STORYBIRD WRITING

OLIVIA'S STORY

Storybird by Maca

Will's Story

More first-time Storybird writing by Room 8 students.

Have a read of some of these little creative stories:

Caleb's Story

Lucy G

Storybird by Morna

These are our first attempts.   We are going to work on developing better characters, and some more interesting themes, complications and solutions in our stories.  

Class Stories on Storybird

Below are links to little fantasy stories, written by us, using various artists'

artwork for creative inspiration through the STORYBIRD writing programme.

Have a go, it is fun and there are loads of different artists' work to choose from.  

You could even write a long novel if you're really keen!

Sam's Storybird

Sophie's Story

Rohan's Storybird

Bailey's Storybird

Storybird by Zane B

Masters or Servants?

FEARFUL FOREST FANTASY!

Enjoy our stories and please think about leaving some comments.

Parachuting History Report: Zane M

Parachuting

Parachuting is a free fall jump from different heights, which involves a wide variety of sports and techniques.

Parachuting was first used for military purposes as a rescue method and also a tool for invasion during World War One and two.

The first world championship took place In 1551 and one event was an accuracy landing competition and whoever could land closest the bullseye of the circle wins.

There are different types of parachuting such as formation skydiving, Accuracy landing and Free fall style. Very bad accidents can happen when doing the completions above and can lead to death.  

Parachuting is a very thrilling sport but also very scary for newcomers. I have always wanted to jump out of a plane thousands of metres above the ground and look at the landscape.

Red Hat Thinking: ANZAC SERVICE by Destiny

28th April

School ANZAC Service Thoughts

On the 25th April 2015 was ANZAC Day. It was 100 years from World War One. But the day before ANZAC Day was our school service. It was a sad and peaceful time. The whole school was in silence throughout the whole thing.

Mrs Fenton (the president of the R.S.A), Phoebe and Bailey presented some really good speeches. They were good because they were able to paint a picture in our minds of what it was like in the wars. Personally my favourite was Phoebe's.

Next the whanau leaders and buddies laid their poppies under the flag. I thought they all did it really well as they were all sensible and paid the respect they should've! Overall it was a special time for local people and students to have a good think! I will never forget the brave men who went to war.

By Destiny Scott

Parvana's Journey Summary by Bailey

18 May

Parvana, Asif and Hasan left the cave in search of Parvana's family. But there was a problem. They only had a handful of rice and some oil left! Parvana decided to cook the rice right then and there. They had some rice before they set off.

They walked for 2 days until the rest of the rice had gone then they walked for another 2 days until they found a village. As they walked down the road through the village everyone seemed to be staring at Parvana, Asif and Hasan and they all looked mean. So they decided to find some children to ask for some food and water. They found some children playing soccer and they pointed in the direction of the tea shop.

At the tea shop Asif said, “We're looking for work."  After a while one man eventually gave Parvana some work - to clean out the hen house. He also said that there was water in the rain barrel.  Parvana went straight to work. She found out that the hens had eggs which she wanted to steal but decided not to as her father would not have been impressed. After she had finished, the man came out with one tiny bowl of rice.

That night they went just outside the village and left all of their belongings and Hasan by a tree. Then Parvana and Asif went back to the tea shop and secretly stole one chicken and all of the eggs then rushed back to Hasan. They walked until the village was far far away.

Parachuting Report by Maca W.

Parachuting is a sport where you jump out of a plane with a bag on your back with a parachute in it. The plane goes to heights up to 4000 metres.

In World War 1 they used parachutes to rescue people. In World War 2 they used them as a tool for invasions.

There are many types of parachuting like free falling and team skydiving. For free falling you go up 2200 metres then you jump out and you have to do six things before you can land.

For team skydiving you get in groups of 4,8 or 16. Groups of 4 get 35 seconds to do as many tricks as they can. Groups of 8 get 50 seconds.

There are also accuracy landing competitions. You jump from 1000 metres and land with with your toe or heel on a yellow disk. You can also do team jumps were you all try and land on yellow marks.

I think parachuting sounds like a really fun sport and I think I would like to give it a go when I am older.

Life in the Trenches

Life in the Trenches

Life in the trenches was really very hard for the WW1 soldiers. Flooding was a huge problem for them. Their latrines always used to flood. When it rained it filled up their trenches and the soldiers didn't like it but they fought through it.

There were so many diseases that the soldiers caught from living in the trenches. One sort of disease was trench foot, which sometimes turned into gangrene.  Nits and lice were also a big problem in the war, because once one man had caught nits and lice all of them were infested, basically. 

But there was one big disease and it was very common and still is when there are crowded, unsanitary conditions.  It’s called dysentery and was awful for the soldiers from all angles.  They felt and smelt terrible for days on end.  No hot showers or flushing toilets up at the battle front.

That is the main part of what life was all about for a soldier stuck in a trench. Of course, on top of all the discomfort and sickness and horrible infections, there was shooting, shelling and dying people all around.  I don’t think we have any idea of the true sacrifices the soldiers, who go to war to try to keep our country free, have to face and suffer, whether they are in trenches, tanks or tall buildings in war-torn cities.

War Reflection by Olivia F

The Dreadful Life In The Trenches

The Dreadful Life In The Trenches

Life in the trenches was definitely not a place you would want to be. Flies, rats and lice are only some of the pests that the soldiers had to deal with.

Trench foot was the top disease that soldiers would have to avoid but that was hard because it was very easy to catch. Trench foot is caused by exposure of the feet to damp and conditions. If it got very bad the soldiers would have to cut off some of their toes because they developed gangrene.

Quite often the trenches would over flow and the rats would come out and eat the dead bodies of soldiers, often only their eyes and liver, disgusting, right?!

It can be said that soldiers who lived in the trenches were fighting a war on two levels, or perhaps two different kinds of wars. In addition to their main mission against a common enemy, soldiers in the trenches had to fight daily against diseases, rats, lack of sanitation, and other problems which seemed to happen more severely in trenches than they did anywhere else.

War thoughts, 
by Shania G

Parachuting Sports Report

12-05-15

The first man to use a parachute was Leonardo De Vinci.  Parachuting involves many sports and techniques, from free falling to paragliding.  Parachutes were used in WWI and WWII.  The first world championship was held in 1951.  There are now many different competitions.

Free falling is a form of parachuting where you are dropped from 2200 metres.  There are six required actions to be performed in the minimum amount of time.  The actions are left to right turns and somersaults.  They then add up the total time.

In formation skydiving teams of four-Six or even sixteen people take part.  They free fall from three thousand-three thousand eight hundred metres and repeat the actions for the amount of time given.  The times are thirty five seconds for 4 people and fifty second for 8 people.

In an accuracy landing competition competitors can be male or female.there are individual and team events.  Jumps are made from 1000 metres.  The aim is to land toe or heel first on a yellow disk-  dead centre.  The disk is 3 centimetres in diameter.

All these parachuting events sound like great fun and I would love to try them out one day.
By Freddie L

ANZAC Thoughts by Rebecca

29 April

ANZAC Nerves - Red Hat Writing

Friday 24th, the school Anzac service.  My heart was beating out of my chest with nerves.  I was lucky enough to be able to lay a poppy underneath the flag pole. All the other year eight leaders were laying a poppy whereas the Head Girl and Head Boy were laying a wreath.

We all stood and one at a time we walked up with another pupil from different classes. My turn.  I walked up nervously, poppy in hand and Makayla by my side. After my daunting experience I could finally breathe easy. But when I heard the bagpipes playing I couldn't help but feel sad about all the soldiers who died in the war.

Then when the bugle started playing all I could think about was all of my relatives who died or were injured in the war. The school Anzac service was very sad and I can never imagine what all the soldiers went through in the past wars.

We are here because they were there.

Written By Rebecca

Anzac Thoughts by Caleb G

ANZAC Red Hat Thinking

As I stood behind the computer with the bar slowly creeping to the end and the last post blasting across Hunterville, the image of Gallipoli forced its way into my mind.  And then the music stopped and as the image grew stronger in my mind it felt like all of Hunterville stood still. 

But the music once again started up and as the flag was raised to full mast I felt the heartbeats of the fallen soldiers surround me and finally I felt their souls being put to rest.

By Caleb Goodwin.

Anzac Thoughts by Freddie

Wednesday 29 April

Red Hat Thinking

On the 24 of April we had an ANZAC parade.  When Mrs Fenton spoke about what it was like back when the war was on,  I really could picture what it felt like when they got a telegram telling them a family member or loved one had been killed.

When I walked up with my buddy to lay the poppies in front of the flag, I felt sad to think about how many soldiers had died fighting for the flag that stood in front of me.  

The whole parade was very emotional and pretty interesting as well.

By: Freddie Lane

ANZAC Thoughts by Emma

April 2015

              ANZAC DAY

At the Rewa ANZAC day it was a really sad time. There were a lot of people crying.  When it started people told everyone about their family members who went to war.  When Dad read out the names of the people who went to war and died I felt really sad.

I will never forget the people who went to war.

By Emma Vennell

Anzac Thoughts by Brodie

Red Hat Thinking

As I stood there, I was remembering the people who fought for our country.

I was standing tall, singing the national anthem and it made me think about the stories I'd been told about my great grandfather who served in World War 1 and World War 2.  Horace was his name.

I felt proud for the people who fought for New Zealand.  Looking at the New Zealand flag I imagined in my head what it would be like living in trenches for four years and smelling blood, not fresh air. Singing the last post made me really think about war and so did the one minute silence.

We will remember them.

By Brodie

ANZAC Red Hat Thinking - Zane M

29 April 2015

On Friday afternoon Hunterville School held an ANZAC Service to remember those who fought for King, Country and Freedom. When the last post is being played it makes me imagine myself in the war. I pictured dead carcasses lying in the battlefield. Filthy rats that were the size of cats crawling everywhere. Eating bully beef, jam and biscuits so hard they would break your teeth. 

Original Army Issue ANZAC 'hardtack' biscuit

Flies would cover your food before you can even blink. I always say the saying to myself in my head during the service: "We will remember them".

by ZANE MUNN

The ANZAC Service 2015 by Lucy

Red Hat Thinking
I was in the line of room eight students holding on to one red poppy.  I felt nervous but okay as I knew I was privileged.  
As the New Zealand flag went down to half mast I had many thoughts.  I thought of the soldiers who served for our country.  I also thought of Granddad.  I missed him.  My great granddad fought in World War Two.  He survived and lived till 94 and only died a few years ago. 
Lots of speeches were shared; I listened and took in all the information.  I thought it was very good and very interesting with lots of thoughts rushing through my head.  
When it was time to lay the poppies, I felt honoured and special as it was a century ago that it all happened.  I walked along the concrete, lay my poppy and said in my head, "We will remember them."

By Lucy Goodwin

We have been learning one way to do subtraction working form.  We recorded it on the app Explain Everything so we could go back to it when we get stuck.
Here is the link (hopefully it will work for you!)

ANZAC RESEARCH

YOUR ENGLISH/THEME/ARTS LEARNING CHALLENGES: 
1.  
CREATE AN ART POSTER:  A3 size, any materials.

Theme:  How do we know "The ANZAC Spirit" is alive today in New Zealand/Aotearoa?

  or

Theme:  How can we better care for our home, school, community or world environment?

PLEASE NOTE:  If you wish to enter the National ANZAC Art Competition, your poster will need to be ready to courier by 1pm on this Thursday 23 April.

2. 
Prepare a digital audio and visual presentation, (imovie) on:
ANZAC Gallipoli 100 - HOW THE ANZAC SPIRIT IS ALIVE IN NZ/AOTEAROA TODAY theme.

Resources:  the following links have ideas to support your research

Wicked.org.nz/Themes/Hot-topics/Anzac-Day

The Red Poppy

The Gallipoli Campaign

A Dawn Service

The Last Post

The Importance of ANZAC to New Zealand/Aotearoa

• L2 June 2014 First World War Mascots – Animals at War (PDF 2MB)
• L4 June 2014 ­The Children's War (PDF 925KB)
• L4 June 2014 ­Underground Soldiers (PDF 1MB)Texts related by theme “Sky-High” SJ L4 June 2014 | “War in Waihī” SJ L4 Oct 2013 | “In the End” SJ L4 Oct 2013 

Or:

Make an imovie showing ways you can help improve your home, school, community or global environment. 

World War 1 Warships

In WW1 the ships were very big. The ships that went to Gallipoli were huge war ships. Most of the ships had at least two huge cannons. The ships also had machine guns and turrets on them to shoot at the enemies on the cliffs.

On the way to Gallipoli the ships carried the soldiers then put them on to the ships’ landing crafts and then lowered them down into the water to be taken to the beach. Sometimes the sailors would mistake the allied soldiers for enemies and shoot them.

At the end of the war the ships came as close as they could to shore to pick up all the landing crafts and take the remaining soldiers home.

Research by Rohan
References:
ww100.govt.nz › Discover WW1