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.

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.

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.

Week 6 Term 2

This week in maths I have learned how to multiply fraction. First, multiply the denominator (bottom number) by the other denominator and the numerator (top number) by the other numerator. example — 1/3 x 2/5 = 1×2 =2 and 3×5 =15. so it would be 2/15. If it’s a mixed fraction like 2 4/5 just change it into an improper fraction before multiplying.

In English I’m still  learning about taking notes and using them to write a report. So far I’ve written one about elephants and I’m now starting one about cheetahs.

In band I’ve been learning a new song on my flute called The Phantom of the Opera. It’s really hard because it has lots of runs.

For the tech art that I’m doing at the moment is Fabric. In fabric so far I’ve learned about the different care labels on fabric, designed my jersey, made up a personal logo using the first letter of my first name, S.

This term everyone in my school has to participate in science fair. My topic question is ‘What is the effect of different substances on the melting time of ice?’ So far I’ve started researching about ice melting and have started my log book.

My goals for next week are

• To have done some more on my science fair
• To have finished both my book reviews that are due in week 6 and week 11.
• To have finished my report about cheetahs. 

Week 3 Term 2

So far this term I have been doing music for tech arts, in music I have learned how to play some simple songs on the keyboard, made up some small songs with different sort of rythms and played them on the keyboard.  This term so far I’ve been doing probability in maths. I’ve learned how to do tree diagrams to show options and how probable they are. In English I’ve been doing vocabulary work like finding what a word means in the dictonary and picking out the word that  doesn’t belong in a group, for example  out of these words, maple oak bush fir elm, bush doesn’t belong. In band I’ve learned a new song, My heart will go on, from the movie Titanic. In french we’ve been learning how to talk about our families and we’ve been reciting numbers 1 to 20. In class for writing we’ve been doing explanations, so far I’ve written one about insects and now I’m working on one about how ice melts. Writing a explanation about how ice melts will help me with my science fair profect which is about which substance melts ice the fastest.

My goals for next week

To finish one of the book review for this term.

To finish my explanation on how ice melts.

Week 8 Term 1

Week 8 reflections.

This week the year 8s in my class, including myself, started a new tech art, music. In this tech art so far I’ve played some basic songs on the keyboard, made up a rondo (a simple song that has a pattern to it) and played some simple songs on guitar. I learned guitar last year so I already knew the chords so it was easy.

This week I also finished the maths work about negative and positive numbers (integers). I understand integers but the only thing that I sometimes get wrong is subtracting negative numbers.

This week we have been working on writing our student led conferences. Student led conferences are when students, parents and teachers meet and talk about what we’ve been learning and reflect on how well we’re doing. We have to write what our test results are and how well we are improving.

My goals for next week

To have a good student led conference and show my parent how well I’m doing.

To finish my book review on New Moon and hand it in on time.

Week 7 Term 1

Week 7 Reflections

This week I had my cafe in Food Technology with Jazz, our cafe turned out really well but the only bad thing that happened was that some of the muffins (for dessert) kind of collapsed when we tried to get them out of the muffin tins. Next time I make them I’ll try not to let that happen by making sure the mixture is right and the oven is on the right temperature. We had really cool invitations, menus, placemats and a big yellow poster. In maths I remembered how to do BEDMAS (Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtration) I find it quite easy but I’m moving onto harder sums. In English I’m focusing on vocabulary work and crosswords/anagrams. I want to improve my vocabulary because that’s what I don’t do very well in tests for. We looked at some test results today and compared them to our year 7 results. I’m really proud of myself because I’ve improved  in all subjects.

My goals for next week

• To finish all of my vocabulary work and have a better vocabulary.
• I also want to get onto some harder BEDMAS and get them right.

Week 6 Term 1

Week 6 reflections

This week I have made the first practice for the cafe in Food Technology with Jazz. I learned that for the entrée I have to make the crostini a bit bigger. I also learned that I have to make the icing for the chocolate brownie cupcakes a bit thicker so it wont just slide off. I finished my second narrative but next time I’ll try to finish quicker so I’m not rushing. I learned what LCM and HCF mean, LCM is lowest common multiple and HCF is highest common factor. I learned that  a story map is when lines and arrows come out and explain things like characters and settings.

My Goals for next week

To finish my English task which is about a story called ‘The Main Event”.

To have a successful cafe in food Technology, I can achieve this by staying on task and getting the food ready before the guests come.

Week 4 Term 1

Week 4 Reflections
This week I made Sushi in Food Technology. It was easy to make the filling but wrapping it up  and cutting it up was hard. It tasted kind of nice but then after I felt sick. I finished 2 of the novel assignment tasks finished, the design a new cover for the book and the ‘Why this book should be included in a capsule to be dug up in 100 years’. I finshed a maths task that was pretty easy and got nearly all of them right.

My Goals for next week

• To not come last in the 1 length swimming freestlye race, I can acheive this by trying my hardest and getting a good start.
• To finsh another one of my novel assignment tasks, I can do this by staying on task.

Week 3 Term 1

Week 3 reflections
This week in Food Technology I made Apricot Bread & Butter Pudding, which had brown sugar and mixed spices sprinkled on top to make it a kind of spicy apricot flavour. I think I did well making it and following the instructions. In Food Tech I also made Paroa Maori Bread which was really nice, I learned that the yeast was the thing that made the bread rise and also that if you cut this bread it sinks back into dough so you have to break it. This week I finished the book I’m reading for the novel assignment and have nearly completed the first task. We had the school basic facts test, it’s in parts, 33 addition questions, 33 subtraction questions, 33 multiplication and 33 division. I got them all right which I am proud of. Also we had a computation test which I got 18/20, thats pretty good for me. We had the ASTTLE writing test where I had to write about a mistake I had made that I had learned from.
My Goals for next week are

• To swim more than 2 lengths of the school pool
• To successfully make sushi in Food.
• To finish at least 2 activities on my novel assignment