The Enchanted Garden

Once upon a time on a surprisingly blinding day, a little girl by the name of Lucy was just making her way to a picnic lunch when a towering golden gate brought her to a stop. Lucy's twinkling jade eyes gazed up at the opening, thin yet fiery strands flying in the wind behind her. Thinking carefully before taking another step she made her way through the grand walkway. 

Flowers danced, birds chirped and gnomes sang. Lucy was delighted by the sight! Caught in her daydream, a small cheerful rabbit only just tall enough to touch the edge of the skirt tugged at her dress. "Hello! My name is Checkers. I love meeting new people! It is such a delight to have you here!" Lucy was more than surprised to hear a talking rabbit. "My name is Lucy, but anyway, you talk?" she asked, but instead of recieving a reply from the rabbit, a handsome garden gnome chimed in, "Of course we do! This is the enchanted garden. Everyone here talks. Even the flowers and plants! What would you expect?" But before Lucy could answer, the garden fell dark.

"What's happening? All the flowers are dying! Is it my fault?" Lucy cried, unsure of what to expect next. Weirdly enough, no one else was. They were just stomping around angrily. "No, it is not your fault Lucy but we do need your help! Come with me to the witch's castle so we can stop her potion from working!" Although Lucy had no idea what was happening or what Checkers meant, the enchanted garden was desperate so she agreed to help the rabbit, regardless that she would miss the picnic.

On the way to the castle Checkers explained to Lucy that the witch had created a potion which would kill the garden for she hated the fun that the enchanted garden had. "Her plan has taken action! It is working! We must first tie the witch up and then we will be able to stop the potion from boiling which will then deactivate it!" Obeying the rabbit's plan they soon had the witch tied up and the potion off the boil and deactivated. By the time they had made their way back to the garden it was back to life, like nothing had ever happened and from that day the witch never attacked them again, knowing the revenge the enchanted garden would get on her.

Fairytale Audio Book

Christbell, Christopher and the Strategic Witch

Here is the text incase it is too hard for you to read in the photo:

Once upon a time in the middle of a tangled pool of branches stood a small pink cottage. Bright sun blazed through the small window so the Barker twins decided it would be a good day for a picnic. Ginger-headed Christopher gathered a basket full of goodies while Christabell combed her strawberry blonde hair into two long plaits. After much discussion about outfits they made a start to their journey. 

Leaving footprints behind themselves, they gazed up at the towering greenery, slowly admiring it as they did every day. Suddenly, glimpses of sparkles in the distance caught Christabell's glowing eyes. Curious of what she might find, Christabell raced ahead, Christopher following behind so fast that he didn't even notice their sandwiches fly out of the basket. "Beautiful! Glistening! Ice clear! Why not have lunch here?" Christabell was stunned by the view but Christopher didn't see her point, "It's just a lake in the middle of a forest Chrissy. We could surely find a much better place than this to eat our lunch!" Begging let Christabell win though, so they lay out their checked, rose red picnic blanket and got comfy for a feast. Wedging open their basket they gasped in surprise. "Where are our sandwiches?" The Barkers cried in unison, "We must look for them!" Gathering their belongings they scavenged high and low, anywhere their sandwiches may have gone.

Just as they were reaching their home a ghastly shadow fell over them. "Where are you going? What are you doing?" The figure said in her nicest possible voice. The children turned around to a tall, lean lady. Long, matted knots hid under her dark violet hat and cloak. "W-w-why, we lost our s-s-sandwiches so we have been l-l-looking for them." Stammered Christopher in fear. "Then why don't you come join me for a meal. I was just making my way home now." The words came out of small dry lips whilst the twins exchanged questioned glances. "That would be lovely?" They hesitated. "What harm could there be in a little meal?" They followed the lady who offered them a small cookie to nibble on whilst she prepared the meal. Both children gratefully received the offer and gobbled the cookie down in one gulp, finding themselves in a deep sleep. 

"Now that they're asleep I can prepare the fire, I was never really going to give them a meal!" Laughed the somewhat evil woman. When she was about to burn the children a rumble and a grumble came from below. The earth trembled. Realising that she was a witch with a plan the twins made for the door. Forgetting about their sandwiches, they raced home in fear, locking themselves inside right away. Sure enough, both the Barker twins and the witch had learnt their lesson and from that day, Christabell and Christopher stayed in their cottage, aware of what could happen outside in the big wide world.

Blog Update

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have had a super fun and busy holidays. We went to Greymouth for dancing competitions, I sprained my arm and spent lots of time with my friends. I don't have an awful lot of time right now to write a detailed description of my holidays but I can tell you one thing - they were super fun! This term I am really looking forward to technology. We are going to be designing and making toys! Not to mention bring a toy day tomorrow! Tomorrow I will also be posting my fairytale including a witch and a young boy and girl. Check back to be sure you don't miss out on all the fairytale awesomeness! But for now,  adios amigos!

100 Word Setting Description

This week we had to write a 100 word setting description. Comment if you think you know what my setting was!

Here is the text if you can't read it in the picture:

Scalding weather, drying the grass. Scrawny, ragged scare crow ageing in the blistering sun, watching a rusty bird bath crumble into small ashes. Dehydrated birds pick at it. Flowers which shone beautifully with lively colour a lifetime ago twist to a dull brown, slowly dying in the eternal heat. The old oak tree's last torn leaves float to the ground, scattering in the wind. Rotten, mouldy fruit surround the tumbled trees. Twiggy bushes stand empty, no berries to be seen, not even one. For the first time, a single cloud shades the land. Hooray! A drop of rain at last!

Sophie F 100wrd fairytale

100 word challenge - ....and when I opened the cupboard door....

As soon as the car pulled up the driveway from a family holiday I raced to the front door, unlocking it quickly. I zoomed inside, not taking any notice of my surroundings, and headed straight for my room. I opened my bedroom door, but all my disappointed eyes saw was an empty room, with only my bed and a few books remaining in sight. I slowly walked nervously down the hallway, clearly hearing giggles and snickers, and when I open the cupboard door two teenagers, dressed in black, were squished into the small storage space. Sure enough, we'd been robbed!

My Spring Haiku Poem

My Acrostic Poem

My Fotobabble Acrostic Poem

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My Book Spine Poem

Here is my book spine poem!
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100 Word Challenge

A 100 word challenge is where you have to create a short piece of writing in 100 words or less using the provide prompt. Here is mine!

Slush. Slosh. Gumboots punching the snow on a clear winters morning, rolling three balls of snow, each one gradually getting bigger. 'Its body is formed. Time for a face and some arms', I think to myself.  Placing two icy sticks and stones on the snowman, I sense something is missing. "A carrot nose!", I cry aloud. I walk into the convenience store across the road to buy a carrot from the shopkeeper but, "I'm afraid it's the last one" he said, referring to a carrot in a little boy's hand. I sigh. "I guess the snowman'll have to be nose less!".

Onomatopoeia Poems

Oink! Honk! Smash! Crack! Onomatopoeia is a type of poetry which includes sound words that sound how they are spelled. This term at school we are learning about poetry as well as writing lots of our own poems. Onomatopoeia is the first type of poetry we explored, coming up with lots of different sound words such as ping, thwack and squelch. Here is a little onomatopoeia poem of my own! Listen to it and see what different sound words you can hear!

Gap Fillers

Since the Christchurch earthquakes, Gap Fillers has been filling gaps from fallen buildings with fun, family friendly areas including multiple golf courses, beautiful paintings and murals and a whole heap more!

Later in the term we will be planning, in groups, how we can improve a small area of our school. We will then spend three weeks actually putting our plans into action. As a part of this, we are lucky enough to be able to take a day trip into town, this Friday, to visit many of the Gap Fillers sites for inspiration. I can't wait to see what colourful creativity the local community has used to improve our city!

If you are interested in finding out more about Gap Fillers, you can check out their website here!

Breakfast Poem

Here is a little poem I wrote about my breakfast and my morning routine (for the weekends). I don't eat porridge all the time but I do eat it a lot. I hope you like my poem!

Breakfast time! Says my brain

I think it might be slightly insane

I boil the jug and search for oats

I like my porridge, yes I do! 

That creamy substance, that ain't hard to chew

I'm sure you would quite like it too

Sprinkling brown sugar over top

Milk and fruit just finishes it up

I eat it all before the toaster pops

Cos' I'll butter that toast for Mum in bed

Once the dishwasher is all loaded

It's time to relax, perhaps a game on my iPad?

Term 2 Science - Energy

Spark! Bam! Whizz! Smack! This term we did science expiriments based around energy. First we had to do some research followed by expirimenting, planning our final product and then finally creating electrical circuits in groups of three. Through lots of expirimenting and hard work my group ended up with a really cool torch which shines green light. I created a comic life explaining the process we went through.

Loom Bands - Barrel Loom Bracelet

Haven't heard of loom bands? Well now you have! Loom bands are the latest craze and they are being worn by people all around the world, young and old. You can make many different designs on a loom as well as without a loom. I have created my own loom band which I have called the 'barrel' loom bracelet. It is quite simple and I used two pegs on my loom although you could just use a couple of pencils or your fingers instead. The barrel was inspired by the illusion bracelet. It is actually really similar except for it has two bands in the middle instead of one and I have used just a single loop rather than a fishtail.

If this is the first time you've come across loom bands then you probably have no idea what I'm talking about so I would suggest trying out one of the easier designs such as a fishtail before making this bracelet. In saying that, if you're like me, you'll get straight into the more complicated designs before looking back at the simpler ones!

So what are you waiting for? Check out the video below for instructions on how to make a barrel loom bracelet!

P.S. Sorry, I have had technical difficulties with the video. I will add it to my post ASAP!

Creative Fairytale Writing

Sapphire, a Crystal Ball and One Evil Dragon

        -By Sophie F

A long time ago in a faraway village lived a little girl named Sapphire. Sapphire was an ordinary girl who belonged to a poor family. One day she was walking home from school when she saw a glittering sparkle on the path. Bending down to take a closer look she was delighted by her find of a beautiful crystal ball. After examining it carefully, Sapphire slipped the precious crystal ball into her pocket, being sure not to drop it and ran the rest of the way home. 

As soon as she stepped inside the door to her small family cottage she screamed as loud as she could with excitement. Just as she had wished her Mother and Father came rushing to see what the matter was. "Oh Sapphire!" cried Mother, "What is it now sweet heart?" Sapphire was quick to reply. "Mother! Father! I found a crystal ball on the way home from school. Do you think it could have magic powers?" Sapphire cried, holding out her sparkling treasure. "Why darling, you do have a big imagination," Father said, slightly sympathetically, "sometimes we hope for too much. I'm sorry to disappoint you but it is highly unlikely that just a small crystal ball like this would have magical powers." Mother and Father left the room.

The moment Sapphire's parents left an amazing thing happened. A silver swirl lifted and twirled a mysterious tornado around the room, causing a dark, scaly dragon to appear. Without thought Sapphire clutched the crystal tight. It was easily seen that this dragon was not friendly as he spitted out an evil laugh. "Hahaha! Don't think you get away with stealing that crystal ball from me. I lost that thing years ago and have been looking for it ever since. You don't realise how powerful it is do you? I'd been meaning to destroy the world with that crystal ball the day I lost it but obviously I couldn't without its power. So give it to me now or I will follow you wherever you go and just so you know, no one messes with me." It wasn't hard answer to answer the evil dragon's question. Sapphire knew that if she gave him the crystal ball he would instantly destroy the world. "No!" she said confidently, "N-O stands for no way!". 

She soon saw her Mother standing in the doorway looking rather puzzled. "Who were you talking to Sapphire?" Sapphire looked around the room but to her surprise the dragon was gone. She knew Mother wouldn't believe her but she was only going to tell the truth. "I was talking to a dragon." "A dragon? What makes you think there are dragons in our home? You have been acting a little strangely this afternoon. What is the matter with you?" Sapphire spoke slowly, "It's the crystal ball. It's magic I tell you. It has powers. It could really help us!" Once again Sapphire was disbelieved. 

In the end Sapphire turned out to be the unfortunate little girl who spent the rest of her life protecting the crystal ball from an evil dragon but not only that, she always had that beastly pest right by her side.

THE END

Homeless - My Story

Rain, rain, rain! What a pain! Hagley Winter Sports was postponed last week again due to weather (grrrr!). We didn't spend the afternoon doing nothing though, we had to present a story about a dog! A choice was given to whether we wanted to make a Puppet Pals presentation or just write a story. I chose to write a story. Before you read it I would like to let you know that the story is coming from a dog's point of view. What are you waiting for? Dig in and have a read!

Honk! Crash! Smash! The world is falling to pieces around me. I almost got killed by that car. It's like I've become invisible. Do humans ever look out for innocent creatures like me? I'm Homeless. Yeah, my name says it all. Since my owner's car accident last year I've spent my days out on the city streets, looking for an owner who will actually accept me as a part of their family. I know it sounds a bit crazy for a dog to be saying all this but I actually feel lonely, not having anyone to play with, no one to take me on my daily walk, no one to feed me, no one to stick by my side, I'm starting to wish I never existed in the first place. So here I am at Doppy Park. It seems like there's a lot more people here than usual. Maybe someone might see me for a change. I'm wandering around. Being cute. Barking. Making as much noise as I can but as normal, no one is paying any attention to me, even the girl who dreams of having a dog as a pet. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Her name is Maggie. She's been pleading her parents to get a dog for over a year now but they say a dog would be too expensive. Well I wouldn't be. I feed myself with scraps from public rubbish bins. I hang around her all the time but she doesn't notice me. So maybe, just maybe I am a ghost. Maybe I'm just imagining this. It's funny I should only just realise this but something in my spirit is telling me it's true. I'm just a ghost wishing for a new life and here's the proof. I'm fading away, back into the thin air from the way I came.

Just to explain my story for those of you who are feeling slightly confused Homeless re-named himself with that name because he felt as though he didn't have a home after his owner left him. He hadn't realised yet though that he was a ghost. He died in the car crash with his owner therefore theoThe reason the story had to be about a dog is because we are reading 'A Dog Called Homeless' as a class at the moment. We didn't have to take that exact dog, we could use a totally different dog but I liked the name 'Homeless' so I interpreted that into the story.

How I Would Feel If I Was Cally

Overwhelmed. Stressed. This is how I would feel if I was Cally from the book 'A Dog Called Homeless'. Overwhelmed. I would feel overwhelmed at the thought of our sold house and moving to a new house that Friday. I would feel especially overwhelmed because my Dad didn't even tell me before he sold the house. Stressed. I would feel stressed with so much going on in my life. Only one parent to go to for help, my friends being nasty and teasing me, a stray dog always hanging around me and most of all moving house with such short notice. There would be so much to keep track of. If I could I would change the story. Make it so Dad talks to me before selling the house and have my friends not tease me. These would be my wishes if I were Cally.

Experience Cobham Visit

Excitement buzzed in the air as all the year 6's from Wairakei crowded onto the bus, trying to find the perfect seats next to their friends. It was going to be such a fun morning! Cobham Intermediate gave us the chance to go along to their school for the morning and experience some of the activities that intermediate children do. 

When we arrived we waited outside for a few minutes until one of the students came and escorted us to the hall. We weren't the only primary school there. Burnside Primary was there too! The head students and deputy head students welcomed us before the principle, Mr Thelning, had a chat with us.

Soon after we were split into groups and taken to our first activity for the morning. My first class was 'Habits of Mind'. We played a game where the teacher said "a ship came out to port loaded with a cargo full of things beginning with....". He would then say a letter and when he pointed at you you had to try and say something begginning with that letter but only in three seconds! If you don't say anything or your word doesn't start with that letter you are out. I won the game and when I played against Mr Thelning I won again! We then invented some creative shoes and drew them on paper.

After morning tea we were sent off in different groups to a new activity. I was so lucky! I was in the cooking tech group! We made scones in pairs and were given the choice to put either dates or cheese in them. Funnily enough everyone chose cheese!

I really enjoyed the Cobham experience and I think Cobham Intermediate would be a good school for me because they have lots of opportunities for students to get involved; not just because they gave us sausages and fizzy drinks!

Hagley Sport Report

As I wrapped my net ball skirt around my body excited nerves filled me. I couldn't believe that we were finally going to Hagley Sport after two weeks of postponement. Clutching my drink bottle I took my seat on the bus. 

We soon arrived at the net ball courts and as a team, made our way to court 29. With half an hour to spare, we made the most of our time, making sure we were well prepared for our first proper game. I watched our opposing team, the Papanui Performers warming up. They looked in good shape. When I took my place on the court as Goal Defence I knew it was going to be a tough game. With an end score of 18 to 4 I realised I was right. Although it was a loss to us we were not awfully disappointed and agreed that the other team deserved their win.

My team, Wairakei B, needs to work on getting free before asking to be passed the ball. Although we have our weaknesses we have our strengths too. We are really good at bouncing the ball around taller players or passing over smaller players. Player of the day was awarded to Olivia who played very well considering she had never taken to the net ball court before. With scoring half of the goals I feel she was thoroughly deserving of that acknowledgement.

It was a good experience being able to play against another school and I look forward to what next week's training and Thursday sport has to bring.

Funky Things To Draw

I was super stoked by the quality of my drawing when I completed my 'Safari' masterpiece. What a great effort on my half but all the credit should really be going to Hinkler Books for their incredible book 'Funky Things To Draw'. This book taught me how to draw an amazing baby elephant. Drawing is made easy with its step by step instructions. I would not recommend this book for absolute beginners but if you have some experience in drawing and want to extend yourself this is the perfect book for you. Experiment. Experiment with a variety of colouring utensils. Pencils, felts, crayons? It's up to you! Find out what your creativity really can do!

BYOD Information Report

BYOD Information Report

Wairakei School has 13 classrooms. One of these classes is a BYOD, Bring Your Own Device class and it caters for year 5/6 learners. All of the students in this class have their own iPad's which they bring to school each day. This is a great class for children who love to learn digitally.

At this stage the BYOD class is a trial and is being tested with the Apple iPad. iPad Minis are permitted for use as well as iPad 2 and iPad Air. A list of required apps was given to each student accepted in this class at the beginning of the year. The children's iPads were expected to have the required apps which help to assist their learning. On top of this, some good educational learning apps were recommended. 

There are many benefits for the children in this class. Students now have the ability to communicate with their classmates using their school email addresses. They also have their own blogs which they are expected to update weekly. These blogs are used to share their learning and ideas with the world. They were more restricted from doing this in other classes. Having their work on their iPads also allows them to extend their learning and do extra practice at home. This is especially good for children who feel they need that extra little bit of practice or extension. 

It was agreed that the pupils in this class would be responsible for their own devices. At break times the iPads are locked away in tote trays and are not to be used unless permission is given. Cases needed to be provided to protect their devices. Other accessories like keyboards are optional. Students also agreed to be responsible for their digital footprint and to make sure everything they put on the internet is appropriate. Any inappropriate posts on their blogs or the like, would be removed by the class teacher.

The BYOD class is proving to be an enjoyable way for children to learn. As stated earlier it is currently on trial but the school will look at creating more BYOD classes if it shows to improve the way children learn.

Samoan Language Week

Talofa lava! La manuia le vaiaso o le gagana Samoa. Hello! This week is Samoan language week. Samoan language week is an official celebration of the Samoan culture. It is a great chance to learn how to speak a bit of Samoan. Also, it is a good chance to find out some facts about Samoa. This year's theme for this special week is; Taofi mau i au Measina: Hold fast to your cultural treasures.


You can find out more information here: Samoan Language Week

The Sun and The Cloud

Last week in our class at school we started a new thing; the sun and cloud! Everyone in the class has a name tag. A sun and a cloud is drawn on the whiteboard. Each person starts in the sky but if they do something really good they move into the sun. On the other hand if they do something not so good they move to the cloud. If you are in the cloud when it comes to break time there may be consequences such as staying in for five minutes but the people who stay in the sun for a long time are rewarded. In the sky, well that's just average. The people flying in the sky haven't done anything bad but they haven't done anything outstanding either. If you stay in the sun for a really long time the colour of your name tag will change. This means that person with a different colour tag will have privileges such as being able to work anywhere in the school or going places without having to have permission from Mrs F. I have been in the sun for the whole time since last week so my name tag colour should change soon! Once people are in the cloud they can earn themselves out very quickly if they prove they deserve to change place by doing things such as staying on task and keeping the noise level low. This is really good because it means only those who deserve to be rewarded are rewarded and those who should have consequences are punished. 

Red Pandas

I think it's time we thought about the amazing creatures in this world. My favourite animal is the Red Panda. Do you want to know why I like Red Pandas? How about some fun facts to explain exactly why I think they are so cool!

The Red Panda's scientific name is Ailurus Fulgens.
Red Pandas live in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China, Himalayas, Myanmar (Burma) and Nepal.
Red Pandas were classified in the Procyonidae (raccoon) and Ursidae (bear) families but are now classified in their own family called Ailuridae.
Red Pandas are reddish-brown in color with busy tails.
They are 20-23 inches long. Their tails are 11-23 inches long.
They weigh between 12-20 pounds.
Red Pandas are arboreal (they spend most of their time in trees) mammals.
Red Pandas are herbivores meaning they do not eat meat.
There are two sub-species: Western Red Panda and Styan’s Red Panda.
Red Pandas are nocturnal meaning they sleep during the day.
Red Pandas are crepuscular meaning they are most active during dusk and dawn.
Red Pandas mostly stay to themselves except during mating time.
Red Pandas mostly eat bamboo however they will also eat berries, blossoms and bird eggs).
Red Pandas spend 13 hours a day eating!
Snow Leopards and Wild Dogs are predators to the Red Panda.
 A mother Red Panda gives birth to her cub after 134 days.
Babies are usually born in holes inside trees.
The mother’s den is usually high up in the trees to protect them from predators.
Red Pandas are endangered mostly due to deforestation meaning their habitat is disappearing.
There are approximately 2,500 adult Red Pandas left in the wild.


Thanks http://www.kidsplayandcreate.com for helping me out with all of these facts about my favourite animal!

How to Personalise Your Shoes

I had so much fun on Friday night jazzing up these $3 shoes from The Warehouse! It's amazing what you can do with a plain white pair of canvas shoes. I just used fabric markers to decorate mine but you could use anything you like. How about some glitter or sequins? I wrote my name all over mine in different styles and colours but you could doodle anything. Make them YOUR shoes! So grab some shoes and get creative. Have your own personalised shoes!

Future Inventions Challenge

Our challenge for the last week has been to invent a future invention, create a diagram of it and write and information report. Check out my invention which. I invented with my friend Madisyn!

Ink-Spider 2025

 

All those people who love the look of handwriting but are too lazy to be bothered writing by hand, not very neat at hand writing or just simply can't do it because of a physical disability well, the Ink-Spider is the perfect solution. The Ink-Spider is a highly technical, pen-like, robotic device invented by Sophie and Madisyn during the year of 2025. Speak to the Ink-Spider and it will write what you say. There is more to it than that though and it is definitely not just a toy!

What makes the Ink-Spider move? It has eight legs, like a spider! At the end of each leg is a wheel. These wheels help it to move around the page but guess what? The legs aren't just any old legs. Each leg has 

its own special job such as colour, size, font, picture etcetera. When you pull one of the Ink-Spider's legs the screen turns on. You then keep pulling the leg until you have customised that particular part of the Ink-Spider's writing to the way you want it. Once you are done, pressing the select button finalises that customisation. 

This useful invention is controlled by battery power. The battery socket is fitted for the So7 battery. The So7 is highly energy efficient as it is averagely replaced only once a year based on five hours a day usage. However, this will depend on the user. If the user never turns their Ink-Spider off or uses it lots the battery will expire much faster. Some people end up having to replace this highly energy efficient battery up to five times a year due to simply not turning their Ink-Spider off. As much as this can be a pain to those who experience this the So7 battery is extremely cheap. If the Ink-Spider is well looked after it will only cost approximately $5.00 a year to run. So for what the Ink-Spider is, that is a really good deal.

Now it is time to talk about what really goes on inside the Ink-Spider whilst it is in use. This invention has an amazingly clever sensor. The sensor will hear your voice and write what you say. When the Ink-Spider reaches the edge of the page it will crawl across to the other side of the paper and continue to write what you say. This means that it is programmed so it will only write on paper and not on your desk! The Ink-Spider also has a flow pipe which the ink runs through, right to the pen tip. When a different colour is selected the current colour will get sucked back up into the ink bag and the new colour will flow out and into the pipe. There is also a pipe that is used for refilling the ink bag. Last of all, it has lights that look like eyes. These will shine when it is writing so it is easy to see what the Ink-Spider is writing.

Ink-Spider. The popular, highly technical machine which everyone has. It is clever, helpful, bright and colourful so what are you waiting for? Get yours today!

The Revolution Tour

Last night I went to The Revolution Tour with my Mum and my brother. The Revolution Tour, also known as The Revo Tour is a christian based show for youth which tours New Zealand each year. There were heaps of people there at the CBS Arena. LZ7, a band from the UK played. Then one of the guys from LZ7 came and sat three seats away from me! Wow! Reggie Dabbs was also there. He played his saxophone and boy, was he amazing! He is so good at playing it! Lots of other singers and dancers also performed. It was such a good night and it is definitely well worth going to The Revolution Tour in the future!

Cycle Safety Day 1

I can already tell that this week is going to be a busy but fun, full on week with Cycle Safety at school. The Cycle Safe team go around schools and teach children how to ride safely on the road. The year 6's get to part take this week! That's me!!! Today everyones bike and helmet got checked to make sure they are safe to use. My helmet is all good and so is my bike, well, except for one minor issue but it is safe to ride which is the main thing! People who don't have a bike or a helmet get to borrow but only under one condition - that they wear the provided hair net under the helmet. I guess that is to prevent nits from spreading. Today we also learnt about signalling and checking for cars. After our lesson on that we got tested to see if we are ready to ride on the road. I passed! Yay! So, tomorrow I will get to ride on the road. I will update you later in the week but that's all I have to say for now. Have an awesome week!

Holiday Activity Description: Dance Comp

This week we have been working on crafting (and re-crafting) sentences that make our writing really interesting.  Check out my writing below.  We used Book Creator and Explain Everything to turn them digital.  Enjoy and please leave me some feedback.

Outer Space Jokes

If you enjoy learning about outer space then you're going to absolutely love these outer space jokes! 

Outer Space Jokes

Q: What is a spaceman’s favorite chocolate?

A: A marsbar!

Q: Why did the sun go to school?

A: To get brighter!

Q: How do you know when the moon has had enough to eat?

A: When it’s full!

Q: Why did the cow go in the spaceship?

A: It wanted to see the mooooooon!

Q: What do planets like to read?

A: Comet books!

Q: What is an astronauts favorite key on the keyboard?

A: The space bar!

Q: Why did the cow go to outer space?

A: To visit the Milky Way!

Q: Where would an astronaut park his space ship?

A: A parking meteor!

Q: What was the first animal in space?

A: The cow that jumped over the moon!

Q: Why did Venus have to get an air conditioner?

A: Because Mercury moved in!

Q: What did the alien say when he was out of room?

A: I’m all spaced out!

Thanks funology.com for all of these jokes. They are totally awesome! For more fun jokes and things to do check out funology.com. There's sure to be something for everyone to enjoy there!

Holiday Adventures

The holidays were so much fun! So, first things first. Over Easter we went to Invercargill to see my grandparents. While we were there we saw Rio 2 at the movies. I liked it better than the first Rio movie but for the sequel to make sense you would have had to seen the first one. On Easter Sunday we had an Easter egg hunt at my Grandma and Grandad's place. They live on a farm so it was really awesome being able to do it in a different, bigger environment than usual. Me and my brother got given a clue which lead to new clues. At the end we ended up at our bedrooms and guess what was on my bed.........??? A cute easter bunny bag with a chocolate chick and Easter eggs inside it!!! After going to Invercargill the rest of the holidays were basically spent practicing my dances for the dance competition that happened in the last weekend of the holidays. At the competitions I danced a total of eight times. I was awarded one 2nd, two 3rds and the rest were either VHC (Very Highly Commended), HC (Highly Commended) or C (Commended). On a whole I feel I did pretty well. So now the holidays are over and I'm back at school. The holidays always fly by so quickly, too quickly!

Who's Cooking Tonight?

Have you heard of 'Who's Cooking Tonight?'? It is an awesome cook book by Claire Gourley. I love this book because it has easy to follow insturctions as well as fun tips and facts about food. I have tried two of the recipes in this book and they both work great. The 'creamy bacon carbonara' was so delicous that it was all gone before I had a chance to take a photo of it. I also made 'berry nice caupcakes' which were too good to be true! These cupcakes looked like ordinary vanilla cupcakes with icing on top but the moment I took a bite my toung swam in the illusion. They have berries in the middle of them!!! I used rasberries but I'm sure any berry would taste good. One spoonful of mixture, two berries in the middle, another spoonful of mixture.....oh so good! I definitely recomend getting this cook book whether it is from a library or from your local book shop (either way will work). Now, it's time to get cooking!

Ballet Information Report

This term we have been writing information reports. I wrote one about ballet. Take a look!

Ballet

Ballet is a classical form of dance performed to music of which is most commonly classical. It provides fun for the young and relaxation for the old.

Ballet was first originated in Italy during the 15th century. With the help of Catherine de' Medici, it spread to the french culture. The word 'ballet' is a french word and was borrowed into the english language around the 17th century. Back in history, the french word 'ballet' relates to the Italian word 'ballare' meaning to dance.

Girls of all ages can take part in ballet classes. From toddler classes to adult classes there'll be something to suit everyones level. Guess what? Boys can do ballet too! Many people clearly show their thoughts that boys can not do ballet by making fun of the ones who do. That is definitely not true! Boys can do ballet all they like, all they want. The world of ballet needs them!

Wearing the correct attire makes it easier for the dancers to manoeuvre around the other people in the room. Normally, for class the girls would wear ballet tights, a leotard and a repertoire skirt. However, in performances they may wear tutus, dresses and more! The boys wear a leotard, tights or shorts and socks. Both genders are also expected to wear ballet shoes although the colour of the shoe differs. Usually girls will wear ballet pink or nude coloured shoes whilst the boys wear black or white. Some girls also own pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are worn when performing pointe work which is done on the tip of the dancer’s toes. The average age for starting pointe work is around about twelve years though it may vary depending on the dance school.

A lot of dancers enjoy performing on stage, in companies or even in exams. Ballet gives many opportunities to perform. Dancers perform in competitions as solos or as a group as well as training during the year for an exam. There are many different syllabuses people take exams for such as RAD (Royal Academy of Dance), BBO (British Ballet Organisation) and Cecchetti. Each syllabus has their own style. For example, BBO is British and Cecchetti is Italian.

Ballet is a relaxing form of dance which all ages can enjoy. It is a classical, unique, one of a kind dance style, performed both professionally and just for fun.

- Sophie F

 

Student Leader and Student Council

I am so excited! I have been accepted as a student leader for Wairakei school, 2014. Firstly, the eight student leaders have voted for me and another girl to be the media people. This means we create advertising for school events, organised by the student council or we might write reports for the school newsletter! I am super happy to be chosen for this role! 

All the student leaders from our school (not the student council) are going to a training day in a couple of weeks time. This will help to build up our leadership skills even more and it will help us become better leaders. I am really looking forwards to this.

I am also a part of the student council. The student council will organise events throughout the year to fundraise for the school or charities like world vision. We will also arrange events that are just for pure fun. 

It is a big step up to become a leader of the school but I feel I will be able to handle it pretty well. I can't wait to tell you more about my leadership journey as the year progresses!

Newspaper Article

The newspaper article which Leo and I wrote has finally been printed in the Nor' West newspaper! The article is about our year 6 school camp and how the Okains Bay locals helped us out when the Okains Bay campground was closed due to storm damage. It looks really great! Here is the link to the online version. Take a look!

http://issuu.com/the.star/docs/114090na/9?e=0 

School Camp

Last week we went to Okains Bay for our school camp. It was so much fun! Here is an article that I wrote with my friend Leo for the local news paper. Hopefully next week when the news paper comes out I will be able to take a photo of it to post on my blog!

Campground Closure Works In School's Favour

Okains Bay locals generously came to the rescue by opening the school grounds for use when the storm damaged campground was temporarily closed. It was such a relief to many of the Wairakei School pupils when it was announced that the Year 6's would still be able to go to Okains Bay for their school camp as planned, only with a slight change of tenting destination. "I was so grateful when we were overwhelmed with Okains Bay's kindness," admits Wairakei School teacher Kate Olliff, "it really was welcoming of them to allow us to use their school grounds for four days!"

A fun filled four days would have definitely occurred for the students and teachers as they enjoyed some relaxing time away from the classroom. They did many challenging activities from playing at the beach and going to a Maori/Colonial Museum to setting up their own tents and cooking their own meals. It was a great chance for the children, being the oldest in the school, to use their leadership skills and to prove what great role models they can be to the younger ones whom look up to them. Year 6 student Teagrae says, "I really enjoyed camp but most of all I feel it really helped me to step up because I had to cooperate well with other people and I don't usually work in a group."

Despite the fact that they had to tent on a school ground everything went as planned and in the end, the change actually worked in their favour. "It was great to be camping in the centre of the Okains Bay Village because the children who go to the school there were able enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with different children," agrees Wairakei School principal Shane Buckner, "the use of the Okains Bay School pool was also much appreciated!" The year 6's are now back at Wairakei School and are carrying on their school work as per prior the camp. 

Persuasive Letter

Today I wrote the most hilarious persuasive letter to Mr Willy Wonka. Well, I didn't actually send it to him but it is really funny! Please have a read and leave a comment!

7 March 2014

Mr Willy Wonka

24 Jellybean Lane

Choco Falls

Candy-land

Dear Mr Willy Wonka,

I hear you have recently let Charlie Bucket work in your chocolate factory. I am very disappointed in you! Just think of all of the other children (like me) in the world who could take much better care of the factory than poor old Charlie. Oh, how I could do with a job like that. Why don't you just fire Charlie and let me help out in the factory? Please listen to me. I assure you that you will feel much regret after reading this letter!

Firstly, I have a great sweet tooth. Anything I see which looks like a lolly I'll grab at right away. Just think how happy all of those shop owners who are consistently running low on stock in candy because of me would feel. If I came to look after your amazing candy-land I would have an endless supply of lollies, candy, sugar and more!

Secondly, yes Charlie is poor but why doesn't he just busk for his money?Wouldn't he earn more money that way than doing voluntary work in your marvellous factory? As for me, my family doesn't need much money and both my Mum and Dad work so I would not expect any money off it. I would just do the work for free. Plus, you don't know this kid neither do you know what he could get up to in your sugar full wonderland!

Last but not least, I have many great ideas that could improve your factory and make it more enjoyable for people to visit which would make it a great attraction of your city. You would make a lot more money for your factory and even more money for you to spend on yourself with not having to pay me.

So Willy Wonka you see, it's not all about how people look on the outside but it's also how they appear on the inside and Charlie, although his family is poor he looks nice on the outside but I can tell you now that he is not the best fit for your factory. Please get back to me with a positive answer because it is known without doubt that it would benefit your factory if you got rid of Charlie and took me. After all, the only reason you let him work in your factory is because of one silly little golden ticket!

Yours sincerely,

Sophie

Book Review

Hello! Here is a book review I've written on one of my favourite books. I hope you like it!

Sport Report

Check out this awesome sport report I wrote with my friend Madisyn!

Teams Rattle The Battle

Although it is fully cloudy, it is an unusually hot Friday afternoon and the humidity is rising upon the Wairakei kiwi softball pitch. Eliminaters are battling against The Dominatiors for a high score in the round robin tournament. Both teams are hopeful of an astonishing win.  

Jack from The Dominatiors has been nominated to bat a second time due to absence of players. Being a better player of the team it is expected by the spectators that he closes the game with a breathtaking score, making it harder to be beaten by the other team.

Team Eliminators player Rosa scores six amazing runs leaving them just two points from the leading team. One batsmen to go, three points away from victory, will they make it? BOOM! SMASH! WHIZZ! They try their hardest but The Dominatiors take out the game with a tight score of 24:23, and although there is only one point in it they are proud to the ground of their close win!

Lend a Helping Hand

Here's just a little picture I created the other day using pic collage. Spread the word! The world needs your help! 

Also, check out this awesome video about colouring your world with kindness. It's very inspiring! Here is the link: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rwelE8yyY0U&safe=active&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DrwelE8yyY0U%26safe%3Dactive

My Perfect Rainbow - Poem

Hello! Here is just a little poem I wrote today that I would like to share with you. I hope you like it!

My Perfect Rainbow

Don't you dare let those dark days take over you

Just believe in yourself and your dreams will come true

Let those positive things colour your day

And you will soon find your way

As red as the poppy that touches my heart

As orange as the lava at the core of the earth

As yellow as the sun that shines down on me

As green as the grass that lays in the fields

As blue as the sky that colours the sea

But don't forget the senseful lavender

For this is my perfect rainbow!

My Vision Goal

​Today I set my vision goal for term one. My vision goal is seperate from my learning goals and it has to be related to at least one of our school vision characteristics (we care, we think, we work hard, we communicate effectively and we make meaningful connections). At the end of the term I will review my goal and see if I need to work on it for another term. If I feel I feel I have achieved my goal and have enough evidence to show that I will create another vision goal for the next term.

This term my vision goal is to self reflect on my learning. 

​I have chosen this goal because I need to become more aware of what I am learning, what I need to improve on and what I am achieving so I can use that knowledge in my everyday life.

​Achieving this goal will look like:

1. Self evaluating myself on a google doc most school days.

2. Asking a buddy to review my google doc to make sure my reflections are true.

​3. Remembering what I'm learning and applying it to everyday scenarios/situations.

​4. Identifying what I need to work on.

​5. Working during break times when I feel I haven't achieved the set task(s).

2014 - My World

I am really excited for 2014 and what it has in store for me! This year I'm in a BYOD (bring your own device) class which means everyone in my class has their own iPad that they bring to school each day. After doing some research I have realised how far technology has come over the past few years. I am also really looking forwards to Yr 6 camp which is going to be heaps of fun! We are going to Okains bay for three nights and four days and are tenting all three nights. Surely that's something to look forward to!

I have a lot of hobbies and things that interest me. First of all I really enjoy dancing because it is a way of expressing myself through movement. This year I am taking lessons in ballet, contemporary and stretch/pilates. Throughout the year I will be entering various competitions for ballet, possibly contemporary and hopefully by the end of of the year I will have reached a high enough level to sit the RAD (royal academy of dance) grade 5 exam for ballet. As well as expressing myself through dancing I like to express my feelings through music. This year I am learning both the flute and the piano for my fourth year. I am also hoping to take part in group lessons such as recorder ensemble, instrumental group and choir. One part of music that I really enjoy is that I have the freedom to compose my own pieces and songs. Another thing I like to do in my free time is make lots of arts and crafts things - a nice relaxing thing to do, espiecally on a rainy day!