Task Description:

Recently Team Tui had gone to the library to review some books. I chose pollution by Sally Morgan!

I learnt a lot about reviewing books and the important points of making a good book review. Here are mine.

1. Start by introducing the book. Include the title, author and a brief summary of what the book is about.

2. Share your impressions of the book. Talk about what you liked and what you didn’t like. Be honest and clear in your assessment.

3. Provide examples from the book to support your opinions. This can help your readers understand your perspective and engage with your review.

4. Consider the target audience for the book. Is it meant for children, young adults or adults? This can help you frame your review in a way that is relevant for your readers.

5. Finally, wrap up your review with a conclusion. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

These are my 5 points on making a book review, taking this into account, here is my review on the book ‘Pollution’ by Sally Morgan

Review:

My friend and I had read “Pollution” by Sally Morgan, and it was a truly enlightening experience. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the various types of pollution, including air, water, and land pollution, their sources, and their effects on the environment and how to change to make the world a safer place. What I appreciated most about Sally Morgan’s writing style was how she presented the information in a clear and concise manner, making it easy for readers to understand the complexities of the topic, without overcomplicating it.

Throughout the book, Morgan provides numerous real-life examples and case studies, which allowed me to better comprehend how pollution affects people’s lives and the environment. She also dives into the politics and economics of pollution, discussing how governments and corporations contribute to the problem and what they can do to reduce it.

One of the standout features of the book is the comprehensive overview of the possible solutions to pollution. The author provides various strategies, from individual actions to collective efforts, that can be taken to reduce pollution levels and prevent further damage to the environment. What I appreciated most about these solutions is that they are practical and actionable, which gives readers a sense of hope and empowerment.

However while “Pollution” by Sally Morgan is an excellent book overall, some readers may find that it focuses too heavily on the problems of pollution and doesn’t spend enough time highlighting the successes and progress made in reducing pollution levels. Additionally, some readers may find the book to be too easy and for a younger audience despite younger people not touching on this type of topic very often. However, these criticisms do not detract from the book’s overall value and importance in raising awareness about pollution and the need for action.

In conclusion, “Pollution” by Sally Morgan is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of pollution and its impacts on our planet. It is informative, engaging, and provides practical solutions that can be implemented in our daily lives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about the environment and wants to make a positive difference in the world.

By Zuri and Liana

Task Description

Today Rm 6 participated in one of Mitey’s many games, ‘Tic Tac Toe’ or as some might say ‘Knots & Crosses’.

However, unlike the usual time-consuming drawing on paper tic tac toe, we used ourselves to embody the game in real life. How? Well, we set up our chairs in a 3×3 set up leaving the chairs with a similar image to the actual game. We were split into two separate teams, one with vests, and the other with the usual uniform.

We played a very competitive game leaving my team with the drowning disappointment of losing (yet again) But we still carried on with our day with the thought that there is always a next time.

(What the set up looked like, the circles representing the chairs)

 

 

Task Description

For writing this week we had to construct a piece of writing called ‘The spoken word’.

What is a spoken word you may ask? Well its a piece of writing that uses rhymes, word play, intonation and stereotypes.

Most spoken word writing pieces are based off of global issues like racism, pollution, drug use etc. My topic however falls more into the ‘ignored’ kind of global issues, because sometime in history racism, pollution, drug use and more was all over the television hoping for change, but my topic is about SA (Sexual assault) as it is too often ignored by us and needs to be payed more attention to. Not in a way that we keep doing it, more the opposite. It needs to be stopped. That is why I wrote this spoken word poem, because just like the rest of the spoken word poems, I wrote this piece of writing in hope for change.

Enjoy.

 

The Right to Survive

Of course, I am human

I have human characteristics, I breathe the air that we all share but does that mean that we are all treated fair?

I like going out to enjoy the air, and play with my friends, just like the rest, but the issues and anxiety I have to go through, I now declare, are unfair.

I go outside every day looking ‘as tempting as a person showing themselves off’, as sweet as a candy getting ready to be munched into bits, as long as ‘it’ fits, they say. But why? Why am I a target to these predators, I don’t want to be a toy for these imperators, who just want the best of me, not even the rest of me.

Just the small bits as they say, ‘as long as it fits’

They say ‘innocent’ I say scared, why should my privacy have to be shared, I just want to be spared, like an animal that was snared, unprepared, underage, people say it will pass by, but it’s like they forget, that it will come back like rain wounding the sky.

‘Praise him’ they say but why shouldn’t I be praised for the hardships I went through to be here today?

As if when I go outside I automatically have a red target on my back, and no, this isn’t racism, this happens to both white and black.

So how many more deaths, suicides, depressed people, teen pregnancies will it take, for everyone to become aware and awake, that these things are happening around the world, around the globe, you might not see it but you never know.

Because we are all human, there were no rules specifically assigned, no one was designed differently from the rest of mankind. We are all of God’s creation, we need to all join as one nation to fight for what’s right.

It’s not the lack of voice, it’s the lack of action we are willing to take, what difference do we want to make? What borders are we willing to create to make sure that whoever is at fault is put behind the gate?

Because we can’t just stand around and lose another one of us because we couldn’t stand our ground to the people that had stolen what we owned but they just found but instead, we need to voice a new sound.

We, humans, are not ‘victims’ for sharing our stories, we are survivors empowering and setting a standard for everyone else who is struggling.

Ending quote :
‘She/he was powerful, not because they weren’t scared, but because they went on so strongly, despite the fear.’

So if you ever feel, disgusted with yourself, just know that you are powerful for being here today, for trusting yourself that you will be okay. For knowing that your past does not define you, what you went through, is not the last of you but instead the beginning of a new chapter

So dear brothers and sisters, do not be ashamed, afraid, held back by the fact that you survived something as difficult as that because I might not be all that, but I know for a fact, that I am human and I deserve every ounce, speck, bits of love that I lack.

Zuri

Task Description

Our writing prompt this week required us to create a piece of writing focused on providing explanations. Explanation writing, as the name suggests, involves conveying the process of a particular subject matter. This type of writing aims to answer the ‘how’ questions we may have, such as ‘How to assemble a piece of furniture’ or ‘How technology has evolved over time.’ Furthermore, you need to include supporting information to reinforce one’s arguments, as demonstrated in the following piece of writing.

Enjoy

How Our World has Changed Overtime.

Throughout the course of history, the world has undergone miraculous changes that have left many of today’s children wondering what life was like in the past without phones, cars, Chromebooks, etc. To shed some light on this topic, let’s compare life today to life in the past and observe just how much the world has transformed over time.

How was school life before compared to now?

First, we can start off with a comparison between using chromebooks and traditional book writing. Many teachers can probably recall having to write 50-page essays on random topics such as trees or flowers that you didn’t even know existed making writing quite a complicated task back in the day. Nowadays, students have the luxury of searching for information online, copying and pasting it onto a document, and calling it a “ good piece of writing”. These types of things truly make me wonder if teachers truly despised children during those times.

How teaching/teachers have changed throughout the years

In the past, teaching was considered a much simpler task, at least for teachers. They were not required to constantly monitor each student, worrying about them running away or getting distracted due to the lack of devices. Back then, students had their own desks and books, which made it easier for teachers to keep track of their progress and provide them with the necessary guidance. However, nowadays the situation is completely different. With the new modern devices being created, students are always on chromebooks, tablets, and other devices that easily distract them from their learning due to being able to access games online, unlike when people used books back then, which now poses a challenge for teachers.

More into this topic, the world has become more connected, and people can easily travel across borders with a proper passport. Parents nowadays seek safe education for their children, which sometimes involves traveling to a different country. This can be a challenge for teachers as they have to deal with students from diverse backgrounds who might not be fluent in the English language, which is most of the time, the main language of instruction in many countries. This language barrier can make it difficult for teachers to communicate properly with students and ensure their success in the classroom which shows how much easier teaching was before.

How much access did people back then have to the things we have today?

If we take a trip down memory lane, we can observe how much harder people had to work in the past to achieve things that we can now easily access online. For instance, if we consider countries, there was a time when New Zealand, Samoa, China, Tonga, and even Russia did not exist. However, people discovered and brought them to life. This also applies to planets, plants, animals, hidden artifacts, and buildings, all of which were discovered by humans in the past. Nowadays, we can simply open a device and search about a country, and we will immediately have access to information that people in the past had to travel seas and mountains to achieve. This contrast between the past and present highlights how different life was back then.

Before devices existed, children had to write in books and punish their hands for who knows how long. They also had to read countless books to gather the information they needed, and alongside that, they also had to get creative with their presentations, such as using drawings or real-life examples. For instance, in the past, children would bring trees to show an example of how to grow them. Nowadays, we can simply upload a video onto a slide and be finished. This goes to show that some children and even parents nowadays do not fully understand the true meaning of “working hard.”

Now you know how much our world has transformed over the years! It’s amazing to see how much progress our world has achieved over the years. It makes me appreciate the hard work that people in previous generations put in to make our lives easier. Our world has gone through a brilliant transformation to get to where we are today. This fills me with a sense of gratitude towards our ancestors and also gives me hope for future generations.

-Zurielle 🙂

Task Description

Today, Glen Taylor had a cultural exhibition. We were glad to get the opportunity to share our hard work with the wider audience. All of our creations greatly showcased our identities and who we are for example, I created something called a Pale. A pale plays a big part in my identity as it is something worn during Samoan cultural dance. This experience was not only enjoyable but very memorable as I was overjoyed to share who I am to everyone.

Here are some photos :))

 

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Task Description

For writing, we had to write a step by step formula on how to create what our groups had made for LCS. We had to include what we were making, what we will need and how to create the model/what we made for LCS. For example, I made a cultural wood art which is basically cultural art drawn onto a piece of wood. It is quite simple but the results are spectacular! So here are some steps on how to make an easy but, satisfying piece of art.

 

Procedural Writing: How to make cultural wood art

What we are making: Cultural Wood art

What you will need:
50 cm long piece of wood (19.6 inches) can be longer or shorter depending on your personal preference
Coloured felts or Paint (Could be either or both)
Pencil
Sharpie (Black)

Process:

Step 1: First, get your piece of wood and lay it on a flat surface to get the best results. (But if needed or preferred, your piece of wood can be put on a bumpy surface, but you need to be extra careful to make no mistakes)

Step 2: Secondly, get your pencil and start sketching your cultural art onto the wood.

Step 3: Thirdly, get your Sharpie and start outlining your sketch (If you do not want to outline your art, it is not necessary)

Step 4: Get your colouring resources and colour your art however you prefer it to look like!

(For people who used paint) Step 5: Now lay your wood outside to dry off or run it under a hairdryer or something that produces strong winds.

Now there you have it. A beautiful cultural art piece to admire 🙂

Task Description

For this task we had to think of 4 different topics on what makes a good leader. In my opinion, what makes a good leader is somebody with confidence, commitment, communication and vision.

This is my writing :))

What makes a Good Leader?

What makes a good leader? “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality’ , as some people might say or, somebody who can turn somebody’s dream into reality without a magic wand, somebody with confidence, commitment, communication, and most importantly, a vision, that is what makes a good leader.

Confidence
‘When the leader lacks confidence, the followers lose commitment’
What does this mean? If a leader isn’t confident, how will their voice be heard? All leaders that were shown before, how did they come to be leaders? They spoke. They used their voice to their advantage and raised the bar that was set. They didn’t block out the voice that wanted to be heard despite others stopping them, because they didn’t think for themselves, they thought for the people that their voices were too small to be heard. With these leaders, more leaders were then brought to the light but what if these leaders decided to give in to everybody else’s opinions? There would be no change, that is why confidence is an important quality of a leader.

Commitment
‘The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment’
Many people might say they’re ‘committed’ when they actually aren’t. Many people take interest in things and say to themselves ‘I will be committed to this’ but slowly lose this commitment, that is why nothing gets done. In my opinion there is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in something you only do it when it’s convenient. However, when you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results, and that is what a leader should try to achieve. Not only results but great ones.

Communication
‘The art of communication is the language of leadership’
Being able to communicate with others is a big part of being a leader, being not only able to teach but listen to what other people have to say to you is a big part of being a leader because having this type of understanding of others will make them feel open to you, not scared of you, will help them to communicate well with you, that is how you should make somebody feel as a leader, safe. Being able to just communicate with somebody, to help them, you never know what miracles you could be making. You could inspire that person with your words, even if it is just a simple ‘You can do it’ or something uplifting, this person could be inspired and that is the job of a leader. To not only lead to create more followers but to create more leaders of the future.

Vision
‘A great leader’s vision comes from passion. Not position’
Vision in my eyes is the most important part of being a leader. It is like the base of leadership. How do you expect to lead somebody, people, a village, maybe even a nation, without a vision? You can’t. Every leader starts with a vision, ‘who am I?’, ‘Who am I trying to be?’, ‘Who am I leading?’, ‘What is my purpose?’. Without being able to answer these questions, don’t expect to be able to be a good leader, but don’t give up. You might be thinking, ‘Oh well, I’m young, I can’t be a leader’ and in my honest opinion, you’re entirely wrong. If you have a vision, put it to action! It doesn’t matter, age, gender, race, position, if you’re a leader, you’re a leader. It is your time, and to be a good leader you have to believe you can do it! So don’t wait for somebody to tell you to do something because did any of the leaders of today wait? No, so don’t wait for tomorrow, be the leaders of today.

Conclusion
So after this think to yourself, am I a leader? Am I a worthy leader? Am I leading my people with not only respect but pride? Am I going to make a difference? If so, you’re a great leader. Just think, Great leaders don’t set out to be leaders, they set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role, it’s about the goal. What are you aiming for as a leader? In my opinion the role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas, it is to create an environment where great ideas are to be made. That is what makes a not good, but a great leader.

Task Description

For LCS we had to create a presentation on our culture group(Samoan) and the wonders of our culture and identity.

I am Samoan and something interesting about my culture is that we were the first ever Polynesian country to be found which makes us the oldest Polynesian country as well.

This is my presentation

Description:

 On Friday, Glen Taylor had their annual Athletics Day! There were many different stations like shot put, discus, high jump, long jump, relays etc. which we all enjoyed.  We were very thankful to Matua Atama and all of the leaders for putting such an amazing event together for us kids to enjoy.

My favourite station was probably the junior obstacle course because it was nice experiencing leadership with the kids and of course seeing them smile was very uplifting :))

Friday was overall a very enjoyable day and I had lots of fun!

 

 

Task Description

For LCS we had to think of a country for each letter, A to Z and pair it with a celebration starting with the same letter of the country. We also had to add a short description to describe the celebration and how it is celebrated!