Mount Sewell: Transitioning to Year 11

The first moment as I walk around the ridge upon the sealed road, and into the open mountain
top, a strong breeze catches my hair making it twist and swirl above my head. My eyes lookout
across the land of hills, paddocks, rivers and roads. My sight stretches as far as the hills behind
Hokitika where the clouds cover the mountain tops. The road takes me around the peak of
mount sewell until a flat terrace of rock stretches out over what has to a 500m drop. Just
scanning the waving tree tops and remains of fallen rocks makes my stomach churn.

While I walk past the cell tower among the many buildings and other aerials, the wind made
them sway back and forth as though they aren't quite stable. Looking over the West coast
landscape even on a a murky day; is breathtaking. Standing 830m above sea level and being
able to see from far north right down to south past Hoki, is such an awesome feeling. Knowing
that I just completed a 2 hour walk up Mt sewell and that the travel down is still to come, makes
me not want to leave such a majestic place.

English- Creative writing (Senses & language features): Hunted

Hunted

I've been on the lookout for days now, watching waiting hiding. I've stayed to the line of the bush, not quite entering its depths but walking through the grass plains. The sharp and hay like grass brushes past my legs as my feet crunch along the dry dusty dirt. These lands are so different compared to the wet and ever so soggy jungle. It's so hot it feels like the sun is melting my skin like im a wax figure, only for a bead of sweat to roll down my forehead. As I wander through the vast lands a smell drifts by, something familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it. That is until I look across the dry land and through the heat waves settling on the horizon, I see it…

As my vision focused I can see a carcass lying in the grass circled by three lions tearing into its raw flesh. Up above the feast, multiple vultures fly through the air squawking and arguing about the feast below.

I creep into the safety of the thick bush, but before it surrounds me my foot catches on a rock and I tumble to the ground, bringing down sticks and low hanging branches with me. Before I can muster the energy to get back on my feet, i hear the low roar of lion addressing the sound of my situation. I feel my heart pound like it wants to leap out of my chest.

I hear the increase of birds squawking, I look back to see the vultures dive bombing the carcass, as the lions start a low jog towards me leaving the scraps behind. Without even noticing I’ve climbed back to onto my feet and am bouncing my way through the forest, over fallen branches and around twisted vines.

Statistics: Maths

Statistics: the practice or science of collecting and analysing numerical data in large quantities, especially for the purpose of inferring proportions in a whole from those in a representative sample.

Can you use statistics to improve your sporting performance?

Yes you could use statistics in your sport to improve your performance e.g: I could record my goal shooting in a game of hockey and put it into a graph to show my data. Therefore giving me statistics and so I can analyse my game performance. 

Year 10 Assessment: Connections

Summarising

Summarising

This week in English we have been learning to summarise and use it in our writing and literacy. To summarise means to give a brief statement or use the main points of a paragraph and shorten it. You can use summarising in any literacy piece.

An example before we summarise: 

"Jen never liked P.E, she was always made fun of in school. Until later in life a friend made her go to the hospital, she later found out she had hip dysplaysia. Now jen became a personal trainer to encourage and support people who went through what she did."

How to summarise:

1. Take the main points of the story and bullet point them. e.g:

• Jen never liked P.E
• Jen later found she had hip dysplasia
• Now Jen became a personal trainer 

      2. Now to summarise you need to use the main components you found and put them into a sentence e.g: 

"Jen never liked P.E, Jen later found the reason... she had hip dysplaisa. Now Jen became a personal trainer to help others." 

Now you have a complete sentence built up of all the main points from the story, we have created a shorter and simpler version of the first paragraph. 

Why we use summarising:

We use summarising to give a shorter description of a story or piece of literacy, as it creates an easier version to understand rather than reading a whole paragraph.

Overcoming challenges

This week in English we have been setting ourselves challenges e.g: for community, personal activities or interviewing an athlete . I chose to create a project for the community.

 I believe i can introduce something fun and exciting to a community where everyone doesn't have the same physical attribute but can still participate.

My big question is: what activity/sport can be introduced to the community that everyone can use no matter the physical ability.
My idea is to create an activity or game that will build interest for the community while both having fun and becoming fitter.

• Ideas so far: 

1. Bungee cord run 
2. Bouncy pillow
3. Climbing centre
4. New High school swimming pool
5. Ice skating centre

If you have an idea or suggestion leave a comment below.

My Place: Cable Bay

The Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Tēnā Koutou katoa

        Tēnā Koutou

Ko Alyssa ahau.

Nᅙ Mawhera

Tēnā  Koutou katoa.

Tikanga: Karakia

Tuia i runga

Bind above

Tuia i raro

Bind below

Tuia i whao

Bind without

Tuia i roto

Bind within

Tuia te here tangata

Bind together the people

Ka rongo te ao

Plan for the day

Ka rongo te po

By looking to the past

Tihei mauri ora!

Behold the sneeze of life

Tikanga: Music

Modern VS Moari Music

Modern NZ Music

The modern music in New Zealand is really any type of music but the top 40 songs are mostly pop songs. Although in New Zealand they still do kapa haka which is an avenue for Maori people to express and showcase their heritage and cultural through song and dance. So i guess modern music in New Zealand can be whatever you like and want it to be.

Traditional Maori Music

Traditional Maori music, usually concludes of voices and sounds of hands and feet being moved to make a sound. Maori music and dance was used on battlefields to make peace with other Maori tribes.

Traditional Maori music can also be used for prayers. Not only can it be used to connect with the Maori gods, but also for funerals and ceremonies.

Maori Instruments

One of the pure maori inventions is called a pūtorino. A pūtorino  occurs nowhere else in Polynesia or in the world.

It is a wooden trumpet varying in length from 9 to 20 in. and has an uneven bore, swelling out to the centre and diminishing evenly towards the lower end, where the pipe is quite narrow and either completely closed or has a very small opening.

A purerehua is another traditional instrument crafted by Maoris. Usually made from wood. The purerehua is spun in circles to make awesome sounds.

Not only is the Purerehua used to make beautiful music but also to connect with spirits.

The Purerehua is usually crafted out of bones from past elders or pero meaning dog. The reason these were crafted out if bones was because they usually meant a lot to the families.

One way of keeping their elders alive at heart was to use the bones as when played the sound comes from them, there fore the elder is still making sounds.

Tikanga: Tangaroa The god of Sea

Tangaroa

Tangaro is the son of  Ranginui and brother of  Rongo, Tūmatauenga, Haumia, and Tane

Papatuanuku and the Tangaroa is the god of the sea.  Tangaroa was attacked by his brother  Tawhirimatea (the god of storms.) And so he was forced to live at sea.

The contention between Tangaroa and Tāne, the father of birds, trees, and humans, is an indication that the Māori thought of the ocean and the land as opposed dimensions. When people go out to sea to fish or to travel, they are in are representatives  of Tāne entering the dimension of Tāne's enemy. And so it is important that offerings were are given to Tangaroa before any such adventures.

Amazing Year 8 Challenges!!!

Year 8 Challenge #6 Tramping

On Monday the 21st, I woke up excited and enthusiastic to go tramping at Mikonui flats. Travelling to school felt like it took forever. 

Sleeping in a 4 person tent with 5 people was the most awkward sleep ever. As we were all got crushed, and apparently I was kneeing Hannah's ribcage. And I was also apparently humming in the middle of the night. 

A couple of years ago on a tramp, somebody put what's called "THE STONE" in my teachers pack. "The stone" is a medium weight stone that has been painted green. On the tramp this year I was the unlucky camper. Just before we were about to leave the carpark, Mr S-W came up to me and said "I'm just doing a pack check." I found this a little strange as he had checked nobody else's pack. As we walked to the campsite I thought I felt lopsided in my pack but chose to ignore it. Towards the end of the day, I was unpacking my pack when I came across "THE STONE." I was a little annoyed but mostly surprised he snuck it into my pack. 

One of my favourite parts of the trip would be when I ignored 

the brain freezing water and jumped off a rock. It wasn't that high but it was still nerve-racking to jump off, especially to dive. I was so scared I was going to bellyflop into the water, but apparently, I was graceful and I just slipped into the water.

Another highlight of the tramp would be river crossing. We crossed the Tuke river. It was surprisingly deep, but i had no worries as we crossed in groups. I can't wait for my next challenge!

BRING IT ON!!!

Mad Lib Theatre

This week for writing, my class chose to do mad libs. We started off with a Titanic scene and performed them on the green screen.  I am currently working on a scene from Jurassic Park. Creating Mad libs, don't just improve your Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Verbs, Adverbs etc. But also, your confidence towards stage performances. Mad libs have opened up a wide range of new words to my vocabulary list. In the Titanic scene, I acted as Rose and Emma was John. 

My Debate Journey

We just had our 6th class debate!!! For me, debating is very difficult for me as I dislike speaking in front of a class. I also had to go up against some very feisty competition, the first time I had to this I let her overpower me, but as this being my 6th debate I stood up to her and tried to rebut her as best I could.

Debating has taught me to : Use effective Google Search techniques, evaluate websites, argue a point of view, check if websites are scholarly, paraphrase someone else’s research, take on a role within a debate team, whether it be the opening statement, main argument (& crazy crossfire), rebuttal and collaborate with my teammates to organise our arguments.

TEMPLE BASIN PHOTOS

Most epic 3 days EVER!

I have been on many, many class trips before but this had to be the most epic! At the start of the year, my class was finding it hard to work together and look out for our peers, But this trip brought out the best in all of us. Skiing is a difficult sport to learn especially since you fall over and over, but my class didn't just leave that person to get up themselves, they would go over and help. It was so cool to see my class working together.

Usually, I don't like travelling on through the pass, but the car trip turned out to be hilarious, as we covered just about every topic from Brothers to flattened bunnies. Even the hike up the mountain was fun, as we took 2 walkie-talkies up the mountain. A few people were so excited to see snow and went crazy throwing snowballs every minute. Calder through so many snowballs and they all went down my back. A bit later on Calder was waiting for some people to catch up, so I went up and dumped a massive chunk of snow over his head, and it all got stuck in his sunglasses.

The first day of skiing was a little hard for me as, all my friends were either way up the top of temple or at the bottom learning to ski. So I had nobody to learn new skills off, that was until on the second day when I took a leap of confidence and tried to go to the very top of temple. Unfortunately, on 1 part of the tow rope I didn't see a rock and I face planted into a patch of rushers. It was hilarious just laying upside down in a patch of rushers.

The instructor did say " Temple basin is really hard to learn to ski, but if you can ski here, you can ski anywhere!" I may have fallen over so many times, but I got up and tried again just as many. Going skiing was the most EPIC time EVER!

Basketball Season

This basketball season was epic! Last night's score was 51-6, to us. I scored 5 shots and missed a lot. Playing basketball was awesome, it was so fun! This was my first year playing basketball, towards the end of the year I got a lot better at shooting and dribbling. I definitely recommend playing basketball as it is super fun and you don't have to be really competitive to play.

Human Biology - Science