New bike

It was a Friday afternoon and me and my mum were heading to the bike shop to look for a new bike for me. I was so excited I knew exactly what I wanted. As I walked into the door one of the bikes caught my eye. It was blue and shiny and the best thing about it was it had 21 gears. I knew it was the one for me.

I asked the man if I could try ride it. He said “sure” so he took the bike off the stand and took it out into the carpark and put down the seat.

I got on the bike and ride it round the carpark. It was my third time and as I was just turning around a car pulled in and I nearly crashed. I started heading back and I was so embarrassed that I told my mum I wanted to leave now and get the bike.

So we asked the man if he could hold on to the bike he said, ”yes.” I got into the car and said to my mum,”That's the one.”

Hanmer Springs

It was a warm hot day in Hanmer Springs and my cousins and I were all getting ready to go on a new bike ride that I had never been on. I was excited and scared at the same time but I knew that I could do it. I put my helmet on got my biking gloves and set off to get my bike.

Once I had got my bike my dad put the bike on the car, I hopped in the car and we were gone. We were finally there. It was a very dusty track and the scent of pine cones went threw my nostrils. I got my bike and then my dad said, “it is mostly downhill,” so I was glad about that.

I started going down the big hill with my brakes on. The next minute I came to a stop with my cousin Bronte. We had lost everyone. I started panicking where were they. We were there for a moment until finally my superhero was here to save me. It was my dad. We carried on as I told him about my thoughts of where he was he said “I was trying to catch up with you”. So I was safe . 

Tahiti

Tahiti

I was in Tahiti and I was about to go whale watching. I couldn't wait. As I approached the boat, the captain said, “We are now heading off.” I was so tired that I had to go over to my mum and have a rest.

After about 35 minutes, I heard a loud voice saying, “Get your snorkelling gear on, we have seen a whale.”

I immediately woke up and then the captain said, “You are only allowed to go in the water if you are a good swimmer.”

I knew I was a good swimmer. When I got in the water I was so quiet I couldn't even make one splash. I hopped on my dad's back and put my head in the water. Then I realised it was a baby humpback whale. I slid off my dad’s back and it was just there. It was so cool to be there in the water with a whale. But the mum of the whale was scared of us so it was right at the bottom of the sea.

I was there for a while until a guy from another boat made a big splash and scared the whale off. The marine biologist, who was telling us all about the whales, asked if Oscar and I wanted to go back to the boat. I said yes so I hopped on his back.

Once we got on the boat I heard the marine biologist say to the captain, “We are going to see if we can find the whale.”

But when they came back they said they could not see it  so we headed back.

Hiding spot

Hiding Spot

1… 2… 3… I hear the sound of counting. I start sprinting to the closest hiding spot I could seek. As I slip in I hear the trembling sound of the rough fabric.

“Then ready or not here I come,” goes through my ears and everything goes quiet you would be able to hear a pin drop. I take a look. My brother has disappeared like a ghost.

The room falls silent, this hiding spot is the boringest yet.  For some reason I start to smooth the fabric like I'm smoothing the sea with my hands this seems a bit odd so I peek out the window I see my dog at his favourite restaurant the backyard enjoying a delicious main rabbit.

I start to hear footsteps coming nearer and nearer to me. I try to squeeze myself into the  corner of the room but it's to hard so I just stay put.

Luckily he goes past. But I need a drink so once he's gone I quickly grab a drink and go back to my spot. I thought he saw me so I have another peek but he's not near, so I'm safe.

I get real tired and want to sit down because it has been such a long time but I can't. I'm thinking if I should show my face or stay here for about another hour if he doesn't find me. Then boo!!! I screech. He has found me! I guess it's time for me to count.

1...2...3...4...

Term two reflection

  

Term two reflections

My opinion about term two was fantastic.The reason why I say that is because when I was learning about waterways and water I had so much fun as well as  learning.

This term we have been learning about how to monitor water and waterways. The teachers have done lots of thinking to see how we could learn more from when we were prestructural or unistructural.

First  of all we decided to look at all the waterways not all but see if we could find them on maps or Google earth and write them down on a piece of paper. After that we went on our trips. I chose to go to the Groynes which is also known as a dog park and  to the water pumping station. My favourite would be the Groynes because I got to learn more about invertebrates and their home.

After that we stated to monitor water And we had to do that every day which got a little annoying that we did that for about 2 weeks. We are learning to be scientists by gathering data over a period of time.

Then the teachers put us into buddies. We had to use all the knowledge of our invertebrate that we had been studying and compare it with our buddies’ knowledge. We put it into a piece of writing that was one of my favourite things. (And so you know invertebrates are little bugs that live in the water.)

We started talking about waterways and how we could save them. We got all these ideas on how to save our waterways. I did a poster with Anzu. It looked so good when it was finished. We spent lots of time on it. Then we started to practice for the finale.The next morning it was the finale and most of the parents came to see what we had been learning over the term. I was a little nervous but not that much. Luckily my mum had lots of friends so I got to explain why I did a poster. Anyway, the finale went great but I got tired of sitting down so the only thing I would change would be to stand up or be in the audience so I could sit with my mum.

Leech and nz otter Contrast Habitat

Leech and nz otter Contrast

Habitat

A leech lives in a dark, murky and damp freshwater habitat.

Their  habitats aren't hard to find in other parts of the world.

In the same way both are hard to find in New Zealand. Whereas an otter lives in a freshwater habitat .

Defence

The leech is limited to a few defences. They mainly grab where they cannot be touched or seen and when they have the opportunity they will swiggle off. Unlike an otter that defends themselves with their sharp teeth.  

Desciption

The leech  looks  pitch black and  slimy and  sometimes they can have brown stripes on their body and they can also  be shiny in the sun. In contrast an otter looks fluffy, cuddly  and has dark brown fur as well as sharp claws. Most importantly it has sharp teeth to to protect itself.

Attack

The leech attacks by sucking blood off its predators flesh and draining fluids off the prey. Unlike otters that have very sharp teeth and sharp claws to attack its predators.

Threats

The threats to leeches are big ducks and sometimes humans because  when they go on humans, they roll on sand and put salt on them which sometimes makes them die and sometimes scared and so they will swiggle off. The otters threats are humans, killer whales and pollution.

 

Diet

An otter eats lots of fish and crabs and have also been known to eat smelly duck eggs however the leech eats flesh, animal fluids and blood.

Water monitoring process

For our topic we are learning about water. Every morning when we get to school we have to do water monitoring to see if the water’s good to drink. At first we put the pH in, which is a special piece of paper that changes color and what ever color it changes it means if it's healthy or not.

Secondly I took the temperature. I put the  thermometer in the water and waited for one minute then I took it out of the water and on it were numbers to show what the temperature was.

Thirdly I looked for suspended solids which are little bugs that are in the water but if   they're not there the water is not clean.

Fourthly I tested the turbidity.that the how clean the water is. We did that by holding a book and putting the class of water in front of the book and see if we could see the words.

Overall I found out how to test water and about a spread sheet and  from now on I'm nogoing to use water carefully.

My observation writing

This autumn leaf feels a bit prickly on the edges and it is smooth and rough sometimes it feels like it's going to crisp in to pieces like when you step on a bit of food  and it makes a big mess.

This leaf smells like a fresh apple that has just been cut up in to pieces. It sometimes smells like its just come off the tree.

When the leaf rustle in the wind and it falls to the ground It sounds like a clicking sound .

This leaf looks like a flat piece of paper only with spikes on the edges .

This autumn leaf feels a bit prickly on the edges and it is smooth and rough sometimes it feels like it's going to crisp in to pieces like when you step on a bit of food  and it makes a big mess.

My tramp

I discovered on my trip to Mount Bealey, that it was hot at the start but when

I got above the bush line it was very cold and I had to put on more clothes.

Summer poem

It was summer...

Do you remember summer...

Do you remember the clouds, so white you

Could not see anything in the sky.

How the grass was so green

when you were playing on it

you flopped right down

and do you remember how

The Monarch butterflies were playing in the air

that was summer .

Do you remember the ice cream dripping down your

Your arm that was because it is so hot in summer

And there is no rain, just wind.

remember lying on the burning

sand in the hot sun.

Remember the sun flowers so fresh you could smell them

From your door when you stepped in to the garden.

Remember how your garden had so many flowers

that it was

A dream for the bees and the butterflies