During music this term so far, we have been learning about 4 different genres of music, opera, rock, pop, and classical. First, we learn about opera, then rock, then pop, then classical. We learnt that opera is a very high pitched type of song, and is from Italy so it is Italian. I didn’t like opera much. We then learnt how rock has a very hard base. I like rock the best. Then it was pop, which we learnt that it is actually the word popular. Finally, it was classical. Classical usually uses instruments like folk guitar. Then we all did a song exploder where we research about a song. This is my song exploder.

What do you like about music?

Yesterday, a group of children including me went to the New Brighton Olympics for Athletics for the Eastern Zones. We had an athletics day trials earlier on this term, and the people qualified gets to go. I qualified for long distance 800m run, long jump, and relay. I didn’t get to Canterburys for anything, but I think some of my other classmates did. I came either 4th or 5th in the long distance, and my relay team came last. I found that day heaps of fun though. Unfortunately, my classmate injured his foot, and I helped his mum and himself.

Would you rather do work at school or do athletics all day?

Yesterday, we went to Catholic Cathedral College (CCC) to watch a Cultural Festival. There were different schools there, and they were all Catholic schools. The schools that were there were St. James, us New Brighton Catholic, St. Anne’s, St. Mary’s, and CCC. We got to see the other schools’ kapa haka, waiata, and cultures. There was a Tinikling dance which was a really cool Filipino stick dance, a Tongan waiata, a Samoan dance, an Irish dancer, a Highland dance from Scotland, and a Cheerleader dance at the start of the show from USA. My favourite dance of the show was the poi dance where they only used the poi and their bodies. I found the concert too loud so that’s why I liked the poi dance the most as it was the most quiet of all in this concert. I kept blocking my ears and could still hear it, but I didn’t need to for the poi dance.

This is me eating my lunch, and my school’s kapa haka group.

What do you enjoy about different cultures?

Last Friday, we had an Athletics day to trial for Zones. Everyone had to  do it, whether we liked it or not. I like athletics, and I think I got into Zones. I especially like long jump, long distance, sprints, and relay, which I think were the ones I am going to Zones for. I came 2nd or 3rd in long jump, and I think I also tied with Zara. I came 1st without Despina, who was at choir practice for the whole morning. I might of have qualified for high jump as well, but I’m not a fan of high jump. I got grazed and bruised during high jump, so even if I qualified, I might just leave that sport out. The morning was also burning hot from the blazing sun. In the afternoon, we had sprints. In the heats, I came 3rd, behind Leah. In the finals, I came 3rd, just a baby step away from being 2nd. 1st place in the finals was Zara, and behind me was Kiara. I heard that it was top 3 going to Zones, and because all four of us were so close, I also heard we were going to Zones for relay.

What would you enter if you could choose to do any athletic sport?

Today we had book-character day where everyone came to school as a character in some story book. First we had a parade to see everyone’s costumes. I dressed up as Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. I found another junior also dressed up as Belle. At playtime, we joined together as big Belle and small Belle. I called small Belle, ”Belle the II”.

In the parade, each class came out as a group in a line for the judges and audience to see. When it was my class’s turn, I, as Belle, followed Hermione, who was actually my class teacher, Mrs. Hamilton.

At the end  of the parade, the teachers announced the winners of each class. In my class, the winners were Despina and William. The prizes were some Duffy books.

What would you like to be in such a parade?

Today we had non uniform day and we had to donate something for our school Christmas raffle. We sell the raffle, then it goes into a big black bucket for the draw, and there’s great big hampers from our donations. Once I won first prize, and I shared my chocolate with my friends. When I walked into school this morning, there was a big red Clifford, and I figured out it was Mrs. Tyro, a teacher at my school.

What do you think is special about non uniform day?

For this Spring Learning Journey, I made a Spring Garden.  I put a pond because water creates a nicer environment and helps the plants grow better. I put white clouds and light blue sky to show it is a warm day with nice weather. I put bees coming out of beehives to show they are more active in a warm Spring day. I put heaps of flowers blooming and seedlings on the side to represent Spring. I put a few ducklings with mother ducks to represent the new life in Spring.

For this Spring Learning Journey, I wrote a Spring senses poem. The 5 senses in Spring are see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. I have seen my fruit trees bloom every year. In Spring, it is traditionally a cleaning season and the vacuum cleaner comes out more often. I have a beehive at home, filled with honey and I can smell that every time I walk past it. I have pet chickens and ducks at home, so when it comes to Spring, they give me heaps of scrumptious eggs, which go well with the fresh chives from our garden in Spring. To me, Spring feels so alive after all the plants and animals hibernate in Winter.

What else can you sense in Spring?

During this school holidays, there is this programme called Spring Learning Journey. It is where you complete as many activities as you can. One of the activities is about celebrating Suffrage Day on the 19th of September. The task was to find out who Kate Sheppard was and her purpose.

What do you think was the most important thing Kate Sheppard did for New Zealand?

For this Spring Learning Journey, I decided to create a top 10 list of my favorite birds because October is the 10th month. I chose these birds to be my favourite because of the different features each has. I like chicken as I have them as pets. They are calm, cuddly, good looking, and lays lots of eggs for me. I like ducks because they are fun to have, easy to keep, and give heaps of large eggs. I like fantails because of the “I’m not scared of you!” characteristics they have, the sudden way they fly, and the pretty colours on their fan-tails. I like parrots because of the wide range of colours on their feathers, their very tame manner, and they are very easy to train. Pukeko even in the wild like Travis Wetland can be very friendly and not afraid to approach me. Quails are small, not taking much space, and their eggs taste different but good. Greenfinch is also my favourite because it sings sweet sounding songs. Swallow has a unique rocket fin-like tail. Kiwi is our national symbol and I am a kiwi too, so how can I not like it. Finally the Blackbirds are everywhere and taken as a sign of good luck.

What are your top 10 favorite things about spring?