Arriving in New Zealand...

The First Settlers:

Māui and the Big Fish is about a young sibling determined to prove himself to his elder brothers. From reading this Māori Myth I have learned that Māui is a very determined person. Māui, although he was often told that he wasn't good enough, persevered finding new and clever ways to complete whatever he set his mind to. He is also very clever, in this story he comes up with a cunning plan and outsmarts his older brothers. I would use cheeky to describe Māui. In this story, he is not afraid to do his own thing. In other Māori Myths, such as 'How Māui Slowed the Sun', Māui shows similar personality traits to the ones shown in the aforementioned myth.

Setting Sail:

Dear Bobby Makenu,

We have been sailing for several days now and I am becoming rather bored. I have played all the games we brought with us and now I have nothing left to do. Mum told me I should write a letter if I was really that bored, so I decided to write to you.

Our journey so far has been peaceful. There was one night when it rain but besides that, the weather has been good. I miss you. Yesterday we saw dolphins, I wish you could have seen them they had such shiny skin. One came up to the waka, I named it Silk because of how soft and smooth her skin felt. I'm pretty sure it was a she, there were two smaller dolphins swimming with her. I named them Star and Bobby, after you and me because they stayed together the whole time like best friends do. There haven't been many other animals, Mum says the water is too deep to see any of the fish. I have seen birds though. They were black and white and made a horrible screeching noise. I think I will call them seabirds because they flew over the sea far from land.

I love to look at the sky when it is nighttime. I can see all the stars I tried to count them but there are so many. They shine off the water and you can see all the stars twice. My Mum says I was named Whetū after them because she thinks I am as beautiful as the stars.

I am nervous about arriving, what if there are already people there? They might not be nice. I am also very excited. There will be new places to see and explore. I will find a good tree and I will build a fort in it for when you arrive on the next waka.

See you Soon,

Whetū Makenu

P.S. You are my favorite sister xoxo

10Br NCEA speech on PBL

This is the speech I gave to the year 10's at the close of PBL.

Hello, my name is Amy and today I am going to talk to you about my group’s PBL project.

On Sunday, the day before PBL began, I was stuck as to what topic I should choose. I sat down at church for the evening service and listened to the sermon, it was about finding God’s purpose in your life and fulfilling his plan. After the sermon, there was a period of quiet time for us to think and pray, at this time I prayed asking God what he wanted me to do for PBL. A few moments of quiet and I had an idea. My topic was going to be about helping kids with cancer.

I decided that I wanted to visit children with cancer in hospital to read stories to them. I wrote my idea down and smiled. The next day I came to school and shared my plan with a group of friends. During the first period of PBL, we split into groups and I joined a group with Mercedes and Hannah-Mae. We named our group The Wish Makers.

On the first week, we completed the activities from checkpoints one to five. On Monday, the second week, we called the hospital and I manned the phone. I talked to one of the nurses in the pediatric ward and told her that we wanted to read Christmas stories to the children—she gave us permission to come the next day. We arrived the next day a little before 10 and found our way to wards 21 and 22 where the children were staying. The nurse I talked to on the phone showed us to the waiting area. After an hour-and-a-half wait, we met the head nurse of the ward. She sat down with us and explained that we could not see the children that day but we might be able to come back another time. She gave us the email address for someone from the Christchurch District Health Board.

We emailed the CDHB asking what steps we needed to take if we wanted to spend time with the kids. About three days later we received a reply. Their email informed us that we would need police checks before visiting the children. After looking into this we discovered that police checks were out of the question due to age restrictions. It is safe to say this action plan didn’t work very well. We set up a “Give A Little” page sending funds straight to the Child Cancer Foundation before we started our project again.

At the start of the third week, we merged with another group who were doing a related project and hit a similar roadblock. As one large group, we made over 40 dreamcatchers. We also collected about three boxes of stuffed toys and a large number of cans. During a four-hour car wash, we washed five cars, raising $50. All of this was donated to the Ronald McDonald House. It took a lot of time to plan the car wash, and we are thankful for our supportive parents and teachers who made it happen. The event worked, and even though we didn’t raise as much as we had intended to, we still have helped a little and that is all we could have hoped for.

Half of the group visited the Ronald McDonald House to deliver these gifts as well as Handmade Christmas cards. Although we were not allowed to visit the children, our actions still went well and we achieved our goal. At the close of PBL, Hannah-Mae and I presented our work and actions. We explained our project and showed a video compilation of the car wash. Haylee created a video using the photographs Bella and Letecia took during this event.

PBL has been hard and very stressful. There have been ups and downs and often we wanted to give up and cry, but we persevered. We are proud of our resilience. Helping improve the lives of these children has brought us joy. We worked extremely hard the first week and just as hard the second, but after so much disappointment our efforts lessened. After a while, we could no longer see the point. How could we help when everything we planned and attempted got shot down? However, looking at what we have achieved, we can see how all these little things contribute to a bigger picture.

If you want to help the Child Cancer Foundation you can donate through our Give A Little Page, helping fund crucial research needed to find a cure. Share the link around and raise awareness about this cause. Donate old clothes and toys in Child Cancer Foundation collection bins. If you want to know more about our project you can visit my school blog.

Even though the effects we had on the lives of those children were small, we still succeeded. We realize, now PBL is over, that you can change things for the better with just one small act of kindness. “It takes a lot to change the world, but one small act of kindness can change someone’s whole world.”

New Zealand Marine Ecosystem - And the effect of Plastic Bags

How are plastic bags affecting our Environment?
Statistics show that one in three turtles found on our coast are dead. Two out of three turtles found dead have anything from traces to stomachs full of plastic. One third of all turtles found have plastic in their stomachs. Not only are our local and passing turtles affected but other animals as well. There have been birds nest found bound together with plastic materials. Trees and other plants, foreign and native, have been smothered by plastic bags.

These plastic bags are cutting off these plants source of food, they are stopping growth and killing our plants. Our animals are dying. Do you want to eat fish that have stomachs full of plastic bags and micro beads. The government finally gave in and removed micro beads from the market, but in a effort to reduce the effects of plastic bags we have caused a bigger problem. Biodegradable plastic bags have been released and are commonly available at supermarkets and shops. These may have seemed like a solution to this problem, but they do not break down in air or in your rubbish bin. These bags need to buried in order to degrade, but they are just pushed around on massive piles of other rubbish. There is so much evidence to show that plastic bags in there whole form are damaging to our ecosystem and animals. But now they are biodegradable. Biodegrade means breaks down into smaller pieces. this means that not only are our larger species at risk but also our smaller ones.

We need to remove plastic bags from New Zealand and that doesn't mean replacing soft plastics with harder, heavier plastics. Tests conducted in Australia, showed that their quick fix of replacing light plastic for something heavier, made no changes to the impact they had. Many retailers over the ditch, doubled the thickness of plastic bags, but they were still carelessly thrown away, in the bin, on the ground, even in water. A big step to send us in the right direction would be to remove plastic bags altogether, and replace them with something more eco-friendly, and recyclable. Paper was great as a use for bags. They breakdown quickly and completely. they are also recyclable no matter how thick or thin and no matter what shape. Plastic bags take years, decades even to breakdown and they can only be recycled in some forms and thicknesses.

When plastic bags snag in trees they reduce the amount of sunlight that makes it into the tree. This means that trees cannot photosynthesize properly, this can lead to a malnourished tree. If wrapped around trunks, branches and leaves it can stop growth and kill the tree slowly. In my back yard recently, there was a tree partly wrapped in plastic, with the plastic there the tree began to die. Water was not flowing from the roots properly, and the tree was drooping with the leaves dying off. This is not the only tree, there are trees everywhere that die because of plastic. Bags caught in the breeze aren't the only problem either. Traces of plastic are found in so many places buried in the ground. for little plants this is harmful. These bags are trapping the roots and the trees and plants are dying from dehydration. Any gardener can tell you how harmful it is to plant something while it is still in its plastic packaging, why bother planting it at all if you know it will die. The plastic in our soil will have the same effect. The plastic in our soil the sheer amount is disgusting, but what is horrible is how many plants and animals it will kill.

Our national icons, the kiwis are at risk. Kiwi birds forage for insects in the dirt, if our turtles can't tell plastic bags from jellyfish, than how will kiwis tell plastic from insects. They are already on the decline and this will only make them disappear faster. We need to clean up our land before it is too late. SO MANY turtles have been found near dead on our coast full of plastic. The biggest source of plastic comes from single use plastic shopping bags. Turtles digestive systems get blocked by these plastics and they starve slowly. This is a slow and excruciatingly painful death. Something needs to be done. These turtles are tortured, and put in indescribable pain and we get away with it. This is our fault and now it is our responsibility to stop it.

New Zealand Marine Ecosystem

• https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/94277174/third-of-turtles-found-dead-on-new-zealand-beaches-had-ingested-plastic
• http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/09/rare-turtle-dies-after-ingesting-litre-of-plastic.html

Solo...

It was dark… my shoes skidded on gravel as I trudged to the assigned meeting place. I knew this would be a challenge. The group was already there. My torch flashed off as the light disappeared from others. The moon gleamed, lighting up the thickly clouded sky. Trees emerged as my eyes adjusted to the low light. I huddled into the group, while a shadow, towering barely ahead of the dreary tree line, waited. The whole group hushed as the hoarse voice began. “We will be doing two loops of the track, each loop should take us forty five minutes.” Beams of light burst the sky as torches were turned back on. Our journey began. I stepped into the trees. This was it, I could not turn back now. The gloomy sky vanished. My stomach did flips as I left familiarity and entered the unknown.

As I waded through thick mud and frigid water, they started to appear. Creatures. I can see huge spiders and hammerhead snakes. My light flashed toward them but they vanished as fast as they appeared. I felt alone. Surrounded by so many others, yet alone. I was trapped. The trees went on and on. My chest started heaving, as my breath caught in my throat. I stumbled upon moss clumps as tree branches prickled my skin. Leaves rustled as I brush past. There it is again, the sound of my heart pounding. The nature that so often soothes me, has become twisted and vial. It lurks around, as though this is a horror movie.

I had given up on avoiding water, trying to dodge it usually caused me to slip. I was shaking, and so afraid. My lip began to tremble, and my lungs stilled. Then they started to escape my eyes, salty rain drops. My chest began heaving as the world faded in and out. Dizziness struck and the world fell off its axis, going round and round. I was lost, stumbling upon the uneven ground and slimy, stream rocks. The ground suddenly dropped but I had to stay on the track.

As I bumbled down the neverending slope, my feet disappeared. Tumbling down I grabbed plants of all kinds, trying desperately to stop. I felt the beech bark graze my fingertips as I continued rolling. Flax sliced down my palms, causing red to ooze from my hands. I gripped onto a mountain beech tree. Stopping as I pulled myself to the bark and wrapped my body around its trunk. Dirt fell from my face as I gagged at the taste of grass in my mouth. I started to feel dizzy again. I sucked in as much cold, damp air, as my lungs could bear. It was okay, I had reached flat ground. For now at least. “Ella, Ella.” My voice was a hushed whisper. I trudged on desperately trying to find the voices of the group. They had stopped. I could no longer hear chatter, but why? ‘Awoooooo!’. I heard a wolf cry ring out, then another, and another. What was happening?! I wearily continued until the trees cleared and the boys appeared in front of me. ‘Awoo!’ They let out another cry, however now it was much less terrifying.

I gave one of them a good jab in the ribs. The rest of the group came into view, and we continued on our way. We looped around again picking up those who had been assigned spots to sit on the track. The next morning the blue sky shone. Some of us girls walked the track again, giggling as we talked about boys.

I let out a heavy sigh. Nature was beautiful again. The creatures had gone, and the beauty of the forest showed. The green of the leaves and the dew on the dirt, brought me peace.

'The Outsiders' Essay

There is conflict between Darry and Ponyboy. This is shown when Darry tells Ponyboy off multiple times throughout the novel. Conflict between the two brothers also shows when Darry hits Ponyboy across the face hard. Ponyboy often feels as though he is not enough when he is around Darry. However beneath their conflict there was love. The conflict occurred because Darry had to grow up fast, he worked Ponyboy to be the best he could, but he did this in a way that turn Ponyboy away and caused Ponyboy to only see the conflict. I feel the author S.E. Hilton has done this to show that there is still love. This is similar to when our parents work us hard, and give us opportunities that we might not want. Many children will say it is because they hate us because they only look at the conflict, Parents however look at the whole picture and do it out of love to try and give us the best. Parents can often see the love hidden in conflict.

There is love shown through this conflict. This love is realised by Ponyboy when he see Darry crying in the hospital out of love and fear of losing him. Ponyboy says “I looked up horrified to see that Darry was crying…” he has a realisation that he may have misread Darry’s actions. This shows that not everything is as it seem, sometimes what people do on the outside does not show how they feel on the inside. Everyone loves differently, meaning that sometimes the love is hidden and you have to look harder. Including with siblings. They may be hard on you, but it could be out of love because they don't want you to make their mistakes. This however can sometimes cause your relationship to become muddled.

Darry and Ponyboy’s relationship is muddled. There is much conflict and love because of the relationship they have with one another. They have the brotherly bond that most brothers have, but at the same time they have a Father son relation. Ponyboy’s Parents dying placed a burden on Darry, in the book it states “He had to grow up fast.” Not only does Darry loss his idols and family, but he becomes the father figure to Ponyboy and Sodapop. There are many types of conflict in the world and it can be hard having one kind of conflict separating you from someone. Ponyboy and Darry have lots between them, including the conflict between father and son, brothers, and others conflicts. Darry needs to grow up quickly when his parents die and it is evident that because of this he is trying to make Ponyboy grow up faster. Darry did not get the choice of growing up at his own pace and that is having an effect on his brothers. Despite all this underneath the conflict resolution can be found.

It is also shown that these conflicts can have resolution. Darry begins to cry in the hospital, and in this moment Ponyboy realises that the conflict was Darry’s way of showing love. Throughout the novel we see conflict between the two brothers. They argue and disagree often. Later in the novel however, when the brothers are brought together we see that Darry was trying to protect Ponyboy instead of  belittling him in the way we thought he was. The conflict is in some ways resolved because we can see the real meaning behind it. The words spoken between the brothers often sounded like hate, but over time we see the love behind them. This shows that even the most impossible conflicts can be overcome if we look at it from a different angle. They brothers did not change anything between them to find the love they had often missed from one another. It shows us as people that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes the meaning behind thing can be different if you just look at it from another angle, or someone else's point of view.

Seasons Poem

Finish off each word picture for each of the four seasons? Here is an example of one:

Summer sounds like kids Splashing and yelling in the pool.

Spring looks like world is reborn as flowers begin to grow

Spring tastes like fresh vegetables that have pushed through the melted snow

Spring smells like yellow daffodils lighting up the Ground

Spring feels like pink cherry blossoms floating all around

Spring sounds like passing the lemonade because the family’s round

Summer looks like golden sand glistening in the sun

Summer sounds like kids splashing in the waves having loads of fun

Summer tastes like soft serve ice-cream at the beach

Summer smells like toe jam as people release their feet

Summer feels like an exciting time dancing to the beat.

Autumn looks like yellowed leaves drifting slowly to the ground

Autumn tastes like bitter crisp air that swirls round and round

Autumn smells like cold, thick fog hanging in the air

Autumn feels like wind and rain rushing through your hair

Autumn sounds like grumbles and growls about the weather through the year

Winter looks like icy show drifting through the sky

Winter tastes like warm food like roasts and Granny's pie

Winter smells like rain and wind while Jack Frost gets your nose

Winter feels like piranha bites on your fingers and your toes

Winter sounds like shivering snores while the kids all doze

News Paper Article

Teens Deemed Heroes After Fire In Church!

Two boys in their mid teens have been deemed heroes after rescuing a group of ten small children from the Windrixville Church during a fire. The children were playing in the church when it caught fire.The teens, Ponyboy 14 and Johnny 16, say they did what anyone would do in that situation. They risked their own lives in order to save the group. It has been said that Ponyboy fell unconscious after escaping with minimal burns. Johnny was severely burned and injured during his attempt to get out. He is now in hospital in a critical condition with third degree burns and a spinal fracture. During an interview Ponyboy said ‘My mate Johnny is pretty banged up, but him and me are sure proud of what we did’. The teacher of the children told us ‘We were up the hill for a class picnic, and some of the children asked to play in the church. We were oblivious to the danger they were in until we saw flames’. The whole community are grateful for the actions of these brave, young teens. Ponyboy stated at his interview ‘The division of Soc and Greasers is all over, but not out here.’

Film Essays

2ND ESSAY:

In the film ‘The Power of One’, the director has used high and low angle shots in various scenes. In the ‘hang him up’ scene,  high and low angle shots are used effectively. High angle shots show power and authority, whereas low angle shots are used to show weakness. This shows us as an audience the different levels of power that each character has. For example, one of the characters, Bootha, is often filmed using low angle shots. This is to show us the power he has. Low angle shots are used often when the main character, PK, is facing Bootha to show he is small and weak in Bootha’s presence. The director has done this to help us understand the power each character has over one another and how in different situations that power can change. This worked with facial expressions to show how the characters feel about one another. Bootha feels he has authority over PK and this is well shown using the two film aspects/techniques. This is used in a similar way in the story David and Goliath. Power is shown by height and mass. Meaning if you are larger than another you have power over them. This does not always turn out to be true though, as shown in the story of David and Goliath.

Facial expressions  and body language play a big role in movies. In one scene facial expressions were key in helping us realise that there was a different meaning to the words spoken. It showed us to read between the lines. They show the audience emotions and help us to realize when there are words left unspoken. The director has done this to show us how horrible the prisons were. He shows that any happiness was to be secret. Dialogue and facial expressions work really well together. For example, in one of the prison scenes a man asks PK if he could have the tobacco from his bucket. PK responds with the words ‘my bucket will need cleaning each day’. His facial expression shows that these words have secret meaning. This is similar to when the Jews were put in concentration camp. Many things were left unsaid. Because they wanted to stay safe, they used facial expressions and body language to communicate with one another.

Symbolism is a big aspect in the film ‘The Power of One’ as it is used often. One thing symbolism is used for is to show the love associated with an ostrich shell bracelet. It is passed down from one person to another. It was given as a gift to PK’s mother from his father. It was given as a gift when PK’s parents first fell in love. Before PK gave it to his love ‘Maria’. This shows us as an audience the power of their love. It helps us to understand the feelings and emotions involved in each relationship. This works well with lighting, the faces of the characters light up when they see one another. The bracelet was used much like a wedding ring to show they planned to be together as long as possible.

1ST ESSAY:

In the movie ‘The Power of One’ the Director uses many different film techniques to show meaning. The director uses things such as props, as symbols. In this essay I will be explaining how some of the objects in the film are important when it comes to showing meaning. I will be discussing one of the key objects in the film and how it was cleverly used to symbolise something different. I will also be discussing how different camera shots and angles were used to help show the meaning behind the important object. One of the key objects in the film is an ostrich shell bracelet.

1SEXXXY

Symbolism is used often to show meaning throughout the film. For example, in the film there is a bracelet made of ostrich egg shell. This is used to symbolise love throughout the movie. It is used to show the audience how strong the love between the characters really is. PK is one of the main characters in the film. The bracelet was passed down through his family. From his Father to his Mother, from his Mother to him, before he gave it away to the girl he felt deep love for. The director has done this to help us understand the love that is shown throughout the film. He has shown love by using symbols and actions to backup the words of love the characters speak. This is similar to when we get married. Love is shown by a ring and actions to backup the words. In the movie this is the same only a bracelet is used instead of a ring.

2SEXXXY

Different camera shots and angles have been used in the film. For example many shots where the ostrich shell bracelet have been shown have been close up. This is to show the detail of the bracelet and it shows us the importance it has. This is done by using close ups of PK’s hands to show the care in which he takes when handling it. Doing this show the audience that it is treasured by PK, that it is of great meaning and significance to him. The director has done this to show the emotions that PK feels when he is with Maria. Even though we can not see PK’s face we can see by the care he takes when handling the bracelet. This shows us that he cares for Maria as he puts his trust in her that she will keep it safe. This is similar to when film directors use close ups of characters faces. In both cases it is used to show emotion and meaning.

3SEXXXY

The bracelet ties well into the movie. This is because it has significant cultural meaning. It is made from the shell of an ostrich egg, an animal well known in Africa. This shows great meaning. For example, it is used for love which is a perfect meaning considering the material in which it is made. An ostrich egg is used to carry young while it grows. It being made from an egg is great because the egg shows new life. When the bracelet was given from PK’s Father to his Mother it showed that he loves her and he wanted to create new life with her. The egg shell bracelet being used as a symbol is great because it shows these things. The director used a bracelet made of egg shell to show that the love felt in the movie was not a one off kind of love, but that it was a true, pure and life long love that could not be broken. This showed the audience that the love was true and it showed the emotions the characters felt for one another. Including how strong they were. Just as an egg symbolises new life in many cultures, the Cross and Easter are significant symbols of life when it comes to Christianity.