2010 Reflections

It’s finally come to the end of 2010, I’ve had a great last year at TAI and I  have enjoyed being involved in lots of opportunities the school has to offer.

At the start of the year I set some goals that I hoped to achieve and I think I have done well to become more focused and I’m ready for college next year.

One thing that I really liked being a part of was making the school magazine. Myself and a group of other people from my class worked hard to write reports, take photos and lots more to complete it. It’s looks great and I’m proud of the hard work we’ve done over the past two terms to make the magazine look fabulous.

I think my maths has definitely improved this year, since I have been trying really hard to make sure I’ve reached the National Standard. In English I’ve been trying my best to have error free work and have my writing up to a high standard.

This year has gone so fast and even though I’d love to stay at Intermediate longer with my friends, I think I’m ready to move on to college and I can’t wait to see what my future holds.

Week 10 Term 3

Last week of term reflections

In maths this week we have been learning about 3D shapes, identifying them and drawing them. I now know how to draw 3D shapes onto isometric paper. Isometric paper is this special kind of paper with dots on that makes drawing 3D shapes easy. This week we also had our summative geometry test. It was mainly quite easy because it was reflecting on what I’ve learned throughout the last few weeks doing geometry.

In English this week I’ve mainly been working on the school magazine that’s comes out late next term. The Magazine committee have been hard at work writing reports for the different opportunities that the school has offered this year, like inter intermediate sports and overseas trips.

In tech arts last week I made my cardboard model of what I’m going to make and then this week I’ve started cutting out the wood for it, with the help of Mr Monk (the woodwork teacher). The criteria for it said it had to hold something small, like on a desk or table. I’m going to make a bumble bee shaped thing to hold stationary for my dad who works at a honey place.

Our class have been doing an inquiry about being prepared for an earthquake. My group (Me, Erin and Kate) are doing our poster like a scene, with houses, a road, grass and a car park. For this inquiry poster, we had to research about what you need to be prepared if an earthquake hit, like the one in Christchurch that happened not long ago.

In band we’ve got a  new piece called Heart and Soul. I really like playing it because it’s simple and it sound quite good. The junior band has now joined the senior band now so we’re just one big band. Last week the music teacher from the college came to give us a warm up and try to get us to join the college band when we get there. It was good because he got us to do the concert b flat scale and then play ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’ without any music. At first I found it  challenging but the next time I got it.

My goals for next term

Since next term is the last term of the year it’ will be my last term here at TAI, so it’s one of my goals to enjoy the last term.

Another goal of mine for next term is to get some badges next term because we haven’t got our band badges yet so I have none.

Next term I also want to have all my work finished on time and to a high standard.

Week 8 Term 3

My learning reflections for this week-

This week our school is celebrating Maori Language week and each team from our school gets a day in the tech art block to learn about and do some Maori stuff and at then we had a lunch with meat, potatoes and bread that was cooked by us. I made some bread with Lauren but then the oven wouldn’t work so our Paroa bread wasn’t ready in time for the lunch. I also tried some flax weaving and made a flower that I gave to Jazmine. I also made a poi, using a plastic bag, stuffing, wool and rope stuff, which broke, but I fixed it. I had a great day in the tech arts block learning about Maori culture and trying some new things like making poi.

This week in maths we’ve finished learning about finding the interior angle of a polygon. The formula for this is (no. of sides-2) x 180. For example- a pentagon has five sides so 5-2=3×180=540 so the interior angles of a pentagon equal up to 540. We’re now starting to learn about translating shapes and giving vectors for them.

In English and writing we had to edit our discussion arguments because they weren’t very good. We’re also still learning about sentence types and how to tell them apart.

We haven’t had tech arts this week because the tech arts block is being used for Maori Language week.

My goals for next week

• To have my book review handed in on time
• To be up to date with my maths
• To start what we’re doing in Design Woodwork for tech arts.

Smoking ban in New Zealand prisons

L.I- To write a discussion argument giving both views, concluding with my opinion.

The Corrections Minister, Judith Collins has confirmed that in July 2011, smoking will be banned in New Zealand prisons. At the moment, prisoners are allowed to smoke in prison and around two thirds of them do smoke, so to help them understand what’s happening, they will all get smoking education. Since about half of the population of prison guards also smoke, they will have designated areas to smoke, for their own safety. “The move” said Judith Collins “would make prisons safer and healthier for staff and prisoners.”

Firstly, banning smoking in New Zealand prisons would not only be beneficial for the health of prisoners who smoke, but also for non-smoking inmates, guards or visitors. They won’t be at risk of getting sick from second-hand smoke and visitors might want to come more often if they can’t smell the smoke around the prisoners. Also, with the large number of prisoners who currently smoke, when they leave prison after not smoking, they might rethink about smoking and they could’ve learnt a valuable lesson from not smoking in prisons.

Being in prison is supposed to be a punishment, not a luxury. So why should prisoners be allowed to smoke in prison when they’ve committed a crime or broken the law? Prisoners who smoke should be serving their time working, not doing things they enjoy like smoking.

On the other hand, smoking being banned in New Zealand prisons could turn out worse than the current situation. Smokers who are trying to quit could find it hard and they might get angry or emotional.  This could be dangerous for both the smoking prisoners and the other people at the prison.

Furthermore, if smoking is banned in prisons, cigarettes could become a black market item. Prisoners could try to bribe guards or visitors to bring them cigarettes and this could cause violence if some inmates are smoking illegally and others aren’t. Some prison guards have already been threatened by the several prisoners to be bashed if they ban smoking in prisons so it could also be dangerous for them.

In conclusion, smoking is unhealthy and prison is supposed to be a punishment. So I think it is good that smoking in New Zealand prisons will be banned next year because it could make prisons a healthier and safer place to be for prisoners, guards and visitors.

By Sophie

I put this piece of writing on my blog to show some of my writing work from term 3. This is a discussion argument about the smoking ban in New Zealand that’s happening in July next year. I stated both sides to the argument then wrote which side I support which is that smoking in NZ prisons should be banned.

Week 6 Term 3

My learning reflections from this week……..

In English and writing we’ve been doing work about passive and active voice. Passive voice is writing with ‘to be’ words in it like was, were, be, been. In active voice there aren’t many of those kind of words. Here’s an example – The picture was painted by Bob (passive voice), Bob painted the picture (active voice). Also, we’ve been doing some more work on sentences, like finding out if a sentence is complex, compound, simple or compound-complex.

In tech arts we’re doing science at the moment but today’s was our last lesson. We have been doing work about reactions between substances and about acids and bases. The next tech art we’re doing is Design, which is like wood work,

In maths at the moment we’re doing work about geometry, like angles. I now know how to name, measure and draw angles. I’m getting some challenging work to do but I’m getting better at understanding it.

We had a band festival this week where some school bands came to compete. I played in the jazz band and the symphonic band. The jazz band played three songs, Rodger the Dodger, Drama for your mama and Ants in the Pants. The symphonic band played six songs, Ceremonium, Latin fire, st Lois blues rock, Star Wars and My Heart will go on. Both the jazz band and the symphonic band won gold in their sections.

Next week the sports exchange between our school and Belmont Intermediate is happening. Some students from Belmont come down here to play sport against TAI and get billeted out with TA families and some TA students do up there to play sports against Belmont and get billeted out with some families up there. I’m had a Belmont billet last year and it was a good experience so I’m going to have a billet this year as well.

In the past couple of weeks we’ve been writing speeches.  My speech was ‘Smoking shoulod be banned’ and I said it in front of the class last week. I said it again in front of my class for class finals. I didn’t get into the team finals but that’s okay because I was in the school finals last year. I ws quite happy with my speech but I’m glad that it’s over now. =]

My goals for next week

• To finish my maths work that needs to be done so I’m up to date.
• To have a better understanding of changing my sentences to compound or complex to make my writing better.

Maths

Heres a scanned page from my maths book from this term. It shows what I was learning and that I repeat the wrong ones until I get them right. This work was about ratios and some about dividing fractions.

After I had marked them and repeated what I got wrong I wrote a summary of what I learned.

Week 8 Term 2

This week I finished my science fair, which I did about which substance melts ice the fastest out of salt, sugar, baking soda and no substance. In my hypothesis I thought that the salt would melt the ice fastest because of the research I did. I was right, the salt melted the ice fastest, the ice cube with no substance was last. Sugar and baking soda were quite even in the middle.

In maths this week I learned about expressing one quantity as a percentage of another. To express as a percentage, example- 332 books were sold out of 500 printed. 332/500 so 332%500 = 0.664, then to make into a percentage, multiply by 100 = 66.4%. If the question is like express the first number as a percentage of another- example 3, 4 then the second number (4) need to be made into 100. 4 x 25 = 100 then multiply the first number (3) by 25. 3 x 25 = 75 so it’s 75/100, as a percentage, 75%.

In writing, our class is starting to prepare for speeches next term so we’re writing draft arguments. The first one was about whether school uniforms should be voluntary or compulsory. I’ve just started to write the introduction about the next one, whether school canteens should only have healthy food in them to help prevent obesity.

In English, I’ve finished the comprehension work from a story called ‘Seize the moment.’

In fabric tech arts, I’ve finished my jersey (yay!) and now I’ve cut the pattern for  some slipper/ug boots made of polar fleece. I hope to finish them on time before we start the next tech art cycle.

My goals for next week are to:

Finish my maths work about increasing and decreasing percentages and have a good understanding of it.

Start sewing my slippers in fabric.

To be up to date with my English and writing work that I need to be.

Science Fair

This is my Science Fair board

For my Science Fair project, my question was ‘How do different substances affect the melting time of ice?’ I wanted to find out which substance melted ice the fastest. I tested three different substances, salt, sugar and baking soda and also a control, which is with no substance. I measured 1/2 a teaspoon of each substance and poured one on each of the four frozen ice cubes. Then I waited to see which one melted the ice the fastest. My results show that the salt melted the ice fastest, the sugar and baking soda were quite even, coming next and the control ice, with no substance, came last. My hypothesis was right because I guessed that the salt would melt the ice fastest because I found out that ice on roads is sometimes melted by different types of ice. I wanted to see if normal table salt melted ice quick as well. It was correct.

Week 7 Term 2

This week in maths I have learned about dividing fractions, ratios and now I’m working on converting fractions and decimals to percentages. To divide fractions, make the reciprocal of the divisor and make it  multiplication instead of division. This means turn the second fraction around, example 4/5 divided by 2/3 turn 2/3 to 3/2 so it’s 4/5  x  3/2. Then multiply 4 x 3 = 12 and 5 x 2 = 10 so it’s 12/10. I learned about ratios, ratios are like saying 20 to 31. it’s written like 20:31, to turn a ratio into a fraction, just go 20/31.

In writing this week I have finished my report about the weta. First I went through the information sheet and highlighted the facts that I wanted to put in my report, then wrote them down on the not taking sheet. Then, using just the note taking sheet, I wrote my report.

Also I’ve started on an English task that I had to read an exert of a story and answer some questions about it. I haven’t finished that yet though.

In tech arts, we’re doing sewing at the moment, I’ve cut out all my fabric and sewed my pattern on (which says ‘Soph’ and has a love heart under it),  sewed the shoulders together and pinned the hood. Next week I will continue sewing my jersey.

On Friday I am going, along with some other Jump Jam leaders, to Morrinsville to perform Jump Jam in front of some other students. The big group of Jump Jam leaders is split into 5 groups. I’m in group 4 and the song we’re doing is called ‘Gonna make you sweat’ It’s fun but tiring and a bit hard to remember all the moves.

My Goals for next week are

• To have sewed some more on my jersey in fabric, tech arts.
• To have finished all my maths and be up to date with what needs to be done.
• To have finished my English work on time.

Book Review – Elsewhere

Title: Elsewhere                                                                                                                                             

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 271

When 15 year old Liz is killed by a taxi in a hit and run accident it is a big shock to her and her family. Liz wakes up in a bunk bed on a boat called the S.S Nile; she doesn’t know how she got there so she thinks she is dreaming. She meets some people on the boat and soon realises that she’s dead and on the way to a place called Elsewhere. Once Liz arrives in Elsewhere she meets up with her grandmother, Elizabeth that she was named after, who passed away before Liz was born. Liz’s grandmother helps her to feel at home but Liz still really misses her family and friends back on Earth.

 I really liked this book because it was very captivating and I hardly ever got bored while reading it. One part of Elsewhere that I found particularly interesting was that it was from Liz’s point of view and her looking back on Earth. I also thought it had a good sort of moral, to live everyday like it’s your last because it could be and you never know when you’ll have to leave Earth.

 Something else I enjoyed was how it was kind of like an alternative world and how mainly, things were different but some things also resembled Earth. In Elsewhere, instead of getting older, the people there get younger until they are babies again and can go back to Earth to start life again. This was a differently good feature of Elsewhere.

 I found it very hard to find anything really bad about this book but one thing that was slightly annoying was at the start. That was, the prologue was from the dog Lucy’s point of view. This made it kind of confusing at first when it then went into being from Liz’s.

 My favourite character in Elsewhere was Liz, the main character. I liked it how she was a realistic character and I thought she dealt with death pretty well. Another character I liked was Alvy, Liz’s younger brother back on earth. When Liz tries to communicate with her family on earth, Alvy’s the only one who believes that she could still be there. He has a very positive attitude and I think that’s good.

 This book was very enjoyable to read and took me on a journey through another world. I rate it 10 out of 10 and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would like a good fiction read.

 By Sophie

I chose to put this book review on my blog because I really liked this book and if people who read my blog read this, then they might want to read Elsewhere. A book review is a good  way of retelling a book and saying the good and bad points of a book from my point of view.