Angelica's Horrid Magical Tea. Ashley, Georgia, Caroline & Sanah

Spheres Gone Wrong by, Sanah, Ashley and Georgia

Volcano (Descriptive writing)

 Volcano

“Kabloosh!” the massive puff of smoke gets released into the air as the flames burst out of the volcano. The sky slowly starts to turn grey as lava rushes down the boiling hot volcano. Luminous lighting lets out a major crack like someone breaking a piece of plastic.

Stars twinkling brightly, bushy trees swaying gracefully and rocks crumbling down the mountain. 

People run into their houses and lock themselves inside, trying to prevent the poisonous smell from getting inside. I was stunned at what was happening in front of my eyes. “This volcano had been dormant for years, how come it has erupted all of a sudden?”

The smoke, filled the city and all the villages in town, leaving nothing but fog everywhere.

Aotearoa Tour

 Taranaki, Onehunga and Kaikōura. Do these words sound familiar to you? Or maybe this, Muriwai, Rotorua and Tauranga? I hope this is jogging your memory, and if it’s not, then you need to get in touch with your Maori spirit.  I’m going to teach you all about them whether you have an idea or are completely lost.

First of all, we will talk about Taranaki.  Taranaki is located on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island and it has a bit of history.  Taranaki was once called Pukeonaki or Puke Haupapa and it stood before they renamed it Taranaki. Taranaki is the home to the Taranaki iwi, (tribe) rohe, (region) and Taranaki Maunga (Mountain).  Taranaki Mountain was surrounded by other mountains which were called Tongariro, Ruapehu and Pihanga and in the pūrākau (story) Tongariro and Puke Onaki loved Pihanga and fought over her.  Eventually, Tongariro pushed Pukeonaki into the sea which created the Whanganui River and when Pukeonaki surfaced, It was led to the Pouakai range by the female rock Rauhoto Tapairu and then they had children which became the te tipu me te kararehe (flora and fauna) of the forest including the rivers and rock.  

The second suburb we will talk about is Onehunga.  Onehunga is known for its revered colonists, The Fencibles.  Some of you may know The Fencibles as a   football club, but it is also the name of a British Army/British Regiments.  Onehunga was also one of the oldest suburbs in Auckland.  

Wind Chimes - Reading

Hushed - Reading

The Race (Descriptive Writing)

 The Race

The athlete’s feet sink into the scattered out mud with every step they take. “Splotch splotch”. Like a horse confidently springing over a fence, the contestants leap over the hurdle and carry on as usual. The applaud of the crowd echos upon the thin air as the runners competitively try to dart ahead and lead the pack.

In the distance, I can see autumnal trees in the background swaying gracefully, but the pale green cubicle with the spinach coloured roof is standing out the most. Like fur coating a dog, muddy smears blanket over their lively sneakers.

In a line, one by one, the contenders rush past all the commotion the crowd is making and finally see the finish line in view.

The runners were cheetahs throughout the whole race. They all try to collect all their energy and rush to their parents. They all know their supporters will have a present for them because they all tried their best.

Alliteration Poem Writing

 Alliteration poem writing

Sally saw a snake slithering through the slippery hallway hissing at her brothers and sisters.

Sally was not scared of the snake because she had her thick sneaker shoes and said that she could handle the snake. The snake hissed at Sally as well but she was not afraid of snakes. So Sally eventually won over the slimy slithering snake.

Maths Problems with Anika

The Winning Lotto Ticket

 “So how did you get into this disaster exactly?”, the nurse questioned.

“Well, I got a call from my friend Krisha saying that I should check my ticket to see if I had won, and I did!”

“Wow, that is amazing! she exclaimed.

“But, as I hop onto the scooter I can sense the driver is worried because the scooter is getting out of control. “Then we crash into a fruit stand and I fall unconscious. That is how my leg got broken.”

“Wel,l what about the ticket?”

“It was gone”

“No way!”

“Yep”

“I kept on practising and practising trying to walk with my cast in and I finally got the hang of it, then I came back to my home here in New Zealand. My family had found out what had happened and threw me a party to make me feel better. Oh and they also got me a foot spa”

“Wow! A foot spa?”

“Yep. pretty cool huh”

The nurse started to drill the cast open and then she said this…

“Um, Allie, you might want to have a look at this right here.”

“What?”

“Your winning lotto ticket is on your cast!”

“OMG!!! WOW-I-ur-I, I am lost for words.”

“Well, there you are, your winning Powerball ticket.”

“Thank you so much for finding it.”

“It was my pleasure.”

NZ Coins

Never lose Hope

Never Lose Hope

Life is not always rainbows and sunshine – we have all had days when nothing seems to be going as planned and when we find ourselves demotivated, bogged down and drowning in sadness. On such days, when you are unable to motivate yourself, do you know what helps? Listening to great empowering speeches.

I am here today to talk to you about hope, why we should never lose hope. Hope, just a tiny four-letter word but yet, without this we wouldn’t be able to live.

So, what does this word mean? Ay, doctor google, define hope for me, please. A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to occur. In much simpler English, hope is something that you want to happen. You know, like your hope to get the new iPhone, to get more than 50 wins in Fortnite or for the smarter ones out there, the hope to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer etc etc etc.

So then, why is hope so important, and why do we need it?

Because, we all have goals in life, but when we are trying to reach these goals, we will also face obstacles along the way. Hope helps your brain to become mentally stronger to fight these obstacles.

Hope can bring us joy and peace whilst we are going through tough times. 

Hope can give us courage, strength and boldness instead of fear. 

Hope can provide tolerance and patience instead of tempting us to quit. 

Hope can offer confidence when in doubt. 

More importantly, hope teaches us to believe in ourselves. Hope helps us to live!

 We as a country lived in hope that we would come out of lockdown successfully, and we did! 

I live in hope that I can become the best hockey player in the world!

My parents live in hope,that someday they will win the lotto. Really? 

The whole world lives in hope! 

Did you know that it is impossible to defeat a person who never gives up in life no matter whatever happens? Such a person will always climb the stairs of happiness and success. Who’s heard of Bethany Hamilton? Well She wanted to be a world-famous surfer but in 2003, when she was just 13 years old, she had lost her left arm in a shark attack. But she did not let that affect her love and determination for surfing. In 2005 she had won a national title for surfing. Do you see where hope gets you to now?

So what happens when we lose hope, and how do we get it back?

Well interestingly, we can get it back through practice. Yup, hope is like a muscle, and it needs to be used to stay strong and ready for when we need it most.

Just like our very own Sophie Pascoe did! She lost her leg in an accident when she was just 2 years old.  But that did not stop her from persevering and entering the Olympics to become a gold medalist swimmer. 

As Christopher Reeve once said, “once you choose hope, anything’s possible.

So, never ever give up on hope. You need to be a positive person, see the good in everything, learn from your mistakes and stop complaining for goodness sake.

Let  your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future. Thank you.

Why We Should Never Lose Hope

The day I swapped my brother for 2 puppies

The Day I Swapped My Older Brother For 2 Puppies

“Hey look!”, I exclaimed to my brother. “Sydney got two puppies”!, I said in a very happy tone. “Ugh, another one of your annoying bratty friends comes into my home and invades my space”. “Be nice”, I tried to say discreetly. “Hey Sydney!”, I shrieked while waving and running toward her (well specifically her two adorable dogs). She had held her arms wide open so I could give her a hug, but I ducked under her and hugged her dogs passionately instead. “Well that was unexpected”, She said in laughter.  

 “You are soooo lucky to have an older sibling to play with”, Sydney exclaimed.

“Ummm, no i’m not, all he does is either annoy me or sit around in his room all day and do… I don’t even know what! All I know is that he only comes out if he is hungry just to grab a snack or if it’s meal time, I could go on and on and on about how annoying he is”

“Ok ok I get it”, She replied. “I just wish I had a sibling.”

“What if I swap you my brother for your two dogs?”, I questioned.

“But you said so many bad things about him, why would I want him?”
“Well he’s really not THAT bad”, I fibbed. “He looks after me when my parents aren’t home”

“I’ll take him, anything to not get that very strict babysitter to never ever come back to my house. I do love my dogs very much. But I’ll do it.”

“Hey dumbo!”

“What do you want poop”

“Can you babysit Sydney at her house?”

“Never ever will I babysit-”

“I’ll give you 20 bucks”

“Make it 50”

“Deal”

“Let’s go Kidney”

“It’s Sydney”

“Whatever, as long as I get my 50 bucks.

Now, what am I going to name you two lovable dogs? I got it! I’ll name you Coco because you are brown and fluffy and you buttermilk because you are a white cute dog.   

To be continued...

Classroom Map

Hope

Hope

“Hold me tight dad, I don’t want to leave this world so soon”, Hope sobbed. “I don’t want you to leave either honey”, Christoffer replied with a tear running down his face. “Beeeeep”, went the machine. “She’s gone, my little girl is gone”, he exclaimed while holding her tight.

Christoffer was the only person left in his family. He had lost his only daughter Hope and the hope inside of him.

The next day had passed and it was time for the funeral. It was a cold snowy winters day, so Christoffer put on a warm fuzzy hat and a puffer jacket over his long sleeve shirt.

He slowly walked towards his car and took off.

The time came and it was time for Christoffer’s speech. “It all started off when my daughter, at the age of 14, was diagnosed with cancer. I was shocked, so shocked that a tear dripped down my face with nervousness. I couldn’t save my only child, my only daughter, my only Hope. A few years had passed and she had gone all the way up till stage 5 cancer, this is where cancer spreads all across the organs. She was hospitalised. Then she left me. Roses are red Violets are blue, I couldn’t save you. But I want you to know that I love you. (Christoffer sobbing).

Bread Experiment

Splinters in My Tummy

Splinters in my Tummy     Vocabulary  Punctuations   Sentence starters

I was 8 years old at my best friend's Birthday Party. We were playing limbo and the song Under The Sea was playing, it was a very entertaining song.

I was lining up and it was nearly my turn. After I had a few turns, the bar was REALLY low, so the only logical way was to slide under it. So I gently kneeled down and laid on my tummy. I slid right under the bar but as I was sliding on the pokey wood I could feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I said to my friend I need to go to the bathroom.

It’s right around the corner inside, she replied with a smile.

As I walked in the bathroom I could feel the pain getting worse in every step I took. I peered and took a look at my tummy and saw 1 big splinter about 1.5 cm long, and 1 half the size of the big one. By then the pain had gotten about 20 times worse. 

I called my mum into the bathroom to show her. She said, "I think we should go to the doctors right away"!

“But the pain is not that bad”, I lied.

“Well if it doesn’t hurt that bad then we can stay until it ends there is only half an hour left I’m pretty sure”.

“I think I want to stay”,I said with a fake grin.

“Ok, go have a drink of water and some food”,  she said with a real smile.

I tried not to think about it too much but I just couldn’t, every time I laughed the pain would increase.

After the party had ended I told my mum that it hurt REALLY REALLY!! Badly. We were given a goody bag and left right away. As I sat in the car my belly started to sting a little. I started crying. My mum said to try and have a little nap on the way to ANE (Accidents and Emergencies). Sure enough I was out in 2 minutes.

When we got there we went up to the front desk and they said that the wait was half an hour - 1 hour. So we had to wait.

Finally, they called out my name, when they explained what they had to do my mouth dropped open in fear. They were going to cut a tiny slit in my tummy and pull the splinter right out! But the little one would eventually come out by itself.

I started to cry, so they brought out the laughing gas. I had to keep on inhaling in the laughing gas as they cut through my stomach, I was still crying. (even with the laughing gas).  

 I think the laughing gas that made me feel sleepy because when I woke up everything was over and I had a plaster on my stomach.

I was really relieved that everything was over!

Stranger Danger

My Invention

A large toy company has asked you to invent a new toy for children. 

It can be a completely original toy or an improved version of a toy that already exists. Write a page explaining what your toy is and how it works.

Plan your writing and think about:

• What kind of toy do you want children to buy?
• Is it something that encourages their imagination and creativity?
• Does it help them to learn or practice a skill?
• What are the 3 most important parts on your toy? What are these called?
• What does each part do?
• Can children play with your toy alone, or do they need friends to play?

Imagine a robot doing all your chores and cleaning up all your mess. This robot can also play with you and its just like having another sibling, but this one is nice to you all the time. This will keep you entertained 24/7 because it does not need batteries, it is all solar powered. This robot will take out the trash, clean your car, make your food and do much more!  It will help you with your homework and will always be there straight away when you call its name. You are allowed to name it whatever you want! All you have to say is “your name from now on is”...  The only time it will not be there straight away, is when it is helping someone else or doing something important, like cleaning the house. This toy can be played alone with because it is like your best friend. The robot entertains children by keeping them company and being occupied. While the robot does that, the parents will be able to do whatever they desire. It will never hurt you or be nasty to you, it is a lawful robot.

How does it work?

Explanation Writing: How does it work?

You are writing to explain how an object works.

There are four parts you need to do in this writing task. 

Type your work directly onto this Google Doc or write on lined paper and take a picture. Make sure you share everything with your teacher.

Part 1

Read the following two examples of explanations. 

Notice: Linking words that show cause and effect

  Present tense verbs 

Precise vocabulary about the topic

Example 1:

How does a compact disc work? Compact discs are optical discs that store digital information. They can be used to hold your favourite music, data, computer software or images. However, have you ever wondered what they actually are and how they work? Compact discs are made up of many different layers. The first layer is made from a tough plastic material called polycarbonate. This makes up the thickest part of the CD but it is actually very thin (usually about 1.2mm thick). It helps to protect the data that will be put onto the CD. When the finished CD is later put into a CD player, the soft plastic layer will also act as a lens to help the laser in the CD player focus on the data - just like a lens in a pair of glasses! The second layer is the most important one - the data layer. The data is transferred onto the CD by a laser. The laser does this by…

Example 2: 

How do roller skates work? Kids and parents alike have enjoyed roller skating for fun and exercise for hundreds of years now. Today, many skaters prefer modern inline skates, which feature wheels in a row along a blade-like an ice skate. Traditional roller skates, on the other hand, have four wheels on each foot arranged in a sort of square. As a result, this makes balancing a little easier. Both traditional and inline skates rely on bearings that make the wheels turn freely and easily. Bearings allow a skater to take turns, corners, and curves while skating. Without bearings, turning a corner would be very difficult...

Part 2

Find one of these objects in your house: 

• Stationery like scissors, a stapler or a pencil sharpener.
• Toys or sports equipment like a bike, Lego bricks or a skateboard.
• Tools like a clothes peg, an egg beater or a can opener.

Look closely and carefully at its parts so you can see how it works.

Draw a picture of your chosen object. Add labels to the picture to show how it works and the names of its parts.

Part 4

Scissors are made up of two blades, and they are sharp like a knife. These blades are set up so when you press down on both the handles, the sharp bits pass each other very closely, cutting through thin paper or any type of fabric.

Scissors work like a lever. As you squeeze your fingers together, it makes the blade cross one another which is how the cut line is made. When you move your fingers apart, it opens up the blade so you can move to another part of the paper.

There are many types of scissors for different purposes. For example, kids scissors should only be used on paper. They have dull blades and rounded corners just for child safety. The larger shears used to cut metal or to trim shrubs must have very strong, sharp blades.