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My Winter Learning Journey Prize pack for 3rd equal.

Prize Pack.

Guess what? I just won a prize and certificate for participating. I came 3rd equal with Mitchell in the Winter Learning Journey, which was created by Rachel Williamson from the University of Auckland. 

Big thanks to Rachel and her helpers Willy, Nicky and Jacinta for making this fun activity programme enjoyable.

I won

A packet of Pineapple Lumps

A cookie time Biscuit - Which I ate for lunch sorry

A pack of Milk Bottles

A Big Ben pie

Butterscotch candies

a Lorde Cd

a Pink scarf

and a pack of all blacks tattoos

a picture of a kiwi and a Certificate of Achievement

A Message from Rachel.

Let's Rock Term 3

Let's Rock Term 3 as it has just started. This terms topic is  "Guardians of the galaxy" which is based around space and the solar system or like we say Planet earth and beyond. This is the first immersion assembly I have been excited about.

It all started when Mr Somerville drove the drone in the hall as if it was a UFO it landed on the stage. When two look alike aliens came from know where and were saying harsh things they could do on earth. Mr Somerville and Mr Jacobson came with their lightsabers and fought the aliens.

Team 1's is looking at planets in space the three planets they showed in there video was the Moon, Sun and mars. Team 2's item was a remake of David Bowie's song written by Ms Gaston they will be focusing on space. Team 3's item was a video about days in there lives from Monday morning meetings to having fun in the weekends, there main focus is about days in their lives.
Team 4 made a video about there version of the Mars one project how they had kids work as if they worked for NASA, they sent all their teachers to space and apparently they all died while making there way to Mars. Finally Team 5 "THE BEST" did a live item were Mrs Judd sang a space version of Moana "How far i'll go".

My favorite was team 4 and 5 because they had interesting facts about what they are focusing on.

Day 7, Bonus Activity

After a long soak in the natural hot pools, it is time to get back home. Your family and friends can’t wait to see you and they can’t wait to hear all about your adventures. Take a moment to think about what you have seen and done over the past week.

On your blog, post a video or write a description about your week. What have you learned? What did you like about the trip? What didn’t you like? Was there anything that surprised you?

Winter Learning Journey 2017.  I have to admit when my parents said they were going to make me do the Winter Learning Journey, I was not happy.  It’s the school holidays!  I really wasn’t looking forward to doing any “school work” over the holidays.  My parents thought that it would be good for me to participate because I have a love-hate relationship with writing.  My parents promised that they would help to achieve learning journey activities.  

Reluctantly, I began the learning journey expecting that my parents would just forget about it.  You see we don’t have the internet at home, and we have to go to the local library or to my dad’s work and use the WIFI there.  I knew that my parents were helping out at my brother’s rugby school holiday program, so I wouldn’t have to do anything.  Yeah right!

My parents had actually read a lot about the weekly activities for the Winter Learning Journey and had planned for us to do things in and around Auckland.  In my video you will see that we actually visited a few places in Auckland, and tried to make paper mache ”Moa Eggs”, that didn’t really work out.  We are going to SkyTower this Sunday for my brother’s birthday, and we have a few more places to visit planned for this term.

What did I learn?

I want to go to Owhango to visit the Blue Duck Station

Having my family help me makes it FUN and less like schoolwork

New Zealand is an amazing country, and I get to live here

We all need to do our part to keep Aotearoa clean and beautiful

What did I like about the trip?

I got to visit places in New Zealand that I haven’t visited before, but am excited about visiting.

I liked seeing other people's learning about other endangered native wild-life

It didn’t cost a lot of money to visit the South Island

Was there anything that surprised you?

The Winter Learning Journey has been an experience that I have loved being a part of.  I was surprised how involved I became.

A huge THANK YOU to Rachel and the team for working really hard to put this all together.  I know it has helped me with my reading and writing.  But most importantly, my family have spent time together doing things we wouldn’t normally do.  We made some great memories and plans to make more.

Nga mihi aroha ki a koutou, ka kite ano...Na Olivia

Day 7, Activity 2

After you have finished up in Taupo, it is time to hop back in the car and head for Rotorua – a town where will have the chance for some much needed rest and relaxation. In fact, you will visit the Tarawera Bush Pool – a geothermal hot pool that is located in the middle of a forest. The warm water in the pool comes from underneath the ground. After a few hours in the pool you feel really relaxed.

On your blog, post a picture of yourself doing something relaxing.

Now this is my idea of relaxation...feet up and listening to music.  Ok and then drifting off to sleep.

Day 7, Activity 1

While in Taupo, you go for a walk around the lake and you notice pieces of rubbish floating in the water. You also notice that there is rubbish on the footpath. As you know, it is really important to put rubbish in the bin and keep New Zealand clean and beautiful for generations to come.

With that in mind, it is time think about what you can do to keep New Zealand beautiful. Use your imagination and come up with three things that you could do to make your neighbourhood more beautiful. Post your list on your blog ☺

How can I make my neighbourhood more beautiful?

1. Daily Exercise and Rubbish Pick-Up - as my family and I go for our morning exercise around our neighbourhood, we could pick up rubbish as we go and see who collected the most, gets out of dishes duty for the day.
2. Monthly Yard Help - My family and I could help the elderly people on our street with any yard work, rubbish collecting around their yards that might need doing.
3. I would really love to have a doggy do-do bag dispenser and doggy do-do bin set up somewhere in our neighbourhood.  This would help with doggy do-do we have on people's’ lawns.

I think that if I did these things this would help my neighbourhood look more beautiful.

Day 6, Bonus Activity

As part of the Matariki festival, there is a two day Kapa Haka competition. The haka is a traditional war dance that Maori performed before going into battle. The haka is now performed by children/adults in the community and by professional sporting teams, including our national rugby team, the ‘All Blacks.’  The All Blacks have performed various haka over the years. Watch the following three haka videos (1 – 3) and, on your blog, list the haka videos in order from best (#1) to worst (#3). There are no right or wrong answers ☺

#1. World Cup 2015 – All Blacks vs Argentina result 26-16 (RWC 2015 Match)

#2. All Blacks vs South Africa 2016 ( 41-13) ABS Win

#3. Rugby World Cup 2011- All Blacks vs France (RWC 2011 8-7) ABs win! Piri

HAKA REVIEW

I think I have mentioned before that my family is RUGBY MAD!  So I felt it only right to invite my family to watch and rate the 3 haka performances.  We all agreed that every haka is special, amazing and powerful, but some haka were that much more special because they helped to set the tone for the All Blacks and go them hyped up.   

1st Place

#3. Rugby World Cup 2011- All Blacks vs France

(Piri Weepu, Ali Williams, Richard Kahui were awesome in this haka)

2nd Place

#1. World Cup 2015 – All Blacks vs Argentina.

3rd Place

#2. All Blacks vs South Africa 2016

Day 6, Activity 2

After visiting Shag Point, you hop back in the van and drive all the way up the east coast of the south island until you reach the town of Picton. You get out of the van and onto the Interislander ferry. It travels back across the Cook Strait to Wellington. Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and every winter the city hosts a huge Matariki festival to celebrate the Maori New Year. This year part of the festival is being held at Te Papa, a big museum in Wellington.

Read about the Matariki festival at Te Papa.  There are so many different things to see and do at the festival this year. On your blog, tell us about three of the events. You can choose any three events that you wish.

https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/sites/default/files/matariki-rising.jpg

Wow!  Te Papa celebrates Matariki in a big way.  Not only are they doing lots of things here at Te Papa, but all over Wellington.  I have picked 3 events I would really loved to have gone to.

1. Nga Kai o Matariki: Celebrating Maori Cuisine - Food!  Food!  Glorious Food!  I love food and so does my family.  I would have loved to have learnt how to make some traditional Maori kai as well as taste test some as well.  I did see that Sarah and Jay from My Kitchen Rules were going to be speaking as well.
2. Star Weave Jam - This was an event where people could join in and make an 8 point star out of ribbon, to raise awareness about domestic violence.  Lots of people from around the world, had joined the project and sent stars that they had made to join with those made during Matariki here in New Zealand.  I like to do arts and crafts, but also this would have been for a good cause.
3. Kaumatua Kapa Haka - how awesome to watch kuia and koro perform some old waiata.  My grand-uncle, Michael and his wife were part of this event.  I would have loved to have watched them.

Day 6, Activity 1

Let’s imagine that you were on the first waka to arrive at Shag Point. You had never been to New Zealand before and you had no idea what to expect. Write a poem describing how you would have felt when you arrived in New Zealand. Would you have been excited or scared? I would have felt pretty nervous, I reckon…

We came from afar

All I see are ngā kapua ma (white clouds)

What if the people are freaky

In this whenua kakariki (green earth)

Hey wait we are the only ones here

There really is no need to fear

A beautiful home we will make

Aotearoa is ours to take

*Thanks for the help Mum and Dad

Day 5, Activity 2

After the adventure at The Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve, you are pretty happy to get back into the shuttle van and continue with your road trip. Over the next few hours you travel up and over the Southern Alps, arriving in the city of Christchurch to eat lunch. You have a delicious meal at a café downtown and then hop back into the van to travel to Twizel, a small town at the base of Aoraki-Mt Cook. Mt Cook is the largest mountain in New Zealand. It is also the mountain where Sir Edmund Hillary trained for his climb up Mt Everest – the tallest mountain in the world. Sir Edmund Hillary is very famous because he was the first person to ever reach the top of Mt Everest!

Now it is your turn to learn about a famous New Zealander. Use Google to research one famous person from New Zealand and then create a DLO (Digital Learning Object) and post it on your blog. Be sure to include: 1. The name of the famous person, 2. Where they were born, 3. Why they are famous, and 4. Two other interesting facts about them.

Day 5, Activity 1

After a few hours in the car, you, your group and Curious Kiwi arrive at your first stop – The Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve. It is a beautiful, regional park located at the base of the Southern Alps. You and your group get out of the van and follow Curious Kiwi. He is going to lead you on a short walk through the park. As you start walking, you notice a really cool looking tree on the side of the trail and you stop to take a closer look. When you turn back, the group (and Curious Kiwi) is nowhere to be found. Eek! You are all alone in the middle of a strange forest.

For this activity write a short story (8-10 sentences) about what might happen next. Please be sure to include lots of details about what you might be feeling, seeing and doing after you realise that you are all alone in the forest...

No way!  It can’t be…

Hey guys, look at that tree over there, it looks just like Bruno Mars...only greener, and more wood-like.  Guys?  Hey guys?  

I turn back to see that no-one is behind me.  I can’t even hear any other voices, no footsteps.  Surely, I can’t have moved that far from the group.  I was just excited about this tree.  Actually, the more I look at it close up, it looks just like every other tree here.

My heart starts to beat a little faster, my eyes flit this way and that, hoping to catch a glimpse of Curious Kiwi’s hi-vis vest.  I am surrounded by the sounds of the bush.  I am starting to panic.  I hate being alone in the dark.  It feels cold here in the forest, I don’t like the idea of staying here in the dark forest, alone.  I begin to cry.  I don’t know what else to do, if I try to walk back the way I think I came, I could get more lost.

I say a little prayer hoping that someone will find me soon, I don’t want to be stuck here.  As soon as I finish my prayer, I begin to feel better.  I know that I am going to be fine.

Day 4, Activity 2

After a morning of learning about beached whales in Golden Bay, you and your group are driven to a nearby town, Nelson, to watch a special movie called ‘Whale rider.’ It is a famous movie about a young girl who was born and raised in New Zealand. Watch the following movie trailers for Whale Rider: Whale Rider trailer #1 and Whale Rider Trailer #2 and then write a summary of the movie on your blog. What is it about? Be sure to also give the movie a rating out of 5 based on the trailer [1 = bad movie, 2 = okay movie, 3 = pretty good, 4 = good movie, 5 = excellent movie].

http://www.incrementa.ca/leadership-succession-whale-rider/

Name of the Film: Whale Rider

Based on a book “The Whale Rider”, written by a famous New Zealand author, Witi Ihimaera.

Where is it set?

The movie is set in beautiful New Zealand, in Auckland and a place on the East Coast of New Zealand called Whangara.  Interesting fact: My grandfather lived here when he was a little boy, before moving to Gisborne.

What is the movie about?

This movie is about a girl named Paikea.  The name of an old Maori tupuna of hers, that arrived in Aotearoa on the back of a whale.  The name was handed down to firstborn boys only.  

Paikea’s naming causes disagreements in her family.  Her koro (grandfather) claims that because of Paikea, their family has experienced hardships and trials.  

In an attempt to make things right, Paikea’s koro tries to train up the other firstborn boys in the area.  Paikea is left out and is then taught the skills that all the boys are learning by another man, her uncle perhaps..

I think this movie teaches about the traditions of Maori, love and courage.

Who are the stars?

Keisha Castle Hughes, Cliff Curtis.  Witi Ihimaera was an Associate Producer

Rating:

[1 = bad movie, 2 = okay movie, 3 = pretty good, 4 = good movie, 5 = excellent movie].

I would rate this movie a 4=good movie.  

I think my family and I will try and watch this before the holidays finish.  Will keep you posted.

Day 4, Activity 1 Whale Rider

By the end of Day #3, you have seen a lot of the north island of New Zealand.  Hopefully you have enjoyed it and you’re excited for the next phase of your journey – the ferry trip across the Cook Strait from the bottom of the north island to the top of the south island. You will spend the next two days exploring the south island before you head back up to Auckland, via Wellington (the capital city of New Zealand).

When you arrive in the south island, Curious Kiwi rents a shuttle van and drives your group from Picton (the town where the ferry dropped you off) to a beautiful beach on the opposite side of the island. The beach area is called Golden Bay and, at one end of the bay, is a stunning area called Farewell Spit.

Farewell Spit has been in the news recently as a number of whales accidentally swam into the spit and became stuck on the beach. They were unable to swim back to the ocean because the water was too shallow. Many local people tried to save the ‘beached’ whales. Please follow this Farewell Spit link to learn more about what happened. On your blog, describe what the local people did to try and save the beached whales.

Photo: RNZ / Michael Crop

What did the locals do to save the beached whales

• The locals tried to keep the whales wet
• Cover them if they could with wet cloths/materials
• Keep the whale’s blowholes clear
• Freedom campers offered their towels, t-shirts and sarongs to drape over the whales.
• People used bins, water bottles, cooking pots, mixing bowls, almost anything they could find to fill with water to keep the whales wet.
• Locals/volunteers work until nightfall.

For a lot of the locals and those that volunteered, I imagine it would have been an emotional experience.  I would have liked to have been there to help as well.

Day 3, Bonus Activity

A really cool new website called Wild Eyes has recently been launched in New Zealand. It is a programme for students who want to complete fun activities (called ‘missions’), take pictures and post them on the Wild Eyes site. For this bonus activity, go to the Wild Eyes site and complete the ‘Giant Moa Discovery’ mission. To earn full points you must post a picture of your Moa on the Wild Eyes website and on your personal blog site. The Wild Eyes team and I can’t wait to see what you create!

You are not going to believe this...but I believe that the photo below is absolute proof that Moa are in fact alive and living in the Hawkes Bay area.  Napier to be exact.  I took this photo yesterday while staying in Napier.  

Believe it or not?!?

Day 3, Activity 2

After your great visit to the Otorohanga bird house it is time to hop back onto the bus and head towards the Hawke’s Bay – your resting place for the evening. Hawke’s Bay is a beautiful region of New Zealand. It is known for its wineries and gorgeous scenery. When you arrive in Napier, the largest city in the region, you go for a walk through Waitangi Regional Park and notice that many of the leaves on the native trees have been damaged. Curious Kiwi tells you that they were damaged by possums, non-native predators, from Australia. People in New Zealand are working hard to trap and kill these predators. Their goal is to remove all of the possums (and other predators) by 2050. Go to the ‘Predator Free 2050 website’ to read more about their work.

On your blog, tell us whether you agree that New Zealand should be predator free. In your opinion, is it right to kill all of the predators (eg. possums) or should we just leave them alone? On your blog tell us what you think and give us, at least, three reasons why you think this way.

In my opinion, I agree that New Zealand should be predator free.  Is it right to kill all of the predators or should we just leave them alone?

I feel that we do have a right to kill the predators because if they are left to continue to kill our native wildlife, they will be killing wildlife that are unique to Aotearoa.  Those creatures that make New Zealand, New Zealand.

Possum are only one of the many predators that are threatening our native creatures.  Possum should be killed for the following reasons

• Possum are able to breed much faster than those creatures that are native to NZ.  I read that a possum gives birth to 16-20 (often more) babies, only 12-13 days after mating. (The Opossum - Wildlife Rescue League www.wildliferescueleague.org/pdf/opossum6.pdf)
• Possum are eating the native creatures babies/eggs/food
• Possums carry a disease called bovine Tb (tuberculosis) which they spread to cattle.  We export meat, and other byproducts of cattle that help keep our country economy healthy
• We can use their fur for clothing, use the meat for our domestic pets food

In an ideal world, New Zealand would be predator free and our native wildlife would continue to live in peace.

Once you have finished your blog post, it is time to relax for the evening. You and your friends have a nice dinner and then head to bed. You are just about to fall asleep when you hear something moving around outside your hotel. It sounds like a large bird. Maybe it’s a Moa…

To learn more about the Moa bird go to the bonus activity for today!