Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Earthquake
The fourth of September 2010 a destructive earthquake shook Canterbury at four thirty five am. The earthquake magnitude was seven point one on the Richter scale. The fault line runs through New Zealand, that’s why it hit Christchurch. It was life threatening.
At the time when the earthquake terribly struck, all the power went off and the traffic lights were unstable. Petrol stations were completely off and cars were filling their tanks with out paying. The tectonic plates has not moved for sixteen thousands years, no one noticed the plates were there because it was too deep. Australia and Pacific plates were the ones that moved.
The earthquake was devastating but there were no one killed, only a severely injured man. A lady had a heart attack. A chimney fell on a man causing injuries and was put in to an induced coma for a week but he is still alive.
When the earthquake happened I was still asleep, pretty crazy but my sister came into my room and slapped me so hard that I had a red cheek. I quickly woke up and the power went off. I thought that someone was coming to kill us. I quickly got up and ran to the car, then I asked my sister what is happening, she said the earthquake, I was thinking what the flip.
If the earthquake strikes again people could be more prepared.
Jordan
Year 7
Earthquake
Canterbury Earthquake
On Saturday the fourth of September 2010 at 4.35am, an unexpected and traumatizing earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale shook the Canterbury area. The epicentre occurred outside of Darfield. The two tectonic plates that caused the terrifying earthquake were the Australian and the Pacific plates, which had long been forgotten over a 16,000 year time span.
The earthquake lasted for a really long ninety seconds. Most people felt a violent shaking, like their house was wobbling upon jelly. Also they heard a harsh loud noise like a train crashing into their houses. These rumbling sounds come from sound waves that are let off from the plates colliding into each other. As well as rumbling sounds most people heard their house shaking and their belongings crashing to the ground.
The aftermath of the earthquakes fury was devastating. Most of the historical buildings had crumbled to the ground. Luckily the damage was mostly to houses and buildings. There were no deaths to people related to the earthquake except for a lady who suffered a fatal heart attack from the strain of the earthquake. As well as buildings and houses crumbling, there has also been a lot of liquefaction. Liquefaction is the process in which silt rises from the cracks in the ground. A man had also been severely injured when a chimney crushed his legs, feet, head and ribs. He is now in an induced coma for a week.
I will never forget the day the terrifying earthquake severely shook the very foundation of our house. I was fast asleep in my warm cozy bed. Then out of the blue my bed began to shake violently. At first I thought I was dreaming, but I quickly realized this was reality and not a dream. I suddenly realized it was an earthquake. I ran to the doorway as fast as I could powered by adrenalin. I waited there traumatized until the earthquake subsided. When the shaking stopped I went to see if my family was okay and prepared for aftershocks.
After the terrifying earthquake looters looted many stores and schools. This means that people broke into stores or schools and stole their belongings. I feel disgusted about this because it is wrong to steal, especially after a huge earthquake
Kiwa
Year 8
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Autumn Reports
Autumn is one of the four seasons. Autumn is a season between summer and winter. The weather starts to change and it gets colder. Autumn is in the months of March, April and May.
The most common feature about autumn is the leaves change to different colours. In the autumn season there are a lot of windy days. The evergreen tree's leaves do not fall off like the deciduous trees do. The smell is fresh. When you stand on the leaves that are brown, they make a crackling noise.
When autumn starts it gets darker earlier and brighter later. The days start to feel shorter. Lots of people are starting to get quite run down.
Lily, Year 8
Autumn is a season that will happen in March April and May every year. It is between summer and winter. The atmosphere will develop into colder weather.
During autumn leaves will start to change colour, the colours they will change to are pink, orange, red and yellow. The leaves are like teeth, they will become loose first and then they will fall but they do not fall straight to the ground they will sway side to side and fall slowly. Evergreens are trees that have leaves that will not fall. Deciduous trees are trees with leaves that will change colour and their leaves will always fall slowly to the ground.
In autumn these are some of the jobs that are required. The first one is raking up the leaves because all the leaves fall off the trees and you have to rake them up. Also back in the day they used to have bonfires to burn the leaves.
Janelle, Year 7
You can tell when it is Autumn because the leaves go all different colours. It starts off green, yellow, orange, pink and then red. When you stand on the leaves that are brown they make a crunchy sound. When the leaves fall they sway down to the ground, funnily enough the deciduous tree's leaves go a menagerie of colours.
During autumn there are some benefits like the plants slow down so you do not have to mow your lawns. The animals get ready to hibernate which means they sleep through the winter. Also autumn is the season they collect food to hibernate.
One of the many jobs of autumn is that you have to clean up the leaves that fall off the trees. Some people even used to start bonfires to burn the leaves. A bonfire is when your friends gather around and pile up all the leaves and sticks and burn them.
Autumn is one of the four seasons where it is really windy and cold.
Kaycee, Year 8
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Our Cat Poems

Autumn Day
Black Cat Looks Hungry
Visiting his favourite restaurant.
Catching bugs for lunch.
Resting under the shade of the tree.
Beautiful flying birds that look like a rainbow.
Romantic bushes crunching away.
Wind blowing trees back and forwards, looks colourful.
Bugs crunching away, chewing plants.
Wind blowing the trees, side to side.
Oh man, I want that fish!
How am I going to get in there?
Better not fall in mate!
Going home with a full stomach.
Getting fit again.
Have a little sleep.
Steve: 12 years
Autumn Day
The black cat rustling in the leaves
Looking round for something to eat
Looking for a fish
Getting ready to pounce
Leaves slowly drifting to the ground
Fairies floating in the wind
Leafy branches swaying in the breeze
Light wind blowing
Leaves rubbing together
Leaves crackling while walking
What’s happening? What was that?
Where is it? How can I get it?
What should I do?
Getting ready to explore
See a fish and crawl stealthily towards it
Falling in! SPLASH!
Caleb: 10 years
Monday, 16 November 2009
Cass's Poem
The Big Blue Water Hole
The sea is a
big, blue water hole
Already it has eaten
the dark ships
What next?
The whales?
No! More fish in
the sea will do
It opens wide
and swallows
My big blue sea
runs away.
Cass; age 13
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Thinking Keys
Question Key
Write 6 questions where the answer is Earthquake
1. When the plates under the earth move what could it cause?
2. What is it called when the ground rumbles?
3. What can make the earth shake?
4. During which natural disaster do you go under a table?
5. What could be causing your house to shake?
6. Which natural disaster makes you get down and cover your head?
Kahikatea: Year 5-8
Thinking Keys
Question Key.
Write 6 questions where the answer is 'Tsunami'
1. What disaster happened recently in Samoa this year?
2. What particular natural disaster, that is a wave, can change your life in seconds?
3. What is the Japanese word for harbour wave?
4. What is the natural disaster called, that comes from the sea, can destroy more then 100 houses and is not a tidal wave?
5.What is the most lethal natural phenomena to do with water?
6.What natural disaster name has a silent “T” at the beginning?
Kahikatea: Year 5-8
Friday, 6 November 2009
Thinking Keys
Thinking skills –Using the Reverse Key
Ten things you should never do in a Tsunami
· Look back
· Stay to pack
· Go sightseeing
· Stop and watch
· Go to the beach
· Panic
· Climb to the top of your house or car
· Stop running
· Go looking for your family
· Forget to have a survival kit
Year 5/8
Thinking Keys
Thinking skills - Using the Reverse Key
Ten things you should never do in an Earthquake
· Scream and panic
· Sit by the window
· Try to be a hero
· Run round in panic
· Sit there - you should move straight away
· Stay under something that could fall
· If outside try and go inside
· Try and run across the room, go to the nearest safe place
· If the ground is cracking don’t run around
· Walk around the room
Year 5-8
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Jordan's Simile
Like a flower blossoming, a child's personality is always blooming.
Like a dog, a kid never runs out of energy.

