Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A Dark Day for Christchurch

People trapped under crumbled buildings, dozens missing and dead bodies just littering the streets. These are just some of the major cases we’ve heard of since the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch on Tuesday the 22nd at around about 12:51pm-most people were on their lunch break at the time.

This has been recorded as New Zealand’s worst natural disaster since 1931 when an earthquake measuring 7.8 hit the North Island city of Napier and destroyed most of it but also killed 256 people. The death toll for the 6.3 quake is 100+ and rising, its estimated to reach 200.

Many things were lost in this natural disaster including houses. It has been a massive struggle to collect water as their water system was dismantled and it has been a big challenge to find good accommodation and shelter. There has been a report that a lady has been very kind and had been able to give food to around 100 people.

Christchurch was home to many historic buildings, one of them being the famous Christchurch Cathedral. One of the Cathedrals towers were destroyed due to the devastating quake and about 22 people are believed to be trapped in that area of the Cathedral.

People from all around the world have sent their condolences even some very famous people like Barack Obama (the President of the United States) and the Queen of England. Some people have even come from places like Japan, Australia and America to help out.

My school has decided that they we will fundraise some money and then send some it down to Christchurch to help them buy some supplies and stuff that they desperately need. I pray that Christchurch will once again be able to move on from this, as they did in the 2010 earthquake and for the families that have lost their loved ones.

If you would like to see some shots of Christchurch before and after the earthquake, you can go to this website http://www.morefm.co.nz/Home/ChristchurchEarthquakeBeforeandAfterPhotos/tabid/2115/Default.aspx

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Tech at Tamaki (2011)

It wasn't going to be a new experience but it was going to be a better experience because this year when we were going down to Tamaki college for technology we going to be Year 8's!

Our first day of Tech at Tamaki was on Monday the 14th and our first activity was graphics with Miss Ferguson. Last year when we did graphics we found it was really fun even if your not an artist. Our project for graphics (this year) was to create a type of 'holder' or 'packaging' for a fast food i.e hot chips, a pizza slice, hot dogs or even a cup for a drink.

First we brainstormed a few fast food ideas and picked one of them. I picked a pizza slice. I fancy designing a triangular shaped box to put the slice in.

We also learnt about 'tone' but not the tone in music, the tone in art. To learn this we had to shade in some 3-D shapes, not just one shade but 3 different types of shading-Light, medium and hard. We drew a cube and the 3 faces of the cube that were showing were shaded in the 3 different shades.


Wood works, electronics, cooking and science are the other 4 activities in Tech. I've tried all of them except for science and electronics. We never had that last year so its new to both the Year 7's and Year 8's. There's a rotation and each group stays at an activity for about a couple of weeks, we then swap activities. But I think that because there's a bit more activities this year that we won't get a chance to try all of them.

Because there are a few more things to try out, I hope that I get a chance to do electronics and science. Like I said before, its not going to be a new experience but a way, way better experience!

Monday, February 14, 2011

My Holiday Highlight



We usually make an effort to go every year and every year is better then the last. The main thing we do when we go is swimming. This trip I’m talking about is our annual visit to our relatives in Tonga.


I’m not a great fan of the holidays because there’s not much to do, but its the total opposite when I’m in Tonga! There’s always something to do like go swimming, cooking the umu, taking truck rides around town and even more swimming!


Since we were in Tonga and going to the beach was pretty much a habit, we had to take sunscreen to protect ourselves from the sun’s (harmful) blazing rays! Even though we did put on sunscreen, everyone still managed to get a tan. Even I did, but it doesn’t really show.


We went to a few beach/beach resorts but my favourites were called Keleti and Oholei. The sights of their beaches were just awesome! The white sand & the clear blue water, I loved running through the sand and diving into the nice cold sea!!Unfortunately our visit only lasted 3 weeks and then we had to come back to New Zealand.

I didn’t want to come back because if we did then there would have been nothing to do. That’s what the 1st week back was like until Mrs Burt rang up and asked me to come down to school and help with the netbooks. But that’s another story.I really enjoyed my holiday, (except for the part when we came back from Tonga and I had nothing to do) but I was very eager to come back to school and learn, be the first Year 8’s at Pt England School but the best of all: See all my friends!! (Thats my friends and I in the photo.)