We have been swimming for the past 2 weeks,  Mrs Agnew told us what to bring for swimming – we had to bring a swimming cap, goggles, towels, togs, bag to put your stuff in and a jumper to keep warm afterwards. We didn’t go  swimming on Monday because we had to start on Tuesday. I was so excited for swimming and I could not sleep at all the night before.

When I arrived at school I was still excited and so was everyone else. We did some work and we looked out the window and we saw the juniors walking to the bus and everyone got even more excited and we were waving at them. Then about 20 minutes later the boys had to change so then we went out with our chrome books so we could do our work while the boys were changing. When the boys were done changing we put our chrome books back to charge and then we  changed. After having something small to eat and a short play we went to the bus after the little kids got off. When we were inside the bus the seniors were singing so many songs.

When we arrived the boys were still swimming so we had to sit down and wait. Then Miss George told us to take off our jumpers. When the boys were done swimming we went up and the swimming teacher said ” Your hands up if you can swim a lap.” Then she said, “Non stop” my hands were up and she said “Go to lane 3” and we went to lane 3. I was so excited.  Our swimming instructor was Li and our warm up was freestyle but with a board and we did 2 laps with it and he said “you’re going to do it without a board now” we did two laps again. I started to get tired and he said ” grab our boards because we were going to do backstroke!” I was exhausted when we got back to school.

When we arrived back to school we all changed to our school uniform while the boys were playing on the bottom court and we went out and said prayers and went home. I was really happy. Unfortunately I couldn’t swim for the rest of the time because I was really sick. I am sad but I enjoyed watching the others swimming and getting splashed!

Last week it was Matariki, which was on 14th, July and it was a public holiday for the whole country but some people had to go to work. Last week when we came back to school we shared fun Matariki learning and activities. The first one was that we had to write down as many facts as we knew about Matariki and we only had four minutes and I learned that the name of Matariki translated in English means “eyes of god”.  Many countries around the world celebrate the New Year in January but the Maori New Year is in July. The Matariki star cluster called Pleiades  rises in the morning sky on the eastern horizon, before the sun comes up.

We also made a woven star, and the supplies you need are scissors, wool, cardboard circle and pencil. At first I thought it was going to be hard and when I started it was really hard because you have to cut the circle evenly. Cutting the cardboard is really hard because it’s like cutting a cement block and you really have to push down hard.

Instructions: First draw a circle and then cut it out, cut 1.5cm slits equal distance apart all the way around the circle (like on a clock.) Then slide the wool into the first slit, leaving a tail on the other side then begin making your way around the shape, passing through each slit several times, until it looks nice and thick. Use a second colour and weave a different  pattern by starting at a new number.

I enjoyed making the star and the fun activities we did.

I am raw-boned and long in the tooth. I am a scrutineer of Mother Nature. I am an indigenous human with a fondness of Storm Boy, a child I love as my own offspring. I can perceive cloud cover without seeing much because I have experienced life on this beach my entire life………………………I am Fingerbone Bill.

I am a young boy who likes being in showers of rain. I am not panic-stricken and I feel grateful to live in this universe. I love all creatures great and small, and they have become my constant companions. My old man is Hideaway Tom………………………..I am Storm Boy.

Yesterday after morning tea  Room six, Seven and eight went under the canopy and we lined up into our house groups and the house groups were Rimu, Kauri, Totara and Rata.  Then Mr Bell was introducing coach Trey and coach Trey said whoever won would get one hundred dollars but it was monopoly money and everyone was laughing. Then Mr Bell said the names of the people who were versing each other and  Room six went to watch and so did the other classes.  Coach Trey was counting up the points and was the referee and some people were screaming for Kauri and others were Rata and the groups were Taniwha and Kioma, Taniwha was the one who tries and hits the tupu and tries to rip the tag of Kioma and Kioma has to hit the pou and score a point, you need a two guardians to block the tupu and the ball is called ki.

While Rata and Kauri were playing Mrs Agnew was calling out the names who were going on next and I was playing in that round; Rimu and Totora were versing each other a little while later and Rata and Kauri too.  We had to put our straps on and everything then we went on the field to play. I was feeling nervous and then the game began. Rimu was Taniwha and Totora was Kioma and at first I was doing alright because I wasn’t nervous. I was having so much fun and people were diving and falling and their tags getting ripped off, then coach Trey said swapping over so then Rimu was Kioma and Totora was Taniwha. It was very fun being Taniwha. Then coach Trey said we only had thirty seconds left and after thirty seconds the game ended. We had to swap with the other people who were playing the next round.

We were watching and screaming and most people were enjoying watching the games but towards the end everyone was getting tired. Then some people were looking who was playing next and they said I was playing for Rata. Mrs Agnew said it was almost lunchtime. The game had ten seconds left and then the game ended but there was  more after lunch. We said prayers and ate lunch.

At the end of lunch we lined up under the canopy in our houses  and then Mrs Bell said who were playing the very last game. I went onto the field and played and it was so much fun. I kept ripping Jacob’s tag and it was so much fun. Then the game ended and we went back under the canopy. The house to win the one hundred dollars was Kauri.

My Pelican Fact File.