Creative Strand Reflection

This week in the creative strand was fun. I was in the art class and I started with my printing. I learnt that it is pretty hard and complicated to get it done. It was fun working together with my friends as they helped me most of the time. Sadly Miss Tito was hardly here during the week so I found things a lot harder than the week before last week when I was the creative strand also.

I think that working in this class has given me more tips and skills to develop in art.

Self Explaining Roads (SER) Movie

This is a short movie informing you of the outcome Brooklyn and I had before, during, and after our survey was sent out.

Quick Investigation John Farrell

Gavin Bishop: He was once upon a time a teacher. But he is now a writer and an illustrator of his own books.

Darryn Joseph: He is a author of Maori books. He has published over 24 books from picture books to text books.

Apirana Taylor: Apirana is a writer, storyteller, poet, painter and an actor.

John Farrell: For a living he is a musician, author, singer, and storyteller.

Independently:

John Farrell is a talented man. He does so many things for a living. He writes, sings, story tells, and is a musician. John being a father of 5 in courages his children to put more of their effort into singing, reading, and writing rather than being on online activities. His wife Ann Marie is a kindergarten teacher and fully supports her husband. Their family lives in Hillsdale, New York, and often during the children's summer holidays they like to visit a family farm house on Prince Edward Island, in Canada.

John shows a keen interest towards cycling, reading, and writing. He is a very kind man who usually focuses his songs, and stories on living peacefully, appreciating the natural world, and promoting literacy. John is also the founder of "Bridges Of Peace and Hope" an international programme used to promote understanding in the writing and the arts. 

John Farrell is the author of "It's Just A Game" and also "Stargazer's Alphabet". John also published another book of his called "Dear Child" in 2008. He has starred in "The Great Earth Sing Along" which received The Dove Foundation Award, and also The Parents Choice Silver Honour Award. This Thursday our extension class will be meeting this splendid man, and that's including me.  I definitely can not wait to meet him. 

Courtesy of John Farrell: http://www.johnfarrell.net/

Creative Strand Reflection with Miss Tito

Yellow Hat - The things I enjoyed?

I really enjoyed learning and discovering new and different Samoan patterns you could use to create motifs with. I also enjoyed working together with my friends and learning the techniques in carving. To be honest I overall enjoyed just about everything.

This is a reflection of my thoughts about this week being in Miss Tito's class for the creative strand.
Black Hat - Which things didn’t I like?

I disliked it when I got told off for doing something I wasn’t supposed to be doing. But it was my fault. I also disliked it when people kept annoying me, and distracting me from my work. But overall I hardly disliked anything.

Green Hat - What was something interesting about this week?

I found it interesting when I found out the Samoan names for the patterns I drew. It was quite weird for me because I’m fluent Samoan, and I didn’t even know these names. I also found it interesting when I started carving, it was different, and quite hard for me.

White Hat - What did I learn?

This week in the creative strand with Miss Tito I learned how to create Polynesian wood prints. I also learned how to carve your patterns on wood. It was new to me, but it was fun and good. I learned new and different names of patterns. Both in English and Samoan. I learnt a lot of new and interesting things.

Recent Tragedys In My Family And World Wide

Recently the holidays haven't been all about fun, and exciting news. Since Sunday last week my family have been recieving very sad news one day after the other. So many deaths have been occurring, it's taking up all of my time attending services and everything. My uncle in Samoa had recently passed away, my Aunty in Australia has recently passed away also. And my grandpas sister in nz had just passed away. I attended her service, and her burial.

The first week of the holidays were amazing, and there ending off on a very low buzz. Hopefully things can be lifted up soon. R.I.P my beautiful family members. And just as well celebrities have been passing away. Corry Monteith a glee cast member had recently been found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver Canada. It's very sad because his girlfriend Lea Michele has been suffering from anxiety attacks from his death. R.I.P Corry Monteith. They're all in a better place now. <3

I'm Growing Up To Fast. Me 13 Already!!

I stumbled out of bed with a heavy mind remembering that today was my birthday, and everything was planned. As I was walking towards the door of my room, my sister Nive walked in with my present and said happy birthday to me and handed over my gift. She said it was sincerely from her and a friend of hers. I accepted her gift and found it to be 2 packets of my favourite chocolates. Picnic, and Moro Gold. "Thank-you" I said to her, and then headed for the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, then headed for the kitchen. Breakfast was nutri-grain because my mother knew that I would probably buy a lot of food for the movies. I had to be ready before 11am because by then we'd have to pick up Jasmine. My friend I had invited over for my birthday out.

The time ran by fast before I knew it, the clock had already struck 10:45. With a honk good-bye to my mother, my father, two sisters, little brother and I were off. First we picked up Jasmine then headed towards Sylvia Park, to the cinemas. And boy it was packed! As we looked at the list of movies and finalised which one Jasmine and I wanted to watch, we came to a conclusion of wanting to watch Despicable Me 2!

After buying our food the time had caught up with us. It was already going towards 1:00pm, and our movie was at 1:15pm. So we scurried along to the tickets person, handed in our tickets. Then made our way towards the Managers Lounge, which was the theatre our movie was displaying in. Surprisingly as we walked in, my brother, and father had already found their seats. The room was a perfect fit to my mood. Simple, not to small, not to big, but just right.

The movie went by very fast. It was so funny, it had me laughing like a haiena. After the movie had finished, my father, little brother, Jasmine and I had to wait for my older sisters movie to finish, which would take another half hour. So we spent that time, sitting, laughing, taking photos, andbuying kiwiyo. A yoghurt store just down from the cinemas.

As soon as the girls finished watching The Heat, which was the name of their movie, we started to head off back home. By now the time was just about to hit 3:00pm. My dad took the long way back home, which took us another half hour. When we got home, Jasmine and I thought we were feeling a bit lazy. So we went for a walk down to the park, and woke ourselves up. When we got back home we sat in front of the house munching back on our left over food from the movies. Which was quite a lot.

By the time the big feed was ready my nana had made it just in time. And it was rounding off to 6:00pm nearer to the time we were going to drop off Jasmine. For the big birthday feast there was, well marinated chicken, chao main, potato salad, rice, taro, sausages, chop-sue and much more. I was filled just by eating the chicken and rice. Once Jasmine and I finished eating we put our dishes in the sink and then suddenly my mum stopped us before we entered my room. She asked if Jasmine was allowed to sleep over. My mind was flipping be auss mum never usually allows me to have sleep overs. But this time I think she was calm about it. Jasmine and I were ecstatic! My mum gave us her mobile to ring Jasmines mother. When we did she agreed and let Jasmine sleep over. She told Jasmine that she would bring some clothes over in 30 minutes.

I was so excited! Once her mother dropped off her clothes, we started to plan out the night. First we would set out our food that would keep us up the whole night, then we were to have our showers, and then we would watch movies the whole night. Our plan was going as planned obviously, until the both of us finished our showers. Instead we stayed right up until 3:00am talking, then instead of watching movies. After having a good 4 hour school, we were up. Now we were to plan the rest of the day until 11:00am when her parents would pick her up.

Breakfast was obviously first. Instead of home made breakfast we wanted to go for a walk to the bakery to buy our breakfast. We each bought 2 sausage rolls each, a large up and go each and then set off to the park. We sat their eating our breakfast and talking. Once we would get home, the sleep over was going to practically be over. So we talked as much as we could at the park then headed back home. It was almost 11:00am and Jasmines parents had arrived. We said our goodbyes, and thank yous then she was off.

Overall I had an amazing time! This was definitely the best birthday ever. My 13th birthday, one to remember.

The Holidays

 The holidays are supposed to be fun, happy, and full of new and different things. I think my holidays  are usually the complete opposite. Nothing fun to do. I just stay home and wait for something exciting to come to me. Well it's not completely true, my birthday is approaching. And to be exact it's tomorrow! And to this occasion I've got nothing planned either. I'm turning 13 which for me isn't really big. But every birthday is and should be spent wisely. Who knows something surprising might be in store for me. Ill just have to wait! I'm feeling ecstatic.