Two weeks ago Room 6 went swimming lessons. We brought goggles, a towel and swimming togs. We only had 2 weeks of swimming lessons but it was very cool. When I went to the swimming pool I did some swimming.  At first I did a hand stand under water  and it was hard but I could do it because there  was water under me and it made me float and then I did freestyle. It was fun but it took some time for me to master it but I finally did it on day 5. On day 6 we did some jumping into water. I did a canon ball while the rest did a manu.

And we did fake drowning one day. We had to be in pairs and one had to jump in and pretend we were drowning. Then the other person helped to recus them by throwing a rope to them.

Izzy my teacher for swimming lessons  was very funny. On the last day of swimming we did five different jumps into the water. It was lots of  fun because she threw the sinkers down into the water and it was a race between me and Wycliffe to get there first. It was so intense. I was so scared but then I dived into the water and then got the sinker and won. I love swimming.

Matariki and Tawhirimatea’s story.

The parents, Ranginui and Papatuanuku were stuck together and could not move with their children. There was darkness all around them. The god of war told the children to beat their parents to death.  One son, Tane decided to stretch his legs and push his father into the sky and he stayed up there and the father made light. They could all see the world. The mother stayed down on the earth and is happy to provide food for her children.

Some gods were happy and the god of wind was not happy. The god of wind was so angry he pulled out his eyes and crushed them and threw his eyes up into the milky way and that is how we see the Matariki stars now.

Maori people come together at this time and think about their family who have died and also wonder how the year ahead will be for them.

I am a small boy, and my father is Hideaway Tom.  We live together in a humpy on the Coorong. My name is Storm Boy and I got this name because once when it was a very cold and wet and rainy, stormy day I went outside to pick up shells. Two men came by, who thought I was lost. When the men turned around I disappeared and they thought I was in trouble. I was not but I did not want to be found. My friend is Fingerbone Bill. who has taught me all I know and is very knowledgeable about everything in nature

I am …………………………Storm Boy

Yesterday we had our first ki o rahi tournament ever at our school. Everyone was happy and excited because it was a nice warm day outside.

The first team was Kauri  versus Rata. Unfortunately Kauri lost and I was very sad but I was a little happy because I was going on for next game.

Next round was Rimu and Totara and I was very happy but then I was sad because Rimu lost. I got very down next round was Totara verses Rata    I was voting for Totara, but then Totara lost.  We played right until lunch time and then we had the final two games after lunch.

I was the happiest boy of my life. The finals were Rimu and Kauri  and I was so!!!!happy again because Rimu WON. The semifinals were between

Rata and Totara again but I was very sad because Totara lost. 3 place were Rimu and Rata, 2 place was Rata and  1 place was Kauri.

ANZAC Biscuits

Last week on Thursday we ate ANZAC cookies because we had celebrated ANZAC Day. ANZAC stands for Australian, New Zealand, Army Corps and during war men and women went to fight a long way from home.

 The  ANZAC cookies felt like a bumpy crunchy hard rock. It smelled like coconut and oats. It looked like a brownish, tan circle from the moon. The ingredients were butter, golden syrup, flour and baking soda. When I tasted it, it tasted like a butter coconut oats and It was delicious.  Women made ANZAC cookies in world war 1 for the men fighting in the war. They had a long way to go so they had to last for a long time.