RAROTONGA - What a blast!

Rarotonga - What a Blast!
It's been 6 weeks since we left for our trip to Rarotonga - a beautiful island in the South Pacific. This trip was a once in a life-time learning experience for me and my school mates, and everything we did was filled with fun and laughter.  What was really special for me was the snorkelling in the lagoon with Captain Tama's Lagoon cruizes.  That was amazing.  Everyone got to swim with the coral fish and get a closer look at some really weird and beautiful fish species.  Their kina are weird though. Their spines are longer and their shells, smaller.  Sharing an umu-kai on Motu Island was nice too.  The weather wasn't the best, but the show the Captains put on was really funny.  We were laughing the whole time at what one of the Captains was getting some of the tourists to do.  Did you know there are over 375 different styles for tying a pareu (that's a wrap-around type sheet) that the Cook Islanders wear when it gets really hot.  Some of the styles looked like a model could wear them on a cat-walk.  Learning about The Tree of Life, or the coconut tree, was very interesting.  The Rarotongan people use every part of the tree.  They do not waste anything from it.  The coconut tree is used as medicine, clothing, shelter, food, and lots of other things too.  Our big boys learnt how to dehusk, and cream the coconut flesh and oil.  The oil is different to the cream, so the Rarotongans use it in different ways.  
We also visited Nikao Maori School who hosted us for two days.  That was a real experience.  As New Zealand kids we sometimes think we don't have many opportunities in our classrooms, but if you saw schools over there you would think we were very, very lucky.  Nikao Maori School has a roll of just over 100 students.  They welcomed us with a turou which is like our powhiri.  It was really special for us to get a turou.  The students from their school lead the turou, and as we came through the school gates the Nikao tamariki put 'ei over our heads.  This is their way of thanking us.  An 'ei is a flower garland, and they use the tiare as their flower.  Later we shared some waiata and korero together, and then we were invited to share an umu-kai with them.  This was delicious.  Eating and sharing together was again very special because they then gave us our own pareu and shell necklaces to keep.  Some of their kai is strange to eat, but most of it is tino reka.
For me the highlight of the trip was sharing the learning about the Rarotongan culture, language, and meeting its people, with my whanau.  We will always remember this trip and how it has opened my eyes to how other cultures live in this world.  I hope you get the same opportunity as what I have had.

Learning to Play Volleyball

Volleyball is fun to play, but not that simple to learn because you have to hit the ball over the net using only your fingertips and part of your palm. We've been learning to play for the past 5 weeks. 

First, you put your hand over the other hand  and close over your two thumbs. You use this hand grip when you are wanting to dig at the ball or its a high lob.  You're not allowed to carry the ball too.  When you've learnt how to hit the ball with your hands you need to have someone to hit the ball to over the net. You need to practice this for a while so you can get better. After you practiced this you can try another volleyball hit. Simply all you do is make a diamond shape with your two hands, and when the ball is volleyed to you, you push the ball up with your fingertips.

When you've learnt these moves you can start playing the game. 

To start, serve the ball from the back court on the right hand side.  Each time you win a point you serve.  If you lose a point, and then win one afterwards you serve again but this time your team rotates clockwise so everyone gets a turn and serving and subbing off.   There are six players on each side of the net.

Spiking: when you spike the ball over the net, you jump as high as you can, and hit the ball down really hard, so the opposition can't hit the ball back. 

Some interesting facts about volleyball I've learnt are: the original name for volleyball was mintonette. Volleyball was first played in 1894.

Otorohanga Golds Parade - Na Taina

Last Friday the Otorohanga put on a massive parade for the Otorohanga Golds rugby team who won the Waikato Premier grade a few weeks ago.  They played against Fraser Tech in the finals at Waikato Stadium. The score at half-time was 12-10, and the final score was 36-26 to Golds.  The parade was fun.  The Golds, the Waikato-BOP Magic team, and Jackson Willison from the Chief's team were all there.  Jackson comes from Tahaaroa.

It was cool to see all the winning teams.  I wish Coast Steelers could have been part of the parade too.  

  

AIR for LIFE

I
AIR:  We are learning about air and the properties of air, and the uses of air and how they relate to it's properties .

AIR related words:

atmosphere, unstable and stable air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, gases, nitrogen, wind, fly, compression, expands, rises, breathe, Earth, Papatuanuku

AIr is sustenance for life
Inhale and exhale it
Revitalising and giving life to mankind

Forever fortunate to have
Oxygen filling up our lungs
Refreshing, and refuelling to give us energy

Lungs filled to capacity with oxygen
Invisible toxins invading our atmosphere
Fuels that harm Earth's air supply

Everlasting air here for all living things.

Na Te Aoturoa

Playing For Coast's Rugby Team

On Saturday me and Liam played for the little coast rugby team. We only played for them because our Pirongia team had a bye. We had to be at Te Kuiti rugby fields before 10.30 am. We kicked off at 10.30 am. It was on. The little Coasties were playing. Taina had got tied so I had jumped on for him. I played the whole game without coming off but in the last 5 minutes I got sent off for a high tackle. But it was not my fault because the boy that I had tackled had got scared and fell and I cleaned him up. The referee was also on the other teams side and he started picking on me and Liam because he had noticed that we were a step higher than the other boys. But we still lost. NO GOOD.

Na: Te Aoturoa

Kia Orana mai Tahaaroa

 Rarotonga Here We Come 

Kia Orana, Kia manuia.
Our kura is going to Rarotonga next term so we've been learning about that island, it's language, culture, and it's people.  We've been learning their language.  It's very similar to our reo Maori so it's been easy pronouncing their kupu.  We can't wait to go.




Kia Orana Tahaaroa - E whiti ana a Tamanui-te-Ra ki runga i a matou nei.

This is our Village looking down from our classroom.  You can see our Community Hall, our marae Aruka, our tennis and netball courts, the rugby field, our homes, and a Perry Bus.  This is our Coastie home.
We are all Ngati Mahuta.  

Uh-oh! Here Comes Another Excuse...!

We've been writing narratives and this is one written by Liam.  Hope you enjoy it.

 

Uh-Oh! I Hear Another Excuse Coming!

Dear Mrs Plumm

My homework book is a bit messy today but this is why.

On Monday two big lions ran at me Mrs P. I tried to run away but they were gaining on me and caught me. That’s why my books all screwed up. 

On Tuesday my bedroom window  was left open and two monkeys smelt my squashed banana sandwich all over it, and so they chewed at it until there was nothing left.

On Wednesday Papa Smurf took my book to show the Smurfs what a homework book looks like. I fought him for my book for a whole hour because I knew you’d be angry.  He might be old but he sure is strong Mrs P!   It’s not a lie Mrs.  

On Thursday while I was crossing the bridge to get to the library an ugly old troll popped up from out of nowhere and pushed me off the bridge. My homework was in my school bag and that floated away downstream.  I searched for ages trying to find it, but sorry no luck!  You know what, I think that troll looked just like Te Ao!

On Friday morning I rode my bike to school. I had my homework sheet rolled up in my pocket when a boogey monster sprang out from behind the bushes. He pushed me off my bike and stole my homework book.  I chased him Mrs P  but he was way too fast for me.  Honest!

So Mrs P I am very very sorry but  I promise I will hand it in finished and much neater next week.

Truthfully,

Johnnie Smeegle