Term 3 reflection.

This term has been so eventful, I honestly can’t believe that it has just been one term. So many exciting things have happened that I just can’t fit it all into one reflection.



One of my favourite things that have happened this term would definitely be Cant-a-maths. It was an overnight trip to Christchurch with the 3 other year 8s and the team of 4 year 7s. We managed to fit a lot into the short time. First, we went for a quick swim as soon as we reached the holiday park. We then left for the competition. Altogether we didn’t do too bad with 50 points! After that, we went ice skating and had a great time. I wish that I could go on the same trip every year.



We also had speeches this term. Unlike in previous years, I knew what I was going to do my speech on. Annoying things that adults say! I spent a long time on it and I memorized the whole speech. I was actually really excited to present my speech this year. I made it into the school speech competition and I think that I did pretty good. I didn’t make it into rotary but the two who did were really good!



I think that I have made a good amount of academic progress this year as well. I have learnt a lot of things in maths and I even managed to complete the basic facts tests! We have also been doing some different things in reading. We have started a Reading log, so whenever we read outside of school, we put it on the reading log so we can see how much we have read. Reciprocal reading is another thing that we’ve been doing for reading. Reciprocal reading is good when everybody works together, but when people don’t, it can be a little frustrating as not much gets done.



Out of all of the great things that have happened this term, the lastest WPCA trip would have to be my favourite. A two-night trip to the Temple Basin ski area! We all had a great time. Twelve year 8s with a teacher, a former teacher, and other parents who came along as well. The trip up was painful but it was worth it. Honestly, I was horrible at skiing at first but I finally got the hang of it by the end of the first day. Yes, right at the end. I was a little bit annoyed that we had to go inside as soon as I learnt how to stop but it turned out that it was a good thing that we went inside because just a couple of minutes later, it started snowing. A lot. The two days were also really fun, but of course, we had to leave. If I could go back one day, I definitely would.



This term has probably been my favourite this year so far. I am really sad that this term is going to be one of my last at this school.

Skiing reflection.

I remember waking up that morning. I couldn’t believe it. It was finally Wednesday. The day that all thirteen year eights went skiing! I barely remember that morning. How could I remember the boring tasks of getting ready for school when such memorable events followed?

The morning at school went surprisingly fast. Before I knew it, I was piled in a car, loud music blaring. By the time We arrived at the bottom of the mountain, I already had a couple of stories to tell. I remember that I did quickly grow tired though. Honestly, the walk up that mountain was tiring! By the time I got up the mountain, I was wondering how I was going to ski! As soon as I made it into the lodge, I sat down and kicked my shoes off. Along with everyone else, I wolfed down a delicious lunch, ready to relax. However, we never really got to the relaxing bit as we were hurried to another part of the building to get our ski boots. I waited anxiously for mine while watching those who already had theirs enviously. By the looks on their faces, I could tell that it wasn’t going to be easy.

I soon found out that it wasn’t as soon as we reached the place that we were skiing. I slowly walked up the hill, falling over multiple times. The first trip down was painful. And also very quick compared to the time it took to get back up again! It went like that for most of the skiing time for that day. A slow walk up. Fast ski/fall down. Repeat. But finally, near the end, I actually did it! I went down, turned, and, most important, of all, I didn’t fall over! It was sad that we had to stop though but I was really looking forward to dinner!

I woke up at 6:30 the next morning. After a quick conversation with Rhea and Natasha, (who were in my room as well) we got up. Breakfast was simple. I just had some muesli, no milk as it was recently powdered milk and was still lumpy. I was going to try some, but the warnings of others scared me off. After a small number of dishes and some rounds of ping pong, we were off. We got our ski boots on, our skis over our shoulder and clumsily walked over to where we went skiing. My legs we tired but I was determined to use the Nutcracker today. After a few successes and failures, I was finally ready. I strapped a Nutcracker around my waist and stood in line. To use it, you just have to hold onto the rope which drags you forward and then fling the Nutcracker onto the rope and wait for it to drag you up the mountain. It sounds simple but it took a few goes to get it right. In the end, I did and had a great time going up and down the mountain. 

But as they say, time flies by when you’re having fun. Soon, due to bad weather, we had to go. Not just to our skis but to the lodge and mountain altogether. After a delayed start, we were on our way, back to the cars at the bottom of the mountain that dropped us off in the first place. The trip down may not have been as bad as the way up, but it was still tiring. When we got to the bottom, loaded our bags into the cars, took our jackets off and piled into the cars, I was almost ready to sleep. During the way back, my mind was buzzing with recent memories. The trip had some downs, but altogether, it was amazing. I cannot wait for our next W.P.C.A trip.

Novel study.

For novel study, I read the book I Am David. It was a really good book. We had to write a short paragraph for each chapter. These are mine.

Chapter one summary.
David starts off in the concentration camp. He was wondering whether he should escape as he was told to by “him”, the prison guard that he must escape that night. He didn’t trust him but he decides to try to escape anyway. He got over the border and started running. He looked behind him and realised no one was following him. He found a bundle put there by “him”. He jumped into a truck while he was not being watched.

Chapter two summary.
He needed to reach Italy by boat. He found one with Italy painted on the stern. He climbed into it and quickly hid. He was found and then he jumped out and swam to shore early in the morning. David sat there for a long time and watched everything around him as he had never seen so much colour. With the soap he was given, he completely cleaned himself and then continued walking. He looked around for a bit. He found a baker and got some bread off him. He continued to do this for a while until he heard some people talking about him.

Chapter three summary.
David was scared at first because he had been travelling through the night and when he woke up, he thought that he had been travelling the wrong way. He quickly recollected himself and continued moving. He started to think about God and then thought of who his God would be. He sat down and started praying to his God of green pastures and still waters. He found some American tourists and David started talking to them. After David left, he found a truck driver and he was offered a ride. He finally found out that not all nice people are very smart as Angelo the truck driver was nice but not very bright.

Chapter four summary.
David has never seen a forest before. He decided that he liked the fact that he could hide easily, but that meant that “they” could as well. David continued walking and came across a boy who looked older than him. The boy started punching him and called David a coward when he didn’t fight back. He went away and David washed his clothes to rid himself completely of the boy. He came across two young boys and an older girl who looked about Davids age playing. The girl got stuck in a fire and David saved her. He met her whole family and they decided that he could stay with them for a while.

Chapter five summary.
David loved living in the house and he tried to learn everything about it while he lived there. He found it hard trying to act “normal” and he found that some of the things the two little boys and the girl Maria did funny. The boy who beat him up was Maria’s older brother, Carlo. He apologized but David still hated him. He overheard there parents talking about him and he decided that he should leave. Maria said goodbye to him and he left.

Chapter six summary.
David tramped on. He found a church and decided to go in. He found a priest and started talking to him as he decided that he must be good. David was in Switzerland and he found a woman. He started talking to the women and decided that he liked her. She invited him to have dinner at her house. The woman, who was called Sophie Hartmann told David of another David she new who apparently died as a baby. That baby and his mother and father were caught by police and put in a concentration camp. Apparently, the father and the baby died, but the mother escaped because one of the guards was in love with her.

Chapter seven summary.
The weather was very cold now and it was snowing. David got a lift to a place called Faido. He was determined to reach Denmark. David now knew that the mother was Davids mother and the guard had actually kept David alive but didn’t tell Davids mother. Davids feet and mind had grown so numb that he nearly let himself walk over a small cliff by accident. David came across a man and new he was one of “them”. David had been captured by a man who made him work as his slave. David hated his whole family but didn’t actually mind staying there too much. He slept in the stable and he made friends with there dog. He escaped before the farmer handed him over to the police and the dog came with him. He had finally escaped and was on his way.

Chapter eight summary.
He was in Switzerland but he couldn’t use the money he had. He wrote a letter to Carlo saying that he forgave him. He found a man named Graf and he gave David and the dog, King some food. When he was only a few days from Denmark, David found a group of “them”. The dog, King, knew that the people were dangerous and attacked them so David could get away, but King was sadly shot. He got a ride from a man who stowed him in the back of his truck as soon as he reached Denmark. He found the address of his mother and he was given a ride there by another woman. He walked up to the house and finally found his mother.