Tuesday, 31 March 2015
Wellington Camp
Wellington camp was the best camp I have ever been to. It was also probably the most full-on five days I have ever experienced. The only negative comments about Wellington Camp was the early mornings, seven hour bus rides, and not having much time to explore Te Papa. My favourite activity we did was snorkeling.
DAY ONE - MONDAY
Today we went to Zealandia (an Eco restoration project), Te Papa museum, National Library WW1 Exhibit, and H2OXtreme.
At Zealandia we had a guided tour and got to see some of NZ most rarest birds, insects, and reptiles living in their natural environments. Some of the amazing animals we saw included Hihi, Tuatara, Saddleback, Kaka, and Takahe.
At Te Papa we had an hour too explore the 5 stories in our groups(my group was with Amelia, Raiha, and Megan). One of my favourite exhibits was the giant squid.
At the National Library we looked at their gallery and watched a short film.
At H2OXtreme there was three hydro slides. One was pitch black, the other was blue, and the last one went straight down. There was also a whirl and a wave pool.
DAY TWO - TUESDAY
We went to Carter Observatory, Parliament, and ONTV and Media Studio.
At Carter Observatory we had a talk about the order of planets, and learnt about Extremophiles (an organism that live in extreme environments). We the went and had a look around their exhibits. There was rocks from outer space, a gigantic telescope, a room made to look like a space craft and heaps of other cool stuff. After we had good look at everything we went into a planetarium, which is a big room with a domed roof and seats. We then watched a movie called 'going to the moon for good", and had a look at the night sky and some constellations.
At Parliament we had a talk with Babara Krulger (the MP for Taranaki King Country). We then went into the house and watched the parties debate. It was really loud some times, when everyone was asking questions. It was really strict at Parliament with security. We then went to ONTV and Media where we split into groups. My group went to ONTV first. There we put on costumes and did a play, called 'Once Upon a Crime'.
DAY THREE - WEDNESDAY
Today we went to Wellington Zoo and Island Bay Marine Centre- Snorkeling and Viewing Marine Exhibits.
Wellington zoo was really cool. Not only did we get to see many amazing animals, we got to watch a blue penguin have an x ray and see a zoo keeper feed the tigers. Some of my favourite animals I saw was a Sun Bear, the Chimps, Red Panda and the Kiwi.
At Island Bay Marine Centre we were split into two groups, I was in the second group. Group One was snorkeling first and Group two was playing on the beach. On the beach we found four weights under the sand. They were really hard to pull up! When it was our turn to go into the water the wind had picked up and it was a lot colder. We got into our wetsuits, grabbed our mask, snorkel and flippers, and went down to the beach. We were put into pairs of two, with an adult. I was with Caitlin and here mum, Sharleen. The groups were then given a boogie board which they had to stay close to at all times. We then had a quick talk about signals from the person spotting on the beach and other safety issues. We then got into the water. It was amazing, because the reef started a metre from the shore, in water below your knees. We held onto the boogie board and kicked out towards the rocks on the left. All below us was plants, coral, fish, starfish and massive paua. I even saw an eel or sea snake. The water was cold when we first went in, then I warmed up a bit. When we got to the rocks we saw a Blue Loki. A blue Loki is a big blue fish. There was lots of other fish though. The most common type was a black and yellow striped one. There was also lots of sea weed plants, housing lots of marine life. We stopping kicking and floated for a while, and watched as the creatures darted in and out of the weed. It was around then that I decided to dive down. I was nervous, as my last and first snorkeling experience was horrible, as I swallowed a huge mouthful of salty water. As I dived down though, my fears were instantly forgotten. it was amazing. After a few dives, I learnt that you didn't have to blow out while you were under, which was what I was doing. Instead all you did was hold your breath. I was able to stay under the surface for a lot longer after that. We then started to go back to the shore, as Caitlin was cold. I was freezing too, as the temperature in the water had seemed to drop heaps, but I decided to go out again once we had dropped Caitlin off. When it was time to come in, even though my fingers were blue I didn't want to leave the water, and all the beauty it held. After we had gotten everyone had gotten changed we went to see their Marine exhibits. There we were able to pick up and have a look at some marine life like Anemones, Starfish, Kina, and Sea Cucumbers. It was really cool touching and feeling all their different textures. There was also some tanks with Seahorses, Squids, Sharks, Shark eggs, and Turtles. Once we had had a good look and feel of everything, a man there feed the squid. Before he did that, he asked if anyone wanted to touch it. Amelia and I rushed forward to the front, eager. When the squid grabbed my arm, it was amazing. It had so many suckers and was really strong. it was actually really hard to pull its tentacles off! Then he feed it a life crab. It was sad, but really cool watching his hunting technique.
DAY FOUR - THURSDAY
Today we went to the Holocaust Centre, Museum of Wellington City and Sea, and ONTV Media studio again.
At the Holocaust Centre we had a talk about what happened during the holocaust and had a lady called Vera who was a child-survivor talked to us about her ordeal. We then had a look around the room and read some books/diaries about it. We then went to a room which was filled with buttons. The ladies at the centre told us that a school had collected 1.5 million buttons to represent the 1.5 million children that died. I had always known and thought that 1.5 million was a lot, but when I saw all the buttons it was heart breaking. I will never understand how any man or human could kill people, children especially, in cold blood.
At the museum we had a look at an exhibition called 'through the ages' which had one item to represent each year from 1900 to 2000. then we went up to the Wahine Disaster floor, which happened in the Wellington harbour. We did a little talk/skit about the Wahine Ferry disaster.
At Capital E we went to the Media studio and made apps. The first app we made was one with a picture of a cat and when you tap it it meows. The second one we did was a drawing app. There was six colours to choose from and if you shake the phone it rubs out your drawing. The last app we made was called Magic 8 ball. You ask a question, tap the ball and it will come up with a random answer like yes or no. I really enjoyed it and it was one of my favourite things that we did at Wellington.
DAY ONE - MONDAY
Today we went to Zealandia (an Eco restoration project), Te Papa museum, National Library WW1 Exhibit, and H2OXtreme.
At Zealandia we had a guided tour and got to see some of NZ most rarest birds, insects, and reptiles living in their natural environments. Some of the amazing animals we saw included Hihi, Tuatara, Saddleback, Kaka, and Takahe.
At Te Papa we had an hour too explore the 5 stories in our groups(my group was with Amelia, Raiha, and Megan). One of my favourite exhibits was the giant squid.
At the National Library we looked at their gallery and watched a short film.
At H2OXtreme there was three hydro slides. One was pitch black, the other was blue, and the last one went straight down. There was also a whirl and a wave pool.
DAY TWO - TUESDAY
We went to Carter Observatory, Parliament, and ONTV and Media Studio.
At Carter Observatory we had a talk about the order of planets, and learnt about Extremophiles (an organism that live in extreme environments). We the went and had a look around their exhibits. There was rocks from outer space, a gigantic telescope, a room made to look like a space craft and heaps of other cool stuff. After we had good look at everything we went into a planetarium, which is a big room with a domed roof and seats. We then watched a movie called 'going to the moon for good", and had a look at the night sky and some constellations.
At Parliament we had a talk with Babara Krulger (the MP for Taranaki King Country). We then went into the house and watched the parties debate. It was really loud some times, when everyone was asking questions. It was really strict at Parliament with security. We then went to ONTV and Media where we split into groups. My group went to ONTV first. There we put on costumes and did a play, called 'Once Upon a Crime'.
DAY THREE - WEDNESDAY
Today we went to Wellington Zoo and Island Bay Marine Centre- Snorkeling and Viewing Marine Exhibits.
Wellington zoo was really cool. Not only did we get to see many amazing animals, we got to watch a blue penguin have an x ray and see a zoo keeper feed the tigers. Some of my favourite animals I saw was a Sun Bear, the Chimps, Red Panda and the Kiwi.
At Island Bay Marine Centre we were split into two groups, I was in the second group. Group One was snorkeling first and Group two was playing on the beach. On the beach we found four weights under the sand. They were really hard to pull up! When it was our turn to go into the water the wind had picked up and it was a lot colder. We got into our wetsuits, grabbed our mask, snorkel and flippers, and went down to the beach. We were put into pairs of two, with an adult. I was with Caitlin and here mum, Sharleen. The groups were then given a boogie board which they had to stay close to at all times. We then had a quick talk about signals from the person spotting on the beach and other safety issues. We then got into the water. It was amazing, because the reef started a metre from the shore, in water below your knees. We held onto the boogie board and kicked out towards the rocks on the left. All below us was plants, coral, fish, starfish and massive paua. I even saw an eel or sea snake. The water was cold when we first went in, then I warmed up a bit. When we got to the rocks we saw a Blue Loki. A blue Loki is a big blue fish. There was lots of other fish though. The most common type was a black and yellow striped one. There was also lots of sea weed plants, housing lots of marine life. We stopping kicking and floated for a while, and watched as the creatures darted in and out of the weed. It was around then that I decided to dive down. I was nervous, as my last and first snorkeling experience was horrible, as I swallowed a huge mouthful of salty water. As I dived down though, my fears were instantly forgotten. it was amazing. After a few dives, I learnt that you didn't have to blow out while you were under, which was what I was doing. Instead all you did was hold your breath. I was able to stay under the surface for a lot longer after that. We then started to go back to the shore, as Caitlin was cold. I was freezing too, as the temperature in the water had seemed to drop heaps, but I decided to go out again once we had dropped Caitlin off. When it was time to come in, even though my fingers were blue I didn't want to leave the water, and all the beauty it held. After we had gotten everyone had gotten changed we went to see their Marine exhibits. There we were able to pick up and have a look at some marine life like Anemones, Starfish, Kina, and Sea Cucumbers. It was really cool touching and feeling all their different textures. There was also some tanks with Seahorses, Squids, Sharks, Shark eggs, and Turtles. Once we had had a good look and feel of everything, a man there feed the squid. Before he did that, he asked if anyone wanted to touch it. Amelia and I rushed forward to the front, eager. When the squid grabbed my arm, it was amazing. It had so many suckers and was really strong. it was actually really hard to pull its tentacles off! Then he feed it a life crab. It was sad, but really cool watching his hunting technique.
DAY FOUR - THURSDAY
Today we went to the Holocaust Centre, Museum of Wellington City and Sea, and ONTV Media studio again.
At the Holocaust Centre we had a talk about what happened during the holocaust and had a lady called Vera who was a child-survivor talked to us about her ordeal. We then had a look around the room and read some books/diaries about it. We then went to a room which was filled with buttons. The ladies at the centre told us that a school had collected 1.5 million buttons to represent the 1.5 million children that died. I had always known and thought that 1.5 million was a lot, but when I saw all the buttons it was heart breaking. I will never understand how any man or human could kill people, children especially, in cold blood.
At the museum we had a look at an exhibition called 'through the ages' which had one item to represent each year from 1900 to 2000. then we went up to the Wahine Disaster floor, which happened in the Wellington harbour. We did a little talk/skit about the Wahine Ferry disaster.
At Capital E we went to the Media studio and made apps. The first app we made was one with a picture of a cat and when you tap it it meows. The second one we did was a drawing app. There was six colours to choose from and if you shake the phone it rubs out your drawing. The last app we made was called Magic 8 ball. You ask a question, tap the ball and it will come up with a random answer like yes or no. I really enjoyed it and it was one of my favourite things that we did at Wellington.
Thursday, 12 March 2015
book reviews
Eragon
This is a story about a teenage boy, Eragon, who lives on a farm in the small village of Carvahall. One day he finds an 'stone', in the craggy mountains of the spine. The next day the 'stone' hatches and a dragon is born. When the evil King Galbatorix finds out about Eragon and his dragon, he sends his servants, the Ra'zac, after them in an effort to capture them. Eragon and Saphira are forced to flee from their hometown, and decide to search for the Varden, a group of rebels who want to see the downfall of Galbatorix.
Tomorrow when the war began
Seven teenagers from a small Australian town decide to go camping for a week, in a place called Hell. When they return, they find their homes empty, seemingly untouched for days When the teenagers notice most of their animals are dead, they realise something horrible had happened while they were camping. It doesn't take them long to realise their country has been invaded. This book (and the rest of the series) is about them fighting back, to try and stop the war.
This is a story about a teenage boy, Eragon, who lives on a farm in the small village of Carvahall. One day he finds an 'stone', in the craggy mountains of the spine. The next day the 'stone' hatches and a dragon is born. When the evil King Galbatorix finds out about Eragon and his dragon, he sends his servants, the Ra'zac, after them in an effort to capture them. Eragon and Saphira are forced to flee from their hometown, and decide to search for the Varden, a group of rebels who want to see the downfall of Galbatorix.
Tomorrow when the war began
Seven teenagers from a small Australian town decide to go camping for a week, in a place called Hell. When they return, they find their homes empty, seemingly untouched for days When the teenagers notice most of their animals are dead, they realise something horrible had happened while they were camping. It doesn't take them long to realise their country has been invaded. This book (and the rest of the series) is about them fighting back, to try and stop the war.
I read a book last night, about children of the holocaust, who survived to tell their stories. All of the true tales I read about, had so much suffering and sadness in them it almost brought me to tears. Most of them lost their entire family, or only had a mum or dad left. I found it extremely sad and depressing. How could humans to that? I bet most of the soldiers who thought killing children who were Jews was funny, or good, had kids of their own at home. How could they go home each day, smiling as they sit down to a nice meal and a beer. I hope an event like the holocaust will NEVER happen again.
Me
C lever and creative
A dventurous and brave
S porty and fit
E nergetic and bubbly
Y oung and free
Some of my favourite things to do include gymnastics, soccer, BMX, swimming, and playing with animals. My favourite foods are pineapple, watermelon, fish pie, chocolate and ambrosia. My favourite colour is turquoise. I have a brother and a sister called Coby and Greer who are twins. They are seven. My dad lives in Australia along with his side of my family. I shifted up to the Waikato three years ago, from Methven (a little ski town) after the Christchurch earthquake. I am 12 years old.
A dventurous and brave
S porty and fit
E nergetic and bubbly
Y oung and free
Some of my favourite things to do include gymnastics, soccer, BMX, swimming, and playing with animals. My favourite foods are pineapple, watermelon, fish pie, chocolate and ambrosia. My favourite colour is turquoise. I have a brother and a sister called Coby and Greer who are twins. They are seven. My dad lives in Australia along with his side of my family. I shifted up to the Waikato three years ago, from Methven (a little ski town) after the Christchurch earthquake. I am 12 years old.
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Week 6
This week I finished my sweatshirt at tech arts. It is blue and grey, with a pocket, a hood and a 7 on the back. We had production auditions, and I got into the call backs. tomorrow I will sing 'Don't go breaking my heart' in front of the rest of the 30 or so people that got called back. I'm really proud that I got call back, and I hope to get a main part (preferably without singing)! The top writers have to do a report on either Gallipoli or the Holocaust. I chose to do it on the holocaust. We had mufti day on Wednesday, and we went for a swim on Tuesday which will most likely be our last for the term. I learnt about integers during maths. I learnt that when the signs (positive or negative) are the same the answer is positive. If the signs are different the answer is negative.
Holocaust facts
*11 million people were killed during the holocaust decade
*6 million of the dead were Jews
*It was from 1933 to 1945
*Nazis killed 2/3 of the Jews living in Europe
*Nazis killed 1/3 of all the Jews in the world
*The term "Holocaust," originally from the Greek word "holokauston" which means "sacrifice by fire,"
*There was 3 types of camps. concentration, death, and transit
*Hitler never visited a single concentration camp
*
*6 million of the dead were Jews
*It was from 1933 to 1945
*Nazis killed 2/3 of the Jews living in Europe
*Nazis killed 1/3 of all the Jews in the world
*The term "Holocaust," originally from the Greek word "holokauston" which means "sacrifice by fire,"
*There was 3 types of camps. concentration, death, and transit
*Hitler never visited a single concentration camp
*
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
RIP
S oft uneven ears, one up one down
I rresistably cuddly
D reamily fluffy pom-pom tail
RIP Sid- I love you
I rresistably cuddly
D reamily fluffy pom-pom tail
RIP Sid- I love you
Week 5
We haven't done much this week. We had swimming sports on Friday, but that was the only big event of the week. I came 1st in non-champ breaststroke, 3rd in doggy paddle, and 2nd in freestyle. I did softball on Wednesday at lunchtime; our team won 18-6. I wrote student lead conference, and 3 portrait poems