Hillpark Cross Country 2015

On Thursday 13th August the sun finally shone and it was a beautiful day. The sky was clear blue, hardly any wind;  it really felt like Spring was on its way!

We gathered in our teams and began the walk to the Botanic Gardens just after 11am. The police helped us crossing the road as there were ALOT of children walking to the gardens.

When we arrived we got into our houses so the races could begin at 1pm.

The year 3 girls ran first then the year 3 boys then year 4 girls and so on up to year 6 boys. The race course was a challenge. We thought it was pretty hard but we were all proud of ourselves us ALL of us completed the course.

 by Room 22

On Thursday 13th August it was cross country. We had it at the Botanical Gardens. It was a 2 kilometre course. 

I had fun walking under the motorway bridge but it was scary. 

I came 7th in the year 3 girls. Jade came 7th in the year 4 girls.

I felt puffed, nervous, sick, tired and hungry. I had a photo with Ms Penman because I didn't want to smile any more but I had to cos I was having a photo!

by Aria.




Yesterday my whole school, except for the juniors, went to the Botanical gardens. We walked there and I was tired by the end. 
When we got there I put my bag down, sat down and then raced. I came 11th and was exhausted.

by Mia H.


On Thursday 13th August we had our Cross Country at the Botanic Gardens.

It was fun walking there because we went under the motorway. I didn't like running 2 ks it was hard and exhausting!
I came no where but I loved it after the cross country as I was with my friends and could eat. I liked seeing Aria run the best with her bouncy pig tails.

I was very stressed as I had trampolining after school and it was a big day.

by Emily C

On Thursday we walked to the Gardens to run. I was happy to go to the Gardens. I came 9th in my race. It was a good day. We walked back to school and got there late. The next day we talked about the Cross Country.

by Goldwind

Yesterday was Cross Country day. It was at the Auckland Botanical Gardens. I felt hot, scared and sad as I hate cross country. At the end of my race I was tired.

by Natalia

My Life as a Trout

One day I was swimming in Lake Tarawera when I saw something move. I swam over to investigate what it was and to my surprise I didn't know what it was. I was a little scared but for a 19 1/2 pound trout I shouldn't have been. So I took a bite and the next thing I knew I was being held by a man called Bob Lee. This was rather strange and all I wanted was to be in the lake again with my friends.

But that wasn't to be and I ended up in a museum for a while before going to the airport. I was happy that people looked at me and thought I was interesting. They thought I was really, really cool so that was good because after all I was a trophy trout and I was cool!

One day, many years after being at  the airport something happened... I went missing! Im not sure who I was with, I just know I felt scared and worried. What was going to happen to me? I spent many years lost. I hoped my real owners were looking for me but I just didn't know. The people I were living with put me on Trade Me as they no longer wanted me.

I was brought by a man who wanted to have me repaired as I was looking a little bit broken by now. When I met the man who was going to fix me he recognised me as the trout from the Lee family and he knew I was missing. I felt so happy and then I heard him on the phone to Greg Lee. I was going to go back to Greg Lee. I felt really happy as finally I was going back to Lake Tarawera and to my real owners.

What an adventure I had had. It was scary at times but I'm so happy to be home again because I had missed the Lee family.

by Caylah

Hello my name is Tiana and I am a trout in Lake Tarawera. Let me tell you about my life and my exciting journey.

I was swimming happily in the lake when a man called Bob Lee caught me. Oh dear I didn't feel that great! What now?!  I was a 19 1/2 pound trout, a good size so I knew I wasn't going to be eaten. That was a good thing!

Sadly, one day Bob Lee died and I became Robert Lee's, Bob Lee's son. He gave me to the museum and then the airport for tourists to see. It was lots of fun to be on display. I liked hearing all the compliments about how big I was.

I was there for a long time before one day some one took me away. I lived with this person for a long time before her daughter put me on Trade Me. I was sad because I had been taken from the place I liked and now I didn't know where I was going.

I didn't know that Robert Lee and his son  Greg Lee had been looking for me all this time. When I was sold on Trade Me for $200 the man who brought me gave me to a taxidermist. This man had photos of me and knew who I was and who I belonged too. He phoned Greg Lee to tell him he had found me. I felt so excited!

Greg took me home and put me on his wall.  I'm happy to be home but it's not as much fun to be on the wall here as when I was at the airport. There people would say nice things about me. On the wall at Greg's place not many people come to see me.  My life is full of boredom now. I spend my days thinking about my journey and about how life use to be.

by Emily


Once upon a time I was swimming in the lake when a man in his boat came. He had a line and on the end of it there looked something so good that I had to eat it. Nothing bad would happen, I thought and with a smile I took a bite and oh no the hook went into my mouth. The man pulled me up. I was sad. I was taken home and put on a piece of wood. Not a good place for a fish to be. Fish don't belong on wood, we belong in water!

Anyway, I was put in a case at the airport for everyone to see me. I didn't like being there really, I just wanted peace, and to be in the water.

After a time I went missing no one knew where I was. I felt sad as I wanted to go back home. One day I was put on Trade Me and the man that brought me gave me to someone to fix. He recognised me and rang Greg Lee. I could hear him talking on the phone. He said that he had me and was going to tell the owner that I had been missing.

I felt excited and happy as I was going back to my cosy home in Lake Tarawera. Im not in the water though, so feel a bit sad about that,  but I'm use to it now.

by Jade

Hi guys my name is Elizabeth and I have a wonderful story to tell you. It all began in Lake Tarawera many years ago. I had a lovely friend called Amy. We use to swim and play all day. One day though a man called Bob Lee came out on the lake and we both got caught. I was very sad as my friend had also been caught.

We were taken to the airport where we were put on display. We couldn't swim and play anymore. We just lay there and listened to people talk about us. Life was boring!

Then we were taken. I felt angry and sad because I didn't know where I was and Amy wasn't with me any more. Life was now scary!

I was sold on Trade Me one day and the people that brought me took me to a man to be fixed. He picked up the phone and called my real owners. My real owners were happy because they had found me.

I am now at Greg Lee's house on the wall. I would rather be in the lake swimming and playing with Amy. I don't think I ever will do that again which makes me feel very pouri.

by Crystal

Wheku - Masks

Last week for Te Reo week we made our own masks. 


We used red, black and white pastels only as these are more typical of colours the maori people used. We then framed our masks before glueing them onto black paper.

We found out that the early maori's did not use written language and expressed their language and stories in art form. 

  The masks usually  had big eyes made from paua shells to see the enemy  and to see into the future. 

The tongue or pukana whatero was large to scare people.

We all enjoyed making our masks and learning a little bit about maori history and language.