Pukemokemoke Bush Visit

I think it was enjoyable because I learnt a lot about native trees.  My favourite tree was a Totara.  We (Motumaoho School Enviro Team) had to pronounce the  Maori names of the trees.  We looked at wooden fence with name tags engraved on them and over the fence were the trees that matched each name tag.  I thought the lemon wood tree was interesting because it smelt like lemon and the leaves were soft too.

We went for a bush walk as well.

By Danielle

Our new class pet

We needed some boxes to make a bedroom and an enclosure for our stick bug.  We used  the boxes from our interactive whiteboard.  We put gladwrap over Sticky's box to stop him escaping.  We put holes in the gladwrap so he can still breath.

By Josh

Totara Springs 2010

My favourite thing on camp was the hydroslide on the first day because you go fast around the side walls.  At the end of the slide you fall into a big heated pool with green water and leaves.  If you lay down on your tummy water goes up your nose, if you sit up water doesn't go up your nose.

By Ben

Stick Insect

Sean found a stick bug in the gully.  Adam thought it looked like it was walking a tight rope.  We are going to keep it as our class pet.

By Adam

Speech Practice

Speeches are kind of cool because I like listening other people's ideas.  I get nervous talking in front of other people because I haven't done speeches before.  My speech is about my dog diesel.  He has big soft floppy ears and a hard tail that feels like it has concrete in it.

This is my speech:

"Hi my name is Ben and my dog Diesel is almost 2 years old.  We got him from the SPCA.  He has two brothers and one sister.  Diesel is a black lab crossed with a rotti but he looks like a lab the most.  He has big soft ears.  He has a hard tail and brown puppy eyes.  He has a big graze on his leg.  He has a long tongue and he drinks lots of water.  Diesel can run very fast and when we get the motorbike out Diesel chases us and barks heaps.  He has a grey collar with his dog tags.  They are green and red so if he gets lost and someone finds him then he can be returned to us.  He eats our strawberries and all of our scraps.  I fed him my burnt pancakes.  The thing I like most about diesel is when we play with him and pretend we are dead he will come over and drop his toy bone.  He scratches lots and hates it when Dad cleans him with the hose.  He loves going in the car.  He is the best dog.  I love my dog Diesel.

By Ben 

Room 1 at Totara Springs.

On day 1 we did the hydroslide. The hydroslide was so fun because it was 120 meters long and we were going so fast. We also did target shooting and that was great because I shot a  hole in the piece of paper right at the top.  I was proud of myself.  Archery was enjoyable because I shot the blue circle.  Basketball was exhausting because me and Mrs Hooper shot all the goals.

By Courtney

Camp at Totara springs 2010

Room 1 went on a school camp. The activity I enjoyed was the Hydroslide.  The slide was 120 meters long and there was a heated pool at the end. We stayed at Totara Springs for 3 days and 2 nights. The first day we did the flying fox.   I liked the flying fox because there was a blue strap to keep you safe from falling.  We had an instructor for each activity we did and his name was Dan. Day 2 we did go-cart riding. We also did abseiling because it is high and going down blind-folded was very facinating and scary.

By Danielle

Character Writing

Purpose: Another 'quick-write' session (see below when we wrote about the road we live on).  This time as our whole class is looking at how to write about characters, we wrote about someone in our family that we wanted to share.
We had to write in a way that helps the reader get an idea of what that person is like.

Devon wrote:  My Dad lets me and my sister have McDonalds when Mum is at work.  He has a broken knee but I do not mind if he has this broken knee.  He slipped in his gumboots and fell over on the concrete.  My Dad takes cow poo out of ponds - that's his job.  He says I'm his whole world and my sister and Mum are too.  He is as angry as a gorilla when Mum goes off her high horse, when the dog pees on the washing.

My Dad by Adam and Ben and My Mum by Brenden

Adam writes: My Dad rides motorbikes and he is cool.  He is good a rugby.  He is awesome.  He lets me spray paint rocks for our dead cat.  He also lets us make boats and stuff out of wood.


Ben writes:  My Dad is a mechanic.  He likes to ride motorbikes.  He races like a cheetah.  He likes to race Mark.  My Dad likes fixing cars.  He is nice and takes me to the bakery and buys me toys.  My Dad has two brothers.  He likes to feed Gary's pigs.  He is a rugby coach.  He coaches the Northern Knights, my brothers' team.

Brenden writes:  Mum is nice.  She likes reading books in her bed at night, when Dad tries to sleep.  My Mum is generous because she gives me toys for my birthday.  My Mum is nice because she entertains me by being funny.  She pulls faces at me and tickles me.  My Mum is very helpful for other people.

Our School Life

A Day in Our Life at Our School. on Prezi

My Uncle by Josh and My Dad by Shae

Josh writes:  My uncle is a motorbike rider.  He's fast as a cheetah and as strong as a lion.  He sells cars and buys cars and lets me play with his cars.

Shae writes:  My Dad is cool because he takes us bonnet surfing, rides motorbikes with me and lets me paint and build stuff out of wood.  He takes us 4WD (wheel driving) lots.  He play fights with me alot.  He lets me help on the roof when he is building a new shed.  He helps me when my motorbike breaks down and he gives me gas for my motorbike.

Souvenir Shop

I went to the souvenir shop at the World Rowing Champs.  I bought I black rugby ball because I liked the silver fern that was on it.    

                              By Adam 

World Rowing at Karapiro, Cambridge

Eight students from our school got to go to the rowing champs.  We were chosen because we have been working hard with our schoolwork.  Some special things we liked were- sitting down watching the different countries in the rowing and getting hot chips from Mrs Hooper (our principal).

From Josh, Danielle, Ben, Adam and Devon

Quick-Write - The Road Where I Live (2).

Purpose-to write within 5 minutes about 'stuff of our lives' - in this case the road where we live.  As we live in the country, most of where we live are called 'roads'.
*  To write in a detailed way, so that whoever reads our work gets a picture in their head of what our road is like.
  (based on Gail Loane ideas -  "I've got something to say", 2010).

I live on a main road it is busy and trucks go past our house.  We have car accidents on our dirveway, where there is a corner beside us.  We live by a farm and heaps of people drive past.                     by Brenden.


I live on a road.  We have a big drain on our road that goes to the river.  It has lots of trees we like.  They have lots of purple, yellow and pink flowers on them.  I have motorbikes and we have a big paddock.
           By Adam.

I live on a farm on a road.  I have friendly neighbours.  We live in a paddock and we have lots of room, it is cool.  We play rugby in the back yard.  We also play soccer.  It takes 7 minutes to get to school.                      by Ben.

(The names of the roads have been deleted for privacy reasons).

Quick-Write - The Road Where I Live.

Purpose-to write within 5 minutes about 'stuff of our lives' - in this case the road where we live.  As we live in the country, most of where we live are called 'roads'.
*  To write in a detailed way, so that whoever reads our work gets a picture in their head of what our road is like.
  (based on Gail Loane ideas "I've got something to say", 2010).

I live on a road with freaky neighbours, with a yellowish house and paddock in the front and heaps of trucks going past.  One of my neighbours gets drunk.  They always walk around town with beer bottles and when the recycling truck comes it's all beer bottles getting picked up.
          by  Devon.

I live on a main road just out of Morrinsville, with a dairy down the road.  We don't have cows, we have a dry stock farm.  Our neighbour likes cars, so do we.  I like showing off on my motorbike when the traffic is going by.  I like making the cars and trucks beep their horns.  We get a lot of trucks and cars go by, but not many motorbikes.
                     By Shae.

We live next to a main road.           By Josh


(The names of the roads have been deleted for privacy reasons).