Playing Softball is Fun! By Chaim

WALT write a narrative. I know I can do this when I can use adjectives to describe events and things in my writing.

Once upon a time there was a girl and her name was Ashley.

She was poor lonely and she was always so sad. She lived with her grandparents and her dad. They lived at the top of a very tall and dirty building. Ashley was the only one working for her family and she worked at a Garbage chute.

One day her Dad was on his way down the building when he saw a poster that stated, ‘Free Softball trials’.  He ran up the steps to tell his daughter about the trials. She thought about it for a long time. Then she finally agreed with her father and started getting ready for the practice.

When she arrived at the venue, she saw a lot of rich kids that she didn’t know and they seemed unfriendly. She felt so alone but she was able to hold it in. Ten minutes later, the coaches arrived and introduced themselves. "Hi, my name is Debbie and her name is Santana”. They all replied happily, “Hi Debbie and Santana!”

They were so excited about the softball practice including Ashley.

They were taught about butterfly hands, about home base, first base, second base and third base. They played a game which involved using the bases and catching the ball. When they finished the practice, Ashely 's attitude changed and she became  happier and  more confident.

From then on, she decided to attend all the practices. Ashley also read books about softball techniques, borrowed used softball materials from her coaches and played with her dad at home.  She made sure that she improved in every game that she played. With her dedication and enthusiasm, she became the best softball player in the country

I'll catch it! By Aiden

What you need

• 4 bases
• Softball bat
• Softball Gloves for each player
• Backstop
• 10 players

Step 1

A pitcher has to throw it underarm

Step 2

He/She has to pitch it in a spot where the batsman can hit it.

Step 3

The opposing team’s batsman has to hit the ball forward because if you hit the ball backwards then it is a foul ball.

Step 4

When the ball gets hit, the players from the opposite team have to try and catch the ball on the full.

Step 5

They are not allowed to let it bounce and then catch it.

Step 6

If it bounces then they have to throw it to the person who is guarding the base, but they are not allowed to block him from reaching the base.

Step 7

If they are running to the first base then all they need to do is step on the base and the person running to first base will be out.

Step 8

If all the players are caught out, then the other team gets to bat.

WALT write a procedure using the correct structure.

I know this when I write the steps in order.

My really happy weekend! By Julius

It was a Saturday morning and I felt really happy. I got out of bed and played Minecraft. I felt a roller coaster of emotions. After my game, I did my chores.I had to clean out the rubbish bins, make the beds and put away the dishes.

When I was done, I went back to playing Minecraft. Then my uncles came back from work. They are building a two story house, but Michael had a rugby game so my mum got ready was getting ready. However I kept playing my game because I didn't want to go. My Nana was still doing the chores and I was bored because my cousins weren't coming over.

The following day, I went to church with my Nana and grandpa. When church ended we went home.
When I got home, I played with my iPod.My mum and dad brought a sponge cake so I had some. At nightime, I went with my dad to my other Nana's house we went the my aunty's house.

WALT write a recount using appropriate language features. 
Success criteria: I know this when I write a recount using metaphors correctly.    

It's time for college! By Ella-Marie

WALT write a recount using appropriate language features. 

I know this when I write speeches and similes correctly in my writing.
On a hot sunny Saturday, my family and I went to the Pakuranga college to enrol my sister. Once we arrived there, there was no parking spot in sight. It was like there was a famous singer singing at the college. It took 3 minutes to find a parking. If I hadn't told my mum to park there, it could have taken more than 5 minutes just to find a parking.

When we walked into the school, two students offered to show us around. They said to us “Ask us questions if you want to know about what we do in the classes”. My mum answered. “ O.k”.

Our first class was the music room. In the music room they played all sorts of music. They sang and played instruments like drums, trumpets, guitars and a lot more. At the end of each year, they got to take their instruments home. Then we moved on to the next class. The next class was the Drama room. In the Drama room, students practise for shows or plays so they can act out in front of the school. This is the class that my sister wants to try out.

As we were walking to the next class, it started to rain so we started to run. In no time, we were safe because we were in the gym. The students demonstrated the options that were available in the gymnasium. She said “We play in here for our P.E. We play games like netball or basketball and we play soccer and other sports on our field”. Our next stop was the pool. I was so glad they had a pool. I love pools. They explained that each year they have swimming competitions. On the weekdays, they have time to practise but only for the people who wants to swim.

There were a lot more classes like technology classes and language classes. We were then led to the office and my mum handed in the form and my sister’s birth certificate. After everything was sorted, my mum bought a sausage sizzle and a little treat for all of us. We ate them until we were full. It tasted so yummy.

After eating, it was time to leave so we packed up our things. I had an awesome day and I wish I could go to that college so I could be like my awesome sister.  

Don't Worry, the Duffy Heroes will help you to READ! By Ace

Duffy came to visit St. Patrick's school

“We need to go to the hall for Duffy Theatre and I want you to be on your best behaviour,” said Miss Chao to our class on Monday afternoon. We walked fast to the hall and sat quietly on the floor waiting for the show to begin. When the show started the Duffy king grabbed a guitar and danced like a rock n roll star! When Rosie came on stage, Mr Bingo, the Duffy king stopped and lay down on the floor. We all laughed!

Bingo and Duffy king asked if we can sing the full song of Duffy kid.  We happily shouted “YES!!!!!”  They started singing the song and we all followed. After the singing, they started to get really funny. They were talking about books and reading books and how fun reading is. When Rosie and Duffy found out that Bingo does not read books they decided that they would help him learn how to read because they think that he couldn’t read at all and they felt so sorry for him…..

When they told Mr Bingo about their plan to help him, he said to them, “I know how to read but I simply don’t like reading. I like sports not reading! Reading is boring!” Duffy king thought of another Idea to make Mr. Bingo to like reading. “The Very Best Book, a made up book by Duffy King should encourage him”, Duffy muttered to himself. He made an empty book and told us to put our great ideas into the book. When all our Ideas  were in,  it was time to give it to Mr. Bingo!

Mr Bingo started reading the Very Best book but he still did not like reading it.  He was still not interested at all! He said to them that he prefers to ride on an aeroplane than doing reading. When he got to the plane, Duffy and Rosie decided to make the airplane to fly so slow so Bingo would feel bored then he had no other choice but to read the book. He started reading and before he knew it, he finished reading the whole book as the plane was landing on a rugby field.

They got to the stadium just as the rugby tournament was starting. He was one of the rugby players. While playing, he suddenly did ballet moves and he looked cool like a real ballerina. He scored a try and won the game! Rosie and Duffy knew that Bingo read the Ballet Book. Duffy made Rosie the queen of books because it was her book that made Mr. Bingo finally able to like to read books.

The Duffy Theatre was amazing! I wish that there will be many people like Mr. Duffy and Rosie who help kids to love reading because Reading is Fun! I also wish that there will be another Duffy Theatre happening in our school again soon!

                                               WALT a recount using language features.
              Success criteria: I know this when I write about Duffy theatre using appropriate adjectives and verbs correctly.
 THE END!

Dhon's Team won a Tournament! By Greshka

On Saturday afternoon, my family and I went to the Trust Stadium in Henderson to watch my brother Dhon play basketball. My brother was part of the Counties Manukau Basketball team. We couldn’t find the place on the GPS so my dad called my brother’s teammate’s dad. Before he could tell me the place, I found the location on the GPS and it took us 25 minutes to arrive at the arena.

When we walked inside, it looked like a big mall in a popular city. There were shops and a cafe at the entrance. As soon as my brother found his teammates and his coach, they went towards. The coach gave him his uniform and it was a black and red singlet that had a white number 13 on it. The number peeled off the uniform so the coach replaced it with another singlet that had the number 15 on it. Before we went upstairs to find a seat, two girls stamped my parents’ hands.

It was a long way up. After the 4th set of steps, we entered a door. It was a good view as we were on the second level. My dad got out the camcorder and the tripod. I complained because I didn’t want to do the recording for the game, so my dad did the recording so that he can analyse the game with brother afterwards. As soon as the game started, my dad started recording.

It was a long game because in each of the game, there were four rounds. While my dad was recording, I was playing ‘Don’t Touch the Spikes’ on my phone. My family and I were really hungry after my brother’s team won their game.

We went to the closest Burger King in Henderson. My mum told my brothers and I to find a seat in Burger King. My dad ordered five sundaes, five burgers and five drinks. When we finished eating, we filled the cups again and went back to the arena.

We had an hour to spare before my brother’s next game. I was drinking my coke from Burger King while playing games on my phone and listening to music. My brothers were playing on a spinning sculpture. When it was almost 5 o’clock, my brother got ready for the next game.

We went up the steps and entered the same door. I asked my dad if I could go up to the floor where you can see the best view and my dad said, “Yes”. So I went out the door, walked up the next set of steps and opened the door. I saw a small flight of stairs going down. When I went down the stairs, the view was as high as a bird’s view when it’s flying. I sat on a seat, played on my phone and listened to music. After a while, my dad came and started recording again. After the third quarter, my dad told me to do the recording. We went home after Dhon won his second game.

It was a good tournament because Dhon’s team won and played well together. It is too bad that my baby brother Hanz missed out on his classmate's birthday party as it was the same day. I wish I could join a tournament like that.

WALT write a recount using adjectives and adverbs to make my writing more interesting. I can do this when I using action words and describing words appropriately and correctly in my writing.

The best pancakes ever! By Siu

Ingredients;

.eggs
.flour
.milk
.sugar
.butter
.jam
.baking powder
.bowl
.oil
What to do;
1. Get the bowl and put in the eggs, flour, milk, sugar and baking powder together.
2. Mix them all together by using a big spoon until it is smooth.
3. Heat up the frying pan and put a little bit of oil.
4. Pour some mixture onto the pan and cook it for a minute.
5. Turn the pan cakes over and cook it for another minute.
6. Remove the pan cakes and put it on the plate.
7. Spread the butter and the jam onto the pan cake by using a knife.

Pancakes are easy to make and they are great for breakfast.
 
Success criteria: I know this when I write the instructions for making pancakes in order.
WALT: write a procedural writing using the correct structure.

I Can't Wait for the Next Weekend! By Greshka

Last Sunday, my family and I had a really fun day. Before the events happened, I woke up, changed my clothes and ate my breakfast as quickly as a cheetah. Then my dad drove us all the way to Saint Mark’s Church in Pakuranga.

I am part of a choir called ‘Tawag Awit’ that sings for church. My friends and I sang beautifully like birds chirping together. After a little while, my parents called us to gather and we went back home.

When we came home, I made a present for Tita Daisy. It was her birthday that day so I made a bracelet for her. It was a yellow bracelet made with loom bands and it had a blue and orange flower in the middle.

Then I helped my dad to unclog the messy and muddy pipe where our wastes go out. It was hard work. My dad scoops the faeces out of the pipe with a long stick and a plastic cup. It looked really yucky and smelt gross. After a few scoops, the cup fell into the brown liquid because it was heavy. My dad told me to get two more plastic cups but I didn’t know why.

Afterwards, I helped my dad fix the overflowing pipe that was connected to the taps in our house. My dad found some things inside the soap suds. Then he scooped the water into a bucket. I held onto the hose while my dad got the broom and pushed the liquid onto the grass.

Then we cleaned the van that my dad drives to fix coffee machines. It was big and long. I grabbed a hose and sprayed the van while my dad got a broom and swept the van with dish washing liquid. Then my dad grabbed the hose and rinsed the van all over. It looked squeaky clean!

After that, we cleaned the small car. It was grey and it could fit five people in it. First, we cleaned the inside of the car. I got a vacuum and I helped Dad to clean the floor. Then we cleaned the outside of the car. I grabbed a hose and sprayed water all over the car. Then Dad grabbed the dish washing liquid and squirted it over the car and scrubbed it with a broom. Then he got the hose and rinsed the car.

Then we washed the front entrance of the house. I placed all the shoes inside the house and removed the red, spiky mat. First, my dad sprayed water with a hose at the entrance floor. Then I gave my dad the dish washing liquid and he squirted it all over the entrance and scrubbed it with a broom. Then we scrubbed the floor with the broom.

Afterwards, my family and I went to Tita Daisy’s house for her birthday party. We were the first family to arrive at her house. I gave her the bracelet and kissed her on the cheek. She thanked me and I said “You’re welcome”. We bought three boxes of pizza in Domino's afterwards. The flavours were pepperoni, Hawaiian and cheese and they only cost $15! When all our friends came, Tito Bruce said a blessing and we ate food. I ate many slices of pizza, two pieces of KFC chicken and some rice. We went home at 9 o'clock that night and I changed into my pyjamas, brushed my teeth and went to bed.

I felt tired and exhausted after the busy day. However, it was worth it because we now have a clean environment and home.

WALT write a recount using adjectives and adverbs to make my writing more interesting. I can do this when I use action words and describing words appropriately and correctly in my writing.

Firefighters by Greshka

Picture by Pixabay Firefighters Why do we need firefighters? Firefighters are people who wear red fire-proof uniforms. Their main job is to put out fires. Sometimes they save pets (or any other things or people) from high trees. Firefighters can be any person, girl or boy, who are brave and not scared of fire. They can be in the age of 20 and higher. They might help you when your house is on fire. The only way they can go there is to contact 111 on anyone’s phone that is not in the place where the fire is. You have to tell the people that there is an emergency and that you need the firefighters, to resolve the situation and at your location. You can only call them when there is a fire-related emergency. After you finished calling the firefighters, you have to wait outside the house patiently. They will arrive at your house on a big, red fire engine. If there’s a person inside crying for help, one of the firefighters will go inside the house and they will carefully save the worried and trapped person. The rest of the firefighters will come out with water hoses and spray enough water to put out the destructive fire. Firefighters are really useful because they save people’s lives. If we didn't have firefighters in the first place we would get killed by rising fire. Some of them also save people from any other dangers.