Metal - Pizza Cutter

Walt: Plan out what your making and follow the instructions, given to you by a teacher.

Our task was to plan out on what we wanted to make. We had to choose out of the Pizza Cutter or Cake Server. First we had to fill out the Specifications and the measurements of how we want our chosen idea to be. Then we needed to sketch them out, we could use google images to get some inspiration and some ideas and different designs for our object. We had to grab a piece of metal and make sure it was smooth. 

Then we needed to choose two colours that we wanted on our handles, we had to choose between yellow, black, green and red. Once that was finished, we needed to file it, just to make sure that the sides were smooth and their were no marks on them. Once that was finished, we needed to scrap paper of our handlers and use red sand paper to make sure that the handle and the sides were really smooth.

After all those steps, I had to use the red sand paper to get the marks of my cutter, then used the blue sand paper to make sure that the cutter was smooth and you won't hurt yourself with it. Then we used a white container that contained the polishing for metal. We needed to make sure that the metal was shiny enough for us to see our very own reflection.

Once all that hard work was finished, this was the finished project or the outcome after you have completed all the steps. You would be able to see your reflection in it because, that's how shiny your Pizza Cutter or Cake Server would look like in the end.

Inspirational Talk - Andrew Patterson

                              Walt: Write about Mr Patterson's 2nd visit to Pt England School.

Today we had two special guests come in to talk to us about College. Mr Patterson was going to interview Raenan about him being a Pt England student, who didn't want to go to Tamaki College. Raenan didn't want to go to Tamaki College because of all the rumors he heard from other people.

When he started Tamaki College as a Year 9, he was nervous because he didn't know what he would expect from the students. The year thirteens would welcome all of the Year 9's with a warm welcome and the prefects would look out for all of the year 9's so they would feel the aroha for them. Raenan inspired each and everyone of us to put lots of effort into our school work and to make sure to stay out of trouble.

The most important thing about college that Raenan taught me, is that if you set yourself a goal, then you just need to put all of your hard work to it and you would achieve it. Raenan gave us lots of helpful tips for college and he inspired all of us year 8's to take the opportunity given to you. Mr Patterson told us that schools like Girls Auckland Grammer school has lots of students, but less opportunities given to them.

Mr Patterson showed us a video about a boy who went with Raenan on a boat to sail around New Zealand. When he was 7 years old, his father was put in prison because he was in trouble with the police. He was growing up with his older sister and was a really troubled student. Until one day, the principal of Mangere college, gave him an opportunity to experience the things that he has never done.

For example, he was on a boat for the first time, getting his first passport and getting to meet new and amazing people. The prinicipal of Mangere college was grateful enough to give him the chance to experience these things. Since that faithful day, his bad habits and his attitude changed forever. He never got to see his father since he was 7 to 15. His speech was really inspirational and it inspired.

If there are problems in your life, you need to work hard to be able to achieve your goals. Even if the boy was having a hard time without his father around, he still tried his best in school and he never gave up his goals. He didn't even think negative thoughts once he entered college, like what most year 9's would do.

Hans Zimmer - Composer

Walt: Write a little blurb about Hans Zimmer and how he has composed his music, since he was little.

Hans Zimmer is a proud composer who was born and raised in Germany. He is recognised as Hollywood's most famous composer and for making popular movies with amazing soundtracks. Hans was born on September 12th 1957 in west Germany. Since the 1980s, Hans has composed over 150 music for different movies. He is the head of the film music division at DreamWorks studios and works with other people who are just like him (composers) through the company that he founded.

Hans Zimmer started his music career in small bands. He was applying keyboards/synth during the 70s. From playing with small bands, he went on to co producing tracks for punk bands and electronic bands. In the 80s, Hans went on to writing jingles for advertising companies to make a living, while he was living in London. From all of his hard work, he was recognised by a composer named Stanley Myers. They both joined forces to make their music bring out different emotions from the audience.

This is where Hans Zimmer began to compose music for famous films like moonlight, insignificance and success is the best revenge. Hans used modern day music with his amazing approach to sound with moving images and to his powerful scores. He is the most amazing person in the world of music and he is a great inspiration for people who wants to be a composer just like him. 

Music & Emotions

Our task was to look at our topic that is called "Musical Madness." We had to put in 6 different emotions with appropriate songs that is good for kids our age. Also we needed to add pictures and the colours that suit the emotion. If we wanted to get a bonus point, we had to pick songs that nobody else would pick. It was a long task because everybody needed to find songs and think of the emotions. What I learnt is that different music that has been played, can lead up to how we feel and our emotions.

Seat Belts

Walt: Look for clues in the text to help us make meaning when we interfere.

Our task was to look for clues in the text to find our best fit answer. Then we needed to eliminate some answers that we think doesn't match the text, needs to be eliminated. Our text was called "Seat Belts." This text was to show people that wearing a seat belt might not be comfortable, but its safe for everybody around you. Most people would get into accidents if they don't have their seat belts on and it outs every bodies lives on the line, when your driving.

Nursery Rhymes

Walt: Use Interesting writing in our writing.

Coincidentally Row, Row, Row your boat, Discreetly down the stream, Observe the fish, then ponder your mind and blurt out Life is but a dream.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five. Once I discreetly caught a fish alive. Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Then I Coincidentally let it go again. Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so. Jacob blurted out, Which Finger did it bite? After that, Aysha Observed her fingers and pondered out, This little finger on my right.

The Hero Within

Walt: Look for clues in the text to help us make meaning when we infer. Use the process of elimination to find the 'best fit' answer.

Our task was to read a book and look for clues in the text, that would support our answers. We also needed the element of elimination to take away all of the answers, to find the best fit. We needed to answer some hard questions to put ourselves in the character or the students shoes. This means on how they are feeling inside. Once we have finished, we needed to do some research of our own and find out what "Graves Disease" is.

Year 8 Experience

Walt: Write a blog post about your experience at Tamaki College.

Last week on Thursday, half of the year eights went to Tamaki College as an experience. The students who were going to Tamaki College next year would get to experience the life of a college student. Most of our students were scared because it was their first time in a college. The Year 8's were split into 2 different groups, so that we could get the best experience out of college.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by many amazing people and leaders of the school. We got to meet some of our ex-students that use to attend Pt England School. Tevita, Elizabeth, Liz and many more students, were our guides. They looked after us and made sure that we were on our best behaviour. My first class was Science. We had lots of fun learning about Chemistry, Physics, Biology and many more things.

Once we have finished our first period. We had to go to the library so that we could eat healthy food. There was apples, banana's, chocolate fish and a drink bottle in the middle of the table. While we were eating, one of the Year 9 leaders of Tamaki College was talking to us about the upcoming events in Tamaki College.

Once the day was over, the Year 8's who would be attending Tamaki College learnt lots of things. I've learnt many things from this experience and look forward to attending the college. Now I'm not afraid about starting a new chapter in my life and making new friends again.

Sudoku

For this math problem. We were playing a Japanese game called "Sudoku." All we had to do, was to add up all the numbers and make sure they are the same. Then we needed to use brackets. The easiest way was using something called "BEDMAS." B = Brackets, E = Exponents, D = Division, M = Multiplication, A = Addition and S = Subtraction.

Athletics Day

Walt: Write a Quality blog post about Athletics Day.

Last week on Friday, it was an amazing and sunny day. The weather was gleaming brightly in the sky. Lots of students were excited to play some amazing games in the hot blazing weather. Everybody looked really colourful in their astounding house colours. Most people were being really creative with their looks. We all had to wear our hats because we would get sun burnt. This was for our own safety.

My favourite activity was doing the high jump. The reason being is because we got to jump as high as we could, like we were flying in the air. There were lots of amazing people who could jump really high into the air. I was aiming for my personal best by trying to get to the highest poll. But I didn't make it. But at least I tried my best. This sport was all about trying your best and never giving up.

My second favourite sport was softball throwing. The challenge was to throw the ball as far as you could. But the problem was that we needed to make sure it doesn't go out of the square. Lani threw the ball into the air, it looked as if it had it's own wings of flight. I think this because it was flying through the air. Everybody was aiming for their personal best and to achieve their goals.

My last favourite sport was Volleyball. Before we were about to play, their was a strange atmosphere filling the air. That is when everybody was being competitive with each other. Even if there friends were in another team. That didn't matter to them at all. But a song named "Mi Gente," changed everybody's mood. All the girls started dancing with laughter and they were all just having fun.  Everyone was trying their best to hit the ball onto the other side.

Athletics was all about having fun with your friends and trying your best. You always need to give your all to each sport you do. The most important thing about athletics is to have a laugh with everybody and make the most of your time, before going to college. What athletics means to me is no matter what people say about you, nothing can make you sad or make you give up. I had an amazing time with all of the Year 8 girls.

Test Practice Wk3

                  Walt: Use different strategies to solve addition and subtraction word problems.
                    

Our task was to solve all of the different problems by using our own different strategies that we already know. It took a lot of thinking and using problems to solve each question. Some of the questions were really hard to solve and it took a while for me to finish it off.

Motivational Talk

Walt: Write about Mr Patterson's Motivational Talk.

Today we had a very special guest come in. His name was Mr Patterson. His talk was mostly for us Year 8's who are heading out to college next year. He was telling us about aiming for success and launching our future. Here are some things that might help you in the future, when you really need it.

Then he showed us a formula, that is similar to his talk for us. The formula was A + I = M. There is a meaning behind these words that would help us in the nearer future. A = Aspiration, I = Inspiration and M = Motivation. I have learnt many things from his talk and look forward to reaching my goals. If you have a dream, then you would always have a plan b, if your first dream doesn't work well.

There are different types of motivation. Intrinsic means you can reach for your goals and achieve what you want. The other one is extrinsic, which means external and it is about getting fancy cars, rewards and $100 inside your bank. Being a Grit means leaving the past behind you and trying to make things right, between you and another person.

Their was a story about a boy named Willie who is 11 years old, he gave his lunch and money to a homeless man. He was kind to do something very special to the man, it would change his life forever. If you do good things towards others, then you would get something good in return. Mr Patterson took Willie and his friend down to Wellington on a plane. It was Willie's first experience.

Be a giver and not a taker. This phrase means that whatever you give, it would come back to you. But whatever you take, it will always come back around. Mr Patterson saw two young couples with three kids, so then he brought them to the front of the line. There was about 200 people waiting in the line, to book their flights because it got cancelled. Everybody was surprised to see how kind Mr Patterson was.

There was a quote about doing what you love. This means that if you are able to do what you love, then you would go to your job happy and motivated. It's really bad to go to work because you just want to earn money. I have learnt lot's of things about Mr Patterson's motivational talk. I would like to take his talk with me, along my future to success.
 

Inference

Walt: Search for clues within the text to help us make meaning when we infer use the process of elimination to find the 'best fit' answer.
 Our task was to succeed our success criteria. Then we needed to read the text and show our understanding by using long sentences. Once we have finished that, we needed to sort out which one is evidence or inference. But we needed to read the text called 'Moa' so that we could understand it a little bit more. It was really hard because we needed to sort out how Scott and Sarah was feeling at times throughout the story. I learnt so much from my reading and look forward to more awesome work.

"What it means to be a good role model?"

Walt: Write an explanation writing about being a good role model.

A good example of a role model is being able to behave properly, set an example for little kids. Also to be in the right place, right time and have the right attitude. Someone that is positive and can be imitated by others. I’ll be writing about “What good Role Models would look, sound and act like?”

A role model is hard working, respectful and mature. Hard working is when they finish their work on time. Also to set it to a high standard. Being respectful means being a sponge. What I mean by that, is no matter what people say about you, just suck it all in and respond to them in a good manner. Being mature means acting your age and trying to be the older person. My older brother is a perfect example of why I look up to him so much.

Being a role model is encouraging, never gives up and positive. Encouragement is a special element that everybody has. They encourage others to do their best no matter the subject. Never giving up is about trying your best, even though you’re not good at that one thing. Always learn how to be positive towards others in any negative situation. They would always believe in you, even when life is hard for you. My dad is always positive and encourages me to do my best in everything.

The last thing about being a good role model is guiding you, self-talk and motivating. Being able to guide someone is really important. That means that you're guiding them on the right path of being kind and respectful. There is always a time when you need to learn how to self-talk. This means to be able to say positive things about yourself and never think negative. My mother taught me these things so that I would be able to show other people.

Try following these 3 simple steps and you will have lots of people looking up to, as their role model. But remember, role models aren’t always perfect, they learned the hard way of becoming role models. The people that you look up to doesn’t need to be celebrities, they can also be your family members. “You never know who you might be inspiring?”

Smiles makes a Difference?

Walt: Korero is about "Smiles making a huge difference in the world."

When someone is down, you could try brightening up their day by giving them a nice big smile. You never know that giving them a smile could make a big difference in their life. Sometimes when someone is down, you could try and give them a nice big smile so they could have a great day, instead of having a sad day.

Most people around the globe are depressed because something must have happened to them and they don't feel happy or even smiling at all. If you see someone like that, you should try and give them a big smile. The reason being is because most people wouldn't be in a good mood to smile. So try and make them laugh or encourage them to stay happy, safe and positive.

Smiling is the most important thing in the world, if you don't smile, then you won't be able to have a nice day with your family or friends. Every time you smile at someone, it's an action of love and a wonderful gift to that person. Also a warm smile, is the universal language of kindness. If you are able to smile, then the whole universe would smile with you.

If you don't smile, then the world is just a dull place with no pure love or anything to brighten up their days. Most of all, when someone is tried from work or baby sitting, all they really need to lighten up a bit is a big and bright smile. Whenever you smile at someone, there is always a meaning behind that smile and what that person is telling you.

So make sure you smile, you never know that your smile would brighten up the whole world with pure love and happiness. Also to make sure that you are on watch to see if anybody is feeling dull or sad because they aren't smiling at all.

Farewell Miss Vani

                                 Walt: Make a blog post about our farewell for Miss Vani

 

This is a sad day for Pt England School, we need to say farewell to our office teacher, Miss Vani. She was an important person in our school, their were many things that we all loved about her. She was caring, loving and showed respect toward others. Now she has a great opportunity waiting for her next future job.

Miss Vani got given a one time only opportunity to help other social workers, help other people in need. But Miss Vani is sad at the same time because she won't be able to see our lovely faces for a while. She will be missed by many other people. We are all sad, but happy at the same time because she has done us proud.

Some students walked up to Miss Vani, to congratulate her partnership and her hardwork that she has done for our staff and lovely tamariki. We all wish her good luck in her new job and hopefully we get a chance to see her again. Also to know how she has been doing in her new career, in a different community that she has never experienced.

She has encouraged us to reach our goals and strive to succeed. Do our best in the nearer future and work hard in what we like. I didn't know what she meant by that, but I hope I would do the same like her. Every student wishes that they wouldn't need to say goodbye to another lovely person, but we should be proud for all the things she has done for us.

She has been a blessing for the whole school and we all look forward to seeing her return again. It's sad, but we could all wish a good luck in her new community and working with other employees, and to also improve their skills of looking after other people. Hopefully she would be a blessing for other employees like she was for us.

Niue Language Week

Walt: Write a blog post about Pt England's special performance

Today the Niue group presented their amazing performance to show off their culture. They are proud of their heritage and would like to show us what they have learnt, from their amazing tutors. The people who taught them was Miss Lagitupu and another teacher. The way they introduced themselves was wonderful, it's because they managed to say where their family is from. 

What I really liked was the girls amazing costumes that they wore. It was so bright and colorful. I also enjoyed the boys haka that they performed with such strength. The introductions surprised me because not much people can speak their own language. TJ's introduction was loud and clear, I could tell that he was proud of his land and people.

But the one thing that shocked me the most, was seeing so much people who aren't Niuean and they are joining in. Everybody that performed looked very proud to be performing their culture and to show everybody that their culture is special to them and they want to cherish it. Their entrance song was interesting because everyone knew that it would be cool to watch what they have learnt.

Pt England School is proud of what they have learnt in just 1 week. The people who performed should be proud of what they have shown towards the school and their amazing tutors. I look forward to seeing more performances in the future.

Tipene - Maths

Walt: Solve Multiplication and Division problems using Reversibility
Our task was to show our understanding and what we know about Reversibility. But the other slide was a bit harder because we needed to say what multiplication reversibility is about. Then we had to do the same thing, but this time is was about the division. Then we needed to learn how to reverse a division and turn it into timetables. But the division and the timetables come with the same answer, until you reverse the question around. 

Effects on Children - Divorce

                What are the effects of divorce on children?

There is a massive issue that can affect your children, if you’re married. Even if the child is in childhood, it would break their love that they have towards the two parents. It is heartbreaking for the children to witness how much their parents loved each other, until they split their separate ways.

The children look up to their parents and they are only used to seeing their own parents show how much they appreciate each others company. But the children has never seen parents argue towards each other. That is the side that every mother and father doesn’t want their kids to see.

This is the reason why they try so hard to hide the fact that they have been arguing, so they don’t worry their children. It’s heartbreaking for children to see their parents divorced because if they love the mother more than their father, then it’s going to hurt them badly.

But the parents do a reasonably great job managing the stress of divorce. From my research, children who are from divorced families are resilient, especially when the parents do a good job at hiding it. Sometimes when your children is in pain, it would be a great time to let them grieve over their parents that they have now lost.

Having divorced parents would be hard on the child, reason being is because they would be a different person if their parents were in their lives. Most people would have a short childhood without their parents, or, a really tough childhood. So this is what I think about divorce, in my own perspective.

!MUSICAL MADNESS!

Once we settled down in our special immersion assembly, some of the teachers surprised us with their astounding costumes and their performances. Our teachers and students has lots of love and passion towards music. The teachers made their own music about our new topic called "Musical Madness." Mr Burt, Mrs Nua, Mr Somerville and Mr Jacobsen wowed us with their amazing talents of music.

My three favorite performances that I liked out of all the teams was, Team 1, Team 3 & Team 4. The first item was Team 1, they were about playing the game called "Snap." But Miss Hockly kept changing the music while they were playing the game. The main objective of their performance was changing your emotions, towards different music. So what I learnt was no matter the music you listen too, it would change the way you feel towards the music.

My second favorite item was Team 3. It was about storytelling through music. But this idea got me thinking about something similar to a Youtube video called "Songs in Real Life!" All they had to do was to make up a story, but to also include their favorite songs to make it more interesting. They captivated our attention, just through music. I was delighted by all the teachers dance moves, especially Mr Moran's. What I really think is that he was holding back his excitement to be able to bust out his moves.

My last favorite one that I really enjoyed out of all of them, was Team 4's fascinating item. The reason why I enjoyed them the most was because they used their amazing vocals to sing along to the music that was playing in the background. Since we were so interested in their movie, we didn't no that the unexpected was drawing closer. The students and teachers were thrilled by their amazing dance moves that they were showing off. Especially Miss Davis, swinging of the chandelier like Miley Cyrus on the wrecking ball.

Their performances were enthralling and it captivated all of our attention. I am amazed on how they put in all their hard work and amazing ideas just to entertain us all and to finish off their movies or item with a smile. This is the last assembly that the Year 8's will ever be in and it inspired me to work hard in the nearer future.