Technicraft Term 4 by Mika

Every Wednesday this term we went to Tamaki College for Tech. We had Mr Grundy as our teacher and he taught hard material. It was fun in his class. At the end, this is how our objects turned out on our last session.

Going to Tamaki College Sports Day by Don

On Friday the future year nine students of Tamaki College had a wonderful and splendid time!

After a quick ride on the Tamaki College van to Tamaki we hopped off and headed to the auditorium. There we received our team colours and were seated. There were P.E. teachers in front of us and a small stage. Everyone had been organised into teams and took off.  

The first thing we did was a teamwork game. We had blindfolds on and had to use different noises to find each other.

Our next thing was morning tea and we had a drink, muffin and a apple. Straight after that was the REC center where we played octopus and a challenging boat game. Our next team was on the prickly grass that hurt me and was also in the red hot sun. On the big field we played three games, two including teamwork. When we finished it was lunch time which was a sandwich, chips, water bottle and a chewy watch.

To finish the day off we had a NFL game (no tackling just tagging) , and a really fun and tiring tug of war. Tug of war was arranged so that team colors could verse each other. We then heard a speech and I won a prize!

Key Competencies by Miria

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.

Nervous times

Read how Fotu was feeling on the day of the test.

Star Reading Test

Room 12 and Room 11 students all had to do the Star Reading Test. We were all very scared because we thought we were going to fail the Test.

Firstly Mrs Golder said, “Five more minutes to go until the test begins.”

                   

Then the test began and I was so nervous and I was sweating like a dog. Then it was time to read the question and answer it. The Star test is about understanding the meaning of the word that you are reading.

Then the test was over and I was very relieved and happy that we were finished with the reading test.

We were all thinking that we were going to fail the test and I was so worried that I might get the lowest score out of my whole class. Then when Mrs Golder called out our score, I was very proud of myself. 
When I got home I told my parents what had happened and they were very proud too.
By Fotu

Touch Rugby by Elizabeth

Last week on Thursday the 12th of November 2015 all senior classes from the senior syndicate had a 45 minute touch rugby lesson. As we waited until the clock  hit 11:45 we made our way outside on the field right in front of all the junior classes.

Finally it was our turn. Trevor was our coach and he was really qualified. He seemed to look like he was in his early 50’s but despite his age he could still run around, have fun and keep fit.

The whole 45 minutes was full of enjoyment and fun. We played activities. Answered questions. Learnt how to play properly and had relay races. My favourite activity was when we all lined up in a circle and we had to pass the ball clockwise around as fast as we could. If we dropped the ball or threw it improperly we were declared disqualified .

We had two rounds and luckily for me I made it into the top five. I really enjoyed the entire lesson and appreciated that Trevor taught us. I’m really looking forward to the next time we have another lesson this Thursday. Thanks again Trevor!

First Time Ever Poetry Recital by Florida

On Friday the 6th, we had a Poetry Recital and parents were invited. It started off with Room 1 and  all the way to Room 12.

Once Ofa had announced, "Can we please have the Room 12 finalists." my stomach just felt like it had butterflies in it. While Elizabeth and I walked to the front and stood in our places, people were looking at me. It was  so scary that I couldn't speak at all but I had to. 

At the end teachers  presented our certificates to us and we had a photo with the other finalists.

You Can Teach Old Dogs New Tricks! by Damien

Last week, my teacher, Mrs Golder, was having trouble updating her Google Forms. It was so she could see if we were sending friendly comments to the other classes.

She asked me, being the IT guy and stuff, if I could help her. Eventually I did! She thanked me and I was awarded with a Principal's Award. You can check out what I did Here
-> (CLICK)

Miria's 2015 Winning Speech: Be a Successful Student

View and listen to Miria's advice on preparing for College life.

Music Can Drift You Anywhere! by Damien

Music has its ups and downs. But the most noticeable factor is the fame and fortune! Our school had welcomed a visitor to explain to us how music is the road to your future. The visitor is from our local area and his name came to fame when he was recorded on national T.V.! Tyrone Toka has won a few competitions. We hope to see him win the semi-finals on Homai Te Pakipaki! Good Luck Tyrone!

Receiving Principals Award by Miria

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.

Congratulations to Miria: Winner of Year 7/8 Speech Competition

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.
By Miria

Congratulations to the Year 8 Girls

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

Congratulations to Chance

When the teacher said "Chance up for 1st place,"  I was so happy that I came first in the School cross-country boys' race.  I was really exhausted after we finished, my legs were so tired and I felt like I was going to faint.  
By Chance

DONisaur by Don

For Visual Arts we made origami objects. One of my favorite ones that I did is the dog. The dog can move.

We used different coloured papers and had lots of fun. I made a Dinosaur, a stunt plane, a sausage dog and a daffodil. 
Here's a picture taken by Simon. My purple Donisaur is searching for food.

Origami Objects

Firstly,  we had to make paper origami dinosaur and butterfly. After I finished my origami dinosaur I had to make something else to challenge myself and I made a green dress. Origami comes from Japan. My teacher Mrs Golder decided to put my dress with Mika's bow and cat together and now it looks like a project that Mika and I made.
By Simon

Maths: Squares and Cubes

On Friday, Room 12 was physically making squares and cubes of numbers out of unilink blocks by doing 2 by 2, 3 factors of 4 and even more. It was pretty easy, but I had to count in my head the total number of blocks to make a cube of a number and that was the hardest thing about it. 
Then Mrs Golder made us make harder squares and cubes of numbers like 6x6x6, each group had to join each other's unilink blocks. The first group who did the 6-cubed was the group next to us and then we joined up with them and that's how we made larger squares and cubes.
By Raniera

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.

By Miria

Senior Syndicate Assembly

Syndicate Assembly
Yesterday, Monday the 7th of September 2015 Room 12 once again were assigned to host the Syndicate Assembly. 

First we had to have someone to be the ‘Master of Ceremony’ which in other words is the ‘Chief Host’. Miria volunteered to be the organiser. 

For our main attraction we had a Talent Quest performed by a group of people from each senior syndicate class. 

We had four judges including Kolotina, Mika, Miria and myself. 

At the end of the Talent Quest it was a tie with first place Room 9 and Room 11. In second place Room 10, and Room 12 at third. Sini and Melelose represented our class. 
It was really fun and it seemed that our audience enjoyed our presentation.

By Elizabeth.

First place (tie): Room 9 and  

Room 11


In second place: Room 10


In third place: Room 12

Pati Pati Lima

Sing-a-long another Smaoan song sung by Room 12 students. This one's called Pati Pati Lima.

                      

Best Daffodil from Each Classroom

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.

By Miria

                     

Photographer: Estah, Wevideo directed by Estah, produced by Sini

Samoan music

Mrs Folau has been taking the students for their Samoan music. Click and listen to Room 12's solo performance of  Siva Mai.
                       

Daffodil Day

What Was On The 28th of August? Daffodil Day!

Friday the 28th of August was Daffodil Day so we made some origami daffodils. We only needed yellow, green, and orange paper to make the origami daffodil. The first time we made it was alright but the second time we made it, it looked like a real daffodil. We were all proud of our daffodils and my daffodil was picked as the best daffodil.

These are all our daffodils we made  in our classroom and we even made the origami vase for the daffodils to sit in.
By Mika

Florida receiving the Good Conduct Certificate at the School Assembly

On Monday the 31st of August, I was awarded the Good Conduct certificate and on the certificate, it said "for being an excellent role model."  

My thoughts and feelings of earning this certificate made me really happy, proud of myself and I thought to myself that I was the best.
By Florida

                                       

Photographer: Estah

Nae Nae Dance Competition

Last week two contestants from each classroom in the Senior School competed in the Nae Nae Dance Competition in the Syndicate Assembly. In Room 12, Sini and Estah teamed up to demonstrate their skills and moves. The loudest applause went to them and as a result they won. Watch their interpretation of the Nae Nae dance.

                       

Duffy Award goes to Miria!

                                
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.

Miria's Speech Presentation

We are proud of Miria and her important role as Mananakalani Ambassador. She presented her speech  on her digital classroom learning to the many visitors who gathered for the Manaiakalani Hui held on Friday August 21 at the Panmure Yacht Club. Click to watch her performace.

Madd Messenger

“You can do anything to change yourself.” We heard these wise words from Petia Wilson. He hosted the Madd Messenger show and encouraged us to make good choices and decisions that could change our lives.
By Damien

Inter-school Netball Competition 2015

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. 
Written by Simon, Raniera, Elizabeth, Estah, Sini, Ofa and Miria

Intermediate Netball Team: 
Back: Quros, Chance, Raniera, Simon.
Front: Heilala, Estah, Miria, Ofa, Elizabeth, Sini.

Wevideo of Madd Messenger 1 and 2 compiled by Sini and Ofa

Spooky adapted by Chance and Magdalen

Using their WALT: Discuss ideas and information that are communicated not so clearly and to make inferences by taking and using several pieces of information that are related in the text, the Plums Reading Group had to: Turn a poem into a narrative .

This is their interpretation of the poem.

Here is the original poem.

(Source: School Journal Part 2, Number 3, 2002)

In Other Words

As part of their Reading Activities, the Bananas Reading Group had to convert an original poem into a narrative, including the important language and structural features of this text type. Here is their adaptation:

(This is the original poem)

Writing Participants

Sini, Don and  Miria were awarded the Participant's Certificate for entering in the 2015 Barfoot & Thompson Young Authors Challenge writing competition. There were over 1000 entries from all over Auckland and Northland and their stories had to link with the theme: 'There's No Place Like Home'.

Here is Miria's story:

    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

Miria's Presentation as a Manaiakalani Ambassador

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.

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.

https://drive.google.com/a/ruapotaka.school.nz/file/d/0B2pVxsWoXHEOVmtmbDZiYWZpTVE/preview

Here is the speech:

Speech

Kia Ora My name is Miria Marsh and I am in year 8. I attend Ruapotaka School which is a full primary school 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. We inserted the links to the songs on a google document so they were only a click away. Next we made a Google document and shared it with everyone who was participating and contributing to the hosting of the assembly, so they could access 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 argued, agreed, disagreed, negotiated and finally came to a compromise on the schedule. 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. Then 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.

Wastewise by Elizabeth

Water Sustainability by Damien

Waste Performance

Save Yummy Land, Make a Plan. 

On Monday Matt and Andy came along to show us the importance of wasting and recycling. They told a story of a land called Yummy Land. 
In Yummy Land there was a worm. His name was Worm. He was very hungry and was looking for food scraps that had been thrown away for worm to eat. But no food was put away for him. Instead the food was put into rubbish bins and the piles of rubbish bags had overgrown. 
Therefore Yummy Land was turned to Stinky Bag City. In the end Worm was saved by a human, Simon. He gave all his leftovers to Worm to eat, his rubbish piles shrunk and Yummy Land was saved.
By Damien

Interschool Soccer Competition

Football Tournament

Balls flying everywhere, supporters cheering here and there,  coaches shouting what to do, even though we scored a few.

After all the football games we played we felt weak. Then it was finally time for the manager to announce the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth placings. We were anxious for the host to report back where Ruapotaka School came.   Suddenly we found out that we came second. We were so amazed. Our team were all up and cheering. We were acknowledged for our second placing by being given posters and certificates.

We all had fun, even before it begun and now we are all proud, we started to shout out loud!!
By Elizabeth, Sini, and Damien