Month: September 2024

This afternoon, I participated in a Cybersmart challenge that was both fun and educational. As part of Māori Language Week, we created Whakataukī posters using Google Drawings. Whakataukī are Māori proverbs that carry deep meanings and are often used in speeches and everyday conversations.

Creating the poster was enjoyable because it was easy to use Google Drawings, and I loved exploring the beautiful and wise sayings of the Māori culture. One of my favorite Whakataukī is:

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!”
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!

This proverb reminds us of the value of people and community, emphasizing that the most important aspect of life is the relationships we build and the people we value.

I encourage everyone to take part in Māori Language Week and learn more about these inspiring proverbs. It’s a fun way to celebrate and honor the rich heritage of Aotearoa.

What is your favorite Whakataukī and why?

Last Friday, my class and I went on a trip to Travis Wetlands. We drove there by car. The introduction was boring, but it got better as the introduction neared the end.

I learned that New Zealand has lost a lot of its wetland areas, going from 80% to just 3%. Even so, Travis Wetlands was almost gone! Some people stopped it, and it is still a very important place. Travis Wetlands is like a sieve, a sponge, a nursery for birds, a bed & breakfast for animals, and an airport for birds from other countries.

We split into two groups, and I was in Group 1. We started by using binoculars to do some bird spotting. After a while, we took a break for morning tea.

One fun part of the day was when a girl named Zara and a boy named Makua from my class played married, pretending to be Fiona and Shrek. It was a funny and unexpected moment that made the trip more enjoyable.

Next, we went bug hunting. I found some rare bugs, which was quite exciting. Some of the bugs I found were called Backswimmer, Damselfly nymph, and some others that I forgot the name of. The park ranger even called the rest of my group to come see my tray to see the bugs I found.

As the day ended, we gathered to talk about the food web and how each species is important to the ecosystem. For example, pollution affected the zooplankton, which affected the bull minnow, and then the blue heron. The phytoplankton grew nice and strong until it grew on top of itself. Because phytoplankton gets energy from the sun, the phytoplankton at the bottom dies due to no sun and the same pollution that affected the zooplankton. The pollution still stands, and with the dead and rotten phytoplankton, the whole species of phytoplankton dies off, which causes more pollution. This ends with poor quality water and no phytoplankton or anything else. The other message we were told to take home was the fact we are all connected. So if we wash our car on the driveway, all the bubbles and stuff goes down to the wetlands. So next time you wash your car, remember to wash it on your lawn!

Finally, it was time to go back to school. The trip to Travis Wetlands was a mix of learning and fun, and it made me like this special place even more.

How do you think the loss of wetland areas affects the local animals and plants?

This afternoon, we did a Cybersmart Challenge called Email Etiquette. This activity was about writing good emails. A good quality email contains of this.

Subject Line: The subject line summarises your email’s content.  It should be catching people’s attention and be specific. 

Greeting: Emphasise the need for a polite greeting, such as “Kia ora [Name]” or “Hello [Name] ” or “Tēnā koe [Whaea]”

Body: The body of your email should be clear and to the point.  Pay attention to your punctuation and grammar.  Remember emails are formal means of communication, so avoid using any slang.
Closing: End your email politely with phrases like;
“Kind regards,” “Ngā mihi nui,” “Ma te wa” or “Best regards,” 

Then the task was to write an email to the Manaiakalani people saying what our favourite task was and what we suggest as to be a Cybersmart Challenge. This is mine.

How do you write your emails?

In the afternoons on Tuesday, we have been learning about New Zealand History. This activity was to create an animated slide on a Waka Hourua and a modern day ship, like a cruise ship. A Waka Hourua is two waka put together side by side with some sails. A waka is a ship Māori people or Polynesian people travel in. A Waka Hourua is just like a waka, but with added a another waka, and sails, possibly more room and shelters too. We have been learning about the Waka Hourua, and this activity is to show our learning and understanding of the Waka Hourura.

Would you choose to travel on a Waka Hourua at no cost or a very expensive cruise ship?