Assembly

Ka pai koutou!

You did an amazing job at our assembly today! I am extremely proud of you all.

Here is a wee snippet of your performance.

Have a lovely weekend!

Diary Writing

During our ANZAC week last week the children were completing journal activities, one group working on researching the Arras tunnels built under 'No Man's Land' in the First World War and the other researching and writing responses to the affects the war had on New Zealand Nurses.

Below are some diary entries that our students had to write from the perspective of a nurse during such a time. I was very impressed with the vocabulary that was coming out in their writing, very descriptive and informative.

Dear Diary,

I woke up with the sound of thick choppy waves crashing against the side of the boat. I got changed into my nurses uniform and put on my headdress then head to the hospital room where thousands of wounded soldiers are. It was a ghastly place to be. Convoys and convoys of dead and injured soldiers. All the nurses were dirty and there was ruby red blood all over the floor.
Most of the men had frost bite as well as been shot or stabbed. So far, today has been frantic. Boats and boats came towards the hospital...

By Megan


Dear Diary,

Today started off like any other day. I woke up to crying and untangled myself from my lumpy blankets to go and wake the brave soldier that was my first patient, Vincent Neal. Vincent Neal was having his poor arm amputated because of frost bite. I smell blood, I hear screaming. I am scared as I see bloody bandages beside every table.

By Georgia


Dear Diary,

Today was a very hot day and all I could smell was blood and guts. The only thing I could hear were the cries of grown men having their limbs amputated. But now I shall note the true horrors. The first arrivals started flowing in, many bullet wounds had to be stitched and limbs had to be cut off. Tomorrow I will be lucky because we are due to have a quiet day... hopefully!

By Lochie


Dear Diary,

Today I woke up early in the morning, I stretched my stiff feet out of my boney bed. The rock of the ship made it hard to walk down the long windy corridor. I find my way to the bunks where the poor, injured men were getting lifted through on their bloody stretchers. It is mind blowing how many men were being lifted through the doors.
My next job was to comfort all the poor men who had shell shock.

By Emmie


The second task was to write a job description for the tunnelers who went to help in the First World War. Here are some examples of what the children came up with:

New Zealand Tunneling Company

To do this job will require you to mine under 'no man's land' and under the German trenches and pack the end of your tunnel with explosives to try and blow up a hole in the enemy trenches.

- Work well under pressure. This job requires you to be able to work and the pressure of time to finish your job before the Germans.
- Have worked in situations of danger before, be able to handle dangerous situations without panicking and risking other people's lives in you team.
- You need to know how to set up explosives.
- You must be able to use a pick axe and a shovel correctly - if you cannot use these you will need to learn very quickly.
- Be able to hand working in the ground for long hours every day.
- You must be strong and tough so that you can shift the rock that you mine.
- You must be good at quick first air, must be able to bandage the wounded quickly to stop blood while waiting for the carrier to arrive.

By Emma

Jump Jam!

Welcome back to Term Two everyone!

As a part of our fitness routine for our morning sessions we are partaking in school wide Jump Jam dancing. The kids have ABSOLUTELY loved it so I thought I would capture them in all their glory.

Enjoy!