Pike River Coalmine Disaster

Our class has been following the Pike River Coalmine disaster, and on Thursday we heard on the news that there is little hope that the miners will be rescued alive.

We had a special assembly and lit candles and watched a special clip on the data projector about the miners, the coalmine, the rescuers and miners families. Our school raised $150.00 to send to the Mayor of Greymouth to help the miners families. Children from the classroom spoke about the disaster and Rowan and Luke read the letter they wrote to Mr John Key, the Prime Minister of NZ.

Everyone in the school lit a candle. The school hall looked lovely with all the lights along the stage.

More spotty pots by St Vincent Room

Paper Mache Bowls

We have just finished our paper mache bowls and they are beautiful.

It was very tricky to get the wet bits of gluey paper to stick to the vaseline,

which we had smeared all over our bowls. After 3 layers of paper mache,

we chose a base colour and then the fun bit, decorating.

We did spots, like native art in Australia. Lots of spots, lines of spots, korus of spots,

circles of spots and random spots.

Cabin Passengers

Cabin passengers were given better beds and food on The Clifford. Isaac and Shone got to dress up as the Toffs.

Monday Leadership Course.

Each Monday, Aaron, Imogen, Jazmin, Louis, Rowan and I go out to Clifton Tce. School to play games and to find out about new games to play at lunch time. We are showing kids back at school the new games. The schools that are there are Hira School, Clifton Tce School and APS. Helen Clark teaches us fun games that usually include sports. Our parents do the transport out and bring us back. At the end of the year we are going to have a swim in the Clifton Tce. Pool.

Brearna and Louis

Zulu Wars

Charge!

"For Queen and country", we all yelled as we charged across the sun baked grass.

"Zulu, Zulu" screamed the Zulu warriors as they raced towards us, holding their zulu shields and spears. But it wasn't for real...we got to play soldiers and native warriors in our own playground. Alf's Army visited us and after we learn about The Battle of Rorkes Drift in 1879, we got to make spears, swords and our own shields. The army shields were decorated with lions and flags. The zulu shields looked really wild in animals prints, zebra and leopard.

Then the fun bit....out to the paddock and the battle commenced. Military nurses raced around reviving the fallen and dead, who managed to staggered to their feet and fight another fight!!

Learning to tie reef knots.

Left over right and under, right over left and under!!!

Jane taught us how to tie knots. It was quite a challenge.

The Clifford

‘‘Land ahoy,Port Nelson’‘, shouted one of the crew. We have seen land came across the Tasman Bay. I was relieved that we were almost there, because we had been on board for four months.

It was terrible on the boat during the storms, the waves were crashing against the boat so you couldn’t get to sleep. You also had to share a cabin with the rest of your family even if there was five people in the family. We are in cabin class, so it’s not so full of people. We were in the cabins so it was more comfortable than in the steerage.

On the main deck there were always lots of people. the people from steerage brought their mattresses up and dried them when it was sunny. Little boys ran around and lots of chickens crowing all day. The first night on the Clifford every one was being sick. The people next to us just had a baby, they named it after the boat, Clifford. The baby started crying it didn’t stop crying until an hour had gone past. You couldn’t even hear yourself talking with a new born baby crying as loud as it can.

The next day it was exiting because it was the first day of school and I was ready to meet some new friend’s to play with. There is a lot of subjects to do at school. The teacher is real nice. Mostly when it is play time my friend’s and I always play with Clifford the baby.

When my family gets on shore we are going to build a house and I ‘m going to keep some chickens and my own dog.

By Eden Rutherfurd.