The rocking quake

Shaking, rocking, rolling, murmuring those are all words that I could use for what happened on Saturday the 8th of December at about 7:19am. This is what happened.

Ally and I were in our beds talking when I got up to turn the T.V on. Suddenly the ground started to shake. I made a slight movement. I saw and I felt it to get heavier. The ground rolled and grumbled.

My mum called out to us, 'Courtney! Ally!'

We walked to the hallway. My mum and dad were waiting for us.My dad ran straight for our T.V. Now Ally realizes how much my dad loves his T.V.

After the earthquake Ally and I went back to my room and watched T.V.

Courtney

Bike Safety

We have been doing bike safety for the last 1 and a half weeks. Mr Marshall, a police officer, has been coming into our school to teach as how to  be safe while riding a bike on the road. The first day when we started training, we got split in to 2 groups.  Group 1 went on to the field , where we were taught how to make a right turn. We have to look back while putting our hand out and going into the middle of the road, looking left and right on the fied.
While group 1 was on the field, group 2 went on the front court doing "Check back". That is when you ride your bike between the lines and look back and say what you can see.
Then there is slow ride. This game is when you ride your bike with someone and see who can be the slowest while being timed.
Then slalem. Slalem is when you have to see if you can go around the cones without running over them.Then the last activity is U turns. U turns are when you go around a cone box. There is a big box you go in and a small one you go in. When I went through the box I ran over the cones.

 We all had fun day learning how to ride a bike.

Dusan and Kaleb.

My truck

My truck has four wheels. It is long. It can pick up rubbish. Jasmine and Casey helped me make this truck. I built it with blocks . We made a plane too. It can fly. You can wind out the green knob on the truck to hold things. It can move. It didn't take long to make.
Kaleb

Skull

My uncle and his two dogs and my brother and dad and I  went for a walk by the dump. Last time my uncle went to the track he found a skull. He gave it to me and I didn’t know what animal skull it was. At school we searched it on Google and  I found out it was a possum skull.

Sylvia

The Bandits

This is the part were the bandits got trapped. They got trapped because they put the whole town of Buckaroo in dark hole.The family trapped the bandits for what they did.They had victory and celebrated. All the people of Buckaroo knitted.

by Capri and Millie

The Mayor

When I was on stage I was only a bit nervous. I had the best clothes in the play The Sheriff of Plain and Purl. I played the Mayor. I'm the richest one in the town, and I was very vain. I sang a song and it said I was egotistical. My solo song was "Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble".
Next year I am doing one more. I want to audition for Bugsy.

William

When I went fishing

I still remember the day I went fishing.
I caught this really big fish 27cm long 14cm width. I never wanted to touch it because it was really "yucky".
I think it was a gurnard. It was. I took it hometo cook it.
"Yummy," I said. "Gurnard is my favourite fish," I said.
My brother and sister were cathing small fish. I laughed. " Hahahaha!"
I caught the fish at Perfume Point. I catch lots of big

fish there. I have a pink rod. I like my rod because its pink.

Jasmine

kapahaka

Last night at Tamatea Intermediate the Kapahaka group from Porritt Primary and other schools performed for the audience.
The boys had to wear only shorts and the girls had to wear their dresses.
The massed songs that we sang were Maori hangi tonight,Utaina,Omarapiti and the audience could join too.
First the juniors went up and perfored for the audience.
Then the seniors went up and perfored for the audience too.
The songs we sang was Toia mai,Te whero,Utaina.
The bit that I liked whas when we did the Haka with the other boys.

JT

white pine bush and lake opouahi

Last Tuesday we went to white pine bush.
We went for a walk around the bush with Pip and Kingi. They showed us plants and trees.
Next we went to Lake Opouahi we planted some trees. We had to be careful not to dig too deep and don't eat the tree lollies and don't pull the plant bit.
Then after that we went to walk around Lake Opouahi bush and pip showed us a weta and traps then we went home.
There were different kinds of trees like kahikatia and ongaonga. Ongaonga is spikey and it's poisonous.
It was fun and exciting.

Capri

The ducks

The ducks are having a nap or trying to keep warm, and to protect them from the
ghostly cold frost, straight for them killing the summer.
The water stands still, gleaming like hundreds of smashed diamonds. The trees fear as the wind tears apart the leaves and the frost zooms on the branches killing them all.
All the ducks try to find a safe place to keep themselves warm. They try to find a warm spot to rest.
Thinking about how cold their webbed feet will be, probably in the Atlantic. Wondering if the ducks are excited to be warm and cosy for summer to come, and so the leaves grow back on the branches.

Dusan

tree planting

Yesterday room13 and room15 went to White Pine Bush and Lake Opouahi.
Kingi and Pip looked after room13 and some of room15 and Kingi almost fell off the side of the edge of a cliff and some of room13 slipped but Benjamin slipped on his butt when we ran down the hill.
There was lots of mud and it was squishy and there were a lot of trees. Kingi was showing us the inside. There were eggs in the trap. The kiwis were asleep in the bushes but you couldn't see them. We planted trees. You had to dig a hole in the ground then you have to take the plastic bag off the tree and put a tree lolly in the hole.
Justus

Olympic Ceremony

In the weekend, the Olympics began with a ceremony in London.
First of all everybody gathered in the Olympic stadium, ready for the ceremony.
Then the ceremony began with a countdown starting from ten. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0 - the games were underway!
After that the teams came out in alphabetical order.
Nigeria, then New Zealand.
Nick Willis, the young silver medalist, was chosen to carry the flag on Sunday two weeks ago. Each team came with a copper petal. The Olympic torch was brought inside the stadium by the British rowing champion. Some Olympic hopefuls lit the copper petals. The fire came together and made the Olympic cauldron.
I'm very glad that the Olympics are underway.

Dayne

Mrs Vercoe Leaves Us

Today a really sad thing happened. My favourite teacher aide left school. She was leaving because she got a new job for more hours but we know deep down we will really miss her.
So I did a poem for her:
We will always miss you
But we really knew
That when we are all together
We really know what you are doing
Can grow and grow.

Mrs Vercoe we will always miss you.

Thankyou.
From Hayden.

Violin

I play violin every Tuesday. I have a black case. To open it you have to flick the switch in side. It’s blue and fluffy, and you’re not allowed to touch the horse hair on the stick. I’ve learned a lot and it’s fun.

Soccer!!!

On Thursdays this term, we practise soccer skills with two of the Napier City Rovers. Today when they came we only played games. It was teaching us skills though, because it was soccer games.
We learnt to dribble and shoot. I'm good at soccer and my friends think so too. We played Terminater, Ghost-Busters, and the Numbers game(not a maths game.)
I like practising soccer because it helps me get better. It was so much fun, but the sad part is that we only have one more week with them and then we play the tournament.
Some people had to wear bare feet because they only had socks at school. Sad for them because it was freezing cold. I felt so sorry for them because I wouldn't have liked it. My favourite part of the soccer practise was the numbers game.
(Courtney)

My fan

Last night I made a fan and tested it out to see if it worked, and it worked.
I put some stickers on it.
Then I made another fan for my friend Josephine. She loved it.
I added some stickers from mine to hers. My mum helped me make the fan part for me, and I put some stickers on it.
I put it in my bag for the next morning.

Alanna

Photography

Room 13 has been taking some photos, to participate in a photo competition.
The pictures we take are to show perspective, pattern, light and shade, texture, form, and the rule of thirds.
Here is one of the pictures I took of a chain on the adventure playground. I think this photo shows perspective.
Brodee

Beetroot

Just a few weeks ago, when mum didn't feel like cooking, dad cooked mum and me dinner. I felt bored. So I went away to play.
After quite a long time of playing, dad finally called out,"Dinner's ready!"
Mum usually cooks lunch and dinner, and sometimes dad would help.
I took my time coming to the dining room. While I walked, I thought about what we are going to have for dinner. I came and sat down. My eyes poped right out. Because right in front of me was a whole dish of beetroots with mince. I hardly ever tried it before.So I took a bite.
Completely disgusting. The red of the beetroot is intense! Really intense! It's like someone's dyed it bright red! My parents love it. It's tasteless to me. I don't want try that again!

Katie

Porritt Bear

On Friday we got a gold award. We got Porritt Bear as well by not getting any think sheets. I like Porritt Bear beause he is soft and cuddly. We got Porritt Bear for the first time. We got a Porritt Bear certificate beause we won. Porritt Bear has got a uniform, a top and hat. We didn't have his hat beause he lost his hat. Mr Ginns has got it.
Serene

Braces

Knock Knock!
"Hello!"
"Oh you're early. Sit down in the waiting room."
There was a couch. It was old; the whole house looks old. The house used to be an old house.
The receptionist yelled my name, "Sylvia Haren!" several times. I sprang up and skipped into the main room.

The man inside said, "Lie down on the chair."
The chair went down. We were ready to begin!
The dentist grabbed a drill and he made the braces. As they put glue on my top four teeth, the dentist said, "Don't put your lip on the glue. It will sting."
I gulped. I certainly won't be doing that!
Oww! They stuck the wire on. The wire dug into my lip and my gum. I got ulcers after a while.

I got to keep some little tooth brushes, so I can get the food out of the gaps, and wax to put on the annoying bits.
I said goodbye, and I was off.
I had a happy grin on my face.

Sylvia

What's that sound?

One early Sunday morning at 5:57am, I reluctantly got up to get something tasty to eat. I was hunting for something to munch on when I heard a loud thump.
I tiptoed around the house, trying to find whatever it was that fell.
Curiously I went into my room, and found a tinted green glass bowl and about 22 little earrings on the ground next to my desk!
Amazed, I saw my fat cat, Jinx, on the desk where once a bowl of earring had been. So there I was, cleaning up that mess, while my fat cat was happily curling up on my nice, warm bed!
Courtney

An ANZAC Day poem, by John

We're deaf as a dodo, can't hear.

We're smart as Trudon, no longer exist.

We're loved and were loved

As much as you.

We're dead under the ground

Like worms in the ground.

You cared and will care,

That's why you put poppies

At our graves.

Papakorito Falls

The water gushes down the mammoth drop

The noise drowns out the gasps of amazed children

The foam froths,fighting to escape the branches

The river rushes down the brown dirty bank

Brodee

Billy Stew

We had to make tea by ourselves.It was called stew. It had pumpkin, potatoes, onion, carrots and meat.
I got sore eyes when Hunter was peeling the onions.
When we put it on the element the hot water was running onto me. Drip, drip, was running down my face like I was on the sun.
Finally it is finished.
When I went to get some I saw these black bits in it. I didn't knoww what they were, until I smelt it.
I went "Yuck! It's burnt!" when I went to go and taste it.
I couldn't taste the burnt bits. Hooray!

Dusan

Billy Stew

"Yay!" we screamed. Time to make Billy Stew.
We had to wash our hands before cooking or handling food.
We then cut the veges. After some wonderful teamwork we had finished cutting and peeling in no time.
Now, time to cook it.
I heard gasping voices surrounding the room, saying "I hope we win!"
After a pinch of salt and pepper and gravy here and there, we had finished cooking.
Now I just can't wait to find out who wins!

Brodee

The waterfalls

The falls were rushing with water. You could see the rocks sticking out in the falls. From the falls there were big foam bits.
The current was strong like it could carry a car.
It was really slippery to get to the falls.
There was a long walk before we got there. At the falls it was cool.

Isaiah

Year 6 Camp: Papakorito Falls

"What a magnificent sight!" I said to myself.
I was standing right in frnt of Papakorito Falls! I could hear the water pounding on the jagged rocks behind the waterfall. It sounded like thunder when you were close enough. I hoped we could get closer to the waterfall but unfortunately the path was covered in freezing cold water. I could feel the water spraying in my face. The fast flowing water was moving in a strong current and I know it would sweep me away downstream. I could feel the foam forming in the water and the colours were a brownish white.

Dayne.

Fame for Room 13 with Classic Hits!

A couple of weeks ago Courtney's mum won a competition on the radio for Classic Hits to come to our class. Martin and Sarah came to visit and we all had to tell jokes. They recorded the jokes and played some on the radio the next morning. The best jokes won prizes, and we all were given vouvhers to Splash Planet and McDonalds. Three of us won magazines.

2012

Welcome to 2012 in Room 13!
This year we have 23 Year 5 and 6 students, and a very busy term. Year 5 students have just returned from a three day camp, and Year 6 students have just completed a week of yachting and are preparing for their week-long camp at Camp Kaitawa in Week 8. We will post some of our writing about these activities over the next few days.