Year 7 Museum/Domain Trip

The year 8s have gone to camp for the week so its just us, the year 7s. Every year when the year 8s go to camp, the year 7s get to go on a trip, this year was to the Auckland Museum. We got put into nine groups, all with an adult leader, either a parent or a teacher. Since half of the teachers have gone to camp, there was more parent leaders there.

On the bus ride there, nearly all the girls at the back end of the bus played a game called Chinese whispers. It was really fun because there were lots of girls playing which made the last message funnier. It wasn't long before we entered the Domain and by then everyone was pretty excited for the day.

First, we had morning tea before locking up our bags in a large crate so we didn't have to walk around holding a bag all day. All of the students also got given an activity sheet where we had to draw some things from the different galleries in the Museum. The Maori gallery was the first we visited where we drew the harakeke flax plant. Also something of our choice from the Maori and Pacific galleries. I decided to draw the Para from the Maori gallery and the Ula nifo.

We still had some time left after we completed the sheet and since everyone in our group wanted to see the Volcano part, we went there. The earthquake room was there and open so we went in there too. After we saw the inside of the Museum, we went outside to take photos of things that were listed on another activity list.

At about 2.00pm we all piled back into the bus and headed home, we played Chinese whispers again but it was a much more tired and slow game. I liked the day and the rest of the week was different but it was cool for change, it was just us year sevens but I know I will really miss the year 8s when they go forever at the end of 2014.

Empathy Explanation

Intro:

Empathy - not many people know what this is, which is sad because the world would be a healthier and friendlier place if everyone did. Can you imagine if you were by yourself, with an empty stomach while you watched all the other kids playing, shouting and having fun. For some, that happens every day, we notice them but never do anything. We occasionally show sympathy by asking them if they are okay but we always get the same answer, “Yep,” or “Im okay” then we walk away thinking that we’ve helped them. If someone is hurt or being bullied, you hear and see what is happening to them, think about how you would feel if that was happening to you like putting yourself in others shoes.

How can you show empathy

You can help others by including them in your game or work because then they wouldn’t be alone, they would feel included and important. Think about the less fortunate people who have no proper food, clothing or shelter  and find a way to maybe help them with something that you have. You understand what people are feeling by asking them if they need help and if they do, you help them by doing whatever you can to fix their problem.

Why is it important to show empathy

If everyone in the world was empathic the world would be peaceful with no wars, fighting because everyone would care for others like they care for themselves. Of course, if you're hurt you would want someone to come and help you so empathy is also in the golden rule, Treat Others How You Want To Be Treated.

Conclusion:

I personally didn’t realise how important empathy was till late 2013 but now that I know what it is, I know what a difference it would make in this world. Now that you have read this, go and tell others about empathy so it can make a change, show empathy and keep the world happy.

Immersion Assembly Term 4 2014

The Holidays and over and I have to get back into the routine of getting up early, thinking all day and listening to teachers talking but there was something that I was looking forward to, and that was seeing my friends again. I had enjoyed my holidays but I wished that it could have been longer and spent with my closest friends. Now I was back at school waiting in class for the bell to ring.  

Since it was first day of school for Term 4 there was an Immersion Assembly put on by our teachers. All the teams had to put on a performance that included what they were going to be learning about. The theme for this term is Art Attack so the acts were all to do with colours, art and famous artists. My favourite team performances were Team 4 and 5.

Team 4 acted out an Art competition for who’s painting was the best. Mrs Garden was the “host” and all the other teachers were the contestants. The contestants were playing the part of famous artists from all over the world. There was someone from the Samoa, France, Spain and of course, New Zealand and their paintings were all very different. They each took turns to talk about themselves and their paintings before judging. We were the judges so we had to applaud for the artist and painting that we liked the best. I clapped for the artist from France but the lady from New Zealand won but it was still fun to watch.

Next up was team 5 and I could tell by their artist costumes that they would either be acting out something or painting. Sure enough they all got up onto stage and started painting on three A4 pieces of paper, two black and one white. While that was happening, a movie was on the screen showing a picture being painted in fast motion. No one knew what they were drawing till the end and even then they just looked like faces upside down until………. They flipped the paintings and it showed Mr Burt, Mr Jacobsen and Mrs Jarman’s faces, it was an awesome surprise and everyone seemed to be “oohing” and “ahhing” at the paintings and at the teachers.

Assembly finished off with a short “talk” from Mr Jacobsen, Mrs Tele’a and Ms Va’afusuaga about different sorts of art, art from the islands and painting with big or small paintbrushes. Immersion Assemblies are always cool and enjoyable and this one was probably in my top two, I have only been to six because I only started this school last year. I look forward to next year Term 2 and the next Immersion Assembly.

My Day at University

Its the second week of the holidays and today, I went in with my Dad to Massey University. I sat with him for three lectures which was interesting because I got to see what a lecture room looks like. Two of the lecture rooms looked like an American classroom that we see in the movies where there are rows of desks and one desk up the front for the teacher or in this case, the lecturer. It was really cool to see what it is really like for an university student.

The day started with a little tour of all the little study rooms, the photocopy stations and all the different lecture rooms that my Dad goes to. I have been before but only inside the library, the library is really cool because each level has a different colour so all the chairs on that level is the same colour which is cool.

My Dad is studying to his degree in accounting so the lectures were about tax, auditing and integrative accounting. I enjoyed my day there mainly because I got to spend time with my Dad while he showed me his school and what he normally does because he's been into my class and he knows what we do but I've never actually seen my Dad's classes in action. I always pictured big rooms, lots of people, men in suits but it was nothing like that in the first and second class there was only about 15 - 20 people in the room so very different.

In the last lecture, the room was quite big and it was what I thought all the rooms were going to be like in the first place. It was seats with desks in front of them going down toward where the lecturer was with a microphone and a big desk. There were about 45 people in the last one so that was the biggest one of them all.

My day was quite long and tiring and I didn't even take notes of what they were talking about. I can't believe my Dad does this 2-3 times a week and manages to study at home too. There is a lot to take in while the lecturers are talking and if I were a student, I would get tired after 10 minutes and ask to go outside but we were in a lecture room for about five hours today. It still overwhelms me that people can stay awake let alone listen and write notes. But I really enjoyed my day and maybe I will be able to come back one day. :-)