Reducing our Carbon Footprint with Miss Chandra

"Stomp! Stomp! The Carbon Monster made a huge footprint on the earth. He needs to reduce his carbon footprint." This was the video going on about our carbon footprints. Today, we were in Room 17 with Miss Chandra, and we were discussing our carbon footprints.

Mine is probably neutral. I am an ecological user of carbon. So scrolling down the screen, I controlled the mouse and slowly clicked the options. I was extremely tense. Would I be an environment killer, or would I be saving the planet?

Ha! I only have to use 1 planet to fulfil and sustain all my needs. So I am neutral after all!

So save the environment and reduce your carbon footprint!

Pests with Miss Spencer

"Aaaaahhhh!" The squeals and screeches of the other Room 11 girls deafened me as the possums were crawling up their legs and pushing them with their sharp claws.

Wonder what I'm talking about? I knew it! There weren't actually possums running around Room 15 and Miss Spencer. Well, as is obvious. But Room 11 was learning about pests and how they had an impact on our environment. For example, stoats, possums, rats, and even wild rabbits. I know, the cutest little things can be great threats to our environment.

So, getting back to the introduction, we were playing a little game where some of us were trees that ran from the eager possums ready to attack us, who, in this case, were some of the other Room 11 girls. There. That clear now? Good.

Did you know?

• Possums and stoats feed on native trees, plants and animals.
• Possums are protected in Australia.
• Possums were introduced by the Europeans who came to New Zealand for their valuable fur.
• Rabbits were introduced by the Europeans.
• Stoats were introduced to kill the rabbits, but they killed other native animals and vegetation after that.

So save the environment! Go NZ!

Water Immersion with Mr Meikle

"Oh, yuck!" I could only hear this all around me as we were tasting water. We were in Room 16 with Mr Meikle today. Our job was to taste water and decide which was the bottled water. I tasted option B. Little droplets trickled down my throat and dripped from the roof of my mouth. I gagged. It tasted HORRIBLE! On the other hand, option B tasted more fresh and cool.

But option B was actually the oil-dripping, non-eco friendly option that took 7 million barrels of oil a year to create. And people don't even recycle them!

Did you know?

• Bottled water costs 2,000 times the amount that tap water costs?
• 30% of bottled water in the USA actually is just tap water?
• Bottles just go to landfill or are shipped across the world, which uses even more oil?
• Bottles are made of oil, which is non-sustainable?

So next time you're about to buy a bottle of water, think again!

Buzzy Bee Science with Miss Mules

Yuck! Grease, fat, artificial flavouring and salt smothering my fingers and gathering in my fingernails, I was a bumblebee trying to find the nectar (or, in this case, a Fruit Burst), without noticing that all of the pollen (or in this case, the Twisties) were gathering on my fingers. My job was to collect nectar from the flowers and pollinate the next flowers to grow plants. Bzzzzzzz...

Room 11 was learning about the pollination process on Tuesday with Miss Mules. It was really interesting to learn about, and I built up my 'hive' of knowledge! Get it? Oh, it wasn't a good pun? Fine then.

This is the Pollination Process:

1. The bee searches for nectar in the flower and gets covered in pollen.

2. The bee then goes to the next flower and looks for nectar, and again gets covered in pollen.

This process keeps repeating.

Did you know that other creatures like spiders, wasps and butterflies can pollinate flowers too?

Cross Country - The Most Tiring Day of my Life!

My heart was hammering in my chest. Beads of sweat stood out on my forehead and my P.E shirt stuck to my tummy. Would I make it? Or would I stagger along and end up disappointing my whanau house, and making us lose?

Throbbing feet, aching calves, dry throat, these are the symptoms of Cross Country Fever. I was running my third lap of Cross Country on Thursday, and I could see the Whanau houses in the distance at the top of the hill, already egging me on. Just for their satisfaction, I sprinted up that hill and darted past Mia and Tiare once I had my third mark.

"On my last lap now," I reminded myself. My guardian angel on my right shoulder cheered me on and reassured me, telling me that I was just careering round the fence and was nearing the hill. On the other hand, or should I say, the other shoulder, the little devil was discouraging me, booing and flying in my ears and trying to get inside my head. Literally!

But I had run around the whole school 4 TIMES, and I was not going to let some teeny-weeny flaming devil get the best of me. Without thinking about saving my energy, I zipped past those flailing arms with a dazzling smile on my face. Yes! I had won a point for my Whanau house, and I had come 10th place. That;s pretty good, for me, in a class full of athletes.

I was so proud of myself. I'm definitely looking forward to Cross Country next year ... Or am I?

Easter Liturgy - Panic Alert!

I glanced around the wing. Everyone was hissing, but I only heard a high-pitched beep in my head. I felt light-headed, and my heart was thudding fit to burst in my chest. Two dribbles of panic sweat raced each other down my flushed face. All of my excitement was drowned in fear. I was in turmoil.

I was screaming my head off - inside my head. Everything backstage was spinning in a panic frenzy. My sheet was falling off, and Bernadette was attempting to calm me down, making me take deep breaths. I could not relax! The audience was practically drooling in anticipation. AND I WAS NOT READY!

My halo had gone missing. Not under my shirt, not on my head, not in my bag… oh help! Suddenly, I trod on something poky and something lacey. My wings and halo!

Ultimately, I did make it, but only with seconds to spare. I sauntered onstage casually, like nothing had gone haywire, but I was still white-faced and shaking like an earthquake had just struck.

“He will be crucified, and will rise again on the third day,” announced Torah, and I flounced offstage along with Niqi, panting and wiping my brow, like I was a penguin in Africa’s climate. Phew!

Goodness gracious, I was so relieved! I was as content as the beaming sun outside the dark hall. Oh no! I have to set up the next scene! Bye!

Science - Immersion with Room 14

My hands were shaking as I grasped the shovel and, well, shovelled up the soil.  On Friday, Room 11 was in Room 14 for Immersion, and we were learning about the life cycle of a plant.

So, Taliyah, Niqi and I were doing a little bit of gardening, and we were bringing life to 100 eensie-weensie mustard seeds, which would soon be uprooted and used for cooking. Yumm!

I learnt about the life cycle of plants, which was actually really enjoyable!!

Here is the life cycle...

1- Germination
The plant starts to grow roots when they have enough sunlight, water and soil.

2- The plant grows leaves and gets bigger.

3- The plant flowers and bears fruit.

4- Seed dispersal
The seeds from the fruit spread with the wind, and the cycle starts all over again.