SHINE

We have now started PB4L (Positive Behavior 4 Learning), and Mr McCabe has named it SHINE. This stands for: we Show respect, we are Honest, we Include others, we Never give up, and we seek Excellence. This is a great new way to acknowledge good behavior instead of just punishing bad behavior. We all get new SHINE bands and SHINE booklets, which is pretty cool. Basically, there are columns of 15 under each value, and if you show that value, you get a signature in one of the columns. If you get 15 signatures under one of the values, you get a value wristband. If you fill up the whole booklet, you get a SHINE badge. I can’t wait to get one of those!

Before The Fire

Hi guys! This is a descriptive poem that I wrote. I hope you enjoy it.

Before The Fire

A sign in front of me,

Broken and black

Hanging by a string,

Burned, and now unreadable.

Pieces of fence hanging,

Dangling onto the ground

Silence all around

All life gone.

Chalked hopscotch squares,

Burnt books,

These are all signs,

Of life before the fire.

Now silenced forever,

I can tell no one of that day.

For ghosts can’t talk,

All they can do is drift,
Hoping one day to share their story.

Tech Art-Art

Week 1
This week we were sketching 4 selected birds, like keas, kiwis, and moreporks. We did this by first finding the shapes in their bodies, such as ovals or triangles, and then adding more detail after. We were given laminated pictures to help us. Once we had finished our 4 birds, we were then given bigger pictures so we could choose two of the ones we had sketched to draw with more detail.

Week 2
This week we were working on perfecting our bird shapes, and also experimenting with some Maori designs, which we were copying from laminated pictures.

I'm finding it hard to remember what I did on what week, so I'm not going to talk about this Tech Art. I will tell you about our next Tech Art though, which is Wood. Until another time, goodbye.

3 Month Anniversary

Hi guys!!! It's my 3 month anniversary today! Just saying, it would be great to get some comments, just so I know  people are  reading  this... people are aren't they? If you are, please send me a comment. I want to hear from you guys! See ya!
P.S: I regret to inform you that the weekly smiley has been cancelled.

Tech Arts-Cooking

Week 1 

Hello followers. This week I have made: Banana milkshake and Mini pizzas. I have also made mouse traps at home, and I will now give you the recipes.

Banana Milkshake

2 Cups Milk

1 Banana

1 Scoop Ice-Cream

¼ tsp Vanilla Essence

Method

1.Mash banana on a plate.

2.Collect the ice-cream and vanilla in a bowl,add banana to bowl.

3.Slowly beat the ice-cream and banana together.

4.Add the milk and beat to combine.

5.Drink up!

Pizza Snacks

2 Hamburger Buns

4 tsp Tomato Sauce

Toppings

Oregano

Method

1.Cut buns in half and place on baking tray.

2.Spread 1 tsp of tomato sauce all over each half.

3.Pile on toppings and sprinkle with oregano.

4.Grill until cheese is golden and bubbly

5.Enjoy!

Tip: If you use ciabatta rolls, they’re nice and crunchy.

Mouse Traps

1 Egg

50g Grated Cheese

¼ tsp Mustard

3 Slices Bread

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180*C.

2.Beat the egg in a small bowl.

3. mix in the grated cheese and the mustard.

4.Put the bread on a baking tray.

5.Spread the egg mixture on bread.

6.Fan bake until golden brown.

7.Enjoy!

Week 2

This week I have made: Hamburgers and Berry muffins. Here are the recipes:

Hamburgers

1 Hamburger Bun

Fillings (as many as you want)

125g Mince

1 tbsp Rolled Oats

1 tbsp Beaten Egg

1 tsp Tomato Sauce

¼  tsp Soy Sauce

Method

1.Prepare fillings. Set aside.

2.Defrost the mince on a plate. Press easy defrost, 1, start. Turn it over when the microwave beeps.

3. Collect patty ingredients.

4.Mix all patty ingredients together. Shape into a patty and place on a bread plate.

5.When the light goes out, place the patties in a frying pan and cook for five mins until the patty is cooked through with no pink meat left.

6. Cut buns in half and place on baking tray. Toast under the grill until golden brown, then put in the middle of the oven to keep hot.

Berry Muffins

½ Cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

¼ Cup Sugar

1 Egg

¼ Cup milk

½ tsp Vanilla essence

25g Butter

¾ Cup berries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to Fan Bake 200*C.

2. Line or grease muffin tins for 6 muffins.

3. Measure and sieve flour, baking powder and sugar into a medium bowl.

4. Mix and make a well in the centre.

5. In a jug measure the milk and add the vanilla and egg. Beat with a fork.

6. Cover and melt the butter in the jug for 30 seconds on High in the microwave.

7. Pour the milk mixture, butter and berries into the well. Mix gently until there is no dry flour.

8. Fill the muffin tins.

9. Fan Bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown and firm to the touch.

10. Cool in the tin for 5 mins.

Week 3

This week I’ve made Sweet pinwheels and Choc brownies.Here are the recipes.

Sweet Pinwheels

Dough

1 Cup flour

2 tsp Baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp Butter

100ml Milk

Fillings

1 tbsp Melted butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to fan bake 210*C. Grease a baking tray.

2. Mix the fillings in a bowl and set aside.

3. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.

4. Cut and rub in the butter.

5. Make a well in the middle of the flour.

6. Pour in the milk and mix to form a soft dough.

7. Turn onto a floured surface and knead lightly and shape into a rectangle.

8. Roll out to 15-30  cm. Spread the sauce or mustard over, then sprinkle on the fillings.

9. Roll the dough up from one long side. Cut 2 cm slices and place them cut side upon the tray.

10. Fan bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown.

Choc Brownies

100g Butter

2 Eggs

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup flour

1 tsp Baking powder

2 tbsp Cocoa

Choc chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180*C, fan bake. Grease and line the sides and base of slice tin with baking paper.

2. Melt butter in a covered microwave jug for 30 seconds.

3. Lightly beat eggs in silver bowl.

4. Add sugar and beaten egg to the melted butter.

5. Add flour, choc chips, cocoa and baking powder to mixture.

6. Mix with a fork until combined.

7. Cook for 20 mins or until firm to touch.

Week 4

This week I have been making pizza. I have to pizza base recipes I want to share with you.

Yeast Pizza Base

1 tsp Sugar

½ Cup warm water

1½ tbsp Dried yeast

1¼ Cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp Salt

1 tbsp Oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to fan bake 200*C. Grease a baking tray.

2. Dissolve the sugar in the water.

3. Sprinkle the yeast over the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.

4. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.

5.  Make a well in the centre. Add the oil and yeast mixture and mix well.

6. Turn into a floured bench until smooth and elastic.

7. Roll into a round and place on a baking tray.

8. Cover with chosen toppings.

9. Fan bake for 10 mins.

Crisp Pizza Base

100ml Milk

2 tbsp Oil

1 Cup Flour

1 tsp Baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to fan bake 200*C.

2. Grease a baking tray.

3. Measure and mix milk and oil in a jug.

4. Sieve flour and baking powder into a bowl.

5. Make a well in the flour and mix in the oil and milk.

6. Lightly knead and shape the base and place on tray.

7. Fan bake for 10 mins. Cut with scissors.

Week 5

Hi! This week I did Maori bread ‘Paraoa’ and Sugar cookies.

Paraoa Maori

½ Cup sugar

1½ Cup boiling water

1½ Cup milk

2 tbsp Yeast

7 Cups flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150*C. Place roasting dish in oven to heat.

2. Pour boiling water over sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.

3. Add milk then yeast and whisk to mix. Set aside to rise for 5 mins.

4. Turn oven off. Remove roasting dish and grease sides and base well.

5. Measure flour and make a well.

6. Whisk yeast mixture again, then pour into the flour. Mix with a fork.

7. Knead for 5 mins. Place in the roasting dish, press out flat and cut into quarters.

8.  Place in oven and leave to rise for 30 mins.

9. Turn oven on and fan bake 180*C for 20 mins until golden brown and when tapped bread sounds hollow.

Sugar Cookies

1½ Cups butter, softened

2 Cups white sugar

4 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

5 Cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Salt

Method

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill dough for at least 1hr.

2. Preheat oven to 400*F(200*C). Roll out out dough on floured surface ¼ to ½ inches thick. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 6-8 mins in oven. Cool completely.

4. Your cookies are now ready for toppings. Be creative!

ANALYSIS OF A NOVEL

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Author:  John Boyne

Genre: Historical novel

Bruno, nine, lives in Berlin during the 1940s with his family. His father is in the army, and because of his job they move. Bruno and Gretel are sad because they leave their friends behind. One day, Bruno is exploring in the garden and finds a boy in striped pyjamas and they become friends. Bruno wonders why the people in striped pyjamas live behind a fence. One day, Bruno wears striped pyjamas and they go to the other side of the fence. They end up in a gas chamber, where he and Shmuel get gassed to death.

I think the message was: to think about what you’re doing to people who are different, because it could happen to someone like you.

The setting was a house (Out-With) in Poland which has three floors and is next to a concentration camp. It’s much smaller and simpler than their old house, and there’s nowhere to hide or explore. It has a small garden with not much in it. The setting had a big impact on the story, because if they hadn’t moved there, then Bruno and Shmuel never would have met.

Bruno is short, young, naive and ignorant to what’s going on between Germany and the Jews. Bruno is friendly, adventurous, curious and brave. He fights a lot with his sister because she thinks she’s so grown up and that Bruno is just a pesky little brother.

The writing style was second person, and storytelling/narration.

It was interesting because it revealed something interesting and then suddenly cut off, making me want to read the next chapter. The story had a sad twist ending that I didn’t expect, but it was still quite good because it was something that actually probably could have happened.

I thought it was a good story, even though it was a book that I usually wouldn’t read, because it’s a different genre . It made me think, and my books don’t usually make me think as much as this one did.

How The Giraffe Received Her Long Neck

A long time ago, when the world was still young, giraffes had strange necks. They could be extended by stamping their left foot and returned down to their normal size by stamping their right foot. Hundreds of years ago, there was a giraffe named Eve, and her best friend Violet the kitten. Eve had lived with Violet and her family her whole life, and she had never felt like she was special in any way. Little did she know that something would happen to her that would change her life forever...

One day, when Violet and Eve were sitting at the river bank, they heard a cry for help and went to investigate. As they followed the voice, they smelt smoke in the air. Suddenly, they realised they were heading in the direction of their house. They broke into a frantic sprint, using every ounce of energy in their body. A burst of orange and red was between them and the house. There was another scream from the house, and as they looked up, they could see Violet’s baby sister,Scarlett, caught under a plank of wood inside the house! Eve quickly extended her neck up to where she was trapped, and pushed up with her head to lift the plank of wood from the tiny body beneath. Violet climbed up to rescue her sister, and they both slid down Eve’s neck,and clung onto her back. Not having time to stamp her foot and retract her neck, Eve ran as fast as she could away from the fire.

They were nearly at the stream,when suddenly, a branch broke down and blocked their path. Eve skidded to a stop just in front of it, as another tree branch fell on top,trapping her head in between the two branches. Eve used all of her strength to try pull it out, but as she did, she heard something snap. Not having time to investigate, she looked round and found something she could use to jump over the branches. She dove into the river, and swum to the other side with the two kittens still on her back. Violet’s family were searching frantically for her and Scarlett on the other side and were so relieved when they saw them.

Eve went to the trees and stamped her foot. Nothing happened. She stamped her foot again. Nothing. Suddenly, Eve saw her  reflection in a puddle. She finally felt special. Eve was proud of new look, and soon after, everyone was wearing their necks like that.And that’s how giraffes got their long necks.