Homework at Makara Peak

Two days ago, James, Artyom and I drove to Makara Peak ( a mountain biking park). We rode up Koru, a trail that goes up Makara Peak to the skills area and that was when I had an epic crash!!

There was a huge slope and three ramps. One was a metre high, another half a metre and the last one was quarter of a metre high. I was at the top of the slope and everybody was watching. I took off, jammed my brakes on for five seconds, then let go of my brakes altogether and whosh I zoomed off the small ramp. Thump! I landed. I was going so fast my vision as a blur. I was zooming towards the second jump and I couldn't make up my mind. I went over the side and slipped. I jumped off my bike and commando rolled off my bike and stood up without a graze.

We rode a few more trails and then went back home.

By Laurence

The Revenge of Captain Purple Kelp

Captain Cannibal was known far and wide for eating human beings. Just by the sound of her name, everyone who heard it would shiver uncontrollably. At the moment, she was in the Himalayas searching for the treasure called the Rainbow Jewels. The Rainbow Jewels were all the colours of the rainbow.

She didn't know this but another pirate captain by the name of Purple Kelp was following her every movement. Cannibal knew that Purple Kelp wanted revenge on her because Cannibal had eaten half of her crew but Cannibal didn't know that Purple Kelp was here right now. Captain Purple Kelp knew the way to the Rainbow Jewels so she decided to plan a surprise for Cannibal. She stole the jewels and hid them away in her ship. Purple Kelp shouted at her crew:

"Ahoy, m'hearties! It's time to get our revenge on Cannibal. Keep thy treasure safe. Stay at the ship. If I don't come back, hoist the anchor and sail off to safety with the treasure."

When Cannibal arrived, she was tackled by a pirate but she just bit the pirate and he jumped off, screaming. Purple Kelp landed on her head and started attacking her. Cannibal was furious. She tried to bite, kick or scratch Purple Kelp but her attempts were futile.

Purple Kelp attacked Cannibal until she fell senseless. Purple Kelp threw Cannibal into the flames since she was such a nuisance. Cannibal was never heard of again. Purple Kelp ad her crew were now very rich. They never needed to go looking for gold ever again, but of course they did continue to look for gold.

Pirates Took Over Room 7

On Monday the 19th of April Room 6 and 7 had a pirate day. The pirate day was for the inquiry, pod thinking. First Rooms 6 and 7 did individual activities, Room 7 did a long treasure hunt around the entire school.

After we had all had morning tea we all did a little bit of maths and just before lunch, Room 7 quietly walked over to Room 6 for a pirate party. Room 6 was full of delicious food! There were some donuts, muffins, strawberries with chocolate sauce and lots of chocolate coated biscuits. After lunch the two rooms played a game called 'Pass the Parrot (it was so much fun.) As more people got out it became much harder for the people who were still in!

A few minutes later the two classes ran down to the field to play a few more games. The first game we played was a game where you had to steal some gold on the opponents ship and then take it back to your own ship without being tagged, but if you were tagged you had to sit down until someone from your team came to save you.

The last games we played were where the teachers would throw a water bomb in the air in a certain area. If it was coming towards you, you shouted "mine," then you caught it and you won! Unfortunately no one won, but I sure did have fun. Then we played a game called 'Captains Coming.' It's pretty simple all you have to do is listen then do what the caller says.

I think everyone had a lot of fun doing the pirate day. I really hope that we get to do something as fun as that again!

By Shamar

Pirate Day

Yesterday (Monday 19 April) was the first day of term. To get us into our new topic - The Value Of Money - we had a Pirate day. Everyone in Rooms 6 and 7 (except Mr. Riley) dressed up as a scurvy dog. There was a great variety of costumes ranging from black eye patches and red bandannas to big ebony boots and white shirts.

The first thing we did was the shipmate booty hunt based on The Amazing Race. My team (Chloe, Helen and I) were the first to check in, so we were first to leave. Most clues were easy to find and rather easy to follow. The tasks included blowing up balloons and tying them to chairs, shooting balls into a hoop and looking at a picture then finding the place in the school it depicted.

After maths we joined Room 6 in their classroom for a Pirate party. We played a fun game of Pass the Parrot, then got on to eating the delicious grub that Room 6 had provided. There were ship's biscuits (chocolate digestives), eel egg rings (donuts with sprinkles), fish fingers (chocolate fingers) and apple cake to ward off the scurvy.

During the afternoon we played pirate games on the bottom field. The games we played were Rob the Pirate Ship (sea dog version of Bank Robbery), Catch the Egg with water balloons, Catch a Cannonball (catching water bombs) and Pirates and Parrots.

All this left me yearning for my bottle of rum (water) and wishing my voyage round the Seven Seas would never end.

Yo-ho-ho!

By Jenny