Mitchell's - Winter Learning Journey (Prize Pack)

Hey bloggers! If you didn't know I have been recently blogging over the School Holidays as apart of a blogging programme named the Winter Learning Journey, created by Rachel Williamson from the University of Auckland!

I have been a participant in the programme and would like to share with you my prize I have recently won! Here is my picture: 

I won : - (Certificate and an Brown Kiwi Picture)

A packet of Pineapple Lumps - (they were very delicious)

An Cookie Time - (Yum!)

Some Jaffas

A Pack of Milk Bottles

A Big Ben pie

Butterscotch Candies

and an CD 

Thanks to Rachel, Nicki, and Jacinta for helping make this programme. Especially huge thanks to Rachel for organising this programme. Bye for now bloggers!

P.S - See you in the next blogging proggrame: the Summer Learning Journey! - and see you at church Nicki!

Mitchell's Immersion Assembly - (Term 3)

Hey there! Today was the first day of Term 3! Guess what? We had a special immersion assembly to celebrate Term 3. This term’s topic is called : Guardians of the Galaxy! It’s all about outer space and other planets in space.

In the hall were mini projectors that had lights such as stars and galaxies glowing up to the roof of the hall. When the lights went off you could clearly see the stars and galaxies and everyone was excited and curious about what was going to happen next.

In the middle of the hall a drone with some cool lights and Mr Jacobsen was pretending that aliens were going to invade earth while the drone kept moving forward towards the stage! Then Mrs Nua and Mr Burt had masks on and were playing the roles of aliens.

Then Mr Jacobsen and Mr Sommerville had held in their hands some Star Wars light sabers and were striking at them like they were going to protect the Earth. It was really cool. Then the lights went back on and everyone was curious about what was going to happen next.

It sounds really interesting! Today I will talk about the videos and the performances the teachers produced for each of their teams. First up was Team 1! They made a movie about travelling to space in flying cars! Wow.

The Team 1 teachers got into their cars and flew off to outer space to discover different planets and heaps more. They went to different kinds of planets such as : The Sun, The Moon and Mars.

Did you also know that NASA are sending astronauts this year to Mars to experiment. That’s so cool.

Anyways the Team 1 move finished and now it was time for ...Team 2!. Also Miss Hockly explained some key points about their movie. Now Team 2’s time was here. They made a music video about space and travelling.

Miss Gaston and Nalder were singing and while the others were dancing. After the move Mrs Nalder explained some things Team 2 are learning about this term and also they are doing a trip to Stardome! The Team 2 teachers were in the green room playing instruments like a music band put in space.

Now Team 3 was ready to shine! The movie started off with an Hourglass coming down with sand. There was a title that was named “Days of ours lives” and the movie showed everyday things they did around that time.

Such as at 8:am on Friday the teachers were showing the kids how to line up. Then it changed to 3:pm on Friday and showed a scene of Miss Eadie locking the doors and running home. That was pretty funny! Miss King explained that Team 3 were going to learn about different kinds of planets and what life force lives on the planets.

The screen changed and it switched/transitioned to Team 4’s movie screen title. The first scene was with some students from the Team 4 block who were on Imac’s in the centre of the class. They were playing roles as people who were in the Space Control Room  telling the astronauts what to do.

The Team 4 teachers were in rocket ships and the control room advisors told all of them to go towards the Sun. They all had incidents and unfortunately died from natural disasters in Space. They didn't die for real it was just a movie.

Anyways they were going to learn about what other life forces and species are living beyond the Earth. Sounds like something interesting to learn about! Finally the best team in the school was ready to perform. The lights went off and the projectors were glowing with galaxies.

The Team 5 teachers such as Mrs Tele’a, Mrs Ilaoa, Miss Judd, Miss Sio, Miss Tapuke, and Mr Wiseman ran up to the stage in excitement ready to perform their item. They got sope props out and went into their positions.

Then everyone heard the first sound of music you would hear in the Moana song : “How far i’ll go” and Miss Judd was singing while the other Team 5 teachers were dancing and playing instruments in the background. Miss Judd had changed some lyrics for the song and was Space themed.

Well that was the reflection of the Immersion Assembly that happened today. Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

24/07/17

Thanks for reading!

Mitchell - WLJ - Day #7 - Keep New Zealand Beautiful!

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #7 of the Winter Learning Journey! Unfortunately today is the last day of the Winter Learning Journey! Noo! I will miss doing the Winter Learning Journey. I wish there was another week. Anyways let's begin!

Activity 1 : Beautiful Neighbourhood

While in Taupo, I go for a walk around the lake and see little bits of rubbish floating! I also notice that there is Rubbish on the footpaths, and also on the environment around me. With this on mind, I think about some ways I could Keep New Zealand Beautiful! 

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I have been asked to come up with 3 imaginative ideas on how I could change my neighbourhood and make it more beautiful. Here is my list of ideas:

1. I could make my neighbourhood beautiful by taking a walk around my street and picking up 10 pieces of rubbish each day/ or daily.
2. I could make my neighbourhood more beautiful if I and some others raked up everyone's leaves on their front lawn.
3. I could also make my neighbourhood more beautiful by mowing neighbours lawns with others.

Activity 2 : Relax

After I have finished up in Taupo, I decide to travel to Rotorua! - a town where you will have the great chance for some much needed rest and relaxation. When we arrive we visit the Tarawera Bush Pool, a geothermal hot pool which is located in the middle of a forest. That's pretty weird! Speaking of relaxation - 

I have been asked to post up a picture of me doing something I find relaxing in life! Here is a picture of me reading a book:

This is one of my favourite books!

So here is my picture of me reading a book! It's one of my favourite books! I also love to read because it takes my imagination to another world and it's really relaxing!

Bonus : Reflection

After relaxing in the Hot Pools, I decide to think a moment about what I have learn't about in the Winter Learning Journey so far. I have the option to either post a video or write a description about what I have done so far. I have decided to write a description. To earn full points I must talk about what I learned, what I liked, and what I liked about the Great Kiwi Road Trip. Here's my description! : 

I am so excited to have done the Winter Learning Journey and complete it! What I learned about the Great Kiwi Road Trip was that New Zealand is a beautiful country with it's beautiful people, animals and so much more! New Zealand is one of the best countries in the world! I also learnt that New Zealand can be dirty with it's environment sometimes but we can always clean it up!  

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What I liked about the Winter Learning Journey was that we learned about heaps of things I didn't even know about New Zealand and it was a great topic to choose for the Winter Learning Journey. I also liked how we travelled around in a shuttle van and got to explore heaps of different places! I even adopted a Brown Kiwi on my blog!

What I didn't like about the trip was nothing at all! I loved the whole experience!

What surprised me was that I found lots of interesting facts along the days of tourist spots, native animals, famous people and heaps more! It was really fun!

Well today is the last day of the Winter Learning Journey! Also a big huge fantastic shout - out to Rachel Williams for making this possible! This wouldn't have been possible without you. Thanks so much Rachel for creating this wonderful fun blogging programme! You are awesome!

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

14/07/17

P.S : See you soon bloggers! I will also blog tomorrow about my fun experience at Rainbows End for my sisters birthday party! See you then! 

Mitchell - WLJ - Day #6 - Native Aotearoa

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #6 of the Winter Learning Journey! It looks like by the title I am learning about Native New Zealand. I am excited! Let's begin!

Activity 1 : Arriving in New Zealand - Shag Point

I have been asked to imagine if I have never ever been to New Zealand and I had no idea what to expect. I have been asked to write a poem about what I would've felt like If I were to arrive in New Zealand with no idea what to do. Here's the poem:

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My boat arrives ashore, I'm not feeling excited anymore. Instead I feel scared, and also I feel feared. I step on the sand, where my boat has land. I try my best to see if anyone is already here, but I just see grass, the sea and the atmosphere. I'm nervous about where I step or go, as long as I keep low. Then I saw Maori people, who were wearing feather cloaks which was the colour of treacle. I went to go get the others, as they were writing letters to their mothers.

Activity 2 : Te Papa Museum - Matariki Festival

After visiting Shag Point, we decide to hop back in the van and head up East Coast of the South Island until we reach Picton. We then travel across the Cook Strait and into Wellington. Every winter there is a Matariki festival in Wellington at Te Papa Museum to celebrate Matariki.

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I have been asked to read about the Matariki Festival at - Te Papa Museum and look through many different activities and events.  I have been asked to tell you about 3 events that happen during the Matariki Festival in Te Papa - Wellington. 

I have decided to choose: - on the side of the names are notes of the events that happened. 
. Star Weave Jam - Following instructions, participants will weave stars from ribbon and recycled materials. 

.Nga Kai o Matariki - Celebrating Maori Cuisine - In this programme, Te Papa seeks to celebrate both Māori chefs and Māori cuisine. 

.Mata and the Mysterious Musical Maunga - Come on a musical adventure in Aotearoa as Mata climbs a mysterious mountain to find an ancient flute.

Bonus : Kapa Haka - Rugby
The haka is a traditional haka which is performed on special occasions. Also it is performed on sporting events. 

I have been asked to watch 3 videos about the All Blacks and rank the videos of their haka, 1, 2 , or 3. Here are the links to the videos:

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 #1. World Cup 2015 – All Blacks vs Argentina

#2. All Blacks vs South Africa 2016 #3.Rugby World Cup 2011- All Blacks vs France

I would rank the World Cup 2015 - All Blacks Haka - #1 - because it was a really good one that was really fierce.

I would rank the Rugby World Cup 2011 - All Blacks vs France - #2 because it was a haka that was really good with good actions.

Finally I would rank the All Blacks vs South Africa 2016 a - #3 because it was an average haka.

Well that's this blogpost for today! Make sure you check out my other blogposts!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
13/07/17

Mitchell - WLJ - Day #5 - One Step at a Time...

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #5 of the Winter Learning Journey! I have had so much from the past days. I am so excited! Let's begin!

Activity 1 : Lost in the Forest

After a long day at the beach, it is now time to move away from the water and drive inland, through the middle of the south island. We then arrive at our first stop Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve. It's a beautiful regional park in the Southern Alps.

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Me and my group get out of the shuttle van and follow Curious Kiwi. He is going to lead us through a short walk in the park. During the walk, I see a interesting tree on the side of the trail and decide to examine it more. When I look back my group and Curious Kiwi and are not there. I am in the middle of a strange forest.

I have been asked to write a short story about 8 - 10 sentences about what's going to happen to next. I have to make 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.

Let's start:

"This tree is really interesting" I say to myself. "I wonder what species of tree it is?" I say. I then turn back to my group to carry on the walk. "Oh No!" I cry. I look to my left and right feeling nervous and anxious about what to do. I creep in the bushes and try find my way back to the starting point. I can't find the starting point! "NO!" I yelp into the air. Then I hear something in the bushes walking foot by foot. I take a deep breath and hide behind a big tree. "Crunch" - there goes the sound of my shoes stepping on a large pile of dry leaves. "Ahhhhhhhh" I scream and run as fast as I could to a bush. I sprint with my breath heavily breathing and my legs sprinting. "Woahh" I bump into the group. "We were looking for you" - with relieved faces. "Where were you?" - the group said in relief. I reply " Long story, we shall carry on!" The End.

Activity 2 : Famous New Zealander's

After the adventure in Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve we decide to drive over the Southern Alps and decide to eat in Christchurch and have lunch. We then eat a meal at a cafe downtown then head back into our shuttle van and drive to Twizel at the base of Aoraki (Mt Cook). This is where Sir Edmund Hillary practised his climbing for Mt Everest.

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I have been asked to learn about a famous New Zealander. I have to use google to re-search one famous person from New Zealand and then create a DLO and post it on my blog. I have to 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.

I have chosen to pick Maisey Rika! Where was she born? She was born here in New Zealand. Why is she famous? She is famous because she is a popular New Zealand singer who sings popular songs in NZ. Here is 2 interesting facts about her: She is apart of the Ngâti Awa, Tuhoe, Te Arawa and Te Whanau-a-Apanui tribes. She is originally from Whakatane also in New Zealand (Aotearoa). I also love to listen to her song Tangaroa Whakamautai. Most of her songs are in Maori as well.

Image attribution - Rachel Williams

Bonus : Otago Central Rail Trail

Me and my group have had fun exploring the mountains but we're ready for a change of scenery. I ask Curious Kiwi if we can travel down to Otago. They have rolling hills and flat brown grass hills. When we get to Central Otago I decide to join the Otago Central Rail Trail - a 150 km bike rail track. 

I have been asked to tell you whether I would join the Otago Central Rail Trail. Of course I would! Does it sound fun? Yes it does sound fun doing a bike trail with big rolling hills! Why or why not? Who wouldn't love to have a bike ride?!

Well that's this blogpost for today's Winter Learning Journey! Tomorrow I will be visiting a very special place in the South Island before we drive back to Auckland.

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

12/07/17

Mitchell - WLJ - Day #4 - Swimming with Sharks

Hey bloggers! Today is officially Day #4 of the Winter Learning Journey. According to the title it looks like I am learning about sharks. Sounds awesome! Let's start! - After a long day in the North Island, we decide to travel to the South Island for more exploration. Let's hit the road!

Activity 1 : Farewell Spit

When we arrive to the South Island - Curious Kiwi rents a shuttle van and drives your group from Picton to a beautiful beach on the other side of the Island. It's named Golden bay, and on one end of the bay is a stunning area named Farewell Spit. It's been on the news for several times, because whales keep getting stuck there and can't go back to sea.

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I have been asked to read a news article to see how the people are trying to get the whales out of Farewell Spit. To earn points I must write on my blog what the local people did to save the whales. 

Here are some ways the local people helped the whales. They helped by:

Keep them wet by squirting water on them constantly.
Cover them with towels, t-shirts, and sarongs to drape over them with water.
Keep their blowholes clear in case they blow out any water
Grabbing their chilly bins, water bottles, cooking pots, and mixing bowls to fill with water to keep them alive.

Activity 2 : Whale Rider - Review

After working and helping at Golden Bay, we decide to head to a nearby town named Nelson to watch a special movie named Whale Rider. It's a really popular movie about a young girl who grew up in New Zealand.

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I have been asked to watch 2 trailers about Whale Rider. Let's watch it!

I just finished watching the Whale Rider trailer and I am now writing a summary about it. 
The movie is based about a young girl named Paikea! She wants to learn about chiefdom in her tribe, but it's only for men. But with the help of some family she finds riding whales is fun!

Out of 5 to rate it, I would give it a 4  because it wasn't that bad but it was a alright movie!

Bonus : Hector's Dolphins

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Did you know? that Hector's Dolphins measure to 1.5 meters long which makes it the shortest dolphin in the world! That's interesting! Also they are very rare and are killed every year, because of fishermen who catch the dolphins in the net and can't escape. Some people had even argued about if fishermen should be allowed to fish in Farewell Spit or not.

I have been asked to put my idea on my blog! I think that fishing in Farewell Spit should be banned and illegal. Anyone who fishes on Farewell Spit should get a penalty and get fined. Some may even have to go to court!

Well that's this blogpost for today!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
11/07/17