Marine Pollution

In class, we have been doing a project on different environmental issues. I chose to do this project with Ben C. We chose to do this project on Marine Pollution. Here is a link to check out Ben's blog:

http://bencstjoseph.blogspot.co.nz/

Here is a link to our project:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fFYd_Bc296qbJkdk-99E1DqUM3w1oqzmBBnfF6MPgUw/edit#slide=id.p

NYLD

National Young Leaders Day is a day when lots of students meet and some famous kiwis spoke inspirational speeches. Our class was one of many that got to go to NYLD. We went to NYLD because we are leaders at our school and still learning how to be great leaders. There were 5 inspirational speakers. They were, William Pike, Tamsin Cooper, Steve Gurney, Chris Jupp and Jamie McDell. They told all the young leaders gathered about their goal in life and how they got to be doing what they do today. They all each had at least one strong life lesson or motivating message that they explained to us. The person I found the most inspiring was Steve Gurney I will tell you a bit about him and why I found him inspiring.

Steve won the Coast to Coast a couple of times and then invented a record breaking Pod bike, a kayak with wings and an anti-gravity paddle levitation device. He was poisoned by bat dung while racing in Borneo jungles and nearly died. He then fought back to win the Coast to Coast 7 times more in a row, a record 9 total. Steve was Awarded an MNZM (Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit) gong for services to Endurance sport. He also wrote a bestselling autobiography called Lucky Legs. Steve managed to cross the searing Sahara by wind-power. He now travels the world adventuring and speaking.

I found Steve inspiring because when he was young kid, he was no good at the school athletics and sports. His mother told him that he would never be an athlete. Then, as he got older, he stopped losing. When he entered the coast to coast the first time he thought he could win. He got twenty second. He trained harder. The second time he thought he could win. He came third. So he trained harder. The third time he came second. So he trained harder and came second again. Then he trained differently and finally came first. Steve’s motivating message was that sometimes you win sometimes you learn but you never fail. That is why I was inspired by Steve Gurney. (Also because I am into sports like mountain biking, running and kayaking).

Something all leaders have in common is the ability to carry on even when things seem doubtful and impossible. An example of this is Steve Gurney and William Pike. Steve Gurney when he kept on not meeting his goal of winning the coast to coast, and William Pike when a volcano erupted when he was on a mountain. He almost died on that mountain. As it was he only lost a leg. After that he went back and climbed the mountain again. Steve also had a near death experience, and after that he went straight back into endurance races.

Overall I really enjoyed the amazing journey. I think that NYLD is a really good idea and I like having people talk to us that lots of people know. Its also awesome to be able to ask the speakers a question and to have a booklet to fill out. If I was able to go again next year, I definitely would.

The Piano Man

Right on the edge of a leafless forest, there was a piano. Some how it had survived the wreckage and carnage of the war. The piano was a dark, shiny, brown. It looked as if it had just been cleaned or was brand new. At about 5:00pm, a man stumbled up to the piano. He was wearing black boots and light brown clothes. He had a gun on his back and it sounded like he had a lot of experience with playing the piano. It was a slow sad tune. Then, out of the mist, came a patrol of enemy soldiers. They ran in with guns blazing, rudely cutting of the mournful music of the lone soldier. The soldier was mercilessly shot down were he was standing, and the piano blasted into splinters. The enemy soldiers quickly and quietly ran away from the brutal murder.

Timothy Jorgensen

Pontius Pilate

My key figure is Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate was a leader in Judea who was persuaded by the Jewish authorities to crucify Jesus against his will.  He did not believe that Jesus had done anything wrong, but he didn't want anything to do with it and he didn't want to start a riot, so he said it was up to them and he didn't want anything to do with it.

Pontius Pilate was a strong leader in Judea, but he still bowed down to the Jewish high priests and authorities, who wanted Jesus dead.  Because Pontius Pilate gave in to the authorities, Jesus died on the cross. That tells me that if we give in to people telling you to do something wrong when you can stop it, something bad might happen.

In my opinion, Pontius Pilate was not necessarily a bad person, he just made a bad choice. In some ways it was good that Pontius Pilate made that decision, because if he hadn't, then Jesus wouldn't have died on the cross to save our sins.

By Timothy

It was a beautiful day in the grass green forest when I saw the most amazing sight ever. It was a great waterfall cascading into the clear sparkling water below. There were two freshwater dolphins leaping about at the base of the marvelous waterfall. In the the background, behind the waterfall, there were two looming mountains peaking out from behind the water.  

It was a beautiful day in the dense forest. The birds were singing, the crickets chirping and lots of small animals scuttling around the forest floor. Thats when we saw it. It was long and straight, and it was half red half a dull white. It was covered in red-brown blotchy marks, confirming it was as old as my grandfather at least. The thing was lurking in the middle of a sunlit clearing.

BY: TIMOTHY

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I AM THE GREAT HORSE

(Book review)

 

This is my second book review. This book is called, I AM THE GREAT HORSE. The author of this book is Katherine Roberts, and it won the Branford Boase award. Its genre is historical fiction.

 

    Bucephalas is Alexander the Great's favourite horse. when Alexander's father, king Philip, is assassinated, Alexander is made king. The first thing he does is go to conquer the whole of Persia so that he can be made the Great King.  

 

  One thing I like about the book, is that it is written from the horse’s perspective. For example: "I am the dark horse, Bucephalas. I am no black beauty. I am a stallion trained for war." One thing I didn’t like about it is that Alexander the Great does not listen to anybody in his army, and that gets him killed eventually.

 

I think the message the author was trying to give is that, if you don’t listen to anyone, you won’t get far in life. I also think they are trying to tell us that you might be a great person, but that doesn’t mean you're invincible. For example, Alexander the great thought he was the son of Zeus and he was invincible.

 

I would recommend this book for anyone that likes adventure, action, history or arrogance! I think it should be for ages 10+ boy’s and girls.

 

Timothy