Year Reflection, Goodbye Lake Brunner

 Just yesterday was my last day of primary school. Over the past eight years at Lake Brunner, I've made a lot of memories and I'm really going to miss my friends and teachers.

At the start of this year, I became a student council member, it was fun because we got to organise things like wheels day, and book character day, where our principal dressed as a snozzcumber off of the BFG.

I've also enjoyed the sports units we've had each term thanks to my teacher. There was badminton and softball, but I think this year handball was my favourite. If you've browsed through one of my posts about handball then you'll know the game I'm talking about. Long story short, our version of handball was basically a cross between netball and basketball. It was really fun.

This final term, my class and I had our school camp. We made camp base in Hokitika, and toured our way through town, taking a short trip to lake Kaniere on our first night for a freezing, but enjoyable swim. You can read more about it on one of my other blog posts named 'Highlights of Camp!' 

And of course we all loved the sailing this term with great thanks to Simon from 'have a go sailing!'

It's been a really amazing year for all of us kids at LBS, and if you're thinking of having your child enrolled at Lake Brunner School you can be sure they'll have a good time.

See you later to my best friends Morgan, Mackenzie, Kaelyn, Zoe and Tui. And thank you to my teacher Nic - it's been the best year ever!

Te Kinga's Big Day Out!

A few days ago, we had First Aid Day, and everyone in class learnt what to do in a situation involving injuries. The following day, our teacher Nic decided it would be a good test to see if the Te Kinga students could put their newfound skills and knowledge to good use.

So a few students in class were chosen to pretend they were hurt on our big day out around our tiny village of Moana. Kaelyn suffered hypothermia, I had a badly bruised leg, Jimi broke his arm, Morgan cut her hand and Tui endured a burn. It was quite funny really for the people acting, as the other students had no clue we had planned this experiment, but  after Kaelyn recovered instantly from her nasty case of hypothermia, they got the general idea. 

After our acting was done, it was time to test our survival skills. First we were split into groups and had the challenge of making tents given only a tarp apart from sticks and things you could collect from the land as equipment. And the tents had to be waterproof. If they weren't? Well, you got wet when Nic splashed a bucket of water over the top!

After our tent-making, we all made fires along the lakeside, and it was time to make smores before we headed back to school.

School Camp Captions!

Today we made funny pictures by adding captions to the photos we took during our camp in Hokitika, here are some of mine below. 

Highlights of Camp!

Recently, my class and I went to Hokitika for our class camp. I would like to share my favourite memories from the time we spent there.

Let's start with the first day. We arrived at our campsite and played about for a while. Don't worry that's not the good bit. The good part is where we went to the Industrial Museum. They had lots of cool old stuff there including this awesome train, but when I say train I don't mean any old train with a roof or walls . . .  It was awesome! There was basically this long bench that you sat on like you were riding on horseback and we went through this cool bush track that looped around to back where it started. We also saw these cool old fire engine trucks!

After our time spent at the Industrial Museum, our next voyage was the trip to Lake Kaniere. We started fires, ate smores and went swimming! The water was freezing but it was still super fun. 

Day 2! This had to be the best day of the adventure. It began with the gorge walk. There were soooo many views - especially over the bridges and at the lookout points. All too soon our walk was over though, and now it was time for lunch . . . And the treetop walk! 

I don't think I'd ever been up so high, but it was really awesome to look down at the creeks and nature. There was this tower at stop number six and after embarking up a spiral staircase, you reached the highest spot! It was really amazing - I don't think I'll ever forget it.

After our walk up in the treetops, it was time for our surprise. Our teacher Nic arranged some stuff at this place in Hoki and BAM! We got to go in helicopters! It was my first time in one or even up in the sky for that matter and when our group went up, I was lucky enough to get the front seat! That had to be the coolest part of the trip. 

The third day. It started when we packed up back at camp :(   Time to get back in the cars and go home. But not before stopping back in Greymouth for our swim at the pools! We stayed there for a while, had pizza for lunch and then it really was time to go home. But it was definitely one of the best camps ever!

Mona Lisa Information Report

 In an estimated 1503, the famed Mona Lisa was painted. It’s well known artist Leonardo Da Vinci made the Mona Lisa at 51 years of age, and the portrait took him four years to master and perfect. His model for the painting was actually called Lisa del Giocondo, and the art is thought to have been a celebration for her new home where she lived with her husband, Francesco del Giocondo and in honour of their second born son, although the art 

never was delivered to it’s patron and Leonardo kept it with 

him throughout the rest of his life.

Many years later, in 1911, disaster struck. 

The Mona Lisa had been stolen! Its thief, the Italian artist Vicenzo Peruggia, had hidden out of sight for two years before he was finally captured and the painting returned.

There have now of course, been many reproductions of 

The Mona Lisa, including the one with the mustache at Pompidou, but the real one remains in it’s rightful place at the Louvre Museum in France.

And we hope nobody will dare to raid it.

Article By: Tara Morgan

Art Smart!

For topic each week we get into groups and complete challenges. We always have the same groups and I am with Krystal, Tui, Grace, Jimi, and Leo. This week, along with two other activities, we had art smart. In art smart, we had to individually take photos that involved water in some way. 

Here are some of the photos that I took. 

Would you like to do an activity like this?

Hand Ball!

Over the first week of term two, my class and I have been learning how to play hand ball. It's a mix of basket ball and netball that my teacher, Nic, created. Some of the basic rules in handball is that we can bounce the ball, but only three times before passing to another player. If you don't pass within three seconds, then it's the other teams ball. Like in netball, you can't be in the another players 'bubble' so you have to be a meter away at all times. 

Today I played as a 'centre', so it was my job to move around the other team's players, so my team could pass to me before I passed to another player, like the 'goal attack' so they could shoot. There was also boundaries for each player, as a centre, I was allowed to run anywhere on the court apart from in the goal circles.

Does handball sound like a fun game for your class or friends?

Maybe you could give it a go!

                                           

Goals for Term 2

This term I would like to have my main focus on maths, as it is my weakest subject. So far I can recall almost all of my time tables from 1-11s, so my aim for this term could be to learn the twelve and thirteen time tables and be able to recollect within three seconds, as the rule goes.

I would also like to learn new sports skills, my main sports have always been equestrian (at home) and club hockey. At school each term we usually have a new sport that many of us do not know how to play so we all get a chance to develop a new capability. For example, last term we played softball, and throughout the year before, we played volleyball, rippa rugby, and basket ball. I hope you enjoyed this blog post about my goals for this term.

Do YOU have some goals?

Anzac Day 25/4/21

Anzac Day, set on the 25th of April, is a celebration of lives that were taken in the first world war, over 100 years ago. These days to commemorate Anzac Day you can bake Anzac biscuits, wear a poppy on your shirt or participate in a dawn parade at your local town. The following paragraphs may explain somethings you may not have known about Anzac day. Enjoy!

Why the 25th?

Anzac day is celebrated on the 25th of April because on the morning of April 25th 1915, the Anzacs departed to capture Gallipoli peninsula in order to open  the Dardanelles to the allied navies. Therefore the 25th of April became the day when New Zealanders and Australians recalled on the sacrifice of those who had died in the war. 

Is Anzac Day recognised in all countries?

Anzac day is mainly rejoiced by individuals of Australia and New Zealand, though it can by celebrated by others worldwide.

What does 'Anzac' stand for?

The word Anzac was given to the soldiers from NZ and Australia that fought in ww1, it is short for 'Australia & New Zealand Army Corps'

The History of Anzac Biscuits:

During the first world war in 1910, Anzac biscuits were first created by the wives, girlfriends and mothers of the men at war as they were concerned that they were not able to eat many nutritional foods. They were first named 'Soldiers Biscuits' but after the soldiers landed in Gallipoli in 1915 they were soon changed to the title of Anzac biscuits. You can easily make Anzac biscuits using flour, sugar, coconut, rolled oats, butter, golden syrup or treacle, baking soda and boiling water. For more information on this recipe you can easily search it up or if you have a cook book it is likely to be found in there.

Walk up Mt Te Kinga 12.4.21

Last week, on the eighth of April, my class and I went for a fun day trip to walk up to Mt Te Kinga's Third lookout. On the way up it started off easy and gradually got steeper and we sometimes had to climb over logs or balance across them over murky and sunken patches on the track. It was a sunny day so the view from the second lookout was amazing. Some of the year eights (including me) had already been up mount Te Kinga to the top so we were used to the rough terrain. It was much quicker going down the summit so we had reached the bottom in about half and hour whereas it had taken us a much longer time to trek up.

When my group and I got down we ate our lunch while we waited for the groups that followed and then got ready to go swimming. The water was freezing cold when I first went in, but when I swam out further, I got used to it. After swimming a little while, Mackenzie and I teamed up to assemble a campfire. Then the whole class roasted three marshmallows each on the beach. 

Our trip was super fun and I hope we do another over the next three terms.

Would you enjoy a trip like this?

Earthquake Poster

Throughout term one we have been learning about geology, specifically the rock cycle although we have been learning about tsunamis and earthquakes too. Recently we made some posters about what we learned, they had to have 10 facts about the topic we had individually chosen. The poster could be about anything related to geology or the rock cycle, - I chose earthquakes. Here is a picture of my poster.

Quick Write 5/4/21

It seems that the stars have been blossoming around me for a long time. All of the warmth that twas once there has now left my body. Yet, I couldn't be happier. Out here in the fresh air, the deep night of inky blackness surrounding me. Would I get away with it? I wonder... After all, the police are bound to be looking for me, the runaway child, who had fled from the city, the past...

I can see it. Living out here in the lonely countryside, my handcrafted house opposite the riverbanks which are swarmed with wise willow trees. All of a sudden all the peace and tranquillity around me was gone as the cars blare across the countryside, their sirens colliding in an urgent blue and red. How did they find me here? No, I did not do anything wrong. Though I did run from everything and everyone I had once known.

Right now I can think of only two options. Give up my escape, turn myself in, or... Or I could take the plunge, dive into the ice cold of the river. I have limited time to make my choice. I descent into the water slowly, but all the same the frigid water shocks me. I drift down the river as it is my only option to not be seen. Yes, I do suppose my friends and family will be worried about me, but that is no longer my life. Besides it is too late to stop now...

Preview of Disaster story

 Recently in class we have been writing fiction stories based on natural disasters. Here is the first paragraph from my story. I hope you enjoy this blog post :)

The Destructive Disaster By Tara Morgan

It was another ordinary day at school. Our teacher, Nic (as usual)

was rambling on about how we needed to find a science project to test.

I remember  thinking that everyone was probably just waiting for the

bell to ring for lunch (though it was only 11.15), because it’s not like

anyone was paying attention. Morgan was trying to fit her legs into her jersey,

Mackenzie was strumming a ukulele in the corner, Kaelyn was trying to type on her chromebook

with her toes and I was almost asleep on my desk. Nic kept on talking…

soon it was 11.16 … 11.17 … 18 minutes past. Luna  had started barking,

I fell off my chair from the sudden noise. “Tara!” Nic had yelled,

but she didn’t have time to say ‘pay attention’ and ‘geology rock cycles are important’

because then the rumbling started. The deafening, guttural, piercing sound

that came from the depths of the earth!

The Value of Sport

Recently we have been doing lots of sport. In the past two weeks we have had Athlectics and Swimming Sports and now Top Team Day, and I enjoyed them all lots. I think that physical activity at school  is great because it keeps you fit and also helps your learning because it gives you a break from regular learning like maths or english (though of course those are important too).

Here are some pictures from Top Team Day, Athletics.

Geology

The past few weeks our class has been learning about geology. Our teacher

had brought in heaps of rocks, that after watching an educational video, we had to identify them as either igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic.

Since my Dad worked as a contractor, my teacher Whaia Nic asked me if I might be able to bring some rocks of his to show the class. So over the next few days I brought two rocks I found that looked interesting and a chart with small pieces of rocks stuck to it. For example, it had quartz, limonite, native copper and asbestos - which you weren't allowed to touch because it carried some kind of poison.

Term 3 Reflection 2020

                                                                   Term Three Highlights

This term my class Te Kinga has been mainly focused on the Kapa Haka competition. But because of covid 19 we didn't get to perform with the other competitors. We learnt heaps of new songs including Toia mai, Ko ti whirika, and some other songs too. Our teacher Whaia Nic even made her own song "Aha Koa". We recently had to remake our poi too because they kept breaking as we were using them every day. 

Though the kapa haka was our main focus we still did lots of other stuff too like speeches we made at the start of the term, and the maori, legend cut out landscapes. We also did some science experiments because a scientist called Judith came to our school to help us with that. At the start of the term we also had cross-country which we had at our school because we were still in level 2, but the people who wanted to do the west coast, cross-country went to the Kumara race track to do that the following week as well. 

We also had the year 7 and 8 disco during week three or four as well as pet day a few weeks ago though we weren't allowed to bring pets because it was still level 2 then.

One of the best highlights of term though was the Rippa Rugby unit. Our class was split into four different teams and we had matches against the other teams. We all had jobs in our team too. There was the Stats person and the coach. I began as vice captain but after someone in our school left I was captain.

First Week Back At School Reflection 2021

My first week of school was pretty good this year, and since I was now a year eight, this year was my last in primary school. We didn't do any major stuff since it was only the start of the year but we did a bit of learning on the Waitangi Treaty which was on the upcoming weekend and a little bit of art practising techniques from Bob Ross and Rita Angus. We were focusing on art that week because unlike the other classrooms in our school our class didn't have a view of the lake so we were preparing to paint our own 'window'. It actually turned out to look quite life like and detailed.

 

Why mistakes are good for learning

Mistakes are good for learning because they make you keep trying, and eventually you will get good results. For example last year when I was learning how to complete primes and composites on maths buddy I wasn't exactly a genius, but instead of giving up because I found it difficult, I practised on the weekends and by the end of the term I was getting 100% on scores. So instead of giving up when you find something hard and seems impossible for your brain, keep trying and ask someone for help because there's no shame in finding something difficult. There is only shame in having 10% percent on your math score by the end of term.