The Button Box

We performend infront of lots of people at Villa Maria College in their Auditorium . We had 15 scenes. Scene 1 and 2 was Grandma, Grandad, Jacky and Alice performing. Scene 3 was Uncle Jacks Sailor Button, Scene 4 was the Pounamu Button (My favourite button - Mr A did this scene), Scene 5 was the Frog King, Scene 6 is Button Your Lip, Scene 7 is called Paradise Island, scene 8 is Uncle Toms Button, Scene 9 is Impuku Nekati, Scene 10 is the Crows Button, Scene 11 is the Bombay Button, Scene 12 is the Chocolate Button, Scene 13 is Belly Button Boogie, Scene 14 is the Irish Dancing scene and last but not least scene 15 is the Pyjama Button where the whole school goes on stage and sings all together as a school were we all take a bow.

Grandma= Samatha Doig
Grandad= Tim McGuire
Jacky= Blythe Law
Alice= E-J Stockman

The Button Box Musical!

Today we went to Villa Maria collage to perform the button box infront of loads of people.It was really scary and when the curtains opened I felt like running off stage.Blythe,E-J,Tim and Samantha were the lead actors and they were really good. Before the show started Tim and Samantha had to get baby powder in their hair before it started to make them look old because the were grandma and grandad. I peformed in 2 scenes, the rap and the leprechaun scene. Rebekah was a rapper in scene 6 and Mr.A said she sounded like Snoop Dogg! It was really fun and tiring because we had to do 2 performances in 1 day and we have 1 tonight.

Button Box

Today we had the first button box musical and now we have two more to go. They were super good. We have to have one tonight and tomorrow night. Today we had very excited children and some nervous children that are leads and some just normal kids in the button box. It was so much fun!! Everyone sang great, just a reminder we have to be there tonight a quarter past five.

Have soooo much fun tonight and don't get nervous, the adults won't laugh if you make a mistake

like you are supposed to say "You told us all about this golden one." and you accidently say "You told me all about this golden one." It is okay if you muck up.

Ethan!!!!!

Ethan was born on Saturday 18 June he was due on 16 June. He is going to grow up with lots of cousins like me and be a rugby player. I am proud as a big cousin and I know that his parents are very proud. Congratulations!!! I hope you like him because he is very special to me.

Nicholas

More Earthquake Interviews

Earthquake!!

O My Gosh!!!!

That 5.7 and 6.3 earthquakes were so scary, in the 6.3 lots of people went into turtles and some people got under desks if they were close to one. We will be getting lots of earthquakes but I think they will just be little ones, at least 3's or 4's. Lots of dogs started barking. In the 5.7 people were outside having morning tea outside playing, some people didn't fell it because they were running around and playing tag, all that sort of stuff. In 6.3, the water in the gutter thing on the roof, all the water was coming off it and hitting people.

Earthquake Interviews

Sophie's Story

Once there was an old man…

One hot sunny summer’s day an 87 year old man called Raymond went for his morning walk around Bluff in Invercargill like he does every morning. Raymond had grey hair, a slouched back, wrinkly skin, he is enthusiastic, kind, caring and he has baby blue eyes. Each day Raymond would come across one, two or three pieces of rubbish but he would immediately stop and pick it all up.


Raymond appeared to see two teenagers called Mickey and Mackey everyday. The teenagers would always be there before the old man. A few days later Raymond woke up and decided to take his morning walk earlier than usual. He walked as the morning breeze blew in his hair; he finally arrived 10 minutes later. He stopped and had a look around to see if Mickey and Mackey were in sight. Raymond finally stopped searching and sat down by some rocks. He waited for half an hour for the teenagers Mickey and Mackey but no one was there, though not even a fish blew a bubble. So Raymond stood up, but just as he did he saw Mickey and Mackey litter. Raymond was furious. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. He walked home huffing and puffing. He felt strange and all he wanted to do was make a change in the world. Raymond walked through his garden and through the back door. He got into his blue stripy pajama’s and fell asleep. That night Raymond woke up in the middle of the night with a thumping chest, a aching body and he thought his heart had burst into flames. He pressed his medical alert button and within minutes the ambulance was there. The sirens flashed really brightly in the dark of the night. Within seconds Raymond was in the emergency room at the hospital.


Raymond had to have serious heart surgery. 2 days latter Mickey and Mackey thought it was so quiet and where was the old man? Mickey and Mackey missed Raymond but as Raymond was gone Mickey and Mackey changed they stopped littering they had learnt their lessons. the 3 news team arrived at bluff in shock bluff had never looked so beautiful before. Raymond turned on the TV and started watching 3 news. All of a sudden Mickey and Mackey were on TV. Raymond was confused" how did they get to be on TV?” hi said to himself. 5 minutes later they showed all of the images of the area. “Wow that’s so amazing”. Two weeks later they let Raymond go and the 1st thing that Raymond did was go for his morning walk.


The end
By Sophie Jordan

Earthquake Interviews

2011 Magnitude earthquake: 6.3

On the 13th June 2011 Christchurch had a magnitude 5.7 and 6.3 earthquake. My friends and I were at Avon head school auditioning for choir. We all dived into a turtle until their bell stopped ringing. Afterwards we had to all assemble onto the court. I felt really safe because I was with my dad and the principle had said it was a new building and they were completely safe. The auditions were postponed for next week and when we got back to school there was a lot of liquefaction and water spillage. We were not allowed into a class. Our parents had to go in and get our bags.
By Molly Ryan-McGinness

Molly's Story

A pocket knife and SyrupOne day Flik, Macky and Borris the 6-legged hodgehegs were bathing in the sun they lived in the Eastern part of Scotland in a small town called Liggermen. They loved catching bees with their long sticky tongue.
One evening Flik told his mum he was going for a walk to find his friend Mocha at the Bulla Bulla tree. So Flik set off to find his friend. When he arrived the Bulla Bulla tree was gone.
“Agh!!!!” Flik screamed. There was a huge tractor coming towards him. As the tractor swung round, another tree flew off his stump and loudly hit the ground.
“I must tell mum before they get to our house!” He quietly mumbled to himself. While the tractors drove past they trailed diesel, and the grass driven over by the vehicle died from the polluted air.
“UH! UH!”(Cough, cough) said Mocha.
“Mocha get out the way!” screamed Flik. Mocha spun his head round quick enough to see the tractor coming. He flew over to Flik with a terrified look on his face. They both ran home to Macky and Borris and told them what happened.
The next couple of nights Flik kept thinking about what had happened and wanted to do something about it, so he got up and went down into the kitchen. He grabbed a pocket knife, golden syrup and a spanner. He grabbed his thick, black, leather school shoes and went to the place where the Bulla Bulla tree was. He saw the tractors and the humans resting. He quietly snuck up to the tractors tire and used his pocket knife to puncture the tyre. Then he ran to the front of the tractor and lifted the top and poured the golden syrup into the oil and used the spanner to turn up the sound of the engine.
In the morning when Flik woke up he saw his mum making breakfast. He could smell the pancakes in the pan cooking.
“Oh we have no golden syrup! I am sure I remember having some in here last night.” Macky said in a grumpy attitude.
“I am going to Mocha’s for a sleepover tonight, mum.”
“Ok have fun.” Said his mum. Flik met Mocha at the Bulla Bulla tree just in time to see the men waking up. One of them turned it on it did nothing but let out a loud rumble. Flik laughed to himself.
“I think we have a flat tyre.” Said one of them. He got out the tractor and checked the oil. The golden Syrup had gotten hard and sticky over night.
“I think we will be camping here another night” said another.
Flik and Mocha both laughed.By Molly Ryan-McGinness

The Mangroves

There once was a man named Max and his daughter named Lily. They loved walking in the mangroves because it was a peaceful place.

One day they stopped walking in the mangroves because it was getting cut down. They did not like it and they made a big protest and tried their hardest to save the mangroves.

Eventually they won their protest and the government let them save the mangroves and they never forgot that day.

By Ben S

OLA News

School will reopen tomorrow

Wednesday 15 June 2011 9am

The school has been checked by an engineer from OPUS. Once again our buildings have held up really well and we are able to open all classrooms tomorrow. All buildings are ok to be used.

All liquefaction has been cleared from the grounds. Any hazardous areas have been fenced off so that no one has access. All hazards have been marked clearly.

The school water supply is working however we are still required to boil water - we have organised for more bottled water to be delivered to the school and we still have a back up supply. It would be great, however, if you could send your children with their own boiled water in bottles at least until Thursday when the new supply of water should arrive.

There will be a chance for parents to stay on site and have a cup of tea/coffee in the hall, should you wish to, while the children settle in.

Looking forward to seeing you all

Jo Earl

Principal

Earthquake Experience by Talia

When the earthquake happened I was at Avonhead School in their new hall. Before the earthquake the Principle said the room is earthquake proof and would not fall down so we would be safe and then a couple minutes later the earthquake hit. Grace Su sat on my lap because there were no seats for her but in the earthquake she wouldn't get off me so I pushed her down and did the turtle next to her. We went outside on the court with the Avonhead children they were scared too .When I walked outside I saw a big crack down the glass door on the new building. My mum was with me because she offered to take some children to Avonhead School. They said outside that auditions will still go on but a few minutes later they said that we will not do the audition because the children will not do their best. So mum took me, Luka and Olivia back to school and the traffic was so busy but we got there in the end.  There was liquefaction at school and the back street behind school. We dropped them off at school and I already had my bag in the car so we rushed home and my step Dad, my Dad, my dog and my sister were home safely. Some things fell over but did not break, so that's really want I did in the earthquake. I hope you did not get any damage so I will see you soon stay safe. :D

Class Music

Music:

A few weeks ago when Room 3 was learning about music, the children performed in front of the class with any resources that they could find in the class.

This group used some boxes, rulers and themselves.

Enjoy watching

Mr Gaffaney

Mr Gaffany or Mr G was a great teacher.He always was having fun and letting us make rockets. I loved making the rockets - I was with Will and Xavier. Our rocket was called "The Crusader" and it went really high up in the air. We were second place!! First place was Isabella, Judith and Molly. It was so sad to see him leave on Friday but he needed to go back to college for more study. He was a great teacher but we didn't get to finish reading goosebumps!!! He will always be a part in our lives and we hope he gets good marks and a degree. Goodbye Mr Gaffaney.

Mr Gaffaney.

Yesterday we said goodbye to Mr Gaffaney. Rebekah and Molly made a card with everybody to sign it. We are going to miss Mr Gaffaney so much. On Friday [yesterday] we made Bottle Rockets with him and it was so much fun. Judith, Molly and Isabella won and they got a cream egg to eat for their lunch. They were lucky. Goodbye Mr Gaffaney.

Room 3 Bottle Rockets with Mr G

Today the children in Room 3 farewelled Mr Gaffaney. We had the honour of having Mr Gaffaney in Room 3 since the beginning of the term. The children thoroughly enjoyed having him in the class for the five weeks and yesterday were able to experience some science that he had planned. The video above shows Mr Gaffaney releasing the bottle rockets that the children had made. The children had a lot of fun making them and then seeing them take off.

If any of the authors would like to write about this activity, please do so and publish on the blog.

Thanks Mr Gaffaney for all your hard work over the past five weeks. It is much appreciated and we wish you all the best.

Mister A