Year 8 Challenges 2016

#6 Mikonui Flat Tramp

WOW! My mind is officially blown. We just went on our 6th challenge, Tramping to Mikonui Flats Hut. When we got there it was wet. Wet wet and even more wet. We set up our tent and then went swimming in the swimming whole. The water was super clear and super super cold! Then we got out gas cookers, gas and started cooking our dinner. We had paste and per-cooked sausages. Then we had a dessert 
competition my group made Smores (Like 2 super wine biscuits with a piece of chocolate and a marshmallow in the middle). After dessert we sat by the camp fire and told riddles. Then we did a thing called SOLO. Were we sit in the bush by our self's and write a reflection. This is my Reflections.
Wow what an experience. Right now I sitting in the bush doing a thing called "Solo". Where you sit in the bush by yourself and only the dark for company. All I can here is a Moor pork and a lot of noise frogs. All I know is my imagination is running wild and I don't need to worry because people are not far away. Now here I am basically on my own, it is nice just to sit and listen to what sounds are around you. Now my mind is flowing with how crazy this is and how I am not scared.
Then we to bed. Next day it was time to go home, we packed up everything and started home. On the was we crossed the Mikonui River and the Toki River. When we stopped a the historical homestead for lunch I collapsed and when we made it to the car park I did the same thing. It was an Amazing experience and I hope to do it again. Here are some photos from our trip.

Earthquakes Shaking NZ

On Monday the 14th of November at 12.02 there was a 7.8 Earthquake that basically covered all of the south island. Kaikoura suffers with a lot of damage to be fixed and road closures. Roads are ripped up, Schools are closed, Railways are ripped up and tossed 30 feet by the quake and home destoeyed. Here are some photos of how bad this was.

Mad Lib Theater

This week we had Something new and Fun. Mad Lib Theater. If you are confused let me tell you what it is. So you can get a script from maybe a movie you like, lets just say Titanic ( that is the one we are doing) and get a scene out of the movie script. Then Take out all of the ADJECTIVE,  PLURAL NOUN, REGULAR VERB, ADVERB SINGULAR NOUN's and replace them with funny words without looking at the script. Here is an example video.

Skiing Can't Get Any Better Than This.

OMG! Best School trip in history. I just doesn't get any better than having 3 days Skiing with your class at Temple Basin Ski Felids and having the Ultimate time of your LIFE! This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and one that I will never forget.
When hiking up to the Ski Lodge my legs were sore, It was a hot day and the mountain was super steep, but I knew not to complain. All the staff and Ski instructors up there were so nice and I think that they really appreciated all of our help and the fact that none of us complained when we had to do things like do our washing up duties or tidying up what mess was ours and that made me really happy to see so many others happy both on the slopes and inside the lodge. I also think my Teacher was having a great time too because I don't think he heard any compiled when we were told to go to bed and when to get up or not complaining about having to walk up and down the slope and It was tiring or complaining because of having to do duties and dishes. 

When I got on the slope on the second day I was pumped because I have finally mastered the rope tow. When I went up the slope on the rope tow It was the best feeling because when I got to the top and Skied down I was so overwhelmed that I was flying down the mountain, that I was turning swiftly, that I was falling over less every time and I was stopping more actuarially In front of the rope tow to have yet another go. I just can't explain how amazing It felt flying down the slope and knowing that I was videoing all of these moments and knowing that I could rewatch them over again and over again just wishing I was back up on the slope have the time of my life, just by watching a video on the thing I want to go back and do so badly. and that experience will benefit me for the rest of my life. 


If you can Ski at Temple Basin you can Ski anywhere. 

 

Calender Art

We have had a pretty Flexible week. But the main focus was our upcoming Rotary Speech Competition, I have Cue Cared my speech and practice quite a lot. We were doing Speeches from Monday till Friday. Also on Friday we started Calendar Art, the theme is Concentric Circles, using Straight lines and Circles. I have kind of created was I want on my Calender art to look like. Here is what I have got so far.

Debate 4

Mini Olympics

Paroa School held a Mini Olympics and every house colour was put into countries such as NZ, Assie, France, Russia, Brazil, China, Jamaica, and India. As any normal Mini Olympics, we had an Opening ceremony, just telling everyone where to go for the first rotation. Alyssa and I ran an Obstacle course and I think all the kids really enjoyed it. We had a Closing ceremony, which was presenting the Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Bronze went to France, Silver went to Brazil and Gold went to New Zealand. Here are some photos of our fun Mini Olympics.

    We all had Fun!!

The Element

Well the Element is a time at school where we can basically do something that school does not provide and that we love doing, like your passion. Kate and I are doing baking as our Element.

 Last week we made cupcakes with butter icing, but what we did was, we put a bit of pink food coloring into the mixture and we put sprinkles in about 5mins after they had gone in the oven and the only thing that we should have done better was, we should have waited for them to cool before eating because some of the cupcakes stuck to the patty cases.

Next week we are making easy sugar cookies and I hope we have success.
 

Luxembourg

Term 3

I honestly can not believe that I only have two Terms left at Paroa School and nearly 8 full year's at Paroa School, I have had an Amazing time. But I definitely think that I have improved in all of my subjects and especially in sports and the Arts.

This Term we are getting into Speech writing, I am really excited for speech writing and we are also doing a bit more on debating and I feel I am really improving on writing my part for the debates, saying it with confidence and my research my basically improved to.

But I think this Term will fly and I will learn alot.  

My Holiday Maths

My Holiday Maths

Percentages in Everyday use

Debate 2

 We now have a new Debate topic and thankfully it is a topic I am aware of. " All Zoos should be closed and wild animals should go back to the wild". I actually believe this concept and I feel strongly about this because I Think Wild Animals belong in the Wild. All Zoos need to be closed. They don’t belong in enclosures or cages, to get looked at and feed by people. They belong in the wild, where they can run free and hunt down or fight for their own food. They need no care from us because they have lived in the wild, so that is where they should stay. If you take an animal from the wild it most likely has family of it’s own and it is cruel to take an animal away from it’s family or natural habitat! If you took an animals away from the wild, however big the cage is it would never be as big as the place the lived. Don’t take animals from the wild!!!! This an interesting topic and I can't wait for the Debate on Tuesday.

Cantbury Cross Country

This experience had definitely made me have high expectations of myself. It had driven me to see that it just had to do the best I could do. Last year I was 14th and I was super for getting through to the last Cantubary Cross Country, but this year was different and I was just a lot more nervous that I had ever felt before and I just a bit disappointed that I didn't make it through to the last Cantubary Cross Country and from there is I had got top 10 then I would get to train with coaches over in Christchurch, but I don't live in Christchurch. I got 63rd. I did my best and I had a great time. I'm glad I got the Experience.

Rock Climbing and Abseiling

This is definitely a year 8 Challange I will never forget. I am looking over the edge, feeling as though I will fall any second, I have never had any faith or trust in these ropes!!! Until now. While I am sitting on the edge of a cliff telling the instructor " I don't want to do It anymore". But Inside my mind, I really want to face my fear and have the courage that it takes to Abseil down the face of a cliff. I went down to the Rock Climbing beside the crashing waves, pounding onto the jagged rocks. Then I see my BFF Kate going so fast down the Abseil Rock and I don't know how she can go that fast. As I am Climbing I feel a rush of relief wash through me. I did not think I would make It all the way to the TOP!! Then came a thing I never thought I would do. Abseil down the Climbing Rock!! Wow, that was Amazing and so fun. I think " so now that I have Abseiled down the Climbing Rock, I start to feel like I should have another go at the Abseiling"! I am once more looking over the edge of the rock again, but this time there is no " I don't want to do It anymore" It is more like " this is actually not so bad" and when I reached the ground again I was so proud of myself for overcoming my fears. That was an absolutely amazing experience, I definitely want to do it again!!

Maths

Top Tips

Maths

Debate 1

The Debate topic has pushed me so hard this term because I had never known that the School Education System was Broken and it had never occurred to me. Every time I thought about it I knew I had to finish the research and make it sound like a speech that went with the topic, there were just so many things on my mind about that Debate. When It came time for the real Debate I was quite nervous about getting this right and not letting my team down. But after we had finished the Debate I was proud of myself and now I had another experince of a Debate.

Driftwood Art

We have been collaborating with Room 7 doing art. The good thing about that is I can do art and hang out with my Friends Kaley, Jaime, Amy and my BFF Kate. As you know on my some of my latest posts I have also been doing post it note art. But this time we are doing Driftwood art. Were you can go down to the beach and collect lots of cool Driftwood and then make something cool. I am working with my friends Kate and Jaime. We can make up what it is going to look like, here are some ones that have been made and look super effective.

Boy fall's into a gorilla enclosure. Argument.

On the 29th of May 2016, a 4-year-old boy fall's into a gorilla enclosure and they had to shoot the gorilla to save the child. But I think that it was the parents fault, reason being that the parents were not watching their child and they should have been keeping an eye on their 4-year-old boy. But I also think that it was the zoo's fault as well because they should have made the barrier higher so that children could not fall in.  So please do check out this video, to see what happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfuz7cTDNeI

West Coast Cross Counrty

I was so happy I was going back to West Coast Cross Country but sad as well because it was my last year doing it at Paroa. I was feeling good about myself now that was finally allowed to run again because I had an ankle problem and I haven't run for at least 8 months and it was hard because I loved to run bur I had to make it though and now I'm back to running. When we arrived and it was time for the year 8 girls to race I was ready. Take you mark... get set... GO!! I ran as fast as I could to past lots of people before we got into the tight part of the race. One lap to go and I was in 2nd, I could see the finish line up ahead and sprinted as fast as I could, but when I looked at the number on the card they gave me it had a 2 on it. I saw that a girl that had finished first, I was a bit sad but I still knew I was going to the Canterbury Cross Country.

Paroa School Cross Country

19.5.16

All of the School Cross Country's are all a great chance to have a go. On the day of the Paroa Cross Country, I nervous all day until I found out that being nervous was a good thing. It meant that you were ready to try your best and this actually mattered to you. When we got to the starting line I was ready to go. Take you make.. get set... GO!! and we were off and racing, down on the cycle track to 4 Jays I could see Alyssa behind me. I started off running quite fast then slowed down, then got back up to speed, as I ran off the cycle trail and onto the field my heart was beating fast and my legs hurt so much but I powered on. I could see Alyssa just coming into the field. I turned the corner the finish line straight in front of me, I sprinted for the line and made it. I was 1st, I was so happy with myself.

Year 8 Challenges #1- Cave Stream

I had been waiting since last year for this challenge to happen and now that the day of going to cave stream is finally here I can’t wait to go. When we got down to the cave we got ready for the cold water that awaited as.

After getting changed, Mr. S-W told us some of the history behind crave streams like how the mayor used it as a burial place for dead people, how all the rock inside cave stream is call “ Limestone” and how limestone was created by ancient organisms and rock formed over millions of years .

Went we got to the mouth of the cave I was so surprised at how big the cave really was. As we started to walk down the first part of the cave. I put my feet into the water. That was super cold but definitely not as cold as I had imagined.

I started to walk down the cave taking videos as I go. I was about half way through the cave when we all stopped to sit on the sides of the cave. We sat there and listened to the sounds that the water made when I rushed over the rocks and trickled down stream.

Then we set off again pulling our feet though the strong water. When we got to the end, I carefully did the part where you have to climb up the rungs of a ladder, then crawl down holding a chan to give you support.

When I made I out of the cave I just wanted to go and do it all again. It was such a great experience. Definitely going again. :) :) :) :)

GIF Maker Animator

We have been doing post-it note Art and now that we have finished we have created it with a GIF Animation Site and are posting to our blogs so here mine.

Post-it note Sketches

So we have been doing post-it notes sketches. Where you draw a Cartoon Charters face on a post-it note and if you want you can colour in. Then you put it in front of someone's face and it looks like they are now the Cartoon Charter. Here are some of mine.

Today's Run

Today we did the usually run to Four J's and back. When I started the running it was barely raining just a big patch of clouds in the sky so just right for a run. This run is 2.6km so it doable. Before we left Mr. S-W told us to run as FAR as we could. When I started the run I knew I was going to run all the way to Four J's and back. When I got to half way I knew I could do more so I turned around sharply and run back to school. Finally, I made it back and sat down to catch my breath. To me, I reckon that I had a great run.

Introducing Room 8