Monday, 15 April 2013
Daniel visits the Pet Expo
Daniel had a blast at the weekend racing round the Pet Expo at breakneck speed! His favourite pet was a pair of golden retrievers. He also enjoyed climbing over kids to get to the front to watch El Grego's magic show. Here are a couple of photos of him riding a horse for the first time.
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Haitian Art
After our connection to Haiti through Purple Cake Day we are doing some art linked to this country.
Check out our efforts so far with adorning the men's and women's cloaks with bright colours.
Check out our efforts so far with adorning the men's and women's cloaks with bright colours.
Hopefully soon they will be finished and displayed as a frieze in our room.
Monday, 8 April 2013
The Moment...
To write down all I contain at this moment
I would collect the trees' leaves
And squeeze out the calmness and peace
The colours red and gold.
I can only store it in my heart and hands
And may not have room for it
May not have room for it
And my own potential.
The decision I have to make is a hard one
Do I be a greedy, selfish person?
Or a generous, helpful character?
No, I can't be that egocentric.
Evie
I would collect the trees' leaves
And squeeze out the calmness and peace
The colours red and gold.
I can only store it in my heart and hands
And may not have room for it
May not have room for it
And my own potential.
The decision I have to make is a hard one
Do I be a greedy, selfish person?
Or a generous, helpful character?
No, I can't be that egocentric.
Evie
Sweet Silence
Leighton
To write down all I contain at this moment
I would try to capture
The sweet solitude of silence
From the harmony of the songbird.
The silence would slowly float across the land
Echoing throughout the hills
Although it cannot glide corner to corner
The silence will do its best
To bring peace.
To write down all I contain at this moment
I would try to capture the wind
That is trying to whistle away
Howl away
And elude me.
It is floating into silence
Floating into calmness
Trying to leave this world with peace.
It brushes gently against the leaves
It caresses my cheek
It is like the mother of nature
Covering the world with a blanket of freshness.
Making souls pure
And delivering joy to the world
Over time.
Madoka
Mysterious Snow
Conal
To write down all I contain at this moment
I would capture the snow's flakes
Trying to find a matching pair
Discovering the secret of snow.
From the top of the tallest mountains
Snatching a galactic tarpaulin
Hold the passion of snow
In just two hands and a heart.
Searching one by one
Looking til dusk
I am tireless
Until the second appears.
I give in
I walk away
But something calls
Stop stop
Wait, is that it?
Is that the matching pair?
Rising Moment
Sam C
To write down all I contain at this moment
To capture the earth in a bucket
And change the course of mankind
For it is too late for my potential.
The harmonybird is singing
My fate lies ahead of me
But it eludes me, escapes me
Its presence eliminates me
My moment rises.
But not today,
Not today...
Sports Notices
A quick reminder that we need winter sports notices to come back in ASAP. Children choose a sport to trial for for next term - rugby, hockey, football or netball. Parents also have an opportunity to assist with coaching a team.
Thank you to those of you who have already returned these.
Ms Saxon.
Thank you to those of you who have already returned these.
Ms Saxon.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Today's Poems
After our discussion about stereoypes and reading a poem called Major Differences, here is a selection of today's poems.
Columns
Madoka
Indians, whites, blacks and coloureds
I lost my love
My life has turned pitch black
Why can't I marry her?
She has skin the colour of snow
Lips the colour of roses
Lovely straight blond hair
She is high and I am low.
The columns trap me
Into the deep, dark world
Unable to see light
Unable to love.
Here I am sitting all alone
In an attic 3m wide
With nobody to care for
Nobody to cling to.
I lie down on my uncomfortable mattress
I fall asleep with my aggrieved heart inside me
I hear someone calling
Who could it be?
Life in the Slave Market
Max C
An iron chain around my neck
Scars on my back
A whip in the hand of the master
Children cowering in terror.
"$600" yelled the master, "$600 for a slave"
I am terrified
I look down and gasp
It is a ring with silver keys
The master is talking
I unlock the chain and run.
The master turns and yells "Get the slave!"
"$300 for anyone who gets him!"
I'm sprinting my heart out
I dart down the alley
Cornered against a wall
A man in a black suit grabs my arm
A life of chores awaits.
The Love - Seat
Rosie
As I stand and stare at her,
Beautiful skin
Not a crinkle to be torn,
Brown eyes glistening
From start to finish.
Perfect shaped nose
Crazy black hair
Brimming with wild dreadlocks
Swinging as she wanders through the gardens.
Perfectly spotless toenails, gently caressed by the toe brush.
I edge towards her
Wondering if she'll notice me,
I flatten my hair,
Brush a speck of dirt off my nose
And carry on...
She's perched on one of the love-seats
Gazing upwards
Watching,
Waiting for the clouds to come alive.
I drop down next to her,
She stares at me
Her face expressionless
She figured me out
Eyes skimming,
Searching my face.
"Who would want me?" she asked, her voice calm and soft.
"I do" I whispered,
Then it happened...
Major Differences
Sam C
As my heart is dragged upon the ground
I am neglected and aggrieved,
An iron handcuff around my ankle
I must do my terrible chores.
The master yells "You're late! Come here for a whipping!"
The pain is like nothing every experienced.
"Crack!" goes the whip
I must do my chores.
I see a hole in the floor
Leads down, down, down
Where does it go? I don't care
Anywhere but this terrifying place.
Three words,
The Underground Railroad.
My Life
Emma
My life is ruined
It's being dragged on the ground
As I feel neglected and terrified
My life turns pitch black
As I drift into hate.
My chores are right there
I cannot obey
I want to fight it
But I am trapped.
Every night
I lay on the restless rug
In the attic
Nothing
But me in the room.
Where has my life of a child gone?
Slavery
Conal
As my soul is being dragged to hell
My master's call hollers in the air
"Hurry to it!"
My chores await me
I have to obey
If not I will be punished
Helpless in chains.
As I do my jobs
My thoughts come to my head
Like every other day
How will it end?
Should I run away?
But there is nowhere to escape
My daydream abates
As my mistress appears.
I am stuck
In this miserable place.
Why?
Evelyn
Whenever I imagine roaming free
Away from this jail cell
My dreams are destroyed by chores
Looming over me
Beckoning to me.
My feelings are neglected
No one really cares
My life as a slave
Every action,
Every move,
I'm being watched.
Why is this happening?
Tell me, tell me why?
Why does it matter if you're black or white?
Why does it start a fight?
Why am I here?
Why am I being blamed for something I didn't do?
Why?
Major Differences
Tuhuru
As I look down
I feel neglected and hopeless
Staring at people
As I feel hollow.
I can roam around
And still my heart is pumping
Nothing to give, nothing to take
I am locked forever.
Biking gangs
Tattoos on their arms and legs
A type of gang picture or name
And weapons.
I cannot escape this miserable world.
Trapped
Holly
Trapped in a miserable box
Struggling to fight my fears
Scars like train tracks make a trail along my back
Sitting on an old hard cushion.
Chores await me
Shouting and commands get closer
Flooding into my ears
I try my hardest to get up but my body aches all over.
Misery lays along the concrete floor
I hear the faint slapping
But I feel it more
I try to dream of freedom but only get nightmares
Nightmares of my enemy.
Columns
Madoka
Indians, whites, blacks and coloureds
I lost my love
My life has turned pitch black
Why can't I marry her?
She has skin the colour of snow
Lips the colour of roses
Lovely straight blond hair
She is high and I am low.
The columns trap me
Into the deep, dark world
Unable to see light
Unable to love.
Here I am sitting all alone
In an attic 3m wide
With nobody to care for
Nobody to cling to.
I lie down on my uncomfortable mattress
I fall asleep with my aggrieved heart inside me
I hear someone calling
Who could it be?
Life in the Slave Market
Max C
An iron chain around my neck
Scars on my back
A whip in the hand of the master
Children cowering in terror.
"$600" yelled the master, "$600 for a slave"
I am terrified
I look down and gasp
It is a ring with silver keys
The master is talking
I unlock the chain and run.
The master turns and yells "Get the slave!"
"$300 for anyone who gets him!"
I'm sprinting my heart out
I dart down the alley
Cornered against a wall
A man in a black suit grabs my arm
A life of chores awaits.
The Love - Seat
Rosie
As I stand and stare at her,
Beautiful skin
Not a crinkle to be torn,
Brown eyes glistening
From start to finish.
Perfect shaped nose
Crazy black hair
Brimming with wild dreadlocks
Swinging as she wanders through the gardens.
Perfectly spotless toenails, gently caressed by the toe brush.
I edge towards her
Wondering if she'll notice me,
I flatten my hair,
Brush a speck of dirt off my nose
And carry on...
She's perched on one of the love-seats
Gazing upwards
Watching,
Waiting for the clouds to come alive.
I drop down next to her,
She stares at me
Her face expressionless
She figured me out
Eyes skimming,
Searching my face.
"Who would want me?" she asked, her voice calm and soft.
"I do" I whispered,
Then it happened...
Major Differences
Sam C
As my heart is dragged upon the ground
I am neglected and aggrieved,
An iron handcuff around my ankle
I must do my terrible chores.
The master yells "You're late! Come here for a whipping!"
The pain is like nothing every experienced.
"Crack!" goes the whip
I must do my chores.
I see a hole in the floor
Leads down, down, down
Where does it go? I don't care
Anywhere but this terrifying place.
Three words,
The Underground Railroad.
My Life
Emma
My life is ruined
It's being dragged on the ground
As I feel neglected and terrified
My life turns pitch black
As I drift into hate.
My chores are right there
I cannot obey
I want to fight it
But I am trapped.
Every night
I lay on the restless rug
In the attic
Nothing
But me in the room.
Where has my life of a child gone?
Slavery
Conal
As my soul is being dragged to hell
My master's call hollers in the air
"Hurry to it!"
My chores await me
I have to obey
If not I will be punished
Helpless in chains.
As I do my jobs
My thoughts come to my head
Like every other day
How will it end?
Should I run away?
But there is nowhere to escape
My daydream abates
As my mistress appears.
I am stuck
In this miserable place.
Why?
Evelyn
Whenever I imagine roaming free
Away from this jail cell
My dreams are destroyed by chores
Looming over me
Beckoning to me.
My feelings are neglected
No one really cares
My life as a slave
Every action,
Every move,
I'm being watched.
Why is this happening?
Tell me, tell me why?
Why does it matter if you're black or white?
Why does it start a fight?
Why am I here?
Why am I being blamed for something I didn't do?
Why?
Major Differences
Tuhuru
As I look down
I feel neglected and hopeless
Staring at people
As I feel hollow.
I can roam around
And still my heart is pumping
Nothing to give, nothing to take
I am locked forever.
Biking gangs
Tattoos on their arms and legs
A type of gang picture or name
And weapons.
I cannot escape this miserable world.
Trapped
Holly
Trapped in a miserable box
Struggling to fight my fears
Scars like train tracks make a trail along my back
Sitting on an old hard cushion.
Chores await me
Shouting and commands get closer
Flooding into my ears
I try my hardest to get up but my body aches all over.
Misery lays along the concrete floor
I hear the faint slapping
But I feel it more
I try to dream of freedom but only get nightmares
Nightmares of my enemy.
Be Yourself
Lyndon
Big, huge men on their motorcycles
In the middle of the night
Riding around the city
Tattoos all over their skin
The street kids say run
The men feel neglected
They are really sad.
The kids run, the men stop
The kids also stop
The kids teased the men and the men feel aggrieved
Kids whispering about the drawings on their skin.
But then one of the men shouts
"It's time you should know how to be yourself."
Stereotypes
This is Madoka and Lyndon reporting.
In Room 12 this morning we had a big discussion about stereotypes.
Stereotypes are fixed ideas about a type of person that you have in your head.
We talked about tattoos, black people, Asian people and a lot of others. We thought that if a group like Lyndon were walking down the street together they must be part of a gang and looking to get into trouble. We thought if we didn't know Madoka and she joined our class, she must be clever and hard working. Baxter brought up people with tattoos and how we thought they are scarey and troublesome.
We learnt heaps from our discussion.
What stereotypes do you have? Please leave a comment below.
Thanks, Lyndon, Madoka and Room 12.
In Room 12 this morning we had a big discussion about stereotypes.
Stereotypes are fixed ideas about a type of person that you have in your head.
We talked about tattoos, black people, Asian people and a lot of others. We thought that if a group like Lyndon were walking down the street together they must be part of a gang and looking to get into trouble. We thought if we didn't know Madoka and she joined our class, she must be clever and hard working. Baxter brought up people with tattoos and how we thought they are scarey and troublesome.
We learnt heaps from our discussion.
What stereotypes do you have? Please leave a comment below.
Thanks, Lyndon, Madoka and Room 12.
HAPPY EASTER!
I hope you all had a relaxing break and made the most of the fantastic weather. Chris, Daniel and I had a great time at the beach, at Willowbank and at Wainui. Daniel's favourite things were climbing on the rocks at Willowbank and hunting for eggs at Wainui (but he didn't eat any!)
I hope you are all rested and looking forward to this short week and then just two more until the end of our first term together. Term 1 has been crammed full of exciting learning, I am immensely proud of the children of Room 12.
Ms Saxon.
I hope you are all rested and looking forward to this short week and then just two more until the end of our first term together. Term 1 has been crammed full of exciting learning, I am immensely proud of the children of Room 12.
Ms Saxon.
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