Y8 Graduation 2016

The end has come. The Year 8s have graduated from Ruapotaka School today.

A farewell note to the students in Room 12.

To Tyla, you always tried your best to be the best and you did it.
To Maranatha, your role as producer and director of 'The Focuser' has made this movie the best R12 movie ever.
To Heilala, you have a sensible attitude and you have been an excellent role model for younger children at Ruapotaka.
To Anavea, your role of writing the date and notices on the board daily helped organise my day and gave the class direction.
To Pallas, the hours you spent editing 'The Focuser' until it was all perfect is a credit to your patience and perseverance.
To Sophie-Isabella, you were a great Manaiakalani Ambassador.
To Quros, you were my creative artist who I relied on for all those 'Thank You' cards you made for the school's sponsors and 'The Focuser' logo.
To Samuel, you proved you tried your hardest in the interschool competitions when you came back cut, bruised and injured from Athletics and with Maranatha wearing a moon boot as well.
To Mele, the speed in which you completed your Inquiry learning has set a new R12 record.
To Aydrian, you understood my headaches more than any other student. You could be right - "drinking too much coffee". HAHAHA.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Mrs Golder

R12 students: Pallas, Heilala, Maranatha, Quros, Aydrian, Tyla, Sophie-Isabella, Anavea, Samuel, Mele (absent). R11 students: Pepe, Halaiano, Gloria, Popi.

Prize-giving 2016

The recipients of the 2016 Prize-giving are acknowledged today for their achievements, successes and hard work in being Better Than Before. CONGRATULATIONS to all of you. 

Manaiakalani Scholarship: Quros

Most Responsible Prefects: Min Zin, Meana and  Quros

Leadership and support in a Cultural Group: Meana and Quros (Cook Islands), Viamoana (Tongan - absernt, represented by Pene), Aydrian and Leanah (Kapahaka), Samuel (Samoan).

Most Responsible Lunch and Wet day Monitors: Samuel, Popi, Min Zin and Athens

Most Responsible Fruit Monitors: Min Zin, Meana and Athens 

Intermediate: Lion Trophy: Heanre(absent)

Intermediate: Sporting ability: Sione, Sportsmanship: Maranatha

Intermediate: Principal's Awatd: Meana, Citizanship Award: Pepe, Leadership: Quros, Responsibility: Samuel, Supportive Student: Maranatha

Intermediate Academic Excellence: Year 7: Athens, Year 8: Tyla 

Intermediate: Most Improved:  Year 7: Timote Junior, Year 8 : Tyla and Samuel

Athletics' Injury by Maranatha

Yesterday was the most painful day of my life! Yes, my ankle twisted real badly and started bruising the second I was hopping back up the hill. Luckily I held in my tears because I didn't want to look like a cry baby in front of the other representatives of Ruapotaka School. I wish I could go back in time and do what I was told instead of making my own choices. Mr Reid said, "Stay in the lane!" repeatedly, but I fell down and came to school with a moon boot the next day. I'm regretting it now.

R12 Manaiakalani Movie by Maranatha, Pallas and Anavea

Thoughts were shared, decisions were made. Walking up and down hills and hearing students moan because we had to repeat scenes were challenges we faced. It took time and  effort to complete it.

Our movie is related to our Olympic Inquiry Learning from Term 3.

It is about a drink, fresh from Ruapotaka School tap that gives you energy, is a mixture that gives you less cravings, better digestion,  ability to concentrate more -  that’s just by drinking it.

Special Award by Maranatha

While all the Ruapotaka students were sitting in the Duffy assembly, Mrs Pederson requested  all the teachers to choose a hard working student from their class to receive an award (a book and a certificate). As I was trying to get comfortable sitting on the ground, Mrs Golder chose me. I was so happy, I felt like I was a model walking up! Hopefully I get more awards throughout the year. (I was the only one looking at Mrs Golder's camera).

Netball Tournament By Maranatha

Last week on Wednesday, our school netball team went to the AMI Netball Courts to proudly represent Ruapotaka School. Running from side to side, throwing the ball to our teammates and shooting the ball in the hoop were fun but tiring at the same time. After a lot of rounds of games, the netball tournament was finally finished. We were good enough to be placed third and came back to school happy!

Back Row: Maranatha (me), Anavea, Heilala, Samuel and Quros

Front Row: Sione, Sophie-Isabella, Meana, Lupe, and Mika

Speech Preparation by Maranatha

Hearing pens writing on paper, to noisy typing on chromebooks and now... repeated paragraphs! What else is there to have some peace and quiet around here? Yes, we've made it to speech preparation week and all I've written down are two words, "The End".
I wasn't prepared with any of this except acting like Sleeping Beauty in bed, so my afternoon schedule is now signed for 'practice speech' instead of eating out of the fridge. Hopefully I get into the finals... if I actually get more than two words.

Maths Assessment by Maranatha

Tick-tock goes the clock. I haven't finished my Maths assessment yet and there's only 5 more minutes until we hand in our test. 1, 2... what is there to do but sit here and wait until the alarm goes off. One more question to go and I'm done. As I proof-read my test, I find a blank answer and I quickly write down what wasn't there and finally I was done. Counting down 3, 2, 1 and Ding-ding! All tests were finished, and there was nothing to worry about but our scores. Hopefully I get a high score!

Soccer Practice by Maranatha

A few weeks ago we started playing soccer for lunch time sports. Then finally Mr Reid was going to choose the soccer team. I was running nervously down and up the field for the ball because I really wanted to make it in the team. Days came and Mr Reid still didn't have the team until one sunny Monday morning before fitness, he had told us who was in the soccer team. Yay! Calling out the names, hoping that he'd say my name. Heilala, Mika, Aydrian, Suliasi, Meana, Timote Junior and finally... Maranatha! I stopped biting my nails after he said my name. At last the team was officially made. We just need more practices and we'll be soccer professionals.

School Starts Off With Work! by Maranatha

02.05.16, school started. Yes! Today school started. It was exciting at first until my teacher asked us to get our chromebooks for work. Work, work, work!
Our 2 weeks of holidays has brought us down to not using our brains and not feeling like doing anything but sit in front of the television and be lazy. Well, today has kind of been fun before working. We kicked it off with some dancing and assembly.

So that's me working until my brain explodes.

                                        

  

Fruit Kebab Movie by Anavea

Two weeks ago we were put into two teams to make a movie about Healthy Foods.

We had to make a movie that was about two minutes long. Before we could make it we had to plan out what we were going to be doing. It took us about three days to plan it. When that was done we had to practice our lines. All of us had about three days to practice our lines, before we could start making our movie.

Heilala and I brought in some fruits to use for our kebabs.Once the movie was made we were able to add music to the storyboard. We had about five days to do this. Once that was done we had to publish it. Well done!