Boiling is an excellent word to describe how I felt when I came out of the car.
An hour’s drive, packed like sardines in a car could be exhausting but I had enjoyed the trip as the air conditioner was on full blast! When my family and I arrived at our destination, Port Waikato as eager as a beaver I opened the door and that is when the heat hit me. Quickly I closed the door again.
Near the car we found a grass area and we had lunch. Half an hour later, footprints left a path on the sand as we sank gently as we made our way up and down the sand dunes to the water’s edge.
While my family and friends were starting to fish in the burning weather I was lying on the sand under an umbrella trying not to get sun burnt. It took at least half an hour until someone reeled in a fish, but it was a small fish though. They took hours and hours that eventually I got uninterested that I begged my mum to take me somewhere less scorching. We went back to the car and stayed there basically for the whole day. I started to gobble up food again because there was nothing else to do.
Hours went by and it was getting late that I went back to the water’s edge.
“Can we go soon? Please!!!” I asked my dad
“Later” he replied
It was hopeless we were probably going to stay there for at least another hour.
So another hour went by and they were finished fishing for the day. The car smelt like fish from the fishing gear which wasn’t a pleasant smell.
Even though an hour’s drive doesn’t seem so long I kept on complaining until we finally arrived home. When we got home I ran inside to my bedroom because I knew that the weather in my room wasn’t as bad as it was in Port Waikato.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Rainbow Spinner
For our first science experiment Room 8 created a Rainbow Spinner. If you are interested in doing this experiment, you will need the following materials.
Colouring Pencils/Pastels
Cardboard Ruler
Scissors Pencil
Glue
1 metre of thread/string
Compass/Hole Punch (Optional)
Method:
Step1. You will need two identical cardboard circles [I suggest that you do this before hand] and divide them into equal segments/parts
Step2. Once divided into segments/parts, decide what colours you are willing to use e.g. Pastels or Colouring Pencils.
Step3. Colour in both of your circles exactly the same or else the result will be different.
Step4. When coloured, glue the two circles together and punch in two holes that are approximately 1or 2 centimetres apart in the centre of the circles
Step5. Now the tricky part – certainly und this tricky, insert the string through the holes and tie a knot at the end.
(It will be doubled)
Step6. Now the fun part! Spin the spinner until the string is fully twisted then pull your hand apart to see the colours merge into one!
When the spinner spins really fast you will see light reflected from all the colours, but your brain cannot separate them. So you see a mixture of all colours, which is white. Your spinner may look grey to you because the colours are not pure.
Maxine
Colouring Pencils/Pastels
Cardboard Ruler
Scissors Pencil
Glue
1 metre of thread/string
Compass/Hole Punch (Optional)
Method:
Step1. You will need two identical cardboard circles [I suggest that you do this before hand] and divide them into equal segments/parts
Step2. Once divided into segments/parts, decide what colours you are willing to use e.g. Pastels or Colouring Pencils.
Step3. Colour in both of your circles exactly the same or else the result will be different.
Step4. When coloured, glue the two circles together and punch in two holes that are approximately 1or 2 centimetres apart in the centre of the circles
Step5. Now the tricky part – certainly und this tricky, insert the string through the holes and tie a knot at the end.
(It will be doubled)
Step6. Now the fun part! Spin the spinner until the string is fully twisted then pull your hand apart to see the colours merge into one!
When the spinner spins really fast you will see light reflected from all the colours, but your brain cannot separate them. So you see a mixture of all colours, which is white. Your spinner may look grey to you because the colours are not pure.
Maxine
The big golf game
The big golf game, The Oldies (which was what I called my dad’s group) vs. the youngsters. I looked up in the sky. “Quite cloudy, this game is MINE!!!” I thought to myself. Bring it on!!!
I placed my tee in the grass with the ball on top. The tee seemed to pierce deep into the soil. I stood behind the ball and measured the wind, which blew through my hair. I stood behind the ball, waiting for the wind to calm down so I can take a nice straight shot. I went into my position, aimed my club head straight ahead and got ready to hit the ball. I took my first swing. The club dropped and took out a small patch of grass, but as I took my second shot, my club smacked the ball so hard that it shot the ball up in the air like a jet. As the ball soared through the air, it seemed to grow a propeller, engine and exhaust pipes. Finally it landed on the ground started rolling forward. It stopped just at the top of the hill with an excellent view of the hole and the fairway. This was my chance to start he youngsters with a temporary advantage. After a few more holes the Oldies got rid of our advantage and ran away with a one stroke lead
Finally I arrived at the last hole of the course, the 18th hole. It isn’t the longest hole in the course but as silly as it may sound, this is where most golfers like us crumble with pressure like pastry. I took my drive which just rolled up the hill with an exceptional view of the hole. I peered into my golf bag, deciding what club to use next. I picked out my seven iron so it will balance between height and distance. I took my shot, which floated in the air perfectly. A few more shots similar to the previous and I have arrived on the green. I shouted to my dad “let’s see if you can hit a par to win”
“I bet you 5 bucks I will!!” he replied. I had to get a par or bogey to conquer this game.
I took a putt. Just rolled past the edge of the hole. My last putt to win. I measured the break of the green and the direction of the wind. I took a putt and the ball s l o w l y approached the hole and cup ponk!!!! It slipped into the hole. I had pulled in a victory for my group and I was named MVP (most valuable player) but I couldn’t have done it myself. The day passed and I had so much fun that I forgot to play any computer games.
I placed my tee in the grass with the ball on top. The tee seemed to pierce deep into the soil. I stood behind the ball and measured the wind, which blew through my hair. I stood behind the ball, waiting for the wind to calm down so I can take a nice straight shot. I went into my position, aimed my club head straight ahead and got ready to hit the ball. I took my first swing. The club dropped and took out a small patch of grass, but as I took my second shot, my club smacked the ball so hard that it shot the ball up in the air like a jet. As the ball soared through the air, it seemed to grow a propeller, engine and exhaust pipes. Finally it landed on the ground started rolling forward. It stopped just at the top of the hill with an excellent view of the hole and the fairway. This was my chance to start he youngsters with a temporary advantage. After a few more holes the Oldies got rid of our advantage and ran away with a one stroke lead
Finally I arrived at the last hole of the course, the 18th hole. It isn’t the longest hole in the course but as silly as it may sound, this is where most golfers like us crumble with pressure like pastry. I took my drive which just rolled up the hill with an exceptional view of the hole. I peered into my golf bag, deciding what club to use next. I picked out my seven iron so it will balance between height and distance. I took my shot, which floated in the air perfectly. A few more shots similar to the previous and I have arrived on the green. I shouted to my dad “let’s see if you can hit a par to win”
“I bet you 5 bucks I will!!” he replied. I had to get a par or bogey to conquer this game.
I took a putt. Just rolled past the edge of the hole. My last putt to win. I measured the break of the green and the direction of the wind. I took a putt and the ball s l o w l y approached the hole and cup ponk!!!! It slipped into the hole. I had pulled in a victory for my group and I was named MVP (most valuable player) but I couldn’t have done it myself. The day passed and I had so much fun that I forgot to play any computer games.
Glow Worm Caves
As my family and I entered the darkness of the Kawiti Glow Worm Cave the temperature dropped sufficiently and Goosebumps appeared on my bare hands and legs. A cold damp soft breeze brushed over me, anxiety caused adrenaline to race. Slowly, I followed my family in a single line formation; I was the safety person at the back - the sentry!
As we strode along the 200m trail inside the Kawiti glow worm cave the sight got better and better every time we took a step.
The cave led us into this narrow path and we had to configure ourselves to get through really tight spaces. Satisfaction led us to believe that we had conquered the challenging task that seemed like a real adventure. After approximately 15 minutes walk in the darkness, our eyes were struck and drawn by a gleaming light. We left the cave and had to take another 15 minutes of walking, but now in a forest. Beautiful sounds surrounded us as we walked and stared to get a glance at whatever made the walk so peaceful and relaxing. All too soon our journey came to an end. The exit sign made me feel a bit disappointed.
It was a great tour. Kawiti Glow worm Caves is a spectacular place I had a wonderful and exciting time.
As we strode along the 200m trail inside the Kawiti glow worm cave the sight got better and better every time we took a step.
The cave led us into this narrow path and we had to configure ourselves to get through really tight spaces. Satisfaction led us to believe that we had conquered the challenging task that seemed like a real adventure. After approximately 15 minutes walk in the darkness, our eyes were struck and drawn by a gleaming light. We left the cave and had to take another 15 minutes of walking, but now in a forest. Beautiful sounds surrounded us as we walked and stared to get a glance at whatever made the walk so peaceful and relaxing. All too soon our journey came to an end. The exit sign made me feel a bit disappointed.
It was a great tour. Kawiti Glow worm Caves is a spectacular place I had a wonderful and exciting time.
Gloomy Waitangi Day
Waking up in the dread of the frosty morning was the least of my problems. But getting out of bed was something different. My muscles barely mobile, I strained to get myself up on a gloomy Waitangi Monday.
My hopes were completely crushed as I spied through the blinds of my bedroom window wishing for my life that it was going to be a spectacular day for the beach. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t raining but I knew that it was going to soon. I could tell by the sombre look of the clouds and how the sun hid itself beneath a group of cumulus clouds so extraordinarily that not a speck of light showed itself. Not a single speck.
Although it was obvious that we were not going, it was odd to see that my sisters Agnes and Rosary were wearing their bathing suits and fashioning unbelievably broad smiles.
“What are you smiling for, I snorted, and we can’t be still going to the beach, can we?”
“We are, aren’t we Rosary,” Agnes said.
“Fat chance,” I muttered to myself.
“Bet you we are going Ben,” Agnes said. I laughed hysterically and poured milk into my cereal. I watched as the milk frothed around and around inside.
“What are you smiling for, I snorted, and we can’t be still going to the beach, can we?”
“We are, aren’t we Rosary,” Agnes said.
“Fat chance,” I muttered to myself.
“Bet you we are going Ben,” Agnes said. I laughed hysterically and poured milk into my cereal. I watched as the milk frothed around and around inside.
It was ten minutes later, and we were all piled inside our car heading in a northerly direction towards Browns Bay. I had no idea how this had happened, what had occurred to my parents minds? But it wasn’t like I didn’t want to go and it wasn’t raining either. So there really was no reason to complain. Reluctantly I had admitted defeat to Agnes and she curved her lips into a smirk and muttered something like “told you so.” I ignored her. The way to Browns Bay was going to be long and boring, but I couldn’t sleep because my brother was snoring so loudly that anyone within a five metre radius would lose their ears. Jokes!
Approximately forty five minutes later our car had pulled up into an available car park, and we were emptying it of our luggage. I shook my brother awake.
“Yo Joe, wake up.” He squinted at me through his baggy eyes, and closed them again saying nothing at all. I got the warning that if I tried again he would throw a tantrum. On one occasion he was almost close to punching me in the face. So I left him there, “Don’t come running to me if dad chucks you in the water,” I thought.
“Yo Joe, wake up.” He squinted at me through his baggy eyes, and closed them again saying nothing at all. I got the warning that if I tried again he would throw a tantrum. On one occasion he was almost close to punching me in the face. So I left him there, “Don’t come running to me if dad chucks you in the water,” I thought.
At exiting the car my feet collided with smoothness of the sand mixed with fresh grass. I glanced towards the grass hoping to find our picnic site. I saw it near a patch of sand, and the wind was blowing towards it. I thought this was one of the worst places to set site, and I think you’ll know why. My first and as always foremost option once arriving at the beach was to swim and I’m sure more than half the population of children there are in our world agree with me. But my parents (of course) didn’t let me, and more than half the parents that live on our world would have done the same thing. Lunch always came first on their list, and realising how hungry I was, it just wouldn’t make sense to wail and groan and plead as were the kids around me doing now. And the next thing I knew I was piling mounds of food onto a plastic plate and devouring every bit of it: corned beef, taro, chicken, and all that traditional Polynesian stuff. After about five minutes of pleading, my mum finally agreed that I could swim.
Splash! A face full of icy, brackish water crashed onto my face. It felt like I had been slapped in the face with a brand new thick sandal. I swam towards bigger waves to dive through. But an urging voice in my head told me to stay where I was. It was boring frolicking around in the water, doing nothing but well, bouncing around. It was getting windier and windier by the second, and I couldn’t help thinking about staying any longer. Nah! I should just stay, I thought to myself. Another gust of wind met my face, and I was suddenly under the water again, darting towards the sea bed. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t cold. It was probably because my body was getting used to the water. Seaweed clung onto my face and I brushed it off with my hand. Suddenly realising I couldn’t hold my breath any longer; I shot myself up to the surface, another cold gust of wind meeting my face. I noticed that I was alone because earlier my sisters were accompanying me, and now they were walking on the sand heading back towards the site. Coming to my senses I realised that everyone that I knew who was with me were gone. Kicking myself up from the water I followed them.
Arriving at the site I saw that there were mounds of leftover food on the mat. And before I could even reach out my hand my mum snapped at me telling me to get changed.
“You’ll eat after,” she said. I grinned and ran along to the changing rooms hurrying along in my wake.
“You’ll eat after,” she said. I grinned and ran along to the changing rooms hurrying along in my wake.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
A sporting start!
This year we have a Futsal team. We played our first game against another school last week. We played an excellent game as did our opponents Remuera Intermediate. The game ended in a draw. It was an excellent game. Many thanks to our Coach Mrs Manickum, her son Dylan and her nephew Callan. Can't wait for the next game!
This year we have a Futsal team. We played our first game against another school last week. We played an excellent game as did our opponents Remuera Intermediate. The game ended in a draw. It was an excellent game. Many thanks to our Coach Mrs Manickum, her son Dylan and her nephew Callan. Can't wait for the next game!
Greetings from Room 8 2012
Nga tahi tatou e tu - We stand together as one....
looking forward to another great year of learning.
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