whats next ?

 Its been done, from my last entry I said I've been wanted to become Head boy of Tamaki college 24', and I've done it, we actually had 2 head boys, and I was one of them which was a long story. 

I've realised that being a head student isn't about representing your school in school meetings and programs with other schools, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS ! The students don't need representing  for things outside of school and having their head students not be available at school when theyre needed for the whole year bc they were so busy with other things. It's about building connections with the vast different students around Tamaki because believe me when I say, watch how irrelevant we'll become so quickly. No student in the history of all students ever will remember what you said at a 3pm meeting repping your school, but they will remember the time you took to talk with them, to get to know them and even the memories spent together. bruh thats enough Okay, that's my little rant ab leadership

Hows me ? I'm good, year 13 is good, all the words i can find to describe this year. Its been chill, its been vibes, big shout out to Mr Teulilo for letting me chill in his class for the whole year haha. Another year, another year that God has moved, may not be what I was expecting but who could anticipate God ? there have been alot of ups and down, but nowadays, its starting to look up from here, friends coming back to church, friendships being made and restored, and last but not least, SCHOOL IS DONE LETSGOO ! but fr tho, 13 years of schooling coming to an end is something, I don't know how to feel because school is all I've know for so long and for the first time, I'm taking a step into doing things on my own, its really exciting because I feel that I'm no longer limited by the rules and trying to uphold a standard, but at the same time, Im literally an adult and have to be accountable for everything I do.. buzzzyy

I chill with a whole bunch of new people now, different from the previous blogs, but yeo love to everyone in my life, old or new friends, played a big part of my life fr #waymaykers

What is my God dream ? funny thing was i was at youth and was telling Troy and I didn't have a God dream, and at that moment I just got like one on the spot and it was of me performing on a really big stage like eden park and pulling off coldplay numbers and just vibing to my music and just looking out at the crowd and praising God! It sounds ridiculous and laughable but a wise guy told me "Dream a dream so big people laugh at it"

anyways! im heading off to bible college next year, can't wait to see the greatness that God has in store for me and my fellow travellers of this journey I'm on !

Wow time travels fast ay, It feels like I wrote the previous blogs like months ago but in reality it was YEARS ago like what the heckk

This might be my last entry cs school account and all, but living life brb

Life nowadays

 holy shmacks

This year has been a hell of a roller coaster, with school work and rugby and youth and all, we're still going strong. What's that ? term 2 and 3's already finished ? holy camoly how many credits do I have...  3 credits to my name.      whaatt theee

so I took that personally and did the deadliest academic grind ever and I'm now sitting on 50 credits, God is good ! speaking of God, me and my homie we kinda close, you know I be giving him thanks and praising him with all my heart and he's been giving me blessing and i'm forever grateful for Jesus ! We recently had shout ! again, not gonna go too deep into that, but it's basically church but on mega steroids. It's encouraged me to plant seeds in people so that the Lord can grow. During shout, Ruby was talking about By the Gate and God kinda spoke to me and was like "yo start up by that gate at Tamaki" and I'm like "okay" so I grab my buddy Troy and we start it up and every tuesday break, we'd pray for our students & school and we've been consistent since.

I'm hoping to become Headboy of Tamaki college 24' Not because of status or fame or it would look on my CV, I hoping to become Headboy to make a change in our school, regardless of big or small, but a change I shall make. A thing I would want to change would definitely be the rep that Tamaki college has, which isn't a good one. I don't know how, but I will. Growing up, I was never seen as "that" kid that was destined for greatness, or had huge potential, I was just kinda there. I never really had any special role model growing up like Cristiano Ronaldo or someone, So I did everything for my parents and did everything I can to make them proud. It's been 17 years since I've started 💪 My parents didn't sacrifice so much for me to not become someone. I hope to make them proud one day.

Thanks

Hows Life ?

 

Room 16

broskis, holy moly lifes crazyy ! I'm chilling one night right ? and then boom, we moving dawg. That was like 5 months ago, and now, i'm chilling in my room. This is such a big deal for me mainly because I've been living in my old home for the last 16 years, a house of 3 rooms, with a family of 11. Like bro, tell me how that works ? I don't know, but my family definitely made it work. I'm especially grateful for the Lord for this blessing, all glory straight to Jesus! Anyways, I've never enjoyed talking about the idea of houses around my friends, only because I never had a room. Straight up, my fondest memory is me sleeping in the living room while the other homies were chilling in their beds in their room. I never talked about how loud I played music in 'my room' or how decorated 'my room' was, because I was ashamed to tell them that I slept in my parents room. As much as it hurts to say, but I, Saia, Top academic boy of 2019, Rise award winner of 2020, Player of the year 2021, First XV Team Spirit of 2022, Top Tamaki College Service academy student of 2023, MVP of summer revo 2023, slept in my parents room majority of my teenage years. I would always get jealous that my friends would literally have walk-in closets, while I wouldn't even have a room of my own. But, the look on my parents face when we first walked into our new house. spoke no words,  but yet communicated greatly. The look of "We've done it" and the look of " We get to be a family" were a common theme of facial expression within my parents. Nowadays, I play my music loud asf and my room is all decorated with posters, exceeding beyond my expectations of a room that I've dreamed of having.

Thanks for reading

How's life ?

Hi everyone, or anyone who manages to stumble across this blog.

 It's truly been a while since my last blog so let me fill you in on what you missed out during this long time period. This time my teachers aren't forcing me to make a blog so I have a bit of freedom while writing this 

 

If you may, have a read

2021 - Feb to June

Little things 

I am fresh out of year 9 and this period of my life I totally forgot about. I had short hair and had a bunch of friends, whether it was the Weird but cool dudes, or the Cool rugby guys that everyone knows. Those were my two friend groups, so it'll be difficult bouncing between those two friend groups. During morning tea & lunch, I spent my time with the rugby dudes, and during class time, I'd chill with the other cool guys and we'd just make jokes the whole time. 

2021 - June to August ?

Camp 21' 

This is quite foggy in my memory but during this time, our class got to go on a camp, and let me tell you, that was the best camp that I've ever went on. It was a 1 night camp but it was better than the ones we went on in primary. Getting to spent your nights with your friends, chatting for hours about everything, staying up until you couldn't function properly in the morning is a beauty. During this time, I've gotten closer to this girl from my class. Her name is Danielle. During this time, I honestly forgot most of the things that happened, but all I remember is that everyone is in love with one of my best friends, Siaosi (including me).

ayo

2021 - August to Dec (+ little bits of Jan)

End of an Epic Era

*loud beeping*
"wait what the, wheres that soun-"
*grabs phone out of pocket*
* mumbles*"New Zeala-  lock dow-, Level 3"
" OH SHI-" 

Yaaahahaw, it's lock down time. Just as life started to look good, God was like " Nah " and planned another lockdown, don't ask me why, God's ways are far beyond our understanding. Lockdown started off as only 1 week, 1 week turned into 2, 2 into 4, 4 into 8 and then I lost count. But it was for a longgg time. During that time, I was feeling confident in who I was, in what I was doing, but when quarantine came, I lost it all. Through the weeks in lockdown, I ate heaps and put on alot of weight, up until the point of being almost unrecognizable. So with my brother, we dedicated ourselves to be better and started working out. We started from our backyard, finally used our bench thats be sitting there collecting dust and cobwebs. Everyday for 3 months (except sundays), every afternoon, we'd have the same regime. Once it hits 5pm, we make our Pre-Workout, cheers, drink and head outside and put in the mahi. By the 3 month mark, I was a different person. I even grew out my hair, which is surprising because I've never been allowed to grow my hair. I was more motivated to do more things, such like regularly going for runs. Also during a holiday program, I met this man, his name was Paula. I learnt that he was a bodybuilder who came 3rd for Men's Physique stage. He gave me some tips and his workout and meal plan and left me to conquer the world (currently working on that). 

2022 - Feb to May

Start of the rest of my life 

oh whats that ? I'm doing NCEA Level 1 ? I was just in year 9 like last week. Damn life moves fast. Anyways, Fresh out of year 10, time to gain some credits. Didn't choose my classes last year, time to pick it right now. So my classes for 2022 are English & Maths (compulsory) Music, Health and PE. I mainly chose those classes because it sounded fun and not because it had anything to do with my future (Don't do what I did kids, pick a subject that actually correlates with your future okay). Oh hey, a new english teacher. What's up Mr Spruyt. In the first few weeks of school, I tried my best to do my work in a excellence standard, I honestly tried to do my best, but my best wasn't cutting it. Level 1 is harder than I thought. Anyways I also forgot to mention that in NCEA, you get given internals. Internals are basically just little tests and you have to complete those inside of a time frame, and depending on how well you do, you get awarded a set amount of credits either in Achieve, Merit or Excellence. Personally, I'm more of a Merit type of guy, anything under Merit is no bueno. Good thing I have my friend Siaosi, he's basically a human calculator.   

2022 - June to Sep 

Friends & Family

Term 2 finished already? Life moves real quick, if you don't stop to take a look around, you might miss it. During holidays, me and few of my buddies went to this thingy called shout conference, not gonna go too deep into that, but it's basically church but on mega steroids. It's encouraged me to become a better person and to do better things in life. Anyways, nowadays I mostly hang out with 4 dudes, Namely, Tata, the cool dude who doesn't let anyone mess with him, Mathew, my longest friend of 13 years, who is also the outgoing friend, Siaosi, The humble chick-magnet, who is also the smartest boy in my class, and finally Chris, the big tough guy but is actually a teddy bear, unless of course provoked. These dudes are the reason I enjoy coming to school. I reckon having friends or belonging to a friend group plays an important part during our time in high school because life, let alone school can be quite stressful, so get you some friends who you can make fun of and vice versa. Speaking of friends, I split up with a few friends here and there along my high school journey, but hey, that's okay. People come and go and that's life. I have a bunch of new friends and I'm also in a band as well. I'm the guitarist for my band 'Xela' which is going great. 

 

2022 - Oct to Now

Future ?

4 terms in and currently in exam week. This year has moved pretty quickly, year's coming to an end, finally got my Learners license, recently got a job, I find myself studying a bunch for exams, oh man life's crazy. I wonder what opportunities God has in store for me for the future. But for now, I'm gonna keep facing my problems, because I know obstacles are just opportunities in disguise.   

I'm going to bed now, goodnight✌️

Waitangi Day

 Waitangi Day. A day of celebration around the country, signed by Hone Heke, Former Governor-General of New Zealand, William Hobson, and a lot more. Waitangi day of New Zealand marks the anniversary of the initial signing. The treaty of Waitangi was signed on the 6th of February, 1840. But, there are different points of view about Waitangi day. Some kiwis believe that there's always political conflict and It's not a day of celebrating for a lot of people, But many other kiwis believe Waitangi Day doesn't represent conflict for many New Zealanders. I believe that it is important that we celebrate and learn about Waitangi day because I think it is important to know how our ancestors lived & coped with the troubles they had to go through with the British 

Our Community

On Friday, last week, we drove around our community on a class trip to understand the differences between equity and equality.  Going out of school during school time felt really weird. As a group, we travelled place to place, starting at schools & ending up in Panmure. A place we found that showed culture, was Te Oro. Te Oro had a lot of traditional patterns engraved on the walls. One way we can improve our community is by being kind & respectful to others by not playing loud music

 

Graphic Novel

My 3 Panel story

Akomanga Kaihanga Project

Kia Ora everyone! My name is Siosaia and I am a Year 9 student, who is currently attending
Tamaki College. I am part of a project-based learning class called “Akomanga Kaihanga”. There
are currently 29 students in my class, and we’ve been split into five groups.

I was put into a group, and we named our group “Team Jaxxs”. Besides me, there are 5 other
students in my group, and they’re names are Chastyti, Danielle, Liena, Eden, and Jerome. Our
group is focusing on child poverty, here in our community. We are planning to run a second
Food-Drive here at Tamaki College, in front of the Whare Kai. My group I, hope to Help with
Poverty in our community.

Te Whare Tapa Wha

Here is my whare that I made out of paper! My whare represents Te
Whare Tapa Wha. Te Whare Tapa Wha contains four dimensions of
our well-being. The four dimensions are Taha Tinana (Physical well-
being), Taha Wairua (Spiritual well-being), Taha Whanau (Social well
-being), and Taha Hinengaro (Mental & Emotional well-being). Our
Physical well-being is affected when we’re doing exercise, dancing,
or simply just moving. Our Spiritual well-being is affected when we’re
at church or praying. Social well-being is being affected when we’re
communicating with one another or performing an item in front of
an audience. Lastly, Our Mental and Emotional well-being is being
affected when you get or have feelings & thoughts.

Previously, my class and I went on a trip to the Panmure library, to
show our projects to people that work in our community. After the
presentation, the class split into two groups. One group went to a
school, and the other group walked up a mountain and slid down
the mountain. I was in the second group. When everything was
finished, Karl asked us to reflect on what we did. After a few
minutes of reflecting, I noticed that my Social and physical
well-being had been affected while we were presenting our
project and while climbing and sliding down the mountain, and
Since I was climbing the mountain with my friends, I felt excited
& energized, which also affected my Mental/Emotional wellbeing.

(It's a pop-up card)

Summer Learning Journey Day 5 Week 4

DAY 5: Dancing Queens

Activity 1: The World of Hip Hop [4 points]

Parris Goebel has taken over the world of dance! You might already have heard of her as she is pretty famous in New Zealand and around the world.

Parris was born in Manurewa, South Auckland, and she is of Samoan/Chinese/Scottish descent. Parris loved dancing when she was very little and she began hip hop lessons when she was 10. By the age of 15, she was so good that she started her own all-girl dance crew called ReQuest,
and they went on to win several first places at the World Hip Hop Championships.

Parris later started The Palace Dance Studio in Auckland and formed five more dance crews that won competitions worldwide. She has also worked as a choreographer for famous musicians like Justin Beiber, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Janet Jackson. In 2019, Parris and her new dance crew, The Royal Family, won the World Hip Hop Dance Championship.

For this activity, please think of a recent performance that you watched. This could be something that you saw on television, on the internet, or in person. What do you like about performance? What did the individual and/or group do well? What could they work on? Write a review and post it on your blog.

The lastest performance I've watched was Tape Face, on Americans got Talent. Tape Face is a comedian from the amazing country of great New Zealand!. The video I watch was about Tape Face making oven gloves sing and making then kiss at the end! It's really funny when he does it!. His second act was him putting a dress on him halfway so it can look like there is a woman hugging him!, He's a really funny guy, even Simon Cowell referred to Tape face as "a modern Charlie Chaplin"!

Activity 2: En Pointe [4 points]

Most successful ballet dancers start learning ballet when they are very young - 3 or 4 years old. World-famous ballerina, Misty Copeland, wasn’t like most other ballet dancers. Instead of starting at age 3, she started ballet lessons at age 13!

By 14, Misty had won a national competition for ballet dancers. She continued to work very hard and, in 2015, she became the first African American principal (lead) dancer of the American Ballet Theatre. This is amazing because there were, and still are, very few African American ballet dancers in the country. When interviewed, Misty has said that she would like people to be able to “see dreams through me”. This is an example of an inspirational quote.

For this activity, please choose a quote that you like from the following list and tell us what it means to you. Post your answer on your blog

Inspirational Quotes - Options

1. “I don’t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.” – Natalie Portman [Actress]

2. “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” – Roald Dahl [Author]

3. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt [Politician]

4. “Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve done before. ” – Bonnie Blair [Athlete]

5. “You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne [Author]

For me, I really Like the 4th quote. The fourth quote isn't directed to me, it's directed to some of my friends! I really like this quote because every time we (me and my friends) have a game of competitive sports, They turn into a different person, taking the game literally and trash-talking other players. That's why I like the fourth quote!

Activity 3: Concluding the Journey [6 points]

Sadly, the Summer Learning Journey has now come to an end. It is time to reflect on everything that you have learned this summer about people who have had an impact or changed the world, in some way.

For this activity, please reflect on your experience with the Summer Learning Journey program this year. To earn full points, answer each of the following questions. Please post your responses on your blog.

1. Which activity, or activities, did you enjoy the most?
My favourite activity has to be Day 1, Week 2 , Activity 2: Rights and Wrongs. I really liked that activity because it was really interesting and actual quite simple to slove!
2. Which activity, or activities, did you enjoy the least?
The activity I enjoyed the least was none of them. I really enjoyed completing every single on of them!

3. What are the three things that you learned while completing the program?

• 1. I learnt about a new company called "Twenty-Seven Names"
• 2. I learnt alot about Greta Thunberg and how she protested against climate change
• 3. I learnt that England has more that 1 known breakfast!

4. What are the changes or improvements you would make to the program for next year? 
I’m actually not going to be doing the Summer Learning Journey next year because, this is actually my last year, and I will be in college next year.

I’ve been doing the Summer Learning Journey since 2017, so doing this years SLJ, was a special one, because I knew it was going to be my last one! So I just want to say thank you to everyone who's been a part of the Summer Learning Journey, espicially Rachael and Jordan!. Without this program, I wouldn't have been this intelligent and would have lower grades than I have now! 

Kind Regards
Siosaia


Thank you for participating in the Summer Learning Journey 2019-2020 program!

Summer Learning Journey Day 4 Week 4

DAY 4: Arty Designers

Activity 1: Fashion forward [4 points]

Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer from the early 1900s. She was very influential because she
designed clothes for women that were beautiful, but also comfortable and practical. Before Coco came along, European women wore corsets which pulled in their waists, and dresses that had lots of lace. Coco Chanel introduced a completely new style, influenced by men’s fashion - trousers (pants), monochrome (black and white) fabric, and looser tops.

Twenty Seven Names is a contemporary (current) New Zealand fashion label that is quite influential. The founders of the company are two friends, Rachel Easting and Anjali Burnett. Rachel and Anjali met when they were at primary school. When they left school, Anjali studied fashion design and Rachel studied art, before they set up their own business designing and making clothing. They named their company after the 27 people who helped them start their business.

For this activity, please read about how another famous New Zealand design company, the Allbirds, got their name. Former All White turned entrepreneur Tim Brown launched Allbirds (a footwear company) back in 2014. Brown said the name was an ode to New Zealand. "When people first settled in New Zealand, there were no other mammals on the island, just birds. It's also a reference to our sustainable mission – birds are a great predictor of environmental health and well-being, so when the birds are
thriving, it's a good sign that an ecosystem is doing well," Brown said. "As a brand that uses sustainable materials and draws inspiration from New Zealand's incredible natural environment and birdlife, it was important for us to choose a name that communicates that to our customers."

If you had to choose a name for a footwear company, what would it be? Once you have chosen the name think about what inspired you to choose that name. Post both the name of your company and information about what inspired the choice on your blog

If I was to choose a name for a footwear company, I would call it "Elfhex". There is no reason behind it, I just really liked the name.

  

Activity 2: Try Your Own Tapa [4 points]

Fatu Feu’u is a Samoan artist who lives in Aotearoa/New Zealand. He is mostly known for being a painter but he also creates sculptures, pottery, prints and glass works.

As an artist, Fatu Feu’u is primarily influenced by tapa cloth (siapo) patterns from Samoa, as well as tatau (tattoo), weaving, carving, and mask designs.

Many Pacific Islands have their own versions of tapa cloth. In Tonga it is called the ngatu, in Fiji - the masi, in Niue - the hiapo, in the Cook Islands - the tapa, and in Hawaii - the kapa.

For this activity, please create your own tapa cloth design. You can draw your design on paper or use the computer. Post an image on your blog (photo or screenshot) of your tapa design and describe what each part of your picture represents (means).

Activity 3: Top Secret Street Art [6 points]

“Banksy” is an influential artist from England. He is very private and secretive. In fact, almost
no one knows who he really is - he always creates his art in secret! Banksy often uses
stencils to create his street art.

Street art, or graffiti art, is all around us. Sometimes the art tells a story, sometimes it makes a
building look more interesting, and sometimes it makes us think hard about something. In
2011, the city of Christchurch experienced a huge earthquake. A lot of the central city
buildings fell down. It takes a long time to rebuild a city, and there are areas of Christchurch
where buildings are still damaged and/or need to be rebuilt. Street artists in Christchurch have
seen this as a chance to create artwork that helps to make the city beautiful again. You can
see lots of amazing street art in Christchurch at the moment!

For this activity, we have provided two different pieces of artwork from Christchurch. Look carefully at both and identify at least two similarities and two differences between the pieces of art. Post your work on your blog.

Summer Learning Journey Day 3 Week 4

DAY 3: Screen Legends

Activity 1: Talk Show Host [4 points]

Oprah Winfrey is a bit of a television legend! She is best known for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which ran for 25 years. Some people have said that she is one of the most influential women in the world. She is certainly very successful and has spent a lot of time helping others.

Like so many others, Oprah had to work very hard for her success. She had to overcome challenges and she experienced many struggles during her life, however, she persisted and eventually became a radio presenter, TV news presenter, and daytime talk show host. She started her own production company (HARPO Productions), and television station (OWN). She also produces a magazine called ‘O.’'

Oprah is passionate about education. She believes in the power of learning and has even started her own school in South Africa called The Oprah Winfrey Leadership School for Girls. She is keen to provide young people with opportunities to follow their passions.

For this activity, we would love to know more about your interest (passions) and your future plans. What would you like to do when you are older? Do you have a specific job in mind? Post your work on your blog.

In the future, I would want to be a Rugby Player! The reason why I would want to play rugby for a living, is because it's a really fun and competitive game! I plan on starting off from college then moving on to club. The player I mostly look up to, is the one & only, Jonah Lomu. Jonah Lomu was a really fast, strong and fearsless rugby player, and thats what I like about him.

Activity 2: Plot Points [4 points]

Lupita Nyong’o is a Mexican-Kenyan actress. She spent most of her childhood living in Kenya, Africa with her family. She is one of six children.

When she graduated from high school, she decided to move to the United States of America to follow her dreams of becoming an actress. She was cast in her first American film, East River, in 2008. She went on to write, produce and star in a number of films, including Black Panther and 12 Days a Slave, for which she won the 2013 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (otherwise known as an ‘Oscar’). Not only did Lupita win the Oscar but she was the first ever Kenyan and/or Mexican
woman to win the award. Amazing ‘eh?!

Over the past few years Lupita has continued to act, she has earned a master’s degree from Yale University and has written a children’s book called Sulwe. She has also written and produced her own movies.

For this activity, imagine that you had the chance to write your own movie. What would it be about? Who would be your main characters? What are the important events that would take place? Write a summary of your movie. Post it on your blog.

If a was the director of my own movie, I would make a movies version on Ross Capicchioni's life. if you don't know who that is, Ross Capicchioni is a dude who got shot by his friend of 10 years, just to join a gang. He was shot with a shotgun 3 times and left to die due to his friend wanting to be initiated in a gang. But somehow, Ross survived and lived to tell his story!

Activity 3: Feast or Famine [6 points]

Julian Dennison is a very funny guy! He is from Lower Hutt, near Wellington. He is only 17 years old but he has already starred in a number of movies and TV commercials. You may have seen him in the Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Deadpool, or in the Lynx ads.

Julian is not only a funny actor. He recently joined up with World Vision to be a 40 Hour Famine Ambassador. In a 40 Hour famine you don’t eat anything for a full 40 hours. He traveled with World Vision to Uganda to meet some of the refugees from South Sudan who are living there.

For this activity, we would like to know if you would consider doing a 20 or 40 Hour Famine to raise money for charity. Why or why not? If you have already participated in a 20 or 40 Hour Famine, please share your experience, including why you decided to participate and some highlights and challenges of the experience. To get full points, provide at least six sentences. Post your work on your blog

The old me would say No to doing 40-hour famine because not eating for almost 2 days was a challenge, But since it's for charity, I would do it. I just read about the 40 Hour Famine and I can see that the charity is about little African kids. I also read that Their goal is to save children's lives and ensure that they have a future.

Fun Fact: Julian is a twin! His brother, Christian, is pretty. different to Julian. He wants to study law and Te Reo Māori at university and then be a politician. Clever guy!

Summer Learning Journey Day 2 Week 4

DAY 2: Musos

Activity 1: Getting Stronger [4 points]

Aaradhna is a Samoan-Indian singer from New Zealand. As a girl, Aaradhna sang traditional Samoan and country songs with her family, eventually joining the senior choir at her high school (Porirua College). She gained international recognition in 2004 when she paired upwith Adeaze to release the song, “Getting Stronger.” The song went to number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart and it is still one of my all-time favourites, to this day!

Speaking of favourite songs, we would love to know who you listen to and what songs you like the most.

For this activity, please give us a list of your ‘Top 5’ favourite artists (singers) and
your ‘Top 5’ favourite songs. They can be from any time period and any genre (type) of music. Post your lists on your blog.

My Top 5 artists are...

5. HP Boyz.

4.  Frank Sinatra.
  3. Bruno Mars. 

2. Stevie wonder. 

1. Michael Jackson.

My Top 5 Songs are...

5. Cruising - Smokey Robinson

4. Bad - Michael Jackson

3. The way you make me feel - Michael Jackson

2. Blame it on the Boogie - Michael Jackson 

1. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder

Activity 2: K-pop heroes [4 points]

BTS, or Bangtan Boys, is a seven member boy band from South Korea. They have sold over 15 million albums in South Korea, which make them the best selling artists in South Korea of all time. They have topped the music charts in the United States of America and around the world.

They began singing hip hop but now sing mostly K-Pop (Korean Pop). Most of their songs are sung in Korean - their first language.

BTS is famous for making great music videos and for singing about topics that many people can relate to - love, self-confidence, etc. They have a huge and very loyal fan base are called the BTS A.R.M.Y. Most of their fans follow them on social media. They have 16.5 million followers on Twitter and 13 million followers on Instagram. Wow! They are really popular!

For this activity, please tell us if you like BTS. Why or why not? If you have not heard
of them, please tell us about your favourite band instead. Post your answer on your blog.

I definitely haven't heard about BTS so i'm just going  tell you about my favourite band!

My favourite band of all time has to be The Jackson 5! I really like The Jackson 5 because it has the type of genres that I like!. The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, were an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1965 in Gary, Indiana, by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine, with younger brothers Marlon and Michael

Activity 3: Girl Power [6 points]

Jessica Mauboy is an Aboriginal Australian singer. She rose to fame when she was runner-up in the 2006 Australian Idol, and has gone on to record a number of very successful songs. She
is a role model for both girls, and indigenous Australians as she has been so successful in her music and acting career.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is an opera singer from Aotearoa/New  Zealand. She became one of the best sopranos (a female singer with a high voice) in the world. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is
Māori, however she was adopted when she was a baby and
very little is known about her birth family.

For young singers, both of these women can serve as role models - people who have faced challenges
and overcome them in order to achieve their dreams of becoming professional singers.

For this activity, we would like to choose one role model and tell us about them. What makes them a role model? They can be people you know personally, people you have seen on television or the internet, people you have heard on the radio, or people you have heard about from a friend of family member. Post your description on your blog.

My role model has to be Jennifer Lawrence. The reason why I chose Jennifer Lawrence is because she is a really confident when she's in interviews and when shes acting! She also Loves her fans! She always makes a point of stopping to talk to her fans! The last thing that I like about Jennifer Lawrence is that she loves Pizza!

Summer Learning Learning Day 1 Week 4

WEEK 4: All the World’s a Stage

Kia ora and welcome to the final week of the Summer Learning Journey! This week we are going to be learning about people who changed the world through the arts and entertainment industries. The people included in this programme are only a small number of the exceptional, influential and inspirational authors, musicians, artists and entertainers in the world.

Get ready to learn about some very creative people!

DAY 1: Bookworms
DAY 2: Musos
DAY 3: Screen Legends
DAY 4: Arty Designers
DAY 5: Dancing Queens

DAY 1: Bookworms

Activity 1: Rags to Riches [4 points]

J. K. Rowling is one of the most well known authors in the world. She wrote the Harry Potter series of
books. Over 500 million copies of her books have been sold, making J. K. Rowling the world’s first
billionaire author.

While she was writing the first Harry Potter book, she was a single mum with very little money. She used to write while her daughter Jessica was asleep. She used her initials ‘J.K.’ instead of her name (Joanne) because her publisher thought that boys might not want to read a book written by a woman.

J. K. Rowling has done many interviews which have revealed things about her as a writer and as a
person. One of these interviews was conducted by a very famous television personality, Oprah Winfrey
(you can find more about her on Day 3, Activity 1!).

In order to encourage people to read her books, J. K. Rowling made sure that the book covers were really creative and interesting.

For this activity, it is your turn to design a book cover for your favourite book. You will need to think about what needs to be on the cover (the title, author, illustrator, pictures, colour, etc). Please create all of the images yourself (draw or photograph). Share the book cover on your blog.
 

Activity 2: Romeo and Juliet [4 points]

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an author, poet and playwright. He is best known for the plays that he wrote while living in England in the 16th Century. Although they were written a long time ago, they are still popular because they talk about things that are familiar to us - love, revenge, confusion, betrayal, jealousy, hurt, etc. You might have heard of some of his plays: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear. Many of them have also been made into movies.

Shakespeare wrote his plays in English, however, it was not the same version of English that we have now. In fact, many of the words that we use today, in 2019, weren’t used back in 1600 (and vice versa). To experience the difference between modern-day English and Shakespearean English, please read the following example:

#1: Modern English version - This morning I got up early when my daughter Laila woke up. We had a delicious breakfast of steaming hot porridge before heading out the door to start the day. It was cold, sunny and clear outside.

#2 - Shakespearean English version - This m'rning I did get up early at which hour mine own daught'r Laila did wake up. We hadst a delicious breakfast of steaming hot p'rridge bef're heading out the doth'r to starteth the day. T’wast bitter cold, sunny and cleareth outside.

For this activity, read the following Shakespearean sentences and then rewrite them in Modern English. Post both the original Shakespearean sentence and your Modern English version on your blog.

Sentence #1: Mine own mume’s favouriteth meall is chicken with riceth and broccoli.
Sentence #1 Remake: My mummy's favourite meal is Chicken with Rice and Broccoli
Sentence #2: During the summer holidaie I always wend swimming at the locall pool and hast a hokeie pokeie iceth cream coneth on the waie hometh.
Sentence #2 Remake: During the summer holiday's, I always went swimming at the local pool and had a Hokie Pokie Ice Cream cone on the way home. 

Activity 3: The Diary of Anne Frank [6 points]

Anne Frank was a very brave girl. She was born and raised in a Jewish family in Germany in the 1930s. When World War II started, Anne and her family were forced to hide because the German politicians (Nazis) did not like Jewish people. She and her family hid out in a secret room in their house for two full years. During this time, Anne wrote in a diary. When the war ended, Anne’s dad found the diary and made it into a book. He called it The Diary of Anne Frank or The Diary of a Young Girl.

I know lots of people who keep a diary. Often they will record what they did during the day or
recount stories about special events that have taken place.

For this activity, we would like you to imagine that you have a diary. In your diary please write a story about your most extraordinary day. What happened? You can tell us about an actual event or you can make one up. It’s totally up to you! Please be as creative as you can. Post a diary entry about your extraordinary day on your blog. Be sure to start your post with the words “Dear Diary”.

Dear Diary.

My Mums almost finished with dinner so i'll have to make this quick. Today was an extraordinary day at school! So the day started off as any ordinary day. Teacher taking the roll, kids mucking around, but all of a sudden, our principle called out through the intercom ans said "All classes to the hall". We had no idea what was happening, not even the teachers. When we all arrived at the hall, The first thing I saw, was Blue, Red and White. I then realized it was Spiderman!. My jaw dropped. After few screaming, we all took a seat. Spiderman did a few tricks and showed us how he shot his web. After the lesson, Spiderman asked a few question. Well, I have to go now, My Mums calling me for Dinner! Bye for now!

Summer Learning Journey Day 5 Week 3

DAY 5: Creativity +

Activity 1: Ministry of Inspiration [4 points]

So you might have heard of the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Health, right? They are groups of people who give advice to the government. But have you heard of the Ministry of Inspiration? It sounds like fun, doesn’t it?! Well, this is a real organisation based in Nelson, New Zealand. Their aim is to get kids thinking creatively in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, maths and society (STEAMS).

The Ministry of Inspiration hosts many cool activities and events, including an Aquabot competition. Aquabots are robots that travel under the water. They are built by secondary school students. Once a year, the students bring their aquabots to a pool to compete in a series of challenges. These challenges include picking up items from the bottom of the pool, delivering and/or collecting items from various locations in the pool. The team with the best aquabot wins the competition.

For this activity, we would like to know if you would join an Underwater Robotics team at your school. Why or why not? Post your answer on your blog.

If I was giving the opportunity to Join an Underwater Robotics, I would gladly join the Robotics team! The reason why I would join the team is because of a few reason. The first reason is that the Aqua bot competition, which includes a lot of fun challenges, sounds like a lot of fun! The second reason is that you can challenge other Teams or schools to make things a bit more challenging. The final reason is that Children from Year 5 to Year 13 can compete in the challenges!

Activity 2: Caine’s Arcade [4 points]

Caine Monroy is a 17 year old boy who lives in Los Angeles (L.A.), California. When he was younger, he spent his summer holidays at his dad’s work - an auto parts store in downtown L.A. While his dad was working, he decided to build himself something that he had always wanted - an arcade! He built an arcade all by himself out of cardboard boxes and things that he found lying around the shop.

One day a man came into the store to buy a handle for his car and he met Caine. Caine showed him what he had made and the man was so impressed with the arcade game that he made a movie about Caine and invited all the people in L.A. to come and play the games in Caine’s Arcade!

For this activity, we would like to know about your favourite game. It can be a board game, a card game, a game that you play outside with friends (e.g., rugby) or a quiet game that you play by yourself. Tell us about your favourite game. What is it called? How do you play it? Post your answer to this activity on your blog.

My Favorite game to play is a free-to-play mobile game, called PUBG. I really like playing this game because it's a really fun and competitive game you can play with your friends and Family. PUBG is an online multiplayer battle royale game. PUBG is a game which contains 100 players in one map and they have to fight until there is only 1 player left. To make things challenging, there is a zone in every map that shrinks which makes players closer to each other.

Activity 3: Choose your own [6 points]

You have now made it to the end of Week 3 and have the chance to choose your very own scientist,
technologist, or inventor who you think has changed the world. There are no right or wrong choices for
this activity, so find someone who interests you and tell us about them on your blog. It could be someone from your family, church or community or someone famous that you admire.

Here is an example in case you get stuck. The information came from the Coconet TV documentary
series

Dr Taitusi Taufa - Cancer Researcher, Tonga

Dr Taufa recently completed a PhD at Victoria University in Wellington. For his PhD he was looking to
see if specific ocean plants (e.g., Marine Sponges) could be used in the treatment of cancer. His interest
in this area can be traced back to his childhood on Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga. When he was
8 years old growing up in Tonga he accidentally poked a stick into his cousins eye and doctors there had told them there was nothing they could do and he would never see out of that eye. However, a traditional healer in a neighbouring village applied drops from a local plant and within a month his cousin could see again.

For his PhD, Taufa collected samples from marine sponges, sea cucumber and sea squirts. It’s these chemicals that he believes could form the basis of future anti-cancer drugs. Medication isolated from sponges could also prove more effective than conventional anti-cancer drugs, because the chemical compounds bind permanently to cancer cells, unlike many current treatments. Taufa’s work is ground-breaking and may save hundreds of people’s lives over the coming years.

For this activity, please choose one person (Dr Taufa or someone else) and tell us a bit about them. You must tell us their name of the person, and provide a description of the work they do/have done along with an explanation of how they/their work has had an impact on the lives of others. Post your work on your blog.

Leonardo DiCaprio

The person I chose is the famous Leonardo DiCaprio. Mr DiCaprio may only look like an actor, but He does a lot more than act. He is a environmentalist. Mr DiCaprio is really concerned about climate change and the future of our planet! Mr DiCaprio is doing everything in his power to help climate change or help convince others to help with climate change. Mr DiCaprio has also made a Foundation and named it "The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation". 

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is dedicated to the long-term health and well being of all Earth's creatures. Through collaborative partnerships, we support innovative projects that protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, while restoring balance to threatened ecosystems and communities. Mr DiCaprio has also donated 5 million dollars to help with climate change!. What I think Mr DiCaprio is doing is a really brave and convincing thing to do, and if it keeps up, leaders from different countries might get convince and maybe help with his foundation!  

Summer Learning Journey Day 4 Week 3

DAY 4: Hauora

Activity 1: Medical Mavericks [4 points]

Over the years, many important discoveries have been made by clever people looking to help others. Two of these are women - Florence Nightingale and Marie Curie whose work has been widely recognized and appreciated. Both women lived extraordinary lives.

Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 in England. When she grew up, she trained to be a nurse and, as an adult, was sent to Turkey during the Crimean War to look after wounded soldiers. When she arrived, the hospitals were very dirty so she spent money to clean them up and to provide the soldiers with quality care. She saved many lives.

Marie Curie was born in Poland in 1867. Eventually, she moved to France and go to university. While
there, she learned a lot about physics, chemistry, and maths. She spent her career conducting experiments that led to the discovery of chemical elements. She was also the first person to use an x-ray machine to look at the human body. She earned two Nobel
Prizes for her work.

Nobel Prizes are given out every year to people who have done something extraordinary in six specific fields of study - Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, and Economics. When someone wins a Nobel Prize they are given a medal and a small amount of prize money. The prize money was originally donated by a very wealthy man named Alfred Nobel.

For this activity, let’s imagine that, like Alfred Nobel, you had millions of dollars and you wanted to share it. What would you do? Would you create an organization that gives out prizes and awards like Nobel or would you give the money to people you know personally? Please think about it carefully and then tell us what you would do. Post your work on your blog.

If I had millions of dollars, the first thing I would do would be to give money back to my parents for everything they've done for me and my family! The second thing to do would be to fill up homeless shelters and homeless banks with necessities. The third thing I would do would be to donate money to www.Teamtrees.org.  Teamtrees.org is a website that plants trees for every dollar donated. For example, 1 dollar will equal to 1 tree planted.  The fourth thing I would do is to pay off taxes, mortgages, debts and more. The last thing I would do would be to save the rest for my future!  

Activity 2: iroko [4 points]

Dr Lance O’Sullivan is a Māori doctor who lives in Kaitaia, Northland. He has committed his
life to improving the health and well-being of both his patients and people in the local community. In 2014 he was named New Zealander of the Year.

Together, Lance and his wife, Tracy, have started some very cool projects in New Zealand including affordable clinics, the Kāinga Ora (healthy homes) initiative and the MOKO Foundation. The MOKO Foundation provides healthcare for students in school-based clinics. He has also started iMOKO, a digital initiative (programme) whereby people living in communities without doctors, can take photos of health issues and send them to doctors in Kaitaia. The doctors look at the photos, provide advice and can send a script to the local pharmacy so that the patient can get medicine. This programme is improving the health and well-being of people living in rural Northland.

For this activity, please think about your own health and well-being (hauora). What do you, or those in your family, do to stay healthy? Share five things that you do to stay healthy and strong on your blog.

I, personally, try to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and get plenty of sleep each night.

The five things I do to stay healthy are...

1. I don't eat too many fatty foods. What you eat is closely linked to your health, and eating a lot of fatty foods in one sitting can lead to weight gain.

2. I get regular exercise. Exercise can help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colon cancer, not that

3. I drink a lot of water instead of fizzys. Fizzy's have a lot of sugar in it which can really damage your teeth!

4. I make sure I get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can weaken your immune system, cause thinking issues, and lead to weight gain. 

5. I brush my teeth every. Brushing my teeth can prevent tooth and gum problems in adulthood.

Activity 3: Putting Our Heads Together [6 points]

Health is a complex and complicated topic. Most people believe that there are many dimensions (areas) of health - physical health, social health, mental health, emotional health, etc. Mental health is an area that is not often discussed. It is basically the way we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us. Sometimes our mental health can be affected by things that have happened in our lives, or by changes in our brains that we cannot control.

Here in New Zealand, people like Mike King (pictured) and John Kirwan have made the choice to speak publicly about the mental health challenges that they face. Overseas, people like The Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge, have joined the discussion about mental health and, like John and Mike, started a foundation to support people struggling with mental health challenges.

John Kirwan started the John Kirwan Foundation in 2018. Mike King founded The Key to Life Foundation, the I Am Hope and the Gumboot Friday campaigns while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started the Heads Together foundation in 2017. In each case, these foundations serve an important role in the community.

For this activity, we would like you to imagine that John Kirwan, Mike King and/or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called you up and asked you to design a new poster for their organization. Post a final copy of your poster along with a description of the poster on your blog

Summer Learning Journey Day 3 Week 3

DAY 3: Inventive Inventors

Activity 1: Nanogirl [4 points]

Michelle Dickinson, AKA “Nanogirl”, is a nanotechnologist. That is an engineer or scientist who works with very small items called “molecules.” Michelle is famous for creating cool shows about science which she performs in schools around New Zealand. When she isn’t performing, she is working as a scientist in her own lab in Auckland. Over the years she has written two books and won many awards including the New Zealand Women of Influence in Innovation and Science Award and The New Zealand Order of Merit for her innovative work.

Like Michelle, many people in New Zealand like to create nano-sized (tiny) things. Some people even like to build tiny houses.

For this activity, please look at the following pictures of tiny houses. Each house was built here in New Zealand. After looking at the pictures, please tell us whether, or not, you would like to live in a tiny house one day. Be sure to tell us why you feel the way that you do. Post your answer on your blog.

To be honest, I don't like these new tiny house because of afew reasons. My first reason is that as you can see on the 2 photo, Part of the house is glass which clearly exposes your privacy. My second reason is that the buildings are being built in New Zealand. There are a lot of islanders in New Zealand and they all have at least 6 kids, and living in a tiny house will be a nightmare!  My third and final reason is that people with claustrophobia would feel uncomfortable living in such a tiny house! 

Activity 2: Printing Prosthetics [4 points]

In 1983 a man named Chuck Hull invented the first 3D printer. A 3D printer follows a design that has been created on a computer. The printer simply ‘prints out’ the design in layers, often using a material like plastic.

3D printing has changed the way we are designing and manufacturing (creating) all sorts of things It is possible to 3D print parts for machines, buildings and even humans!

If you have ever broken an arm and needed a plaster cast you will know that they’re not much fun to wear - especially in summer! Here in New Zealand, a man named Jake Evill has designed a lighter 3D printed plaster cast that is strong, recyclable, waterproof, and ventilated (let’s air in). The 3D design is quite different from a ‘regular’ or traditional plaster cast. Here are pictures of the two casts. The red is the traditional cast while the white one is the 3D printed plaster version.

For this activity, we would like you to compare the two designs. Which one do you like better? Why? Please give three reasons to support your decision. Post your work on your blog.

Activity 3: Need for Speed [6 points]

We have had many inventors here in New Zealand who have created things that have changed the world. Two of these inventors were Bill Hamilton (1899-1978) and John Britten (1950-1995).

Bill Hamilton grew up on a farm in the South Island of New Zealand. One of his first inventions was a tow rope to pull skiers up a ski field. His most famous invention, however, is the development of the modern jet boat engine. It allows boats, like the Huka Falls jet, to travel at lightning speed along rivers. Bill Hamilton invented the jet boat to solve a problem.

John Britten, on the other hand, loved to rebuild vehicles, including motorbikes. He set up the Britten Motorcycle Company from his garage in Christchurch, New Zealand. One of his bikes, the V1000, won a number of international races and set a world speed record for going 304km per hour! Wow! Now that is fast...!

For this activity we would like you to design your own fast vehicle. It can be anything! Please draw your super-fast vehicle on paper. If it was me, I would make my super-fast vehicle something that I could use to get to school and home again each day! Post a picture of your speedy vehicle along with a written description of how it works on your blog. Be sure to tell us what your vehicle is made of, how fast it goes, and who might use your vehicle.

I didn't have any paper so I drew my car on a Google Drawing. I named my car "Alphex". My car is made out of Steel and it can travel up to a whopping 300 mph! I'll only use my cars for racing purposes because I don't want anybody to get hurt when I use my full speed!

Summer Learning Journey Day 2 Week 3

DAY 2: Cracking the Code
Activity 1: Through Careful Observation [4 points]

There are many incredible people in history who have changed the world. Some have changed what we know about the world and about how it works. We often call these people ‘scientists’ or ‘theorists.’ Famous scientists include Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Katherine Freese, Maria Goeppert Mayer and Sau Lan Wu.

Each of these scientists came up with a new theory (idea) about how things work. Much of what they discovered came from observing (watching) things closely.

For this activity, we would like you to select one of the pictures below and to study or observe it closely. What do you see? Create a detailed description of your chosen painting. Please provide as much detail as you can. Post your description of the painting on your blog.

Image 1

Image 2


So the picture that I'm going to describe is Image 2. I see some sort of paper or something turning into an animal. I also think I see a few Waka's on both sides of the picture, with a few buildings too. (This is just an idea) I think this picture is about the saying, "Light shines in darkness". I think this because the white birds stand out and the really dark birds just blend in with the background.

Activity 2: Overcoming Adversity [4 points]

Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) was an English scientist who was interested in studying the origin
(beginning) of the universe. When he was just 21 years old, he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease and, over time, he lost the ability to walk and talk. He needed to use a wheelchair to move around and a computer to help him to talk. The computer made his voice sound a bit funny but, most importantly, it meant he could still communicate with people.

Despite his diagnosis, Stephen Hawking lived a long and very productive life. He showed great
determination and perseverance because he didn’t let his physical challenges stop him. He didn’t quit. Instead, he overcame the odds and achieved a huge amount in his life.

For this activity, we would like to hear about a time when you, or someone you know, experienced a challenge and overcame it. Post your recount on your blog.

Example: I have a good friend who moved to NZ three years ago as a refugee from Myanmar. She had been living in Thailand for many years as it was not safe for her to live in Myanmar. When she moved to NZ she couldn’t speak English. Now, she speaks English really well and she had just passed her driver’s license! I’m so proud of her!

I have a friend who came to my school but left because he's going to college. He wasn't always the teacher's favorite student because he was quick-tempered and had anger issues. He would always have a fit if he'd get in an argument in class. He realized what he was doing and made a promise to change his ways. Ever since, he's been kinder to the teachers and to the students. I'm proud of him!


Activity 3: Hidden Figures [6 points]

Ada Lovelace, born in 1815, is considered to be the ‘first computer programmer’, even though
computers had not yet been invented. She was called a computer programmer because she worked
out a series of algorithms (instructions) that a machine could use to compute (calculate) difficult maths questions.

Katherine Johnson was another brilliant mathematician who worked with NASA - the North American Space Association. NASA was responsible for sending rockets and people into space. It was Katherine’s job to check all of the calculations that the engineers and astronauts used when designing the spacecraft and flying them into space. In 2016, a movie was made about Katherine Johnson and the other women who worked at NASA during this time. It is called ‘Hidden Figures.’ In the movie, the women had to do a lot of advanced maths!

For this activity, let’s imagine that NASA has just built a brand new rocketship. It is going to take three people to the moon. The rocketship can travel at 400 kilometers (km) per hour. The moon is 384 000 kilometers away. How many days will it take for the rocketship to reach the moon? Hint. There are 24 hours in one day.

Post your answer, along with an explanation of how you solved the problem, on your blog.