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Thursday 10 December 2015

Book Week


This week my class was assigned to a task where we had to make a poster on our favourite author. We choose Elisabetta Dami because we love her books, the pictures, humour, the different fonts and the mysteries. We completed this task within a week and a bit. Every student in our class helped with ideas and the construction of the poster and we worked very well at the back of the class.


Wednesday 2 December 2015

Key Competencies


They are very important in Room 12. As a matter of fact they are important for the whole of Ruapotaka School. Teachers expect students to use all 5 key competencies to help you through your school years. They might seem dumb but they actually play a very big part in our lives. For example “Thinking” and “Managing” yourself and be work wise can help with your education. 

 “Thinking” is how you find information, improving it, reflecting, being creative and gathering ideas. 
“Managing Self” is how you use your time in class. So this is like managing your time in class and at home and making goals that you can achieve in the future. 
“Using Language, Symbols and Texts” is how you share your work with others in different ways. 
“Participating and Contributing”  is when you take on responsibilities confidently when you are in a group. Joining in and being fair. 
“Relating to Others” is how you mix in with people and interact with others. 

Do you have key competencies in your classroom? You could ask your principal if you can have all 5 on a wall reminding students how to behave and act. We have ours on our wall.

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Under Pressure

The class was quiet and stationary. We turned our brains on and started to think of ideas we could include in our recount writing test.

I thought back to last year to my cousins memorial. All my ideas flowed from my head, to my pen and onto the blank white lined paper. I also tried to include as much detail as I could.

Ten minutes went by in a flash. I was panicking because I had little writing on my paper and time was running out. Then I remembered that it's about quality not quantity. I put my head down and continued writing.

Thinking back to what happened brought tears to my eyes and also joy. It was fun spending time with my family and I thought I did the best I could for my test but I could've improved it. 

Its was a fun 45 minutes!

We were sweating big beasts with bright red cheeks competing and having an amazing time with our Touch coach Trevor. He knows how to have fun!


The majority of my class love touch and it was great to get extra practice into our day! First off we started with learning how to plant the rugby ball properly between our legs. Then things got heated and teams were getting competitive. Lucky for us the activities took place on the top field where the wind was blowing against our faces.


My favourite activity was when we passed the rugby balls clockwise and if you dropped the ball or had sloppy passes you were called out and had to sit in the middle of the circle. Bang, Bang, Bang! It went from 15 to 2 real quick. “Miria”, sit down Trevor giggled. I managed to make into the top 5 for both games.


It was the most fun time my class has had in a long time.

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Poetry Recital

Two weeks ago I was selected to say my speech aloud to the whole school next Friday.  I made the cut because I got the highest mark in the class. I was over joyed that I was selected to be apart of this and I recited my poem to myself while looking at my reflection in the mirror at home. Unfortunately on the day I was unable to make it because I was sick but on Tuesday morning Mrs.Golder handed me a certificate of participation.

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Tyrone Toka

Tyrone Toka came to our school to get his community behind him as he  won his heat and made it into the semi-finals on Homai Te Pakipaki. He attends Tamaki College and won $1,000. He preformed a song to us which was called The Kiss That I Never Had by the artist Kolohe Kai. He also played the Ukulele
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Monday 19 October 2015

Receiving Principals Award

On Friday I received a Principals award for my narrative. It was an autobiography about me being a Tiger in the circus. Read my narrative below and my brainstorm ideas.


7.0  Narrative
In Black Beauty a horse tells the story.  Imagine you  are a bear, tiger or a sea lion and you have been captured for a circus.  Tell your story (150-200 words)  and use the guidelines below to help you brainstorm your ideas.
7.1  Who are you?  _tiger _____
7.2  Where did you live? _Africa_____
7.3  When and how were you captured? __ I was tranquillised and taken on the back of a truck to the circus____
7.4  Who were the people involved? __A group of Safari hunters____
7.5  What were the problems you faced? _ I got whipped, and tormented because I wasn't getting the act right_____
7.6  How did you overcome them? __I practiced and practiced until the circus owners were satisfied____
7.7  What happened at the end? _I became the star of the Circus Finanza_____
7.8  Are you happy or sad?  Why? _Happy, because I can understand why the circus owner were getting frustrated for and I am a star now_____
Now write your narrative. _______



  
    The Circus Finanza

I was munching on a fresh carcass in the hot African sun. It was a bit annoying because flies were getting in my face and they were attracted to the strong stench lurking around the carcass. Everything was going great when things took a turn for the worst. THONK! a tranquillizer dart pierced my thigh. I was feeling drowsy then suddenly I collapsed.

  My eyes opened slightly but everything was blurred. “Where am I?” I roared with panic in my voice. I tried to move but I was stuck under a thick net. Suddenly I heard multiple footsteps and voices getting closer.

“George get that carnivore into the circus tent and start training him at once!”
“Okay”, called George. He came in and lifted the net off me gently. He threw chunks of meat near my paws before he put a leash around my neck and guided me into the circus tent.

 It was a painful process learning how to do the circus acts properly but I became the star of the Circus Finanza.

Monday 12 October 2015

Winning Speech Finals

I was up and the nerves were getting to me. I pulled myself together, took a deep breath and started my speech.

I finished my speech off with a great quote for students to think about. "You get out of college what you put in". I hadn't considered coming first in the Speech Finals and I thought I'd come third. I had no faith in myself but Mrs.Golder reassured me I could take this out.

The places were getting called from third to first place. My name hadn't been called yet and I thought I hadn't come anywhere. First place was getting called out by Miss Ginders. "And in first place we have......... Miria" she announced. I walked to the front and claimed my award. I was applauded and complimented by students and teachers.

I was over the moon and proud of myself for achieving the award and so were my parents.


Thursday 24 September 2015

Morning Fitness

Jumpers off and we were prepared to be heated. “Room 12 go., instructed Miss Ginders.


I sprinted out Ruapotaka School gates and down Tripoli Road as the breeze from the trees blew against my face. It was easy at first but my calves were burning like they were on fire. I jogged past plenty of walking students on my first lap.


It was my second time round and I was about to give up. It was hard to breathe and more sweat was forming on my forehead but a great friend of mine kept me jogging at a pace I could keep up with. Teachers encouraged me and complimented me on my good running.


My last lap was really hard and my face turned bright red like a tomato. I jogged up the entrance of our school until I reached the finish line. I was happy with myself for jogging non stop for the entire three laps.

Wednesday 23 September 2015

Asthma Is Scary!

On Friday afternoon Chris came to our school along with Sailor the Puffer Fish to talk about a serious condition that affects our lungs. Asthma is putting a lot of children and adults in hospital. He talked to us about what triggers asthma. Cold weather, smelly smoke and much more can trigger asthma. He demonstrated how to use the inhaler with the spacer. Did you know you have to breathe in 6 times through the spacer every time you push the inhaler down. He also demonstrated how to help a friend out in a sticky situation which was really useful. I enjoyed his humorous show!

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Tuesday 22 September 2015

Folding, Folding and More Folding.

For the past couple of weeks on Friday's my class have been making origami.  We started off as amateurs but now I think that we are pros. We have made all kinds of origami and they are proudly displayed on our wall. I created a rose which was difficult and it consisted  of a lot of folding.

Friday 18 September 2015

Cross Country

Everyone crowded, pushing each other while trying to fit through our school gate. After all the pushing and bumping each other we finally made it through. During the time we were running we could feel the pressure and perspiration forming on our bodies. Everyone was cheering while coming through to the finish line We felt relieved. At the end of the day we were all proud of ourselves and others who tried their best.


Places:
Mikayla at 1st place
Ofa at 2nd place
Miria and Elizabeth (tie) 3rd place

By Elizabeth, Miria, Mikayla, Ofa


Wednesday 9 September 2015

Duffy Role Model Assembly


Today a man called Myron Simpson came to our school as a Duffy Role Model. He is currently a cyclist who has been all over the world, competed in the Commonwealth Games and best of all represents New Zealand. 
I was lucky enough to introduce him to my school and ask him a couple of questions. His favourite place he's been to is Italy because of the delicious pizza. He always has to study places before he goes to them. 
He also has a muesli brand which is sold online and it is called Myron’s Muesli. He had some pretty cool gear with him such as his special bike, his helmet, medals and more. He has followed through with his dream since he was little.

Tuesday 8 September 2015

Talent Quest Assembly

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Yesterday Room 12 hosted our Senior Syndicate Assembly. We had an awesome Talent Quest which gave some seniors a chance to display their natural talents. These included dancing, singing and more singing. It was really entertaining and we all enjoyed it. Fotu and I received certificates in our class. My certificate was awarded to me for taking the initiative of organizing the assembly. It was done well and everyone had fun. Next fortnight is Room 11’s turn to host the Senior Syndicate Assembly.

Thursday 3 September 2015

Daffodil Day


On Monday after School Assembly we came back to class and were sorted into three groups. I was the leader of my group and I was demonstrating and guiding my peers to make an origami daffodil. The aim was to try and make the best Daffodil by folding, cutting and tying the papers. During the process we had to be delicate to prevent the paper from ripping. The outcome was great and we all enjoyed making them.




We Support Daffodil Day!

These Daffodils were made by the students from each classroom and selected by their teachers as the best made flower. Each class created their Daffodils in different ways.
Some classes constructed them by using muffin cases, straws for stalks and orange and yellow papers. Some classes folded their papers and others used templates created by their teachers.


We made these because we support Daffodil Day as a school raising money for the Cancer Society.

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Photographer: Estah

Wednesday 2 September 2015

Duffy Assembly

On Monday I received a Duffy award for Caught Being Good. I received two books as well as a certificate, that stated that I “had excellent comprehension skills”. The title of my books are ‘Camp Rock’ and ‘SOMUCH2DO.’  I was surprised that I was chosen to receive the award. I was applauded by the whole school. I was asked to stay up at the front of the assembly and I was acknowledged by Mrs Vickers for my role as a Manaiakalani Ambassador.


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Thursday 27 August 2015

We Need More Of This

Are you a good citizen? Have you helped out a neighbour or anyone in your community lately? Well if you have, good job and keep it up. If you haven't, well continue reading and you will become a great citizen.

To be a good citizen it requires you to follow all laws, help out, be friendly and positive, honest and most importantly do the right thing no matter what  the circumstances are. Being a good citizen is great and you can follow your aspirations. Along your journey you may have children or young adults who will see you as a role model and maybe want to be you one day.

Citizenship also includes belonging to your country permanently. When you are a citizen you are able to get a licence of your country and get a job. Also if you are born in another country and your  parents are New Zealand citizens you may still be a New Zealand citizen. Make the wrong moves such as breaking the law you could lose citizenship. These are just some responsibilities and privileges of being a New Zealand citizen.



Tuesday 18 August 2015

Sweat, Joy, Blood and Team Work

Schools all ready, referees steady, the whistles blow like a confetti. We versed heaps of schools. We won all our games but unfortunately we lost in the finals against Sylvia Park School. Even though we didn’t come first we were all overjoyed. We came second. Yay!   At the end of the day we did our school proud.
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An Inspirational Lesson






Madd Messenger came to our school to advise us to make the right choices in school and to follow our ambitions. These are a few of their inspirational words “Work hard in school and your dreams will come true”. We also had multiple conversations about some of the things that distract us from our school work such as social media and friends. They taught me a long life lesson to work to my full potential and one day in future I will have made my dreams true. Petia finished the session of with his own interpretation of the beautiful Wonder Women.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

What do these Logo's Represent?

What do these symbols tell you about the company which might be using them as their logo? Last week we were asked to write down our ideas about what we thought these companies sold or made by looking at their logo's. Here are my ideas.
Screenshot 2015-07-27 at 09.19.13.pngHospital, doctor, heart monitor,
Screenshot 2015-07-27 at 09.22.19.pngparcel, delivery company, packaging
Screenshot 2015-07-27 at 09.22.24.pngThistle, Scotland's national symbol, Glasgow’s mascot “Clyde”
Screenshot 2015-07-27 at 09.22.31.pngCanada’s flag, maple leaves
Screenshot 2015-07-27 at 09.22.38.pngapple, apple plantations, apple company
Screenshot 2015-07-27 at 09.23.08.pngChef, restaurant, Italian

Tuesday 11 August 2015

AGRRHH! Whats Wrong With My Eye?

Ever woken up in the morning, looked in the mirror and seen a horrifying sight? Well, conjunctivitis has struck once again. Conjunctivitis. The inflammation of the conjunctiva eye.

    Have you or your daughter shared make up lately? Be prepared to wake up with a monster looking eye. Conjunctivitis can appear if there has been any injury to the eye. Sharing make up, bacteria around your eye and something in your eye can lead to Conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis also goes by the name of  Pink Eye.  Conjunctivitis takes 24-74 hours to be noticed. It can last up to a whopping 2-3 weeks.


    These are some symptoms that may occur.
  • Irritation to the eye
  • Redness around the eye
  • Blocked tear duct
  • Sticky Eyes
  • Infection or allergies
  • Swelling

    To treat your child's Conjunctivitis, use some of these remedies to help treat the  conjunctiva eye.
  • Clean the eye with a cotton ball BUT only wipe in one direction throwing them away once they’re used
  • A clean cold cloth can help soothe irritation and bring swelling down
  • Wash your hands thoroughly after treating the conjunctiva eye

If these don't work go to your doctor and get prescribed eye droplets and other antibiotics.


    
    If your child's eye is irritated take them to your local doctor. Don't ignore it and say “We’ll see if it's okay tomorrow”. Prevent it before it gets worse.

Tuesday 4 August 2015

My Home Is Where My Heart Is

From a visitors point of view my homeland appears to be a wreck but to me it's still home. Pipiwai. I was raised there and I have many childhood memories with many family members and enjoyable experiences with animals.

Firstly the landscape is astonishing. From the rivers to the towering country hills and mountains in the far distance. The fragrance of the countryside is fresh  with a hint of farm manure and the smell of pine in the breeze. Everywhere you sight is lush green grassy paddocks with multi coloured cows, bulls, sheep, horses and free range chickens.

Out of many various stories my nana has told me this would be my favourite. Te Heke a courageous Ngapuhi chief discovered a fantasizing big rock in a plot of a Pakehas’ land. In the rock are four holes and water squirts out of them. Pipiwai inherited its name from this rock. Pipi means to squirt and wai means water. This rock is located in a paddock on Moores Road.

While I'm there, I like to indulge in the luxurious clear waters. If you're trying to get privacy this is almost impossible because all the locals gather to enjoy time with their whanau and friends or to cool off in the summer heat. There are many streams, rivers and lakes you can soak in, in the peace and quiet.

Going on nature walks is something I really love. Just walking through forests and coming across interesting objects you wouldn't have expected to sight like unusual bird feathers, animal tracks and sap from kauri and gum trees. Collecting and admiring new things you're unfamiliar with is amazing. Seeing all of the land around me shift a bit every time I'm there, so there are always new adventures to take on daily.

Te Horo is the only primary school in Pipiwai. Every Wednesday it used to hold a Twilight family night to fundraise money for new construction to take place around the school or just to gather and enjoy time with the whanau. Adults and children were able to participate in activities that involve netball, volleyball and touch. The best thing was the hearty Maori food such as Maori burgers, hangi, fried bread and kids treats.

If you need milk, petroleum or meat, farmers are willing to barter. They are so generous they even give kids good paying jobs in the holidays if you’re alright with getting down and dirty with the animals: waking at early hours in the morning while the dew sets on the grass and condensation forms on the windows. Would you consider being a part time farmer?

Eels are a delicacy in the Maori culture. There are many streams located around Pipiwai some may even be just a paddock away. The key to catching eels is to be quiet and stationary. Ripples on the surface of the water are a great sign, the more ripples the more eels. Eels are nocturnal so it's best to go eeling at sundown.

Unfortunately some households can’t access water to flush their toilets so there’s a long drop. There aren’t any lights and you have to set off in the dark alone or alongside a parent. But on the bright side it’s more efficient and you’re using less water. When it comes to that time of the year  you have to make a new plot for your long drop, you get yourself stuck in quite a smelly situation.

I gotta say “There's no place like home.”

Glossary

whanau - family
marae - Maori meeting house
ataahua - beautiful







       

Slipping and Slidin

Drip drop, Drip drop, I turned off the shower head and opened the shower curtain I stepped out of the shower steadying myself from slipping over.

I changed into my clothes quickly as the wet water froze my feet. I picked my dirty clothes up off the floor carefully and dropped them into the washing machine carelessly. I ran back into the bathroom hastily to get my earrings and not noticing that I forgot to wipe the wet floor I slipped. BANG! CRASH! My mum ran to my aid immediately and asked “Are you alright?”

“Yes” I replied honestly  with hurt in my voice.

Minutes later a bump formed on the back of my head. I kept pressing on it testing how sore it felt, screwing my face every time. Now I know to always wipe the floor before leaving the shower to prevent myself and other people in my household from slipping and getting injured.    


Sunday 2 August 2015

Water Needs

For Writing we compared the different ways  Plants and Humans use water in a days life. To do this we made a Venn diagram to show the differences and similarities between both the two.


Thursday 30 July 2015

Our Expectations of Graphics Technology.

At Graphic Mr. Pineda asked us to create a Google drawing to share our expectations of Graphics Technology.


Wednesday 29 July 2015

Live Electricity Prevention


Title
Live Electricity Prevention
Short Description
Live electricity running through your cable cords. Are you safe around electrical appliances?
Identify
Did you know that electricity is alive and if you come in contact with it, it will fry the whole of your insides.
Detail 1 / Cause

Detail 2 / Effect
Death, amputations, hospitalised, scars, injuries, disabilities
Detail 3 / Prevention
Keep out of reach, keep electrical appliances away from water, turn the switches off when you're done,
Conclusion
Have your children been badly hurt? start being electricity wise before it happens again!

Live electricity running through your cable cords. Are you safe around electrical appliances?

A total of 28 people from the age of 15+ are dying each year from electrical injuries. If you come in contact with live electricity it will fry the whole of your insides and your internal organs will stop and cause your body to shut down.

Cause
There are many ways your child can get injured in your household even though you think it may be a safe environment for them. Parents sleeping in a room while your toddler is awake and roaming through a messy house while electrical appliances are out. Commonly toddlers like to suck on long cords that are plugged into power sockets and you may wake to a dreadful sight.

Adults can die from careless use of electronic devices. Some may not even be their fault, or they might die from electric malfunctions. Adults often die from carelessness of use and combine electricity and water together as entertainment.

Effect
Electricity  can make you get hospitalized, get amputations, scars, disabilities and most importantly death! Amputations can be made which can affect your career if you're an athlete and you'll have to wait for a prosthetic leg to be made.

Prevention

  • Don't plug a whole bunch of cords into one power outlet.
  • Stay away from places with danger signs around it.
  • Turn the switch off before taking the power plug out.
  • Don't yank any cords out of the power outlet
  • Fly kites far away from power lines and sub stations.
  • Keep electrical things away from water.




Tuesday 30 June 2015

The Pump House Theatre

Laughter, giggles and smiling faces.


Yesterday afternoon some Ruapotaka students were lucky to observe the humorous performance of Tim Bray’s Production. The broadway show was great!


Through out the whole show a lovely lady named Kelly was on the side interpreting the actors roles in sign language. She had awesome expression on her face whilst she was translating.


I’d like to thank Mr and Mrs. Becroft for paying for us and giving us the experience of watching the show. They decided to pay for us and other schools so we could have the experience they felt the first time they sat in the Pumphouse Theatre.


We sat comfortably in our seats, enjoying Grandma Mcgarvey’s adventures about her life changing events and Grandpa’s  stuck up ways about him not having to wear new clothes and even going to the beach.

By Mira and Damien

My Role as a Manaiakalani Ambassador

The sight of my picture exposed on the projector signaled it was my time to speak. Eyes concentrated on me and waiting for me to begin. I took a deep breath and began presenting my speech loud and clear.
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I wasn't really shy, thanks to the encouragement of my teacher and principal who helped me overcome my stage fright.


Hearing a whole selection of new subjects I didn't know existed was great. The other students there informed me well about what they did and I also enjoyed the humorous speeches and videos. I am looking forward to presenting my next speech.


Here’s the link to my speech. Check it out and give me a feedback on something I can improve next time.


Here is my speech

Kia Ora my name is Miria and I am a year 8 student who attends Ruapotaka School which is a full primary school located on Taratoa Street.

This year my class took on the task of hosting our Senior Syndicate Assembly. This meant we had to negotiate with each other and organise roles to present. The displaying of our work was to be included in our assembly. Making a selection of songs also needed to be added. This was difficult because we all had to agree with the song choices and they had to be appropriate for school-aged children.. We asked for requests from other teachers and classes and what they wanted to sing. We made a decision about a couple of songs as a class.

Next we made a Google document and shared it with everyone who was participating and contributing to the hosting of the assembly, so they had access to it and we could then begin our collaboration.. Then we inserted a table and laid out our parts of the speech. We had to decide what items we wanted included in our assembly and who was going to say what and in what order they were to be said. We inserted the links to the songs the google document so they were only a click away. We argued, agreed, disagreed, negotiated and finally came to a compromise on the schedule.

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When this was completed, we had to memorize our speeches and present them loud and clear.

Finding students in my class who wanted to showcase their Independent Inquiry learning about Water Sustainability and Wastewise was simple.

Five students including myself volunteered to display our visual arts and google presentations. Each of us had a WALT to state that was relevant to our artwork, and we obtained these WALTs through our classroom’s daily planner.

Our teacher went over what we decided and double checked everything made grammatical sense. Our teacher provided us with her opinions and we made changes as a group. In our classroom we are independent learners.
The assembly was under way and I thought it went better than I expected. Teachers complimented us on how well we had done. Our teacher, other classroom teachers as well as an observer who had come to watch our learning were impressed by the  collaborative work we had done together and the co-operation that was needed in making this work for us.

Our assembly was done and dusted and each of us hostesses and hosts went into our Google drive and wrote a blurb about what we did to take part in our assembly. Our photos were taken while we were hosting the assembly and uploaded them to our class site. Each of us took a photo and inserted it into our blog.





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