Woodend camp

Woodend camp

“The wheels on the bus go round and round” chanted all the children, we sang and sang to finally we had come to a holt. 

We all started to pile out of the bus and started to rummage around to try find our bags. 

By the time we had found our bags we had set off to our cabin, “The Spice Girls”, as we had named it. Luckily our cabin was straight next to the toilets. So that fixes the long night walk to the bathroom. 

After the “Who's on top bunk” debate was over we headed out to get ready for our first meal, morning tea. There were piles of lollie cake, chocolate Brownies and cakes coated with icing. 

I hope next time I go, will be just as fun.

 

By Bronte Morgan 

Trip to the glaciers

Trip to the glaciers 

It was one of those bitter cold days in Franz-Josef that my family decided to see the glaciers. When we arrived I shut the car door a huge gust of icy wind whizzed past my frozen face. The time was already 10:00 so we decided to set off. We walked past massive chunks of ice cubes, some were floating around on chilled out rivers like stranded ice islands. It had already been 2 hours before we reached a gigantic look out based on a iced cliff face. I decided to have a good look around to get my barrings. I stumbled over nervously to the metal rails, then I took a snippet of a look down. It felt like I was standing on at least 50 skyscrapers. I felt this seedy feeling wash over me. Well that's all I can remember about Franz Josef.

Hockey A team poem

Hockey A Team 

Butterflies tumble,

throughout our stomach.

The excitement rushes,

up your spine, 

turns everything upside down.

Tie your damp shoe laces,

before the game starts.

Hear the whistle blow,

Here we come... 

Race as fast as we can,

getting the ball, 

down the long field,

The balls gets closer,

and closer to the goal,

Then  finally, 

bang!!!  

The ball hit the goal line. 

Victory in the air,

For the A hockey team!

Reflection

Reflection

For science I have been learning about our local waterways. As a class we looked at a range of topics which included looking at the importance of invertebrates, impact of pollution and to educate the public.

Some of the resources we used we're going on school trips. The first place we went to was the water pumping station. We went to the water pumping station because it showed us how the water got around to all the different places safely. The second place we went to was the groynes. At the groynes we learnt about the importance of invertebrates and they also taught our class how to find invertebrates,also how to tell the difference between them.  

For our end of term celebration, I chose to focus on water monitoring. Water monitoring is one of the ways to see if the water is polluted. It includes testing the pH, turbidity, TDS (total dissolved solids), the smell and the temperature.   

I enjoyed doing water monitoring because you learn heaps of things that you don’t learn every day also it’s fun trying to test the water a learning about all the equipment. The most challenging thing was getting all the work done in time for the end of term celebration.     

For writing we got to choose a invertebrate to learn more about their everyday life. I chose a common Smelt, these are some of the facts i’ve learnt.

Smelt are known as cucumber fish 

They are canervills (they eat meat)

Smelt threats are loss of habitats, fishing

Those are only some of the facts I learnt.

By Bronte     

Compare and contrasting                                                                

Water boatman & Smelt

The water boatman is a tiny invertebrate that lives in a  freshwater habitat. A water boatmen has stripes that run along its oval shaped  body. The water boatman had 6 legs and it has 3 body parts which are the head,thorax and abdomen. The water boatmen uses bubbles to breath under water. The water boatman's threats are loss of habitat due to pollution.

In contrast the smelt, another freshwater species, Is the smallest fish in the world and it has scales along its thin body. The smelt also has four shiny little fins. Unlike the water boatman's breathing technique the smelt needs gills to breathe in water . The smelts threats are similar to the waterboatman because it is also threatened by loss of habitat due to pollution, but the smelt have another different threat which is people fishing for them, even though smelt are hard to catch.

It is unusual that the smelt is also threatened by the water boatman because they can eat and the Whitebait, which is a baby smelt, but when the smelt is an adult they are predators of waterboatman.

By Bronte and John

  

Water monitoring process

Water monitoring process

First we filled a little jar with fresh river water.Then We checked the PH of the water to see if the water was healthy. We checked the pH with this yellow strip of paper which was called indicator paper. You dip the the paper into the water and wait to till it has changed colour then take it out and see if it is healthy water. We check the PH because if the water is too acidic it is bad for the living things in it.

Secondly we had to check the temperature of the water with a thermometer we did that by sticking the thermometer in the water and waiting till the red line has reached a number then you take it out.

Thirdly

We had to check the turbidity .We checked the turbidity with a journal which had 4 numbers 9,14,24,40, the numbers we can see through the water will depend on how clear or cloudy the water is. We did this because if the water is cloudy it means that there must be sand or dirt it the water. This can affect the living things which we need to have in the water to keep the water healthy.

Fourthly we check the water to see if it smelled funny. We did this because it is important to make sure that the water doesn't smell funny because if it does there must be something harmful in the water polluted it.

Overall, we discovered that most of the time are water was healthy and I also learnt that it is important to look after water, and I also learnt how careful you should be with water.

BY BRONTE

                              Testing the PH

We want to test vinegar because we want to find out how acidic vinegar and what the PH is. We are trying two different vinegars to see if they have a different PH.Vinegar number one is white vinegar. We predict that the PH of this is 5. Number two is raw Apple cider vinegar.  We think that this is going to be the most acidic  one and it might turn to yellow or orange.

Results

Number one (white vinegar)                            

PH 3

Notes

Dark orange

Went dark straight away

This one is more acidic

Number two (Raw  Apple cider vinegar)

PH 4

Notes

Light orange

Went light orange fast

This one is less acidic       

Overall...

We discovered that raw apple cider vinegar is less acidic than white vinegar. We think this is

because the sugar makes it more natural.

By Auzu,Evie and Bronte

leaf

                                  Leaf

It looks like  a muddy brown colour with banana yellow strokes across the middle line. The leaf is thin, it has jagged edges and it looks like big long claws reaching out.On the back there's rusty dirty brown veins running through it.The stem has a long hock pointing out on the bottom.

Long but tender stem as still as tree. Smooth but bumby veins glide up to the top of the leaf. Flexible all over,every long finger reaching out has a different feel

The leaf smells damp old bark been rotted for decades some parts smell fresh pollen but with a smear  of coconut chocolate.

The leaf sounds like sandpaper being rubbed against wood also it rustle in the cool fresh breeze blowing.Sometimes it sounds like rain poring down.

                             By Bronte

How lightning came to be in the sky

Many years ago there was there a God called Uira God of land he was so so so bossy. There was a boy called Rangi he loves lightning and adventures and he is not afraid of anything.

One day Rangi decided that he would go fishing and he wanted it to be a secret so that he could prove that he is better than his brothers so he did. He chose the best sunshine day ever and when that day came Rangi tip toed and pulled the waka out to the glittering blue sea. He rowed out deeper and deeper into the water till it was perfect. It then got really cold so he decided to go back home.

When Rangi got home it was so so cold that he had to light a fire. That night there was a mighty thunderstorm. There was thunder and lightning. The thunderstorm was very very long, so long that Rangi was so angry with Uira about the thunderstorm so he said to Uira "why did you make lightning on the ground!? Me and my whanau have been up all night minding our burns. Why don't you have it in the sky? Why why why!!! "Uira was so taken back to be honest he never had thought of it. Well why not! So that is why lightning is now in the sky.

By Bronte

How lightning came to be in the sky

Easter holiday

EASTER HOLIDAYS

As I helped with sheraing the sheep I learnt the you must do it otherwise Flie Strike will eat your sheeps bottom which will kill it.

Bronte Morgan

EASTER HOLIDAYS 

What if?

WHAT IF?

What if lightning was on the ground?

What if lightning was not hot?

What if lightning was blue?

What if lightning was a straight line?

By Bronte

Sunflower blessing

Sun flower blessing

I will give you the sweetness of honey and I will

give you the best of the welcoming nod

I will give you the delicate smooth feeling when someone touches your petals

I will give you the most beautiful sun kissed tan

That anyone who sees you will think you are a beautiful flower.

And your job will be to put layer upon layer of intricate patterns as fine as the finest nautilus shell, each a different hue and blend.

Bea 

It was summer

What does summer smell like?

Summer smells like fresh pollen.  

Do you remember

Listening to the buzzing bees

and watching the sea salt waves?

Do you remember smelling the steaming hot sausages

and the time when you tried to get to sleep but you just couldn't?

That was summer.