Blake NZ

On May the 23rd,  we had a special visitor who is a marine biologist who is currently working from a company called Blake NZ. Thomas, our visitor, introduced us to what he does for an occupation. For our activity Thomas brought virtue reality goggles for us to experience what it is like to be exploring in the wide ocean. A virtual reality goggle is a device that is used to vision images that are life-like. 

 Before we got going he talked about a person named Peter Blake who loved sea creatures and the ocean very much. Peter Blake won the American Cup four times by going around the whole world but sadly he got shot by threatening pirates on amazon. 

Thomas instructed us on how to use the VR goggles and how we should be responsible with it. We then put on the goggles and first saw swimming fish diving through each other. As we looked around the 360 degree view in the goggles, Thomas talked us through where these videos took place and what kind of fish they are.  We saw sea lions in their habitat playing with joy, different types of dolphins with their pods and penguins chatting to each other. We saw many beautiful  sea creatures being discovered and discussed. 

 My favorite fact of all was learning about how humpback whales can sing and can pick off singing from other whales by forming a song together. If there was a way that we can find solutions to help the ocean be a clean environment we should make more marine reserves, influence other people to STOP polluting  the ocean.

 

Letter Of Advice

From Estherose

Dear T

Thank you for visiting your aunt June on the weekends. I had a wonderful time with you!

We played many playful games especially basketball. Your quite a handful aren’t you, dear. While you were playing I noticed something odd. You T, have many soaring bruises all over your body.

Are you alright dear, anything happened with mum and dad. If so, I would like to give you some advice that you would need. I know my brother of mine can be rough and tough at times.

Here’s a piece of advice, have a clear and positive mind, release all the anger and sadness out of you, open out to your parents of how you feel about the situation. Make them listen and understand as this situation has happened multiple times and it is affecting you in an unsecured way. If you are still not feeling safe at all , come to your aunt’s June house and express all your feelings to your aunt. As this is a of way expressing widely.

From yours sincerely

Aunt June

Epro 8 playground

On May the 7th, my class and I were informed that we will be doing Epro 8 for a week. Epro 8 is an engineering program for children over 10 years old.  We were given booklets of Epro 8 activities and were put into four different groups by our teacher, Ms George. We as a class had watched an instruction video of what the tools we would be using in this type of project and how we would be designing it.

One of the activities we did was a playground. Making this playground we had to make objects that we would normally see in the actual playground. We made swings, a hut, merry go round, flying fox and last a sea saw. Making these things we used blue joiners, red joiners, reel, axles, wheels and string. Using these tools helped us a lot as we used creative minds during the working process. We started slow in the beginning and as we kept working we started to build our way up as we went with the flow. As the ideas started to flow in  we had many ideas popping out.

When we finished the playground our teacher, Ms George, was going to view our work of what we have done so far. Each group had played a part in this activity making as it was a time to use commutation skills and make it a fun learning process. We each had done similar things from other groups but in the end we did great with a lot of effort put in.  I would like to say a massive THANK YOU to the Epro 8 company for providing us with fun engineering activities to do.

 

 

God’s Work of creating, redeeming and sanctifying

For Religious Education, our class learnt about Creating, Redeeming and Sanctifying means. We created images that related to these words. I have drawn mountains that represent creating. The cross represents redeeming, and lastly,  a Bible that represents sanctifying.

An Image Representing the Holy Trinity

On Monday the 27th, Ms George, our teacher, said we will be creating our own image of the Trinity. We had to use our creative thinking of how we could design our own version, and how we see the Trinity at our point of view. I have created a flower representing the Trinity. Each text box shows the meaning of each component.

Modeling Clay – Pennies For Hitler ( Library Destruction )

 

Room 8 is reading a book called Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French. We have picked a scene where the library is destroyed into chunky piles of rubble. Our rationale for this scene is that George loved visiting the library as it was his safe space where he felt everything was normal. My favourite part about sculpting was making the skulls of the deceased out of clay.

Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club – Waka Ama

 

 

On Wednesday 15th of March,  year 7 and 8 students had gone on a trip where we learnt how to ride on a canoe and how to use oars. We arrived at school in uniform and changed into our swimming gear.  Our two teachers; Mrs George and Mr Bell had been our supervisors the whole trip. We were traveling by bus to get there.  It was a long and short trip to go but it was worth the drive.  We finally arrived at our destination. All of us were very excited to learn and experience new things.

We had a teacher instruct us how to use oars and learn the commands that the captain was going to give to us. We started the day with ten people on each side of the canoe and one teacher with each group. The groups had gone for a twenty minute lesson with the instructors. We had finished the lessons with races. The instructors wanted to see what skills we have learnt so far and how we could use them in the water.

We had gone back to the dock to take the canoes back to the club.  It took everyone to put a lot of effort to pull and push the canoes back.  We had changed out of our swimming gear and changed into our clothes. It took us about fifteen minutes to change because most of the students have been mucking around. We had finally finished changing and walked up the hill to go to the bus and it drove back to school.

My day at Waka Ama was a thrilling day to me because it was my first time riding a canoe and using an oar. Thank you instructors for the opportunity to have a day learning whilst having fun.

Diary Entry – Pennies For Hitler

Diary Entry

As I leave Elizabeth, I cry sombre tears. I walk further and further away from this depressing, unhappy place. I keep walking along the dry, dirty path. I look up and see the sky. A grey, black-ish, white colour with flames dancing through the trees. The same trees that have ruled all of England.

 I hurry to our flat to see if the flat is safe or is it in pieces? Am I safe right now? I ask myself so many questions. My head is a crazy mess. I take a second to get myself together and think. I take a deep breath and walk my way to the flat.  I look carefully at my surroundings to check if I am safe or not.  As I am walking, I see people suffering from the toxic gas that is drifting their way, and  people sheltering in Anderson shelters from bombs. Flames from buildings.. Anxiety inside of me and I feel that I am losing hope but I can’t give up now! I have to find Aunt Miriam!

About Me

Talofa Lava, my name is Estherose but I like Esther for short.  I am 13 years old. My siblings and I attend Saint Patrick’s School.  I have two playful active brothers and one hardworking sister.  My hobbies are drawing, cooking with my sister and walking my fluffy dog around the block.  I am a year 8 student at Saint Patrick’s School and my teacher’s name is Ms George.  I have a wonderful class that shows many different qualities like Joy.  I hope you enjoy reading my blog.