Technology learning story

In 2017 the year 7 and 8 go to Branden Intermediate to do technology with Nga tone school. You must be wondering what kind of technology we do well it’s not like we use electronics there, we simply do cooking, music, art, hard materials and sewing.  We are all in six group and we do different activities.

Sewing

Currently, I am in sewing class and in sewing class, we created a fluffy miniature sized pillows and buttoned small bags. I was really good at measuring accurately by being focused on the measuring I am doing. All I need to work on is to sew straight lines because some of my work has been a bit wonky.

Cooking.

The first class I was in was cooking when we first came to technology this year. I wasn’t really sure if I could cook healthy food because at home I usually I bake sweets yummy sweets but I knew one day I would learn how to cook healthy. I was really good at listening to instructions because I and my buddy’s food turned out great because I listened and if my buddy was to get stuck I would tell them what they need to do next or what they did wrong.

Music.

In music, we played lots of instruments e.g drums, keyboard, and our voice. I was good at planning before I do something because I knew if I was stuck and didn’t have a plan I wouldn’t know what to do so I thought and made a plan. I got better at playing with the keyboard by getting taught by a professional, Titi. I had lots of fun being taught to play the keyboard because I kept on messing it up.

Art/Soft material.

Art isn’t my thing because I always mess it up but it's something that I am working on. I am good at sharing ideas because everyone in my class agreed to it and also some people added on to it. I got better at talking about what to do because usually, the teacher would ask me what we are doing but I just can’t remember but I got better at it.

Woodwork/ Hard materials

In woodwork, we created a lot of fun things like a mini shield, a wooden key. They were fun but they weren’t easy to make. It was hard to hammer down the nails because I can’t really hammer down straight, it always seems to go crooked.

Technology is a fun place for me to learn new skills that I have never witnessed before e.g sewing. I can’t wait for Thursday.

Athletics learning story

The world tells you to “give up” but hope whispers “try it one more time”.

I am a very confident person. And a confident person always tries and tries even when they fail they keep on going. That's what I did in athletics. I tried my best by staying calm and I didn’t panic. I Stayed focused and ignored distraction. I struggled in things but that never stopped me.

First up was the resting station.It wasn’t really a rest station for me because I was shouting and cheering on  people to do their best so they can feel hyped and excited about what they were going to do.

My favorite event of all was high jump. In high jump I was so happy that I got a gold for it because high jump is kinda my thing. I was good at not hesitating when I was near the jump bar because I practiced high jump and in those practices I didn’t hesitate. Hesitating isn’t really a good thing because if you start to hesitate in high jump you won’t jump very high.

More jumping is coming up but this time it’s long jump. It is hard to jump and then land on two feet because I like it when I landed on one foot, I didn’t really like it but I had to deal with it anyway. I was pushing myself to the limit so I could at least get a silver for it and I did.

This time throwing came up that meant vortex. I am terrible at it! When I throw the vortex it doesn’t really go very far. While it wasn’t my turn I was thinking of a strategy and that was to look up at the sky and pick a cloud to aim it at. That was my strategy because I have noticed that a lot of people throw the vortex like they are going to hit the cloud.

Shot put is definitely not my event either because the shotput is REALLY heavy!. Every time I held it my hand I felt like my hands were going to drop on the ground because of the weight. I got better at holding the shot put properly because I remember when I held it wrong it nearly landed on my foot.So then I would practice how to hold it. After I threw the shot put I had some feedback that I needed to improve and by having a good stance so the shot put could go a bit further. That’s what I will do next year.

Discus is another throwing event but this one was a bit easier for me. The only hard thing was when we had to hold the discus on our palm and that was a bit difficult but I got better every time it was my turn. I was really about to give up but all my friends had faith in me so I that made me keep on going until my turn was done.

Run run run you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man. Sprints was very unexpected because I came forth. Usually I always last or second to last person in sprints but I have improved. I felt proud of myself because I got a gold for sprints, I knew if I kept on going I would at least have a chance.

Long distance was my worse one yet because it was a long run I knew that I would get a bronze because I don’t usually run that far. I decided to jog really slow so that I can catch my breath. It still made me exhausted. The thing that was hard was to keep on going so at the end you would feel really tired and you would need to catch your breath.

After a long hard day it came to an end. Then we had regionals next. I wasn’t really excited because I was like “ Oh no! There still more”.

Skipping learning story

Skipping learning story.

This year we have been doing some P.E but not any old P.E We have been doing some skipping. I know what you might be wondering how could skipping be P.E? Well I know it is because skipping makes you exercise and that's what other things in PE does and besides every time we do PE it’s always skipping, nothing else.

In skipping we get into our groups and do our routines. Some of the groups use some every day skipping moves like the criss cross, jumping backwards but some groups also made some new moves like the backwards criss cross that is really hard to do but you will get the hang of it.

I was good at sharing my ideas so my group can add on or have a idea that could be even better than the other. Me and my group were also good at working together so we could get our routine finished and polish it till it was time to perform it.

I got better at doing the harder moves so we could put it into our routine and make it better than it was before. I noticed sareta getting better at the criss cross because usually she would trip up a little bit but the more criss cross she does the more she will get it.

My next steps is to polish our routine because it is a bit rusty and it needs we need to put more effort into it so it would be perfect.

Pepeha

Pepeha

Ka tangi te titi
Ka tangi te kaka

Ka tangi hoki ahau

Tihei mauri ora

Kō Taranaki te maunga

Kō Patea te awa

Kō Tainui te waka

Kō Nga Ruahine te iwi

Kō Ngati Tama Ahuroa me Titahi te hapu

Kō Oeo te pa

Kō Karen tōku whaea

Kō Ihaka tōku matua tane

Ko Simone toku tuakana

Nō Porirua ahau

Kō Aria tōku ingoa

Kō Corinna tōku kura

Kō Ardelle me Kate tōku kaiako  

Kō Michele te tumuaki

No reira tena koutou tena koutou katoa

Science learning story

For one week we have been visiting the lab in a box. Are you wondering if a lab is in a box? Well yes, it is. It's pretty weird that a lab is in a small box. My first impression when I went inside was that it was pretty lame and was not exciting but when I explored more in it I was pretty surprised that a small room could have a lot of stuff in it.

Now I am going to tell you what we do. My favourite science experience was rockets. Of course, it isn’t a real one it's just a fake one but can actually go up in the air. Me my group made a tiny rocket and with that tiny rocket comes with a cap. The ingredients are vinegar and baking soda, simple right.

Inside the cap, we had to put the baking soda in it and pour a little bit of vinegar inside the cylinder. What happens when baking soda and vinegar mixed together it starts bubbling up until it filled up the whole cylinder. It would pressure on the bottom of the rocket and blast off.

A lot of the times my group's rocket would fly up higher than the classroom. Scientist Suze was our teacher, she named my group the star of the class because our rocket went really high.

I was good at observing things carefully by staying focused so I know what it is or what it does and also I was good at Sharing others ideas confidently and clearly so people can add or get more ideas from it.

I got better at sticking with the task because I would just go flying around and do something else because I didn’t want to do that. I solved it by just looking at the teacher just think that she is the only person in the room and I wouldn’t be talking about something else.

My next steps is to doing or making something that helps people solve a problem, I will achieve that by getting out of my shell just say what is in my head and then we could get it over with.

Polyfest learning story

Every 2 years we have Polyfest. What is Polyfest you say? Polyfest is when schools do cultural dances and show off their moves to everybody. We also have cultural groups e.g Maori, Cook Island, Samoan, Tokelau and Kapa haka we all have our own flair to the dance. We have been practising for months to make it perfect till the big day. There have been some bad moments and some proud moments during this.

The big day came. The hall was packed. All these people came to see their kids shining on the stage to make them happy and proud. We all did a good job wait scratch that we did a fantastic job on our performance.

I was good at being a role model for others to copy so they can learn quickly and be respectable to the tutors also I am good at choosing appropriate behaviours to learn and improve so I know what's best for me.

Angel noticed that I was using a lot of facial expression e.g Smiling.

Sareta noticed that I was doing big sharp actions when I was performing. I noticed other people like Anita singing her hardest when she was on the stage by herself and Samuel dancing sassy as usual and putting a lot of effort in it.

I got better at being patient because I was would kinda moan all the time about when we are going to do something or if we are going to leave but I would just sit or stand there and wait until its finish or starts.

Next time I need to work on sharing my skills by teaching others because I was a bit shy when we were practising because I was in a new group I have never been in before and that is Senior Samoan I didn’t know what to do because I was usually in Maori.

Dialogue learning story

Dialogue Learning story

Since term 2 we have been working on dialogues. If you don’t know what a dialogue is? A dialogue is 2 or more people having a discussion but in a film or books.

We have written a couple of dialogs like Superman, monkey symphony, rock paper scissors.

For the monkey symphony and rock paper scissors, we had to watch a video that had no talking in it so we had to write down what they would say.

But for superman we had to look at the picture and visualise what they would do and what they would say. We had to pick one of them to improve more and post it on our blog. So I just read all my dialogues and thought Superman was the one.

I was good at a lot of humour e.g Oh man this I beam is too skinny for my butt why can’t I balance? Also I was good at using similes e.g I will drop down and lie flat like a pancake.

I got better at giving it a go and just being brave and write down the gold that is in my head because in the past I would just be stumped and wouldn’t write anything down.

But now I have made a big improvement because a lot of people thought that it was really funny, interesting and they could visualise in their head what was going on.

My next steps is to not to put in so much argument because it would mean that it’s about a characters having a fight but I just had ideas that would contain a fight so I just wrote it down but next time I will think of another way of to make less negative.

Superman quick write

Mr Wado - ahh what a beautiful hot day with a beautiful city behind us to have Superman to get us pizza

Mr Greedy - Oh man this I beam is too skinny for my butt why can’t I balance?

Mr Johnson- Well maybe you just need to work out like me, you’re as fat as a hippopotamus.

Mr Greedy - Hmph! I am perfectly fit myself I just need to...

Mr Johnson- You just need to work out? Like seriously!!

Mr Greedy - That is so rude Mr Johnson, I am going to talk to Mr Weirdo, He won’t mind that I’m fat

Mr Greedy - Hey Mr Weirdo?

Mr Wado - For the millionth time, It's Wado.

Mr Greedy - Okay, Weirdo.

Mr Wado - Ugh what is it?

Mr Greedy - Well Mr Johnson over there thinks I am fat do you think I am?

Mr Wado - Ok I am just going to say this once and only once. You need to start exercising. No matter what you do besides exercising your stomach will be fatter than the whole world

Mr Greedy - Really you too?

Mr Greedy -  Where’s Superman at. He's taken to long to get the pizza. I am getting super hungry.

Superman - Hungry you say?

Mr Greedy - Finally you have the pizza, now give me, give me, give me!

Superman - hold on mate I just hope it won’t make you even bigger,

Mr Greedy - what I wasn’t listening I was just busy eating the pizza - could you go and buy some more.

Superman - wha what how did you

Mr Greedy - the power of the stomach Superman

Superman - okay I will go get another pizza.

Superman - Done

Mr Greedy - Yay now give it to me

Mr Johnson - oh no you don’t you will get even fatter and then your whole butt won’t even fit on the bar.

Mr Greedy - Woah Woah Woah do you know who you are messing with.

Mr Johnson - Yeah I'm messing with a fat guy who NEEDS to work out and eat a bit more healthier.

Mr Wado  - Well let's just think it’s best that to fight down on the ground not HIGH UP IN THE SKY

Mr Johnson - wow Mr Weirdo I never knew you had it in you

Mr Wado - OH MY GOSH IT'S WADO

Mr. Johnson - Ok Weirdo

Mr Greedy - Ugh I don’t care Mr whatever his name is just how do you get down from here.

SuperMan - Well maybe you could fly down

Mr. Greedy - Are you crazy even if I could fly down I will drop down and lie flat like a flat pancake

Superman - Then take the elevator.

Mr. Greedy - ARE YOU STILL CRAZY, Just look at me, I have a big stomach, do you think an elevator would like to be friends with a stomach like mine. Nuh uh.

Maths learning story

Maths learning story.

This was the best maths ever. It's more fun than the rest of the other maths I was in.

The problem was about a competition between Philomena and June to see who could jump the farthest. There are three events to compete in, they are Hop, skip and jump. Philomena thought that she would win because she is the fastest. She could have the best run up. June thought she would win because she has longer legs than her.

Philomena's points in the three events were hop 1.01, Skip .97, Jump 1.57.

Junes points in the three events were hop   .89, Skip 1.11, Jump  1.5.

The problem was asking us who was right and who jumped the farthest.

So first me and my group added up all of Philomena's points from the events because we want to know the total all together. So we added    

We did the same thing with Junes but different points.          

 P         1   1                                     J   1   1                                    

             1.01m                                      0.89m

         +  0.97m                                 +   1.11m

             1.57m                                      1.5m

             3.55                                         3.50

Next we saw that Philomena won twice and June won once and lost the rest. So it looks like that Philomena won with 3.55 and june lost with 3.50.It was really close but it sounded like they had fun.

Kapa Haka learning story

Kapa Haka.

Do you have any idea what it feels like to be in kapa haka, well I do, it is the greatest feeling also a tired one too!

For many years I have been in kapa haka. I am in it because I am representing my culture, Maori. It’s like there was one piece missing and kapa haka was the perfect piece and filled it in.

Kapa haka is a place where you can be yourself by Sharing your singing with others and being confident and a leader for the song or haka. Once you join you need to get that old self that has been telling you that you can’t do anything but you can, you just need to leave that behind and be who you are.

Our tutors gave us this best opportunity to be in kapa haka. Their names are Matoa Todd and Whaea Clare. They gave us the strength to use the power of the haka, not for violence but for beauty. It’s used for the songs that we sing beautifully. As I was saying, giving this opportunity to us is a big deal because it means that we’re not just doing it for fun, we are doing it for the school so when they see how we do it in kapa haka they may want to join too. The more the merrier. And it makes you feel proud.

While I was writing this learning story I could hear the melody of our singing coming through my ears. The songs that we are doing now are called Ihoa, Hareruia and Papaki Titaha, I feel like that there is one more but I can’t seem to remember it. Anyhoo as I was saying, these songs are the precious things that keeps Kapa haka alive. When we sing we sound amazing, there may be a few twinks that we need to fix but still, we sound great.

But in the end, when we finish everything we feel good about ourselves for what we have done, about how hard we put in the work, it just feels so good. As we keep improving the more it will look and sound good.

Ehara taku toa

I te toa takitahi

Engari, he toa

Takitini

Success is not the work of one,

but the work of many.

Book report

Okay I will be talking about my book.

My book is called tinder.

It is a narrative.

Its purpose is to entertain people.

I located information so I found out that whenever Otto Hundebiss goes to a war he seems to see Death and I am inferring that he will die in the war by seeing it.

P.E learning story

P.E learning story.

For the past few weeks we have been doing P.E. Our goals is to work as a team by sharing/passing the ball to each other, Sharing idea’s also encouraging the team so they can feel hyped.

The game that provides hard work and working together is T-ball. I know that there is other games that require teamwork but my mind is on T-ball because it requires throwing the ball  to each other or even hitting the ball far as possible even cheering would make them feel accelerated.

When playing T-ball you always need a strategy to it like hitting the ball soft so the other team can run to it or hit it far at the sides so the other team can run all the way.

I am good at sharing my ideas (Strategy) so they know how to trick the other team also I am good at supporting them with feedback so next time they can improve more from their mistakes.

The next thing I want to talk about is dodge ball because it is a skilled throwing game that everybody loves.

Dodge ball is nearly everybody’s favorite game because they love throwing the balls to win but it's not always about winning, it's about having fun or even working together.

My next steps is to catch the ball because I always think that it will hit my face but I need to try and be brave by solving the problem. I can try and solve it by looking at the ball instead of closing my eyes then I could help the team more.

Cubism art learning story.

Cubism art learning story.

This is about art, a confusing one too, that is why we call it cubism art. Cubism art means that it is all over the place instead of being in one spot. We (Ngati aroha and awhina) have worked hard on our cubism art and wondered who created cubism art?. That’s why we went over to the pataka exhibition to research and discover who did.

As time was ticking we went inside the exhibition. It was filled with beautiful paintings that I didn’t know which one was my favorite. I tried to shout out my excitement out loud but we had to keep our voices down so I had to hold it in. I was looking around looking at the amazing art and found a cubism art called the Weeping woman, it looked very weird, very puzzled and that’s when I wondered who was the creator, who made cubism art? That's why the answers are here, that’s why we came.

Finally we found the creator of the cubism art. We have discovered that a spanish painter named Pablo Picasso created cubism art. There is another painter named George Braque. Those two artist created a painting together, I don’t know what it's called but I still like it.

I have already started on my cubism art. My one is about a mother who had birth to her baby. I only drew the baby because it had more details to it more than the mother. Also the baby is giving me the draw me vibe but not the mother.

I am good at using bold lines so they can stand out because when people look at it they can see everything. They can also see the image more clearly.

My next is to use contrasting colours carefully because contrasting means that the colour need to match another and I used yellow and green, It didn’t really match but that will be my next steps

Pataka Exhibition day presentation

Ko Au Tenei

No whea koe?

No Lower Hutt au

He pai ki a koe he aha?

He pai ki au he aporo

He pai ki au he rare

Kaore he pai ki a koe he aha?

Kaori he pai ki au he pi roro

Kaori he pai ki au he takuta

Kei te kaha koe ki te aha?

Kei te kaha au ki te kaukau

Kei te kaha au ki te moe