Don't stop believing

Room 1 have made this movie and had fun filming it. We liked the title because we believe in ourselves.

Gravity and Weight

Gravity is a force that pulls everything towards ear Gravity make it seems as if things always fall downwards. Gravity holds us onto earth and stops us fying off into space.

We carried out an experiment using the following material:

*stiff card

*pencil and crayons

*scissors

*small coins

*glue

*stick

Procedure

1. Draw 2 copies of a bear on stiff card ( 10cm from top to bottom and cut them out.

2. Decorate the shapes so that one is the back of the bear and the other is the front.

3. Stick small coins on the back of the paws of one copy and stick the undecorated side together with the drawing side.

4. Balance the bear's nose, hands downwards on the end of a pencil.

Observation
We observed if the bear balanced on the pencil.

Result

The bear did balance on the pencil because the weight of the coins made its nose the centre of gravity.

Young Scientists

….Water Displacement....
Are water levels affected by objects of various mass?
INTRODUCTION
Water displacement is simply when something (e.g. a block) is put into water and the water level rises. This is because the block is taking up space, and the water has to move somewhere, and the only place to go is up.
Required materials:
*Glass jar with a lid
*water
*Bucket
*Pen or pencil
*Journal to record results
Step-by-step procedures
1. Fill the bucket with water so it's about three-fourths full.
2. Make sure the jar has its lid attached. Place the jar into the water. What happens? Write it in your journal.
3. Now, slowly push the jar to the bottom of the bucket. Look at the level of water on the side of the bucket. What happens? Does the water level rise or fall? Record the result in your journal.
4. Remove the jar from the bucket and fill it completely with water. Secure the lid on the jar. Place the jar back into the bucket of water. Does the water level rise, fall, or stay the same? Record the results in your journal.

We placed different objects with different weights and recorded it.
Result: The sealed empty glass floated in the water and the water level remained the same until we pushed the jar to the bottom of the bucket. The water level increased and almost filled the bucket. Then we filled the empty glass jar with water and placed it into the water. The jar sank to the bottom almost instantly and the water level rose. So are water levels affected by objects of various mass...? YES!
Conclusion Before we filled the jar with water the weight of the water was heavier then the empty glass jar causing it to float. When we filled it with water it became heavier and sank causing the water to rise.

Term 2 Reflections

Term 2 was a very exciting and busy term. With a heap of sports to an educational trip to the Careers Expo in Greenlane.This term was a fun term with lots of excitement.

Firstly the speeches which were very scary and exciting at the same time. I found it hard to choose a topic but in the end I ended up with an illegal job called the Black Market. This topic was not very hard and I found it easy to memorise and it just took me one que card to do it.

Secondly the amazing trip to the Careers Expo in Greenlane.What a trip it was looking at all the different careers that surrounded us. It was all amazing but I only went to a few that really interested me.

Thirdly our self defence class. Kicks and punches were the things we learnt all used in different ways like shin kick, backward shin, stance, side kick to knee, hammer hits, window wiper and much more. It was a very interesting class with our helpful instructor Mandi.We learnt heaps of defence ways and techniques to protect and save ourselves.

Now the Matariki Festival. Practice at lunchtime and spare time. All classes in our school practiced for our very own Matariki Festival. We had to get students to do on stage challenges and we had to do a class item for everyone to see. The winners of the Matariki festival was our class room 1.

Lastly the school Careers Expo.Such an exciting event and confusing as well. We worked in groups of 3s or 4s.We all had different careers to research and present. We had to work hard on our display boards to to make them look creative and informative and get it ready for the actual Careers Expo on Wednesday 13 July 2011.

Wasn’t this an exciting term! It went really fast. Although it was a very busy term I enjoyed it and I had a lot of fun with my friends and learnt a lot. I am quite excited for next term to see what interesting stuff it will have for us!

Matariki

What is Matariki?
Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sister and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year
Why do we celebrate Matariki today?
Today Matariki means celebrating the unique place in which we live and giving respect to the land we live on
How is Matariki celebrated?
Matariki is celebrated with education, remembrance and the planting of new trees and crops signalling new beginnings. Matariki was the optimum time for new harvests, and ceremonial offerings to the land-based gods Rongo, Uenuku and Whiro to ensure good crops for the coming year. It was also seen as a perfect time to learn about the land we live on and to remember whakapapa (ancestry) who have passed from this world to the next and the legacy they left behind.
Who celebrates Matariki?
Anyone who wishes to participate.
What does Matariki mean?
Matariki has two meanings, both referring to a tiny constellation of stars; Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).

My Careers Expo Experience

Our hearts racing and filled with excitement just wanting to race to the hall and jump onto the bus and zoom away to the Expo at the ASB Showgrounds as we went to experience our first Careers Expo.
“Line up Roo 1 and walk quietly to the hall’, said Mrs Sigamoney. So off we went walking quietly to the hall. I was so excited that I just wanted to jump onto the bus and leave immediately but it was obvious that I had to wait and leave with my class.
“Excuse me Ina”, I said as I made my way to my seat. With a huge smile on my face I sat down next to Vanessa.
’”So what do you want to be when you grow up?”asked Vanessa starting our conversation. I replied that I wanted to be a lawyer and so we carried on asking each other questions and listened to our different answers.
“Ok everyone keep quiet, we have arrived”, said Mrs Raj.
We had arrived! I didn’t even know that we had arrived because it was so fast and all I wanted to do now was just to slip inside and start looking around.
WOW! This was the only word that came out of our mouths and the expression on our faces, was just so delighted and happy. I was just so, so ........excited I couldn’t explain it in words.

Now the first job I went to was the Engineering career. I collected quite a lot of information about ipads, anything and everything was what engineers made and did.

The second job I went to was the Faculty of Law. I took in lots of information as this was my dream job. I learnt if you wanted to be a lawyer you had to have really good reading, writing and communication skills. The salary range was 60,000 + and you had to have a good written CV.

The next job I Iooked at was Accounting. To be an accountant you had to be good at maths and keep a good account of money. In this profession you had the opportunity to make overseas trips to take care of different banks and businesses and the salary range depended on what stage you were working at.

“Could we please go to the Faculty of Medical Services?” I pleaded with my friends Ina and Sheralee.They agreed and we jumped into the next line.
It seemed like we had been standing there for an hour.
Then there was an announcement for Tamaki Intermediate students to meet at the entrance..At least we gathered some good information.

Soon we had arrived at school after all that huff and puff of hopping into the buses and coming back to school. At least we had learnt quite a lot and now I have a fair idea of what job I want and what the future holds for me which is Law and being a good lawyer.
Thank you Tamaki Intermediate for giving me this opportunity to help me with my learning and my future decisions.

A Persuasive Argument

“A law should be passed restricting cats and dogs to urban areas only. They should be banned from bushes, forests and coastal areas at all times”
I strongly agree with this statement.

Firstly I agree that they should be restricted to urban areas only because dogs and cats and other animals are putting our national icon the kiwi in danger. The problem is that kiwi chicks are being killed by dogs, cats, ferrets, stoats and weasels so they should not be allowed in these areas. There have been quite a lot of attacks on flightless birds such as the kiwi, the kakapo and many more in the bushes and forests. The safety of the kiwis and other birds is of great importance. Only five percent of kiwi babies are surviving to adult age. To be safe from a stoat attack a kiwi has to be about a year old. The present population is now halving every year. Although stoats are the biggest threat to the kiwi, most of the kiwi close to farms and houses have been killed by cats and dogs.

Secondly there has also been serious attacks on people in these areas. Some attacks have been very serious and required extensive surgery and months of recovery. Allowing dogs and cats in coastal and bush areas becomes unsafe for people to enter these areas.

By restricting dogs and cats to urban areas we will not only prevent the kiwi population from becoming extinct but we can also prevent attack on humans. I think animal control should push for this law to be passed

Dogs and cats should be restricted to urban areas only because their owners have better control over them. They can be taken for a walk on a leash so they cannot wander off and cause harm to anyone. Some camps and caravan sites allow pets provided their owners follow their rules.
Therefore I strongly believe that dogs and cats should be banned from bush, forest and coastal areas because of safety to kiwis and other
animals.

A Careers Experience

A variety of jobs surround my head as I try and connect my skills and my passion and look at a career to focus on. As we arrive at the ASB Showgrounds in Green Lane, Tamaki Intermediate year 7 and 8 students and teachers marched out of the bus in a rush realising how late they were. Friday 10th June was the day I recorded in my mind. The day I would look at options for my career. This was the purpose of this trip and to also focus on our topic of Being Enterprising.

The room was filled with darkness. Only a few of the presentations were lit up. After checking on my group I explored the room with my friends beside me, looking for a career choice.
"Wow, an interesting job!” My attention was attracted to becoming a travel agent. Roaming the world and volunteering in several countries was now my dream. I cruised over, suddenly revealing my interest in travelling and interacting with people. The lady explained the qualities you need to have, entry requirements and the job prospects. Even more interesting, it was listed as my first choice for my future.

I walked about a meter away and caught a glimpse of a chef's hat. I turned in interest as the hat was beckoning me towards the exhibit of becoming a chef. Realising how empty my sheet of information was I pulled it out and listened to the lady at the front explaining the job of a chef. The positives and negatives were connected to my likes and dislikes and I chose to become a chef. But how could I remove the thought of becoming a travel agent? I couldn’t, so I carried on with the two thoughts wrestling in my head.

You will always have individual dreams which are chosen freely, your teachers will have dreams for you which are optional and then there are your parents who have dreams for you that are optional, but for some parents it is compulsory which is exactly my case. It's compulsory! My father has a fantasy of me becoming a police officer. I may consider it but I absolutely doubt the idea of becoming one for many reasons. Keeping in mind that he was my father I scoot over to their showcase, listening in on entry requirements, prospects and more. I have been proven wrong. Being a police officer didn't sound entirely horrible!

After enquiring about three careers I immediately felt the urge to start a business. But I couldn't. I'm only twelve years old.Scanning these exhibits I spotted many free things I want to carry back to school with me. In fact I already took three bags. Other than the free stuff this experience opened up a whole new world for me.

Coca Cola Careers Expo

On Friday 10th June 2011 I waited excitedly to go to the Coca Cola Careers Expo at the ASB Show grounds. This was my first visit to a Careers Expo and I didn’t know what to expect.

The Yr 7 and 8 students and staff travelled by bus to the Expo
When we arrived at the Expo Mrs Sigamoney got us to line up and Mr Furivai led us to the hall. I anxiously made my way to the Air Porce people. Quinton and I were interested in the same exhibits so we stayed together.

First we had a go at the Pilot simulator. Quinton went for a while and then crashed. Then I had a go at it and I stayed on until the end which was about ten minutes.

After that we went to see what the Army had to offer. The person in charge was Sam Morris who was a pilot officer. He explained to us the different challenges you had to face in the army. He also gave away free gifts. He gave us a lot of information. We wanted to know how to sign up in the army and what skills do you need

The next place we headed for was the Farming Career exhibit. We saw different kinds of insects which looked pretty scary. They we actually real insects. We found out that to be a farmer you had to be a strong person and have a love for the land.

Finally it was time to leave. I found this to be a good experience and I wished we could have stayed there longer.

Being Enterprising Speeches and Interviews

Friday the 13th

Jupiter is lining up with Venus and Mercury early this morning in a celestial dance that was visible across Australia’s eastern skies from 5am today, just before sunrise.
The alignment of the four planets happens only once every 50-100 years, and very rarely on Friday the 13^th.
The last time these planets were observed together was in October 1910.
Four planets align on Friday the 13^th
World won’t end, great day for lovers
Some may fear four planets falling into line on Friday the 13^th could herald the end of days.
However, a Cairns astrologer is assured the apocalypse is not upon us-rather it’s a good day for asking others out on a date.

"Don’t really believe it's an unlucky day. It’s been a lucky day for me. Did an awesome Google search and the teacher was proud of me". Bradley

"Some people have bad days, some have good days and some even have parties. I think it is a good day". Vanessa

"Does not really worry me. Just a normal day" Ashley

"I don’t believe in it. People say that if a black cat walks in front of you, you turn around and walk the other way". Vaegaau

"I don’t believe in it. It’s just a myth". Erika

"Another normal day I guess!" Apelu

"People say it’s the devil’s day". Toa

"Just an ordinary, normal day for me". Cherub

"Not a good day. My internet didn’t work today". Samuel

"Just like any other day". Moanarangi

"I don’t believe in it because nothing really bad happened to me". Page

"Normal school day for me". Yolenda

"I think it’s real because Lafiti kicked the ball at my head today". Quinton

"I don’t really care. Nothing bad happens to me". Picilla

"Just another normal Friday". Saitia

"I sort of believe it because I had bad luck". Ro June

Dear Mrs Baker

My name is Saitia. I'm from room 1 and I am writing
this special letter to tell you about my mum and all
the things she does for me and my family.

First let me tell you about my mum. My mum's name is Ta'and she
is really cool because she is very loving she loves all my friends
when they come over. She even treats them like her own
kids. She is also supportive in everything I do in school
or at my games.


I like my mum because she looks after me and she buys all my
books and uniform for school and even my rugby gear.
My mum is a big influence in my life because she always teaches
me to be kind to everyone and always play fair and help
people that are in need.

I think my mum deserves to win because of everything she
does for me and I want to show her that I care for her and
I love her and that's why I am writing this letter.

Dear Mrs Baker

Dear Mrs Baker

Hello my name is Mowbray and I am writing to you about my amazing and very helpful Mum. She is a mother of 9 children and is a grandmother to 4 grandchildren.

The name of this beautiful and helpful mum is Hitelenisia. She is a Tongan woman who has short dark black hair, a generous personality, and a beautiful loving smile. My Mum is retired and now is a housewife.

This is why she is the best mum in the world because when she is at home she will often be looking after her grandson while his mother is at work. She would also always help me with my homework and when I come back from school, there’s always yummy food for me at home.

I love my Mum very much and I wish she would always be there for me.

Dear Mrs Baker

My name is Picilla and I'm in room 1. I'm writing to you to tell you how amazing my mother is. I am also doing this because I love my mum.
My mother is a loving person and she is caring. She looks after us in every way that she can. My mum feeds us like a mother should and she nurses us. She stays at home and looks after my little brother. She comes to the Tongan trip meeting and she told me that she would love to come but she can’t because she has to take care of my baby brother but I don't mind because I know that she still loves me.
My mum supports me in every way that she can and she also supports my other siblings too. She is a loving person. She is a talented musical person. My mum can play the guitar, ukulele, harmonica and more. She is a great person. After seeing her playing the guitar I am obsessed with music and now music is one of my hobbies. She is my role model and I take in all the advice that she gives me. My mum is the most important person to me.
I think my mum deserves this award because she loves me and the rest of my family and I love her too and always will.

Dear Mrs Baker

Hi my name is Ina Niu and I am from Tuvalu. I have just started at Tamaki Intermediate at the beginning of term 1.
I am writing to you to tell you about how special my mum is and hopefully to persuade you.

My mum’s name is Exeter Taafaki and she is also from Tuvalu. My mum is a great and lovely person. She always tries her best to make money to feed the whole family. She cares al lot for people. If we had a family member that had nowhere to live she would welcome them in with a beautiful smile. That’s how loyal she is to our family. If my sisters or I had a school situation she will find a way to solve the problem because she wants us to have a good education, a good job and a great life when we grow up.

My mum is a very busy lady but she always tries to find time to spend with us. If we had no food to eat she would go to the bank and withdraw money even if she hadn’t paid her bills. She will take the money out and make sure that we have delicious food to eat.

My mum has a lot of special qualities. She influences me in a lot of ways. She tells us that school is important and that we should never miss a day of school because it would ruin our life when we grow up. My mum also tells me to learn really hard in school because when I grow up I will have successful job.

I love my mum very much for what she does for our family. I hope I have convinced you what a special lady she is.
Thank you for reading about what I have to say about my special mum.

Dear Mrs Baker

Dear Mrs Baker
My name is Quinton. I am a Maori and I am
in room1. I am writing this letter to you
about my mother.
My mum's name is Linda Herbert.
She is tall and has long brown hair.
My mum works at a factory in Otahuhu.
She finishes work at 2:30pm
and makes it home at 3:00pm.
My mum is a helpful lady because she helps
me with my homework
and takes care of me when I'm sick.
My mum is a good role model to me and
my family she sets good examples.
I LOVE MY MUM VERY MUCH. SHE'S A GOOD LADY MRS BAKER

Dear Mrs Baker

My name is Venessa and I am 12 years old. I am writing this letter to you to tell you about my mum and why she deserves this book prize.
Tera is my mum and she is my height. She is a mother of four and she has a husband named Tony. She works at Auckland City Council on level 5. She wakes up at six thirty and wakes us up. We all have showers and get ourselves ready. Mum helps Shanelle and Mya (age 8 and 5) get ready and drive us down to my Nana’s house. My three sisters wait there until it’s time to go to school and while we wait she drives into work. She really likes her job and she finishes at five thirty.
She gives us a good education from the right schools and cares for us like no tomorrow. She comes to goal settings and parent meetings. She’s happy when we get certificates and win prizes. She gives me five dollars on Fridays for me to spend at the tuck shop for lunch. She cleans the house when she has time off, even after work and late at night. She doesn’t care about herself. She teaches me how to cook dinner like spaghetti, scrambled eggs and rice.

When I fell on the road I had a deep cut. I had a long sleep on the sofa and she was waiting until I was awake so she could take me to the hospital to get the dressing on it before it got infected. I still have the sore. She takes care of me whenever i need it. She makes me laugh sometimes. I love my mum and she loves me. She is the best mum in the whole universe.

That is why I think my mum should get this book for mother’s day because I love her.

Dear Mrs Baker

My name is Yolenda and I am in room1.

My mum attends the Auckland University, she is studying to get her masters and she is working so hard.
That's why my mum deserves to get a gift and I am so lucky to have her in her life

As a single parent she would do anything for their children.
She gives up anything to make us happy. When she was on her study break she took us to the Waitakere Ranges, Sky tower, Am bran Farm, and boat Cruz around the harbour. During the Christmas holidays she spent $200 on petrol and we went down to Taupo and Rotorua, at Rotorua we went on a jet boat ride. The prize was $120 but she still bought the ride and I had a lot of fun.

I am writing to you because I have the most amazing mother in the whole Universe. She deserves a gift because even though she is a single parent and doesn't have a job she always finds money to feed us and clothe us. She gives up her study time to spend with us even though her study work is due the next day.

Dear Mrs Baker

My name is Vai and I am writing this letter to you about my mum and the wonderful things she does for me and my family.

My mum’s name is Luti Tafea. She is a teacher at Tamaki Intermediate School. She does her best to teach her class and she also helps us with work at home. She is a generous, caring person. She also has a lovely smile that lights up the room. I just love it when she hugs me because it makes me feel safe. When I’m down she cheers me up. She is a passionate and loving person.

My mum cooks us delicious meals. She even takes us training every day. She plays games with us in her spare time. She is a cool mum!

I think my mum deserves the book prize for all the things we’ve been through together and the things she does for her family.

Dear Mrs Baker

My name is Sheralee and I am in room 1 extension class. I am Maori and European and I just adore my mum. The purpose of my writing this letter is to tell you why my mum deserves the Duffy book award that I would love to give to her! Well where do I begin?

Words alone cannot describe the feeling I have for my mum. My mum's name is Trudie Te Hemoata Cook and she is a passionate about her job which is a caregiver for Health Care New Zealand. She is also a generous, down to earth and talented woman. My mum means the world to me and I will never give her up or trade her for any other mother. Sadly when my mum was younger she never got to meet her mother and when she was eleven years of age her mum passed away. So my mum made sure that she provided my family and I with everything that we needed and she made sure that we got to know her properly even though she never knew her mother.When you look into my mum's light brown eyes you can see that she is also passionate and committed to being a mother. She also has long black hair and is hundred percent loving.

My mother has a lot of special qualities and to me she is the bread winner in the house! She works hard and makes sure that we have food in our tummies and that we will never attend school hungry. Personally I think that I am the luckiest girl in the world being able to have such a loving and caring mum like my mum even though we don't have any extravagant things. I will always love her! I wrote a poem for my mum and this is how it goes.

M is for: the Memories that we have share together.
O is for I Owe you one for bringing me into this world.
T is for Thanking you for being my mum.
H is for Helping me and supporting me when I really need it.
E is for Extending your love to the maximum
and R is for I will never put you in a Retirement home!

Like this poem the love we share has gone beyond the known!! Thank you Mrs Baker for reading my letter and I hope that you now know why my mum is the best mum ever!

Dear Mrs Baker

My name is Cherub, I'm a year 8 student and I'm in the extension class.
I am writing to you about my mum and why I think she deserves this award.

My mum’s name is Marjorie. Marjorie is an old French name, Middle English form of Margaret, which means pearl. My mum is a gem. My mum is a single mother that looks after 7 children. She has a glorious cheesy smile and always makes me laugh. My mum use to be a reliever teacher at many schools but she stopped when she had my little sisters. She always solves my problems and makes me a better person.

My mum is a challenging person, it’s like she’s unbeatable at sports. My mum is a great cook; one thing that will be challenging for any human being to beat is my mum’s divine homemade seafood chowder. I'm not a big fan of sea food but I'm a huge fan of my mum’s sea food chowder. My mum is my life. She’s like the atmosphere and has my life in her hands. I can feel my mum’s love even if she’s a thousand miles away.

I chose these words because this is the best way to describe my mum. Happy Mother’s Day mum. I love you.

So how do earthquakes happen?

Earthquakes are the phenomena experienced during sudden movements of the Earth’s crust.
Under the Earth’s crust lies the asthenosphere, the upper part of the mantle composed of liquid rock. The plates of the Earth’s crust essentially “float” on top of this layer and can be forced to shift as the upwelling molten material below moves. As the plates shift an enormous amount of energy is released in the form of waves, although they can occur anywhere on the planet with little or no warning.

The most extreme earthquakes occur near plate boundaries, as the plates converge, diverge or shear. Moving rock and magma within volcanoes can also trigger earthquakes. In all of these causes, large sections of the crust can fracture and move to-and-fro to dissipate the released energy. This “shaking” is the sensation felt during an earthquake.

The energy released is often described in terms of “magnitude”, a logarithmic scale used to describe how energetic an earthquake was; a quake of magnitude 2 is hardly noticeable without special monitoring equipment, while quakes over magnitude 8 may actually cause the ground to visibly heave and roll. Since the scale is logarithmic, a magnitude 8 quake is not four times more energetic than a magnitude 2 quake, but one billion times more energetic!

New Zealand experiences thousands of earthquakes every year. Most are either very deep or centre well off shore. However, a severe earthquake can occur at anytime with devastating effects.

So what is a Tsunami?
A tsunami is a flood of water that can cause a huge destruction when it hits a coastline.

Tsunamis are caused from underwater earthquakes. Underwater earthquakes happen when the oceanic and continental templates push into each other and build up pressure. The pressure builds up until the oceanic templates slips under the continental plate releasing all of the pressure and energy.

If an underwater earthquake is large enough, the ocean floor will make destructive movements, therefore the water above the sea floor must move too.
The ocean water is pushed upward causing a large ripple that begins to travel through the ocean. This large ripple, which becomes the tsunami travels at a very fast speed of up to 600 miles per hour.

The tsunami that followed the earthquake in Japan caused massive destruction and loss of lives. Japan has moved 4 metres closes to South America as a result of the earthquake.

Cherub

So what isLiquefaction?

Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which strength and stiffness of soil is reduced by earthquake shaking or other rapid loading.

It is caused by a violent shake such as an earthquake. This causes the earth to throw out soil making it mix with water or other liquid

Liquefaction occurs when the structure of a loose, saturated sand breaks down due to some rapid shaking.As the structure breaks down, the loosely-packed individual soil particles attempt to move into a denser configuration.
When liquefaction occurs it causes high buildings to fall due to the soils loss of strength and stiffness.

Then the liquid absorbs soil making it reduce it's stiffness and strength which then makes the soil very hard and sticky causing it to get things stuck to it such as cars passing over it and other things that have moved from their places by the violent shake of the earthquake.
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In an earthquake, however, there is not enough time for the water in the pores of the soil to be squeezed out. Instead, the water is trapped and prevents the soil particles from moving closer together. This is accompanied by an increase in water pressure which reduces the contact forces between the individual soil particles, thereby softening and weakening the soil deposit.

Most of the buildings in Christchurch are built on soft soil and mud which is prone to “a large increase in shaking”and with high susceptibility to liquefaction.

Term1 Class Report

Term 1 Class Report.
We all started this year off with a BANG!! We were shocked at how many of our friends had changed during the Christmas holidays, but pleased to finally wear our blue school uniform with pride again.

The first few weeks of the term were astonishing. As usual we had our school swimming lessons held at the Panmure Lagoon Pools. Then we ended week 4 with our competitive Swimming Carnival where our four houses Calliope, Orpheus, Leander and Achilles competed for the title “BEST SWIMMERS” and also gain growth towards their points for the house shield.
And then came the best part, receiving our netbooks. We couldn’t wait to give it a cuddle and get started with work. It’s been awesome working on Google docs and carrying out researchers. No more trips to the ICT!
Then to our disappointment the whole school was stuck with assessments around weeks 2,3 and 4 but with the help from our teacher we were all striving for Excellence. RELIEVED is the main feeling we all had after the first tragedy of the year.

This term the year 8 students focused on Risks and Challenges learning about heroes and leadership. A lot of students from our class became leaders at our school like our Head Boy and Girl as well as our deputies and our house leaders for 2011. A number of students from room 1 were selected to hold these responsibilities for this year. Great Stuff Room 1!
Towards the end of the term we had a change of teacher and we have adjusted well.
Term 1 is just the beginning towards a year full of surprises and adventurous experiences waiting to be discovered.
By Afu and Vaegaau R1

An Inspiring Duffy Assembly

Anxious is how I felt as my class and I raced to the hall, desperately wanting to find out who our Duffy role model was and this exciting moment happened on the 4th of April 2011.

When the guests arrived we were told who they were and what their profession was. Afu started the assembly off with the karakia and Vaegaa’u led us in the National Anthem.

After we finished singing Afu had introduced our guests. Our Duffy Role model was a famous New Zealand actress by the name of Merrin Cavel. She first spoke about her early life and her occupation. She also told us about her elder siblings who were a lot better at things than she was. She spent three years at Drama School studying for her degree in acting.

She then spoke about how a simple book, “Bent Not Broken “changed her life. She eventually wrote a play based on that particular story. Merrin then explained how she was given two opportunities of a lifetime in New York and England, where she was asked to perform her play. I thought that she had a fabulous life because she also acted in Harry Potter, Shortland Street and was featured in What Now!! She was an inspiring speaker who had achieved a lot.

Once she finished the students then began to sing “Ara Vini” to entertain our guests and show our appreciation.

The next guest speaker was the president of the Rotary Club and his name was Mr Morton. He told us a little bit about the history of the Rotary Club and why he was wearing small gold badges around his neck. Each had a name. of the past thirty presidents from the Rotary Club.

When he had finished, the school sang once again and this time we sang “Si Ya Hama”. We were very fortunate to also receive our brand new Duffy books.

Lastly, to end our Duffy Role Model Assembly Afu said a karakia. Then sadly we had to farewell our guests.

To me that was an awesome Duffy Role Model Assembly. I also really enjoyed meeting a talented actress and the people who sponsored our school. Thank you! It was an awesome experience being able to find out how reading has changed so many lives and how it can help you achieve in life.

By Sheralee.

Christchurch Message Board

When I heard the news about the Christchurch disaster, I was shocked! It felt like my heart stopped. I feared for the people of Christchurch.
This disaster occurred on the 22nd of February which was a Tuesday afternoon. The earthquake startled people at 12:51pm. It registered 6.5 on the Richter scale. While it wasn’t as severe as the first earthquake in September, it was far more violent.
This quake was a tragic disaster because it was closer to the surface. But the first earthquake was much deeper. The Christchurch earthquake made a lot of buildings collapse.
Rescuers confirmed that there 75 people dead and 238 people were still out there trapped under buildings.
The earthquake shattered this beautiful city. The people of Christchurch are still devastated and trying to recover. You’ll get through this soon. Be strong!
Picilla

Christchurch situation
On the 22 February 2011 an earthquake struck Christchurch. Buildings, houses, people, families, and icons were crushed from the earthquake. This news appeared all over New Zealand. Seventy three bodies were found at the bottom of houses and buildings. Luckily for some people they got sent to the closest hospital. All hospitals were booked.
Hundreds of families rang into the police station to report their family members that were missing. Schools and families have opened their homes for other families to come stay with them if they don’t have a home.
My message is be strong, be safe, have a positive mind, and God be with you.
BY: Ina

On 22nd of February Christchurch was hit by a dreadful earthquake. On the news they said that 71 people have died because of the 6.3 earthquake. The news also mentioned that there were 300people still missing from their families.I really hope your families are alright and are safe. I hope the disaster that has happened won’t affect your families too much. Please don’t give up hope because of this disaster May God bless you and your families and be strong.
By Kitione

What happened in Christchurch?
There was a gigantic earthquake in Christchurch. It happened at one o’clock on Tuesday 22nd February while we were at was at school. Over one hundred and fifty people died. This is a very sad and hurtful. I wish the people who survived are safe and have shelter and food. Buildings have fallen and homes destroyed, even the old cathedral. I wish there were no earthquakes.
By Vanessa

Dear families and friends in Christchurch,
People in New Zealand and around heard the devastating news about the earthquake in your city. We hope that you are alright. Never think that you are alone, God is just a prayer away and we all are praying for you. We hope that all of you are okay and well. That’s what really matters. Please just hang in there Christchurch and everything will be sorted out. May God bless your city and may he be with you all the way.
Nella


Dear People of Christchurch
We are very sorry for your loss of family members, property damage and memories of your dear hometown Christchurch. We have heard that there is no power and very less water. We wish you all the best. Hopefully you recover quickly and forget about what happened and carry on with your life. May God bless you, your loved ones with you and the ones who are resting in peace.
By Ashley

Small and Cute Net Books

On the 22nd of February Room1 students at Tamaki Intermediate got net books to work with. I am one of the lucky ones who got a net book to use. When my teacher announced that we were getting net books that day, everybody was so excited.

During midday after swimming, we were all in our classroom doing our school work. Then there was knock on the door and Miss Gleeson walked into the room. She was the lady who was introducing us to the net books. When we all took our net books out of the boxes, we were so happy because the net books were small and cute. I loved working on my net book and will for the rest of the year.

By Yolenda

My Magnificent Net Book

A few days ago we got to try our magnificent brand new net books.
It has games, a web camera, the paint programme, pictures, internet, and more.

When I typed on “gedit” it I could hear the click, click sound. My net book is black and can fit inside a small bag, the size of my mum’s handbag. This is how small it is!

I love the net books and it’s thrilling just getting one to use. I also got a little tingling feeling inside of me when I started to use it. A feeling I cannot express.

I want to thank Mrs Burt, Mr Nevyn, Ms Gleeson, Mrs Raj and Mr. Horan for the netbooks.
By Venessa

A Great Experience Using Net Books

It was a great experience for us to receive our own net books, and learn about how to use them. I enjoyed and still enjoy using my own, awesome little net book.

When we first started to use the net books, we did math, played games and learned how to log in and shutdown. We also learned how to take a screenshot of our own selves. This was fantastic.

I hope we can continue to use net books at college.
By Vaegaau

An Amazing Experience

What a terrific way to start term one!
Room 1 was very fortunate to get given new net books

At first when we turned our net books on we had to make an eight letter password that we had to use to log into our accounts.

Finally when we got the chance to play with our brand new net books we were all absolutely excited and filled with joy. Miss Gleeson then showed us how to take a screen shot or our own picture that we had taken. It was fun!

For a little while we were able to play on our new net books. We could play games or take photos. Most of the students were being vain and taking photos of themselves!
Sadly all good things must come to an end so our playing time was over. We all logged off and packed our net books up.

To me it was an amazing experience being able to have fun on our net books. I would like to thank Mrs Raj, Nevyn and Miss Gleeson for teaching us and allowing us to have some free time on our net books. THANK YOU!

By Sheralee

Fantastic Experience with Netbooks

My experience with a net book has been fantastic. I had lots of fun working on it and imaging it, and we took heaps of pictures and played lots of games. I think that by term 2 I’ll be so good that when a problem happens I will be capable to fix it when it freezes.

By Saitia

Smiling like Crazy

Getting our little net books was an exciting experience for me because I was finally getting my very own laptop for the very first time. I went into the office with a group of students and we brought our laptops to class. I was so happy that Cherub and I were smiling like CRAZY. It was like the weather changed but our faces wouldn’t change back from smiling ones. I felt so lucky to be in the extension class and I am so thankful that Mrs. Raj put me in this class.

By Picilla

Precious Net Books

At the beginning of the year 2011 Room 1 was told by our teacher that we were getting net books. Everybody was delighted and the excitement began.

The first time we held our net books it was like, holding something precious and you do not want to let it go. We took cool pictures of ourselves with our web cam, it was fantastic. We went through our net books and checked out the programmes on it. We played learning games and it was so much fun.

I think I am very lucky to be in the extension class, and I would like to thank Mrs. Raj for putting me in the extension class and Mr Horan for providing us with these lovely net books.

By Nella

Amazing Net Books

It was amazing to use a net book for the first time. I was so surprised to see a little laptop. It had wonderful things in it like a built in webcam, internet access and games. What a cool net book!

It’s quite sad that the other classes didn’t get them. The only reason why we got net books is because we are in the extension class. If my family couldn’t afford it I will beg them to buy me one and I won’t ask for any pocket money this whole year.

I like the idea of bringing net books to school because we don’t have to use books. I would do anything to keep my net book safe.

By Moanarangi

Our New Net Books

On Tuesday 22 February, Room 1 got to touch their net books for the first time!
It was awesome. The excitement felt like an angel was singing an opera.

We had to take our net book out of its box, lift the lid up, and take the net book out of its sleeve. We all waited until Miss Gleeson told us to press the ‘on’ button all at the same time. This felt so good. The excitement grew even more when we were taught how to take a photo of ourselves and then take a screen shot of it.

Message: Get a notebook. It’s fun.

By Ina

Extreme Joy

What an excitement! Room 1 was recently given net books to work with in class.
I was extremely happy when I heard that we were going to get net books.

When we received our net books it had our own name tags on it and our own names on the actual Net book itself. Before we could do anything else we had to put in a password that was eight characters long. We were told we weren’t allowed to tell people our passwords- even to our best friends. We then followed the instructions that Miss Gleeson gave us. Everyone then played on it for a little bit. Finally everyone stopped playing the learning games.

It was a great experience and hopefully we all get to keep one. Thanks Mrs. Raj for the experience. I really enjoyed it. A big thank you to Miss Gleeson and Mrs Burt for teaching us, and a big thanks to Nevyn the expert at internet connections.

By Erika

My lovely netbook

Getting used to constructing my writing on this flash technology has been an ecstatic experience for me and for my peers.

Being one of the Manaiakalani schools we are entitled to using net books.

Although the things we do on the netbooks have to be school related, rather than be stuff on Face book, Bebo, my space etc, I am not upset or sad but my happiness grows every minute I place my fingers onto the key board and start discovering the awesomeness of these net books.

Thanks to Mrs. Burt, Mrs. Raj, Miss G and Nevyn we’re well on our way with our net books. And if we have problems we always have our little technicians to help us.

By Afu

My new netbook

When I first saw my net book my heart was pounding so hard.
When I opened my box to get my net book, and when my fingers touched it, my joy knew no bounds. The net book was the most valuable thing in my life, that’s how I felt about my net book.
When I was entering my password and my name I was thinking so hard about my password because I didn’t want anyone to figure out my password and take it away from me because if they did, they would be able to get into my work space which I didn’t want.
When Mrs. Raj said, “Pack away your net books.” I felt like packing it up and running away with it. It was the most exciting moment seeing my own net book and using it. It felt really good to see my really own net book.

By Chloe