My Music Recital

  

Every year for the children that have musical tuition with Mrs. Perrett play in a recital at the end of the year. I have been learning with Mrs. Perrett for 4 years now and have become quite skilled at singing and playing the piano. It is a lot of fun to get up and play the piano and sing. I am always a little bit nervous and stumble at the start but I eventually make a good performance that everyone in the audience enjoys. In 2013 Lexi (who played the ukelele with me) and I was good enough to present our song and sing and play it at our school prize giving. In 2014 I played the song Let it go by Demi Lovato that is featured in the movie Frozen. Here is the video of the recital that my family caught on camera. Write a comment below if you would like to see more of  my music.

Kate Sheppard Report

Here is my report on Kate Sheppard, who is a NZ suffragette;

Introduction

Many people have seen her on the ten dollar note. But she is most remembered by giving women the right to vote. She was the country's most famous suffragette.With help from other women she helped New Zealand be the first country to introduce universal suffrage. But there is more to Kate Sheppard than being a suffragette.

Early Life

Kate Sheppard was born on the 10th of March, 1847 in Liverpool, England, with the maiden name Catherine Wilson Malcolm. She lived with her uncle for many years. After living in scotland for 35 years, Shortly after her father died, her and her siblings immigrated to Christchurch, New Zealand. After two years living in New Zealand, She married Walter Sheppard and settled down with 1 child called Douglas Sheppard. Then began her time as a suffragette.

Suffragette

She began her time as a suffragette in 1885. The main reason she joined was to give New Zealand woman the right to vote. After 2 years fighting for the right, Kate helped introduce the first suffragette bill in 1887. In 1888 she began getting busy publishing a pamphlet entitled "Ten reasons why the women of N.Z have the right to vote". After many years waiting, in 1891 the Temperance Union presented a petition in favour of women's suffrage to Parliament.

Later Life

After succeeding for woman's suffrage, In 1903 Kate stepped down from her positions at the National Council of Women due to ill health. She went back to england with her husband for retirement. On the way she went to Canada and met American suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt. After her husband died in England she ventured back to New Zealand in 1904. Even though she didn't have her former energy, she continued to influence the New Zealand Women's movement to a great extent. Sadly Kate Sheppard died in Christchurch on 13th July 1934.

Commeration:

A memorial to her exists in Christchurch, and has her face on the New Zealand $10.00 note. There is also a street in Wellington's Parliament precinct is named after her. Several New Zealand have houses named after her.

Conclusion:

Kate Sheppard is known all over the world for everything she done for New Zealand. She will always be remembered as New Zealand's most famous suffragette.

Book of the week

This weeks book of the week goes to: My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It was a brilliant book that I never wanted to put down. Here is the blurb of the story to tell you a little bit about it:
Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

This is a very touching book but I highly reccomend it for 11+ years old. I give this book 9/10. I would definitely read it again. Get your own copy from your local book shop now!

Hockey Tournament

On Saturday we had a hockey tournament to decide who will take victory for 2015. Our team fought hard be we managed to get 4th. In our first game we lost to Ngaire 1-0 as they scored a goal in the last few nail biting minutes. We had to play in the freezing cold in the first  2 games, my fingers were so numb I couldn't even feel my hands. We even had to play through hail! In the second game we played South and managed to win that game 1-0. It began to clear up in the 3rd game and we had yet another close game against St. Jospeshs but unfortunately lost again 1-0. It got tougher in the last 2 games but we managed to grab another win, but had yet another bad defeat. I was really proud of our team and I am so lucky to be apart of it.

Walkies Pools and Dawson Falls

On Sunday my Family went up Mt. Egmont to Dawson Falls and Wilkies Pools. It was funny when I had to cross the rocks so I didn't land in the water, but I still managed to get my sneakers soaking wet! We got some very good photos of Jorja and I standing under Wilkies Pools and Dawon Falls. I was amazed at the view you could see of the ground below when you looked through a clearing. It was beautiful. Here is the story I wrote of when we had to cross a little river:

My heart bet loudly in my chest as I glanced over at the rocks I feared to cross. My wet saliva traveled its way down my throat. "Hurry up, We need to cross" Dad growled behind me. But I didnt move, I just stood there staring at my enemy that looked back at me as with their mossy grin and water flying over them. It had to be done. I had to cross the rocks.

There was 4 rocks that I needed to cross, but there was a catch. If I slipped I would fall in the river and my dignity would be lost. I rested my foot on the first rock that was in my path. I stayed there for a moment, to see if it would sway under my feet, but it stayed sturdy under my weight. My foot stretched my foot out to put on the 2nd rock. The moss under my feet was squishy under my sneakers. '2 more to go' I murmured to myself. I can do this.

The 3rd rock was the smallest by far and definitely the hardest to put my feet on. My foot stood into a small pot hole that was in printed on the rock. The rock wobbled under my weight as I tried to balance on it with one foot. 'This is it I am a goner' I thought as I began to struggle to keep upright on the rock. If I was going to make it across the rock without getting wet I had to make my move, and fast. 

The 4th and final rock looked miles away, but yet it was only a large footstep away. I took a leap of faith and landed on the fourth rock, unscathed. I had survived the obstacles that was thrown at me and I was proud of it.

Landing on the dirt ground, I had a wide grin spread across my face. "What are you so happy about?" Jorja questioned. "I just conquered my enemy".

Here is a photo slideshow I made using the app kizoa and also a video I made in Imovie. Thanks to my sister for taking all these amazing photos.

Maori Language Week

This week in NZ it was Maori Language Week.

 Our way to celebrate it at Auroa School was to make a video of the kids in the classes doing Maori. In Room 2 we made videos on the app Puppet Pals to create a small snippet of us asking a question in Maori and another kid answered it. Here is the video of Lexi and I's video with Jordan and Caleb's too. Hope you enjoy.

Kissick Eraio

On Friday Auroa School participated in the tournament Kissick Eraio. I was apart of the year 7 and 8 Netball team. We fought hard but got pipped at the post by Matapu and got 2nd losing 17-11. There was also a year 5 and 6 netball team who also got 2nd. There was another sport in the tournament and that was touch rugby and we again had 2 teams and managed to win both of those. Overall it was a great day for Auroa School.

Remember Poem

Farming

Remember when I walked out the front door and the bitter cold stung my eyes?

Remember when I rushed down the track in my gumboots and tripped over a rock?

That was farming.

 
Remember when I stood on the back of the carriel with a bunch of calves mooing beside me?

Remember when I blocked my nose in disgust when I smelt revolting cow poo?

That was farming.

Remember when Mum got mad at me when I forgot to give some calves some meal?

Remember when I used to sprint home and jump in front of the fire, trying to warm up?

That was farming.

Book Of The Week

    

This weeks book of the week is the book thief by Marcus Zusak. Here is the blurb of the book:

It is 1939. Nazi, Germany. Everyone is holding there breath. Death has been busier and will become busier still.

Leisel Meminger and her brother are being taken by their mother to live with a foster family outside Munich. Leisel's father was taken away on the single breath of one word- Kommunist- and Liesel sees the fear of a familiar fate in her mothers eyes. On the journey, Death visits the young boy, and notices Liesel. It will be the first of many encounters. By her brothers graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object partially hidden in the snow. It is ''The Gravediggers Handbook''. It is her first act of book thievery.

So begins a love affair with books and words as Liesel, with the help of her accordion playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book burnings , the mayors wife library,wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel foster family hide a Jewish Fist-Fighter in their basement, Liesel's life is both opened up and closed down.


This book is also now a major film. I give this book 8/10. Idefinitely recommend reading this book. It is interesting from the start to end. 

Trip To Wellington

On Saturday my Family and I went to Wellington for a holiday. We went to Te Papa and The Parliament Buildings.

On Saturday night we went and watched the Super Rugby finals which was Hurricanes vs Higlanders. It was great fun to watch but in the end the Highlanders won disappointed a home crowd that wanted there home crowd to win. The end score was 21-14 and the Highlanders went home victorious and with the trophy.

The second adventure we had was going to the Te Papa Museum. I loved the war exhibit it was very real. There were six huge wax carvings and if you got up close you could see every find detail such as the dirt under there nails, the whiskers on there chin and even the beads of sweat that was on there foreheads. Every detail was perfect and I Loved it. Apart from the wax carving there was also some information and some artifacts of some peoples old rifles and a old bugle with some more information across the walls with all there adventures. I also saw some other exhibits and managed to see the giant squid. It was huge!!! It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to go there again.

The last thing we did in Wellington was go to the front of the Parliament. Unfortunately we weren't in one of the tours so we couldn't see a full tour of the wonderful building but we did get to awe at the view and get a picture of me and my sister on the steps of the old Parliament Building.

Overall it was a great time but if was even greater to be back home again. 

     

Matariki Day

On the last day of the term 2 at Auroa School we had a Matariki Day. Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters;  and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year.

The Maori new year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon. The pre-dawn rise of Matariki can be seen in the last few days of May every year and the new year is marked at the sighting of the next new moon which occurs during June.

Matariki has two meanings, both referring to a tiny constellation of stars; Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).

Why Matariki is important is that traditionally, depending on the visibility of Matariki, the coming season's crop was thought to be determined. The brighter the stars indicated the warmer the season would be and that would mean a more productive crop. It was also seen as an important time for family to gather and reflect on the past and the future. 

Today Matariki means celebrating the unique place in which we live and giving respect to the land we live on.

There are many ways to celebrate Matariki so the 4 whanau groups split up to did different activities that is a way to celebrate Matariki. I am in the Haua Piko whanau and we did Maori Bone Carving and did different designs that represented different things. The day was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again.

My War Story

Some of you may have heard of the Elsie Locke Writing Competition. This year I got a chance to enter it. The topic was to make a war story that you can think of that will show emotions that would happen outside the war or what it would feel like if your loved ones were at war. Here is the story that I am going to enter:

My dear Derek,

Ever since I saw you leave on that train, I waved to you until the train’s smoke was only a puff of grey air, distant from my reach. It is truly horrid to think of you stuck in the world of death and oblivion. When the sun rises in the west, and sets in the east, I just sit there and cry, hugging the photo of you next to me. It has started to dawn on me that you might not come back alive and I have been forever howling since. My apologies if my ink is blurred, I just can’t help making my tears drop onto the paper. The world has seemed to have lost all its colour without you now. The silky green grass on the ground and the fluffy white mass of clouds up above have just turned grey and beige. My figure has become slimmer as I haven’t had time to feed my restless stomach. Whenever I begin to feel happy, I quickly remind myself that I shouldn’t forget you for a single second and become down again. 

Everyone is beginning to worry about my health and have tried to summon a doctor home for me but I simply refuse. My tired, red, sore eyes have been shooting prickled pain down my cheeks but I just cannot give in as I am supervised by someone for hours on end. It is utterly atrocious that people are already starting to forget about you like you didn’t even exist. But just remember I will never, ever forget you.

Your Beloved Martha

Finishing my letter with a flick of my hand I slipped it into an envelope sitting on my desk. My tear stained face slowly began to turn ghostly white. I was in tears again as the sound of a gun firing rang through my ears and a sharp pang of sadness stabbed into my heart. “It would be a waste of time if I wrote down all my feelings to my husband and didn’t even post it,” I muttered to myself shakily. Sluggishly jumping into my warm boots I rushed into the cold air of reality. My husband is at war.

The frosty air ran through my brown lifeless hair as I stumbled down to the edge of the road where everyone was hurrying through the doors of the grocery store preparing for the worst. A few strangers passed by said a quick howdy and rushing off in the other direction. The world has changed ever since Germans declared war. As soon as Derek found out that there was a global war about to begin he rushed to the enrolment centre without negotiation. Before I knew it, my husband was gone.

Wandering a few more metres down the road, the big 2 story post office cast a shadow over my small stature as I shivered in the cool breeze. Entering the door, my legs shuffled to the front of the big counter and silently asked for my number. Slivering the key into the lock I slowly inserted my letter into the compartment. My eyes met a large package that was concealed inside a orange envelope.

Ripping open the envelope A photo of Derek in his uniform and a big letter was stuffed inside. Pulling out the letter I slowly read the bold print that was embroidered on the front. KILLED IN ACTION. No...   PS: this isn't a real letter. the photo is just off the internet!!