Being A Year Eight At Point England School

Attending all eight years at Point England school has been amazing.

I've learnt things I've never known about, I joined sports and activities that I never knew I could do. All the teachers here teach different things and it’s been a pleasure to learn different ways of writing, maths strategies, how to improve our work from all these wonderful teachers.

This has to be one of my favorite years at Point England school. I've only missed a few days of school this year, but last year was a different story. I would always wag school and I was really lazy, I didn't participate in that many sports. Somehow this year has really changed, I would sign up for sports, even though I knew I wouldn't make it in the team.

I've made a lot of year seven friends which I’m gonna miss when I go off to college. They know me really well, they know how to make me laugh, smile, angry sometimes, cheer me up and there just the best. Some of my year eight friends I've known since year one and I’m gonna miss them too, all my friends in fact.

I’m gonna miss all the teachers here. All there growlings, stories, jokes, and the things they've taught me. I’m really gonna miss this school, no other school would replace Point England as my favorite school.

A big thank you to all the teachers for teaching me manners, how to be a roll model, how to be a leader and thank you for just being the best. I’m gonna miss yous all, and especially my friends.

Te Tuhi

Last week on Tuesday our class went to a art gallery called Te Tuhi at Pakuranga. As soon as we got there we sat down in the foyer and then our two instructors came. Their names were Jeremy and Luisa.

Jeremy first said a big welcome and then he told us about what where we weren't allowed to go and what things we weren't allowed to use or touch. He then lined us up in two lines and we headed off to the art room to learn about Polynesian art work/tapa and to do some art.

Jeremy showed us two different types of tapa and one was a Samoan one and other one was a Fijian one. He then gave both of the tapa out for us to touch and look at and he told us to think about the difference in the two tapa.

The difference I found out between these two tapas was that the Samoan one was dyed thick and the Fijian one thin, it was pretty obvious because when I ran my hand through it, it was bumpy and rough. The other difference was that the Samoan tapa had a design of a whole flower and the Fijian one was with a flower in the center and small flowers and diamonds around it.

We then had to do a tapa design but we didn't use real tapa, we used thick paper that had four squares for us to draw in. We scrunched our paper first to make it look like a tapa and then ran over the four squares with brown pastel. We then used brown dye and dyed our whole paper, we then had to give it to Jeremy to put on the stairs to dry.

The class that went to the art gallery before us had done the same thing and left it there for us to do our art on. We all grabbed one and we had to draw something that represented family, culture, home and interest.

In the first square I drawed three hearts with wings on them which represents my family, how? Well there’s only my mum and dad and me. I then drew a cross on the second square and it represents my culture because on the Tongan flag the cross stands out most. On the third square I drew music notes because that's one of my favorite interests. On the last square I just drew a simple house for home. We then had to color two boxes with pastel and the other two with dye.

As soon as everyone finished their artwork we then went for a tour through the art gallery. It was a pleasure to go to Te Tuhi and I really enjoyed my time there.

Athletics 2014

After all the trainings and practices, it finally came to the real day.

Last week on Friday our school had athletics. We started after morning tea because the grass was still wet. We had to participate in our years. For example the year seven boys and girls were separate, the year seven girls did their events together and the year seven boys did theirs together.

Walking to the courts and seeing everyone in their house colors, I was really excited. Our sports leader was Miss Paget and Miss Muliaumaseali’i. Before starting our events, Mr Burt did a prayer for the weather and to have a good day. The first event we did was javelin. After like the first ten girls threw it came to me, I threw the javelin and came second place but then more girls threw and unfortunately I ended up coming nothing.

We then did some fun activities like tiger war, sack race, softball throw, skipping race, relays and hurdle relays. For softball throw we got placings but we don’t go to inter zones for it. I got second place but then again the more stronger and sporty girls beat me and ended up sitting down in the no placing line. I was getting a little angry because I never came anything in the first few events we did.

After the fun activities we went to shot put. For shot put there were two sides, one side was for practice throws and the other was for the good and final girls to see who comes in first, second and third place. The same thing happened in shot put but this time I came third and went to the other side to throw for my last try, but again I failed. It was alright because I don’t really like shot put.

We stopped at shot put because it reached three o clock. We had to finish the rest of the events on Monday but it was raining all day, so we did it yesterday. The events the year eight girls needed to finish off was high jump, sprints and discuss. At high jumps about fifteen or ten girls made it over but the rest including me didn’t make it over. It wasn’t like last years one where they started off with the stick low, it was way higher. It came to the final girls to jump and then Mr Burt called us to come over to do sprints and carry on high jumps after.

I didn’t try my hardest in sprints because I know if I race the fast girls then I’ll come last. I was cheering my friends, Porscha and Hope because their in the same house color as me. I couldn't stop cheering them because they kept coming a place and I was really proud of them. In the finals they all raced and then Porscha came first, Hope came second and Ana and Taamai came third equal. I couldn't stop buzzing out because every time Porscha ran it looked like she was jogging but she actually tried her best.

We then moved onto discuss. I couldn't wait for discuss because last year I came third equal with Mele and this year my aim was to try come second or first. I had a little practice before I had my turn and when I had my first go I failed because it went out. I begged Miss Paget for a second go and she said yes. I went again but unluckily I failed. I was really unhappy at myself but at least I tried my best. The girls that made it over the high jump went back to high jumps to finish it off.

I’m really looking forward for Friday assembly to see what house color wins. Hopefully Matatua (green) wins, finger crossed.

Marsden Bay (Camp)

Packing away my last minute shopping into my bag, I was so excited for camp. Before we left, Mr burt came and had a little talk with us. The talk was just about loving one another and putting our bad past with other people behind us. He reminded us to have a good time at camp and then he did a prayer.

We then headed off to the bus to pack our bags away. My friends and I all went on the big bus. I thought the ride would only take ninety minutes but it took like two hours. We stopped at a beach and we went for an hour and a half walk. After a long walk through muddy paths we managed to get to the other side where there was beach. We had a little rest at the beach before we went to camp.

My excitement was building knowing that we were nearly at camp. As we were entering Marsden bay, everyone started staring and some people even started cheering. We all got off the bus and gathered our bags altogether in one spot. Mrs Nua then told us to all go to the deck and wait for the manager of Marsden Bay to come and introduce us to our camp.

I was really looking forward to day two of camp but there were heavy showers, lightning and thunder. After breakfast my friends and I asked Mrs Nua if we were still going to do activities in this weather and she said yes. My group was Ruakaka B and our first activity was archery. The manager of our camp came and told us the instructions and then we started our event. One of the boys in our group shot the arrow and got it near the target.

The hooter rang and we had to switch to our next activity, that was the fire cooking challenge. It wasn’t really a challenge. We just had to cook two things, it was just like an afternoon tea. After cooking our marshmallows we just had a little bit of free time in the hall. After like fifteen or twenty minutes we had to go kayaking, some of us got our towels and then we walked down to the beach.

We got to the beach and Mrs Samuels was already there. She told us a few instructions about kayaking and then we all got a life jacket and a kayak. We only had a little play around near shore and then Mrs Samuels took us for a tour. I didn’t want to go so I stayed back and waited for them. I was getting scared because I heard thunder and then I saw the girls coming back. Kayaking wasn’t really my thing.

We headed off back to camp to have our showers, everyone was soaking wet. Everyone finished their showers and then went to the dining room for dinner. Everyones stomachs were filled and then we went out to play spotlight. On the first round I never got caught but on the second and third round I got caught. We then had to go sleep because it was raining.

On day three my group and another group spent the whole day at surf education. Before we left we had to make our lunch. It was probably only a twenty minute drive. The two surf lifeguards introduced themselves and then they told us a some information about them and what they do.

For the first two blocks they were explaining and telling us instructions about being safe in the water. After lunch we all got changed and went to the beach to do some activities in the water. First we had a warm up and then we did this surfing and saving activity. It had finally reached three o clock and then we had to go back to camp.

Hopping off the bus, I ran straight to my cabin to look for some clothes because I was desperately want a shower. So I made it just in time to be the first one to have a first shower. After that we had a little bit of playing time and then we had dinner. For dinner we had like meet balls with like noodles, I was thinking it was spaghetti bolognese. My friends and I all finished eating and then we played volleyball.

The hooter rang and then we gathered up in the hall to play some games before heading off to the campfire. Mr Samuels said tat we’re going to play stuck in the mud but the only to get us out is if a glowing stick is thrown at us. You can carry on running if it missed. We had like four rounds and then we went to the hall to practice our chants to sing and perform at the campfire.

Our group was really unorginised because we kept arguing over what song we were going to sing. So then Tyla (one of the leaders for our group) suggested that we just sing price tag by Jessie J and we all agreed. The campfire was probably the best way to end our camp. It was a really unforgettable night.

Before heading back to school and home, we went to Waiwera and spent an hour and a half there. I didn’t swim because we weren't allowed to wear cotton clothing and I had no togs. After an hour and a half with no swimming and boredom we finally got back in the bus. Henry was really entertaining us on the bus because he kept singing and making these funny facials I’ve never seen before.

I would do anything to go back to this camp. Best camp I’ve ever been to. My friends and I made and gained a lot of funny and good and unforgettable memories.

Art Attack Title Page

                           This is my art attack title page, it relates to our topic this term.

Why Is It Important To Wash Your Hands?

It’s really important to keep your hands clean, why? It takes away 99% of the bacteria in your hands.

Washing your hands can keep you healthy and clean. If you’re used to washing your hands every time after you eat or go toilet then that’s good. However, if you’re not that person then I suggest you start making a habit of washing your hands now. This is the best way to prevent getting sick.

It can also prevent us from spreading diseases to other people. The most important times to wash your hands is when you go toilet, after you eat and even when you've finished playing outside. You have to use soap because if you use no soap germs could still spread.

For example doctors always wash their hands before and after they've checked a patient. They try prevent themselves from getting germs that the patients have. Even when you’re at home trying to cover up a cut then you must wash your hands after you’re done.

Not only is it important to wash your hands, it’s important to wash and keep your body clean.

Tattoo Design

This design really got me because it had different types of designs from different cultures, like Maori, Tongan, Samoan.