Week 4

This week I have learnt and done a number of things. On Monday there was swimming heats, for those who were competent swimmers, to see who would be in the championship races on Friday. We have had lots of tests, around four so far.For maths I learnt about multiples, factors, primes and prime factors. I also learn about powers. it has been self managing, meaning we can choose some of the subjects we need to work on. We have not been given any reading tasks, but have had free writing a couple of times. We have been given lots of newsletters this week, mostly camp stuff, like a itinerary list and timetable. but there was a production letter. I can't wait until auditions start, then rehearsals. I haven't decided yet if I am going to join Jazz band, but I am leaning towards doing so. We had a fire drill on Wednesday afternoon, just as I was halfway through this actually!!! We got told that passion hour is going to continue next term. I think I will continue to do it about plants, or learn about what a doctor or vet does.

SCIENCE FAIR

For the science fair this year, I decided to do something with the earth/soil, and the creatures living in it. In the end, my question was 'What is the correlation between worm and grass grub ratios in thriving and less thriving grass? To figure this out, I dug up patches of soil and recorded how many worms and grass grubs there were, and the condition of the grass. When I studied my results, I found that in less thriving grass, there were more grass grubs and less worms, whereas thriving grass had more worms and less grass grubs. I then set to work on printing off all my information and the scientific method. My last step was to place everything on my board. As easy as it sounds, it took me a long time. I had to back every single sheet of paper with two colors, then make sure they were straight and even on the board, and make room for photos. Then I was finally done, and I fell straight asleep.

On Tuesday the 24th it was time to show everyone what I had done. All my hard work was for this. As I placed my board on one of the long tables, I felt a huge surge of pride. I had created this, and it looked amazing. Now it was up to the judges to decide if it was going to get a placing or not. When I placed my board on the table, there was only our classrooms displays there, so it was an amazing sight to see it transformed.

On Thursday, the judging was over, and we were allowed to go and see all the displays. As I walked into the hall, my mouth actually fell open. It was absolutely stunning. The hall had been transformed into a river of colors and boards. Later, we learnt that there was 280 entries! When I walked down all the rows, my head started to feel like it was going to explode with all the topics and information! Then I was walking down my isle. I couldn't find mine because it wasn't where I had placed it. Then I realized why. At the front of the table my one was there with a big sheet saying ' Casey Vincent - 2nd! ' I felt so happy that I had won. It had been a great Science Fair.

Sayings

These are some phrases and thoughts that I think people need to listen too.

*We kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies.
I'm not a 100% sure what this means, but I think it means something around the lines of : we get rid of all the bad and ugly caterpillars then complain their are no marvellous/beautiful butterflies.
*What's the Future? It's a blank sheet of paper, and we draw lines on it, but sometimes our hand is held, and the lines we draw aren't the lines we wanted.
To me this means that you can make your own decisions, it is yours and only your decision.
*If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
To me this means, what ever life throws at you, make the most out of it as you can.

If only...

If I was a magician, what would I do?
I would create lots of animals, and a painting or two.
I would wave my wand, and everything would be alright.
I would create a cure for cancer, to win that fight.
I would fly really high, up to the sky.
I would create lots of money, to buy a new house
And maybe even whisk up a pet mouse.
I would create happiness, that would destroy all negativity.
And last of all, I would create a food city!

If only...

LI: To write a memoir, (personal experience) about a camp experience, (5-10 min episode), using snapshots, thought shots, and exploding the moment (show not tell).

Abseiling

My heart skips a beat as I take a glance down. My hands feel clammy, and even the views of the lake, the chirps of various of birds, the friendly smell of damp bush, plus the supportive cheers of friends don’t take my mind off what I am about to do. A few minutes ago I was all ready to go, thinking it was going to be great, but when you're actually standing on the edge of the cliff you don’t feel as enthusiastic as before.

“I’m ready” I say, adjusting my hands on the rope. I swallow my fears and slowly lean back, letting inch by inch. Once I’m in a near horizontal position, the instructor tells me to start descending down the cliffside. I slowly move my feet, watching as loose gravel showers down to the bottom. Suddenly, I can’t see the instructor anymore. Then I realize. I’d just gone over a side of a cliff, abseiling! From then on down, my adrenaline starts flowing, and I’m not even a teeny bit scared any more! I climb down like a monkey, swinging around like a lunatic. I even try bouncing off the cliff a few times. Then I pause and look out at the view. It is simply stunning! As far as the eye can see, a beautiful lake shimmers and moves, as ripples dance on its surface. The sky is dark blue, and mini clouds seem to float. Reluctantly, I move my eyes away from the breathtaking sight and concentrate on getting down, so that someone else can have a turn. I slow down a little, because the end is looming up, and I want to enjoy it.

As I abseil down the last little bit of the cliff, and my feet touch the ground, I feel a tinge of forget that it’s all over. Looking up at the cliff, I feel really proud of what I’ve achieved. At the start I was quite nervous, but now I wish I could do it over and over again!

By Casey

Christchurch earthquake, Methven

The quaking comes suddenly. One minute I am lying peacefully on my bed, trying to sleep, the next I'm being thrown around like a rag doll. My bed feels like an out of control massage chair, jumping up and down like a bull at a rodeo. I attempt to stand up, but do it unsuccessfully. My next try is successful, and I shakily make my way to the doorway. Mum meets me there and we stumble around like drunks, aiming for the safety of her big warm bed. We reach it and lie down, watching as the ground continues to quake, and listen to the everlasting noise. It sounds like a train coming straight towards us, a deep rumbling noise that seems to grow louder and louder. I watch the corner of the room, half expecting a train to come and crash into us. Finally, the earthquake stops, and the night is still.

Did you know?

*Did you know that I was in the Christchurch earthquake.
*I can do a 180 back-flip.
*I had a pet kangaroo
*I am half Australian. 
*I am the oldest sibling.
*My favorite food is fish pie.
*I have a dog and a cat.
*I do BMX.
*I LOVE climbing trees
*My dad lives in Australia.