The ShakeOut

On Wednesday the 26th September our class did the New Zealand ShakeOut. to do this you have to DROP/COVER/HOLD. That means you have to drop to the floor, cover your head and hold onto a desk leg. These are all the things you need to do in case of an earthquake.We did this because of the Christchurch earthquakes and that New Zealand has had many earthquakes.Earthquakes happen because the plates under the ground bang together.We did this at the time 9:26.In a real earthquake we would do this. Remember to DROP/COVER/HOLD in a earthquake.   K.J.T                                           

THE GYMNASTICS COMPETITION

On Thursday 6th September our amazing Botany Downs School were taking part in the Gymnastic Festival at Howick Gymnastic Club. It was so fun taking part. My best thing was the beam and floor. We all did very well but the year 6 girls did not get at place to go to the champions of champions.
But it was amazing just going. I love doing this so if there is one next year I will do it.  G.H.

On Thursday 6th September our amazing gymnasts stole the stage at the HPPA Gymnastics Competition. I think I did really well with all eights or higher. Four people from my gym team won third place as a team and E.M won third place in individual competition and will be going to champions of champions on Thursday 13th September.Over all I think our school did very well.It was  fun to take part in the competition and I can't wait to do it all again next year.

Gymnastics Competition

On 6th September the Gymanstics Team got to represent Botany Downs Primary School in an  Interschool gymnastics competition . I was part of the team.The competition was held in the Howick Gymnastics Club on Ben Lomond Cresent , off Cascades Road .The competition was lots of fun .I think I did really well because this is only my second time doing the competition.Our school did really well. The year 5 boys team came first and the year five girls team came third. After a long day full of Gymnastics we all settled down and ate our lunch .We had a handstand competition our boy won but our girl didn't . After that we went back to school as it was already home time .

H.D

Gymnastics Comp 2012

On Thursday 6th September we did a Gymnastics comp. It was really fun because I think I did really well. On my vault I got 7.03, for my beam I got 8.00 and for my floor I got 9.00 . Before we started to do anything the person in charge said a big ''Welcome'' and then we did some warm up excercises. It was a really fun workout. Next we needed to find out where we were going. First we went and did a vault. Next we moved to the beam and last we did our floor exercises. I hope I could do it next year. N.W

Our Production

It all started on a cold wet Thursday night. We all ran to the library to get our faces painted  and started to talk to our friends. I was a native, so I had to put lots of make up . Later on we got into our lines, there were monkeys, rats, natives, sailors and lots of main actors.  We started to walk to the hall, I was really
nervous.So we arrived and all of my family was waving at me.So we went through all the songs and speaking parts and then it was my dance. It was good my native dress did not fall off because it did in the dress rehearsal and then it ended. I went to the libary and got my things and went home. S.P

The Awesome Production

On Thursday, the 23rd August Botany Downs performed an amazing production, The Pirates Of The Curry Bean,  Everyone on stage had an awesome time. I'm pretty sure the audience had a great time with all the laughter,action and adventure. Our production was filled with singing and dancing. The people with the main roles did a great job, with all the rehearsing and the learning of the lines.All the senior syndicate participated in our production and we pulled of a great show in front of our family and friends. V.L

 Lights,ca mera,action. We did a production. It was on the 23rd August. It wlas called "Pirates Of the Curry Bean".I was a monkey it was fun. I went on stage 3 times. I did'nt like my charecter. I wanted to be Pearl but I didn't get the part. We sung 9 songs. It was cool there was joke after joke.It took place in the hall. N.W

The Visitors

    Some people came to our school, they were Koreans.  We first greeted them with a Botany Downs primary classic.assembly.  First we sang the national anthem.     Then they said some words, then our principal said some words, then we did our school song after that.  We did some stuff a couple of minutes later.  The assembly ended.. The day after that we got our people,they were both girls.  All other classes had four people we only two it was a shame but on the other hand I myself  quite enjoyed them.
K.J.T
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Pirates of the Curry Bean

Lights camera action! On the 23rd August the year 5 and 6 performed the Pirates of the Curry Bean. It was an awesome preformance! We did two shows. The first one was at 1:00 and the second one was at 7:00. At the first preformance there weren't many people but at the second preformance there were lots of people.

 There were lots of characters in the production. Like Jack, Liza, Pearl, Red Beard, Louie, Fiddlesticks and many more. I was Liza. I enjoyed being Liza, it was fun. In my opinion it was an awesome preformance. It was also very funny!
MdK

Our Visitors from Korea

For the next four weeks we have two visitors from Korea. They are Luna and Venus. We hope they have a great time with us and that they learn a lot about us, our school, our city and our country.

Our Trip At Kelly Tarltons



OCTOPUS



On Wednesday the 20th of June 2012 the senior syndicate of Botany Downs Primary went on a trip to Kelly Tarltons! We went on a long bus drive there and back .On the way there Georgia and I sat together. We looked at Mission Bay Beach and the beautiful veiw of  Rangitoto. We started talking about what we would do if we lived in Mission Bay and the volcaino erupted. Not long after that conversation was over we were there at the famous KELLY TARLTONS. We walked past the sting rays ,sharks and through all the other marine life and had to get seated in a special room where a lady talked to us .The funny thing she told us was once when a octopus lived in Kelly Tarltons when all the guests had gone it had saw tiny little whole in the top of it's tank so what it did was it climbed out of the tank wiggled across the gift shop floor and over to the cray fish tank. Did  I  tell you that crayfish is one of the octopus' favourite food ,so anyway he crawled into the crayfish tank and ate all the crayfish. When it had finished its unexpected meal it crawled all the way back to its own tank. They got it all on tape !

My Thursday at Camp

Guess where we are at instead of being in a boring classroom?   We are at camp . . . ahh I felt the morning breeze. Ding, ding, ding  ahh my ears,  I thought to myself. We had to get into our T shirts and  shorts. We went for a run at 7:15 in the morning. We got back about 7:30, then we had our breakfast. I had rices and  then beans on toast. Then group 2 had to get into their togs to go and do some kyaking.  Porcha, Lessa, Megan and I sunbathed together, So the bell rang again, I had to get into my togs to go saling.  It was so much fun. Then we had to get into our shorts and T-shirts to go in the forest to do orienteering. Then we had down time after that we had dinner.  We had mince, potato and vegs. Then we had dessert I had jelly and icecream.  It was so yum!  We went to do skit night, 1st was 'Dora the Explora'.  Then it was our turn.  It was so embarrassing we were 'The Didley Bops'. NW

Kayaking

Once we got down to the bay we got handed a paddle and went through a tutorial of the strokes we would use while we will be kayaking.Straight after that you got to take down your kayak and drag it in the water.We then hopped in and got a push from Erin our kayaking instructor, and started paddling towards the pontoon.After that we pushed of the pontoon and started paddling near Erin.While we were paddling she told us to follow her over to Stingray Bay.We tried to spot a stingray but had no luck, then she said to head over to a place where they hang out if their not at Stingray Bay.Once again we tried to spot a stingray, but we didn't see a stingray, we saw an eagle ray.It was gliding along the surface like a hover board.We soon retreated back to shore and hopped out of our awesome ride in the kayak.

Confidence Course

We were listening to our important rules to follow at the confidence course. We heard that hugging the post at the top of the climb was the number one rule for climbing. So we went one by one completing the course.

 It was my chance to complete the course.As I climbed the terror logs I reached the top. Whao! What a relief. I climbed slowly down the terror logs.

 Then we got moving to the ROPE BRIDGE. I was the first person to go. So I got my harness and hoped on the rope. As I got to the middle rope I speed across the bridge.After I completed the walk across as I took my harness off and saw the monkey bars.

As we moved on to the rope swing I had grabbed the rope and swung of then I had reached the top bar and then I had swung back.

Sailing At Kawau

I was getting ready for sailing, I was so excited because I love sailing.When our group went over to the boat shed  we went running because wanted to  get a life jacket quickly so we could have more time sailing. Then we went and sat on the wall so Peter could teach us how to sail the type of boats we were going to sail. After he talked about safety we needed to let go of the sail if we thought we were going to tip. If we did tip he told us we had to stay with our boat because it floats and then someone would come and help us. When we got into the boat we sailed to the pontoon and put the center board down. Then we started to sail to an adult in a kayak. When we got to that adult  we turned around in a special way which is called "tiller to the sail" which makes you turn around so the sail goes to the opposite of your partners head.

The Copper Mines at Kawau.

Guess where we were last week? We weren't stuck in boring classrooms doing hard maths and difficult spelling,oh no, not us!We were on camp at Camp Bentzon, Kawau Island!

My favourite thing at camp was going to the copper mines! This mine was up and running in the 18 century where miners would dig for copper close to the sea.A pump house was built,which still stands today, to pump out the water when it started to flood!

The pump house is like a big, brick chimney next to the rocky beach.There is also the engine from the pump house on show as well!

I really enjoyed camp, because I was with my friends and people I know,I also got lots of photos.

Year 5 camp

On the first of March we brought our bags to school to get ready for camp.  Then we got in class lines and started to walk to the bus. When  we were there, my dad and other parents helped to put the bags away. Once they got on the bus, we were ready to leave. I tried to sleep on the bus but it was too noisey.  It took about half an hour to get there.  Some of the children thanked the bus driver while the parents helped unload the bus.  At the Marae we waited for the two ladies to welcome us on to the Marae.  The girls went first followed by the boys.  Inside the meeting house we listened to speeches and sang some songs.  The lady explained all about the inside of the meeting house.  We got into four groups and did different activities such as weaving, making fried bread, stick games and how to use pois.  After lunch she shown us where they cook the hangi.

The camp was really fun.

Year 5 Camp

On Monday 5th March we went on the year 5 camp to the Papakura Marae. When we got to the Marae we put down our bags and  two ladies called us on to the Marae. After we were called on to the Marae we went in to the Wharanui to have a meeting with the Moari people.We did a lot of activities I had a lot of fun.On Tuesday we hopped on the bus and went to Sonshine Ranch. First we met the people who were to be taking us to all the activities that were going to be doing.There was three groups. My group went to the flying fox first. I screamed a lot but it was a lot of fun.After the flying fox we went to the rope swing. The rope swing was right next to the flying fox.Next we went horse riding. My horse's name was Juliet.. After a long day we finely went home.I had a lot of fun.  THE END

Fun and Adventure at Camp

In the morning at whatever time we went to camp at papakura marae and Sonshine Ranch.  First we went to Papakura marae.  The bus ride was very tiring and boring but I said shotgun.  It wasn't that long and then when we got there. The girls went first cause it is polite.  Then when we got in the marae then they did their prays.We did our school song  then a lady told as to do all four things.First we did flax weaving,second saw how fried bread was made, next we poi activities and last we did stick activities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Year 5 camp 2012

On Monday the 5th of March all the year 5's went on camp.We arrived at Papakura Marae and got called onto the marae by two ladies.When we were on the marae we had  welcome speeches and then a song.We were put into groups and went to do activitys.First we made flax flowers, then we made fried bread. It was yummy.After we went and did poi and then sticks activities. I was really good at the sticks.Before dinner we did zumba and then for dinner we had a hungi. We had skits and got ready for bed because in the morning we had a big day at Sonshine Ranch.In the morning we had pancakes for breakfast and then headed for Sonshine Ranch.When we got there we were split into two groups. My group went to the flying fox and rope swing first. It was freaky and cool.Then we went horse riding. My horse was called Gloppy. We went for a ride around Sonshine Ranch.Last we went on the cold muddy water confidence course. I fell of lots of thing times and the wheel was  really COOL.

year 5 camp flying fox and rope swing

On the 6 March we went to Sonshine Ranch.Our first out of 3 activities was the flying fox and the rope swing.Some of us had to wait for ten minutes to go on the flying fox but it was worth the wait.We got to see other people go before we did ED did the peace signature when she went down.When they sent me down my harness got tangled and I span around backwards and I closed my eyes because I was scared.My adrenaline was pumping and then all of a sudden my feet hit the ground and I landed.I controlled my breathing before I went for the way back they managed to make me go fowards this time.On the rope swing I had to leap off a platform with the swing in between my legs and there were two people who had to catch me they did and we moved on to our next activity the horses. by CC