Young Leaders Day

On Thursday 17th May 15 year 8 students went up to Christchurch to the National Young Leaders Day. The 15 students were Brooke Clemett, Olivia McGregor, Kate Braddick, Kate Talbott, Katelyn Millar, Ashleigh McRobie, Abbey Walker, Analiese LeRoy, Emma S, Nicole G, Jordyn Ellis, Angus McKnight, Jordan Walker, Erin Ward and Yi Ran Ong. Half of us went in the mini van and the rest went in Ashleigh's car. We had to be up at school at 6:00am so we could get there in time.

When everyone got inside the building everyone was introduced to the hosts. They were Charlie Panapa and Alice Gallagher. Then we had our 5 speakers after that. They were Nick Tuitasi, Allison Mooney, Pat Buckley, Dave Atkinson and Jason Gunn. They were all very inspiring.

Disco

Last wednesday year 5-8 students had a disco held at our school. It started at 6:00pm and finished at 8:00pm. There was a pretty good turn out and we had some awesome songs playing for us thanks to one of our students dad!

Here are some more writing from our class!

A frosty morning and a cold and blustery day, the fireplace nice and warm to sit by. Our lazy cat snugs into the bed blankets sleeping peacefully not worried about anything. The kids rush out of bed, get dressed have milos and off outside. The snowflakes fall gently onto the kids faces. They make snowballs and forts this is going to be so much fun. One, two, three...
fire! Snowballs land everywhere houses, windows and even on some kids faces. Looking all around I see naked trees, snowmen and snow angels in the air and all around me.
By Jessica W.

I am a chick who loves shopping.

I wonder what it would be like with out any shops.
I hear money clanking .
I see my reflection in the mirror.
I want to buy everything.

I am a chick who likes shopping.

I pretend to be a model when I try on clothes.
I get excited when I see new shoes.
I touch the fabric of the clothes.
I worry about the people who cant afford clothes.
I cry if someone steels my clothes.

I am a chick who likes shopping.

I understand that I cant have all the clothes I want.
I say oh my gosh that looks awesome.
I dream that I have all the money in the world.
I try not to spend all my savings.
I hope that I can get the dress I want.

I am a chick who loves shopping.

By Renae

Slowly walking up the stairs rinsing my hands on the way. I finally got to the top to see the graves of my relatives.
Going to see granddad sobbing inside because I never got to see him.
Walking down the hill towards my family singing the traditional songs that I have rarely ever heard the sound of. Tears dripping on the grass. A quick word from the family.
then the unveiling of the grave revealed the name Warren.

By Connor

Winter

I was drinking hot chocolate and the snow was falling outside. The log burner was burning firewood and heating the room. The flames were orange and red. They flicked and moved. The T.V was on in the background.

The frost covers the plants and they are white. Leaves are falling from the trees and they turn brown. The trees branches are white and bare. There are no flowers in the garden. The roads get really icy. The snow falls on the roof and windscreen of the cars. The cars slide out of control on the icy roads.
By Logan

Descriptive Writing

Winter

Winter is a cold and heartless wind that scours the empty roads.

Winter is a bully, scraping leaves off trees and leaving us in the cold and sour emptiness.

Winter is a lonely soul whispering as soft as the wind and bellowing as mighty as thunder.

Winter showers us with rain when she is sad and strikes us with lightning when she is mad.

Winter is a cold and empty spirit that awaits in the corners of the streets for people who will be new victims of her anger and distress.

She has long dangly tails that drapes themselves around you as you pass her on the streets.

Winter hits your windows at night and brings a shiver up your spine as she silently stalks you every day and night.

Winter is almost gone but I am glad because
Winter is a cold and heartless wind that scours the empty roads.

By Mafoa Siale

Cross Country

Hi everyone

lately we haven't been very busy except for cross Country


some of our first finishing students were


Ben Worthington-Thin
Brodie Watts
Billy Linton
Kallum Fahey



thanks for reading

james macKenzie

Year 7 sailing

On Friday the 18 of March our Year 7's went sailing at Caroline Bay. From all the pictures it looked like they all had a good time. Here are some for you to look at!















On the fourth of April the year 8s went to Hamner Springs
for the last year of Bluestone School.
"It was a fun and great experience." Says Billy Linton.



By Brooke Clemett and James Mackenzie

Maths

Here are some websites that help with your Basic Facts!

http://www.mathplayground.com/balloon_invaders.html
http://www.koromatua.school.nz/1247/pages/232-basic-facts-games

Music

This year our class goes to music every Monday afternoon. Here are some pics of us!


By Brooke Clemett

Check out our class of 2011

Year 8 students are now preparing for their up and coming camp a Hanmer Springs.

By Brooke Clemett

Hanmer Springs History

Maori on ara pounamu (greenstone trails) were the first to enjoy the thermal water, as a rest stop on the long journey to the West Coast.
The first known European discovery of the thermal area was in April 1859 by William Jones, a farm manager from Culverden, who was drawn to what appeared to be "a remarkable fog". The village was named after Thomas Hanmer a early settler. 
Early deveoopment was hindered by inaccessibility, the first Ferry Bridge blew down in a strong nor’wester and wasn’t replaced until 1874.



Thermal Pools 


In 1879 an iron bathing shed set up on the site and a manager appointed and the first proper swimming pools were dug.
A bathhouse was created in 1883. Invalids and injured servicemen have enjoyed the curative mineral waters. 
While, from the outset the thermal pools were used for recreational swimming, they were early recognised for health rehabilitation. A sanatorium was built there in 1914. Treatment included both swimming in and drinking of the thermal waters. The sanatorium burnt down in the same year and was replaced with the Queen Mary Hospital in 1916. It was used for convalescent soldiers returned from World War I. Later the hospital was used for hydrotherapy and treatment of functional nervous disorders until 1971, and then as an alcoholic rehabilitation centre.

Hanmer Springs Forest


In 1902 the Government planted a wide variety of introduced trees at Hanmer Springs as an experiment for New Zealand’s fledging plantation logging industry. Today, Hanmer Forest is unique in New Zealand as a near-natural woodland of European trees.

Information from www.hanmernz.com/history.htm