapa haka on Wednesday participated in a range of making activities and learnt how to play whai (string games).

The year 7/8 students made tukutuku panels using the traditional materials of raupo and harakeke. The year 3 and 4's learnt whai and the 5/6's learnt how to weave putiputi (flowers).

This was yet another fantastic opportunity for the year 7/8 students to be leaders and teachers of the juniors. Check out the photos above of all the cool activities that the students were involved in.

Run run as fast you can...

Yesterday the year 7/8 Hutt Valley Interzone Cross Country finally took place on a slightly soggy Trentham ground. As always this event was only possible with the help of the parents who provided that much needed transport.

Muritai had 23 runners brave the conditions and show what they can do. It was amazing seeing all the students achieving the best that they could be. Notably Georgia who came second, Kenzy and Clara who came 5th and lastly Scott and Ryan who came 8th and 9th respectively. Excellent effort guys.

The dirty truth about nappies

It's a $4billion industry in the USA and there are over 1000 patents on how they are designed and constructed.

Nappies are quite incredible.
Their ability to absorb and retain moisture is very clever. Using synthetic polymers, today’s state of the art disposable diapers will absorb up to 15 times their weight in water. This phenomenal absorption capacity is due to the absorbent pad in the core of the nappy. This pad is composed of two essential elements, a hydrophilic (water loving) polymer and a fibrous material such as wood pulp.

After a bit of research on the history, technology and science as well as an explanation on what polymers are, we experimented with nappies looking closely at the chemical reactions that take place when water meets nappy.