The Taj Mahal ~sarah

this is the taj maial

My favorite architectural structure in the world besides the Eifel Tower is the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is sometimes known as the "crown of pallaces".  It is also one of the Art museums in India. It is my favorite because of the onion dome roofs, the white marble, and the pretty towers.

The onion domes are made out of white marble with a metal lantern on top.  I like them because the middle one pops out because it is so big!

The entire pallace is made out of white marble.  The pallace looks shiny when it doesn't have dirt and grime on it and it glows. 


The pretty towers was used as a look out tower during the last world wars.  The Taj Mahal was made as a memorial for the builders third wife when they had there 14Th baby.  Isn't that impressive?  They call the Taj Mahal that because the builder's wife's name is Mahal. I am looking forward to seeing the Taj Mahal when I visit India.

Rolph Family Reunion by Kayley

              I loved seeing Aunt Eileen, Uncle Duncan, Everett and Georgia, and Gramps and Bippy.  My parents, my brother and sisters, and I met the rest of the Rolph family for Thanksgiving in a very nice house on the beach in Takaka near Nelson, New Zealand.    They came from California to see us in New Zealand because Bali was too far for the little ones to travel and they wanted to see us before we went travelling.  It was a very relaxing/interesting visit.

                The nice big house on the beach was awesome.  It was right on a really nice beach next to a golf course at the end of a road.  The house had a big wrap around porch and hot tub.  There were lots of chairs and cushions on the porch to sit and relax and enjoy the ocean view.  We used the hot tub when it was warm out and too late to go swim in the ocean.  I really enjoyed spending time with Georgia and Everett in the hot tub.   I liked walking on the beach from the house too.  I walked with the rest of the family several times.  We went really far during low tide.  During high tide, there was not much beach to walk on, but we played in the refreshing water instead.  The house had boogie boards and sand toys that were useful.  We also built two tipis out of drift wood we found on the beach. Building the tipis was super entertaining and hard work.   Everything about the house in Takaka was perfect.

                After a week at the awesome beach house, we drove to Kaikoaura to the dusty and catty B&B Aunt Eileen had reserved.  Everyone was really allergic in the house because it was really dusty and the owner had a cat.  We only stayed there for one night and left in the morning.  That afternoon, while we were eating lunch, the B&B lady tracked us down and was offended because we had left without giving her 24 hrs. notice.  She thought that we had skipped town without paying.  I thought it was kind of weird and unnecessary.

                After lunch, we went to a sheep shearing demonstration.  First, the guy who did the demonstration handed Zander a day old lamb and everyone passed it around. The lamb was really cute.  Then, he took us inside and told us about different wools and prices. That was kind of boring, but the wool was really soft and oily. When he sheared the sheep the machine was really loud and the sheep squirmed, so I felt sorry for the yew.   Her covering looked like a ploughed field from the razor.  I learned a lot about sheep and their wool from the sheep shearing demonstration.

                On our last day in Kaikoara, we went whale watching.   It was a coincidence that the B&B lady was our safety instructor on the tour.  I felt awkward.    We saw three male sperm whales on the tour.  Gramps had his watch out and timed how many seconds was in between each whale spout.   He’s a stats person and wanted to know how many second in between each whale breath.  I thought that was pretty funny.

                I really enjoyed spending time with the Rolph family.  I miss waking up and seeing Everett and Gramps in the living room every morning.  I like to see Aunt Eileen, Uncle Duncan, Everett and Georgia, and Gramps and Bippy anywhere, but this time they came to meet us in New Zealand and that was really cool.

the Eiffle tower BY KAYLEY NOV.14.2011

                  One of my favorite structures in the world is the magnificent Eiffel tower in Paris,France. The Eiffel tower is made out of pig iron trusses.  Amazingly the tower needs to be painted with 50 to 60 tones of paint every seven years to keep the tower from rusting.  

              The Eiffel tower was build in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel.  The awesome Eiffel tower was built as the entrance arch for the World's Fair in 1889. The world fair was on May 6 to Oct. 30,1889 in Paris,France.  There was a design competition and the winner 's design would be the entrance arch for the fair. Gustave Eiffel's design won the competition and of course the Eiffel Tower was the entrance arch. I don't blame the Judges because Eiffel's tower sure is amazing.                
               The Eiffel tower is 324 meters tall (1,063 ft.) about the same height as an eighty-one story building.  The Eiffel tower surpassed the Washington monument as the world's tallest tower while the tower was in construction. The amazing Eiffel tower held that title for forty-one years and then it was surpassed by the Chrysler building in New York in 1930.However, in 1957, the antenna on top of the Eiffel tower is now taller than the Chrysler building. Now the Eiffel tower is the second tallest structure in France after the Mullau Viaduct.

            Gustave Eiffel made many other structures like the frame work for the statue of liberty in New York. For example the great Viaduct De Garabit which is a railway bridge. The viaduct was open in 1885 over the Truyere river in Cantal,France.  Another of Eiffel's master pieces was the Casa de Fierro (the Iron house) in Luanda,Peru. The Casa De Fierro was completed in 1889. As you can see Gustave Eiffel  was a very celebrated engineer and he earned his popularity.

                  Along with many other amazing structures that the legendary Gustave Eiffel buil,t his most popular creation is the awesome Eiffel tower. The former tallest structure in the world doesn't seem to have lost it's popularity over the years because  the Eiffel tower is one of the most visited structures in the world today.
                 
            -KAYLEY ROLPH

The hagia Sophia in Istanbul

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Turkey is one of the world's great structures.  It is one of the wonders of the world and a really great structure because of its immense dome. It is a really stupendous  monastery. It uses a complex load passage that goes from the dome to the arches and then it is transferred down to the building foundations through the columns. The dome is really old  and there have been some problems.  The dome has been replaced because the dome collapsed but it is still just as great.

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Turkey is one of the ancient world's greatest structures. The whole structure was made around the dome and four pillars. The first dome was much shallower and it was not successful. It had too much outward thrust  and it collapsed. The second dome was made and it was much taller and it stayed upright even today. It is one of my favorite structures because it looks so massive.  It is a monastery with the second biggest dome in the ancient structures of the world.

Now a days the Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest structures of the ancient world. It is still being used today as a Church and a museum. This building is spectacular because it has survived since the ancient world and it is still safe to go in today. When we visit Turkey it will be one of the first places we go and I can't wait for that day.

The Eiffel Tower (my favorite!) by mia

My favorite structure ever is the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. Built by Gustave Eiffel for the World Exhibition in 1889, this amazing tower towers over the Paris at 300 meters (984 ft) tall. When it was completed at the end of the 19th century it was twice as tall as the Washington Monument, that was the tallest building in the world at the time. Surprisingly, the Eiffel Tower was only supposed to stand until the end of the Exposition but of course it still stands today. Some artists of the time protested that it would be the advent of structures without 'individuality' (whatever that means) and feared that the gorgeous tower didn't fit in with the architecture of the city. Now, thankfully Parisians love the tower and it has become the symbol of Paris.



In my opinion, Gustave Eiffel is a genius. He designed many other structures, my favorite of which is the Garabit Viaduct over the Truyere River in France. Like his tower, it is made up of a delicate (looking) framework of curved trusses. The arch of the Garabit Viaduct is a beautiful crescent shape that is as structurally efficient as it is beautiful (we learned this in that Great Course). When you see it from the top, the arch if the bridge is wider on the bottom than it is on the top, adding stability. The same goes for all the columns (you can see those).

You can see a similar thing in the curves of the Eiffel Tower. The base is much wider than the top and the four curved trusses that make up the tower itself taper off at the top. The resulting structure is beautifully graceful and incredibally stable looking. Between the wide bases and the light framework they are made of, there is little room for wind resistence in both structures. The brilliant combination of structure and aesthetics is what I love about both creations.
 From anywhere in Paris you can see Eiffel's Tower looming high over the rooftops of the other buildings and you are reminded that you are in the best city in the entire world!

Show day BY KAYLEY NOV.9.2011

          
          I think show day is supposed to be a fun day for everyone. Show day was on Friday and I'm supposed to tell you all about why and how the Kiwis celebrate it. Mommy said that Show day is kind of like the county fair back at the States. It's supposed to have horse and dog races,fashion shows and food and livestock shows.


          We saw it on a flier in the library and I did some research. I found a website on the Internet called Cup & Show Week. I thought it was just horse/dog races, fashion shows and gabbling. At first, I thought it was a waste of time. Then Mommy showed me a different website and showed me that it was like a county fair.  Now, I kind of like Show Day.


            I don't want to watch the horse races or the dog races. I don't like seeing the horse's nostrils flared like their crazy. The dogs who race are so skinny that it's disgusting. Also I don't like all the dust and gambling. But the food or live stock shows would be fun.  Also, I'd like to watch the fashion shows. On second thought, I think Show Day would be fun.

             If I were planing Show Day, there would be roller coasters and ferris wheels. And maybe some water slides and spiny things. Also, I'd have some shops, so  people can shop. Don't forget a movie theater playing some new movies and selling popcorn and candy. I would make Show Day really fun for everyone.  
           

              In conclusion, I think the government made up this holiday for people to gamble, make some money and have fun. In stead of having fun at Show Day, we were stuck at home while daddy was sick.  That was so boring, but it was kind of fun because Sarah and I got to play in the back yard. I wish we had gone to Show Day, but we missed it.


-KAYLEY SIENNA ROLPH

BIRTHDAYS BY SARAH

ANY BIRTHDAY
It might be good
It might be bad,

You might be travelling
You might be settling,

You might get a present
You might get lots,

Why do you have it? 
I don't know,

Maybe to celebrate
How old you are,

Or to get presents,

Wait another question,

Why do you get presents?

Maybe so you get rewarded for How old you are.

Why else would you get presents?

presents

You might get clothes.
You might get shoes.

You can get good stuff.

You can get bad stuff.

You can get a car if your old enough.
Maybe an ATV or trampoline.
You can get a Teddy bear.
Maybe an animal like a horse
Or some paint
Or a day off for moms.
Some baking tools for baking people

I love to think of presents
But it's so tempting to buy lots of stuff.

Guy Fawkes Night by Mia

On November 5th there were tons of festivities going on in New Brighton. There was a fair with a Ferris wheel (they took that down because no one was going on it, it looked like it was about to fall over) and a few other rides and booths, and every one said there was going to be fireworks off the pier at 9 pm. We went even though we had no idea at all what the occasion was (except that it was Sarah's birthday, but I'm pretty sure her birthday isn't a national holiday-- yet).
 At about 8:45 we headed down to the beach to watch the fire works. There were a lot of other people heading do the beach too and there was a continuous string of explosions and sparks coming from people's yards. The air smelled of gun smoke, bringing back vivid memories of the shooting range in Alaska. I started wondering what would happen if you were blind and had no idea what was happening-- you would probably run for cover thinking you were being bombed. When we got down to the beach we saw that the entire expanse was covered in a huge crowd (probably the entire population of New Brighton and surrounding areas). Every here and there people were shooting off small fireworks and firecrackers. The crowd was dotted with sparklers which, strangely enough were mostly in the hands of small toddlers, which was stupid (like giving your kid fire on a stick! Except it spits sparks everywhere! I wouldn't even trust Zander with a sparkler, but that's Zander...). The crowd was moving slowly toward the pier and, at 9 pm the fire works started. It was amazing! Best. Fireworks. Ever. Even better than Disney Land! They were shooting them off from four spots spaced equally along the pier so they could get lots for fireworks in the air at once. There was pixie dust (my favorite, they look like pixie dust) and all sorts of huge exploding ones and the kind that goes up and sprays sparks everywhere (as you can see I have no idea what these things are called so just bear with me). The grand finale was a gigantic pixie dust one that looked like it was exploding right over us! It was gorgeous, and we still didn't know why the heck it was all happening! So, I did some research.
Guy Fawkes Night, (also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night,) is an annual holiday observed on November 5th. It started in England in 1605 celebrating the fact that King James I had survived an assassination attempt called the Gunpowder Plot. Guy Fawkes was arrested for being involved in it and that is why the holiday is named after him. In celebration, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.The holiday is celebrated in England and many of the English colonies (including New Zealand, obviously), but not much in America because it was pretty much forgotten after the Revolution.

In modern day people light off fireworks and building bonfires to celebrate. They have big gatherings, barbeques, bonfires and fireworks. Its a big party! It is celebrated by most of the Commonwealth but mostly in England. Sometimes they throw dummies of Guy Fawkes or the Pope or even a few contemporary politicians in the fire. Before the festivities kids make dummies and some even parade around the streets asking for money 'for the Guy' (Guy meaning Guy Fawkes). People give them money that they spend on fireworks. They didn't really do that here just lots of fireworks!

Food in Different Countries of the World by Zander

 There are different types for every country and area. Each one is different. There are lots of different Country's that we are going to visit that have lots of different types of food, but the one that I am looking forward to the most it Turkish kebabs.


In Asia there are lots of different types of food, but the ones that we are going to try are Cambodian and Thai food. In these types of food they use alto of rice and noodles and salt. They have curry, soup, noodle dishes, and really good desserts. One of my favorite foods is nom pow. It is meat and veggies wrapped in white bread dough. It tastes really good hot or cold. My grandma makes it when she comes and visits. My grandma  also makes really good curry and rice dishes. I really like their soup. They have a soup that is spicy and sweet. You could put whatever  you want in it. It is called nom pa juk. I am looking forward to seeing my grandma who cooks really good Asian food.


The middle east has some of the most interesting country's. They certainly have some really good food. Turkish is my favorite. They make Kababs. They are wraps that are filled with lettuce, sauces, tabbouleh, and what ever you like. They are my favorite food. they are wrapped in nan bread. In New Zealand we eat allot of them. They are good because you can walk with them, and they are quick to make. They also have dishes that are rice or chips and they put lots of different stuff in them. One of the Turkish favorite thing is hummus. In the middle east there is allot of hummus. I really like Turkish and middle Eastern food.


European food is really good. There is lots of different types of food. There is Italian, Greek, Spanish, and other countries that blend together. My favorite European food is gelato. it is so good. Gelato is really good ice cream. I also like pizza. Now a days ,pizza is everywhere. I am pretty happy about that. In England, they eat allot of biscuits. I really like chocolate and England makes really good chocolate. The big manufacturer of English chocolate is Cadbury. When I get to Europe, I will eat alot of food.


The world has lots of  unique food to offer. My favorite is Turkish kebabs. But there are things all around the word that I haven't tasted. Maybe I might like something better then Turkish after the world tour. But I hope where ever we go, they still serve kebabs, pad thai, chocolate, soup, and pizza. 

Fire Works on the Pier in New Brighton celebrating Guy Fox by Zander

To celebrate the anniversary of a failed assassination of King James by explosives.
Fire works are set off at every English colony.
It has been celebrated since the 1600s.
English colonies all celebrate for he did not die.

The pier was loaded with fire works, they were set of for about 30 minutes.
They fired off in quick succession.
There were all different types of fire works.
Some missfired and bounced on the water.
There were tones of fire works and they were  all different shapes and sizes.
Some exploded and then  the parts on them exploded too.
Some made screeching noises.
Some were just the regular and exploded really big.
The grand finaly had the biggest.
It was so big it was right over me.
I was about a Kilometer from the pier.
They were really high up.
I new that because you saw them and then in a few seconds you heard the boom.
There was a vast variety of fire works.

It was hard to walk on the beach.
So many people were there.
People were shooting of fire works in there back yard.
It was not as amazing as the ones on the pier.
On the beach people were giving little kids fire works.
I didn't think that it was safe.
People my sisters age were holding fire works and throwing them while they were going off.
I didn't think that they were very smart.
But it is there life that they are risking.
Or I could say their butts.
One person said to stick the fire work on your butt and swat down to each other.
I wished we had fire worked to set of on the beach.
I enjoy setting fire works off.
Everyone was on the beach,
 I had a really fun time at the fire works on the beach.

FIRE WORKS ON NOV.5 KAYLEY NOV.7.2011

                  FIREWORKS

Excitement in the air
Waves crashing on the beach
Sparklers waving in the dark
Fire crackers throwing spark
Smoke in the air
Popping sounds fill the air


Colorful explosions fill the night sky
Booming cracks fill the air
Green rockets, showers of sparks
Multi colored flowers
exploding then vanishing
exploding and falling back to earth like pixie dust
Swirling, shooting, spraying showers of color

The dark viel falls back into place 
Everyone claps and cheers
People drift back home
Chatter fills the air again


-KAYLEY SIENNA ROLPH

Swiming at the beach BY KAYLEY NOV.9.2011

Waves crashing
Clouds scuttling across the sky
Hot sand at your feet
Wind in your hair
The sun shining on your back

Running into the water
Waves rolling over your toes
Icy water freezing your feet
Jumping over waves to keep from getting your head wet
Wetness is climbing up your body 

Having more fun as the waves get bigger
Jumping over and diving under
Some times body surfing


-KAYLEY SIENNA ROLPH

MY AWESOME BIRTHDAY BY SARAH ROLPH THE 9 YEAR OLD




On November the fifth of 2011, I turned 9 and it was the worst birthday ever! Weeks before my birthday, I made a list of what I wanted to do on my birthday to give to my Mom and Dad.  I wanted to go sky diving, bungee jumping, or watch a movie.  Mommy and Daddy said lets watch a movie with chinese food and see fireworks! 

We watched Pirates of the Carribean and the Strange Tides after the fireworks at our house.  I wanted to watch Pirates because the movie rental shop near our house didn't have Hop, which was the movie I really wanted to see.  Pirates was still a good movie.  I really liked the part when the Spanish, English, and Black Beard's crew were in the Fountain of Youth and they were all fighting.  I also liked the part where Capt. Jack Sparrow and Barbosa were trying to escape from the Spanish and Jack climbed up the coconut tree while he was tied up.  I thought he was funny.

The FIREWORKS WERE AWESOME!  The fireworks display off of the New Brighton pier was to celebrate Guy Fawke's Day, see Mia's blog for details.  Mommy and Daddy said that the fireworks were for me!  They were huge and there were lots of them.  They were colorful and loud.  The crowds of people were huge and lots of them had sparklers and their own fireworks that they lit up.  It was like a big party!

We also played in the water at South New Brighton beach and caught some really good waves that morning.  It was sunny and hot, perfect for playing in the water. 

I also got to eat some yummy food on my Birthday.  Mommy cooked me pancakes with chocolate sauce for breakfast. We had sandwiches for lunch.  And for DINER, Mommy cooked orange chicken, beef and broccoli, and rice. For dessert, we ate browny cake with icing and vanilla ice cream.  It was yummy!



these are my shoes



Mommy and Daddy also took me to the Riccarton Mall to get new shoes.  THE NEW SHOES that are ADIDAS,blue and black running shoes are comfortable and have lots of spikes on them.  They will be great for hiking.

Now you might know why my birthday might be the worst birthday I can have in my life because I'm travelling.  If I was home, I would have a sleepover party with all my friends.  But since we're travelling, I can't get "stuff" because we have to travel light.  That is why it was the worst birthday that I have ever had, but it was still pretty good!

              by SARAH

Book Report on Dan Carter by Zander

All Rugby players have to work really hard to get to be professional rugby players. Dan Carter is one of the few that made it to the All Blacks. He has to work really hard and look good for the public. He signs autographs and talks to the news.  Dan Carter is a famous All Black rugby kicker, he has a very interesting life.

Dan Carter had an normal child hood. He grew up in Christchurch about 20 years ago in the outskirts.  His dad liked rugby a lot. As soon as he could hold a ball, he was playing with his dad. He went to school at Christchurch boys and he played rugby for them. He grew up with some of the future All Blacks. For instance Tana Umaga, who also plays for the All Blacks during the regular season, went to school with him. After Dan graduated from college, he played for Canterbury, a regional team. He must have been really happy to get to play with Canterbury.

After he graduated he played for Canterbury. They were his local teem. Then he moved on to the Crusaders for Canterbury that are a Super 15 rugby team. Then he went to the Junior All Blacks for professional Rugby players that are under 21. He played second five eights a rugby position. It is a back position and he kicked. There is a lot of pressure on them and I would not want to be him. He tried out for the All Blacks and made it when he was 21. He played the same position and kicked. He scored his first try for the All Blacks against Wales. He is in the top 3 of most points scored in a game. He scored that against the English Lions. He also played in the Rugby World Cups of 2003 and 2007.

To make money playing rugby, Dan Carter needed to do more then to just play. He had to get sponsored and do advertisements. For instance, Dan Carter advertises Jockey Underwear, Rebel Sports, and Ford Motors. Most of his adds are with him with his shirt off. His adds are all over town and in Malls, and on the TV.  He probably makes about 1m$ a year with his rugby and sponsorships. That is a lot of money for just getting your picture taken.

Dan Carter became a famous All Black because he practiced and played really hard from when he was a kid.He also worked really hard on his fitness and technique so he could become a famous athlete. All the good athletes have to work really hard on the sport that they play so they can become better. If  I work hard on what I want to become better at my soccer skills,  then I can be like Dan Carter some day.

Roald Dahl's autobiagraghy KAYLEY 11/4/2011




Roald Dahl when he was younger.

I've been reading Boy by Roald Dahl. It's about Roald Dahl's childhood. I just started, so I don't now much.  I've also been reading to Sarah some times.   I really like reading it because he makes his life seem really interesting.

                               HIS FATHER

             First Roald Dahl wrote about his father. His father's name was Harold Dahl . Harold fell of the roof when he was 14 and fractured his elbow. The doctor was drunk and thought it was a dislocated elbow.  So the doctor tried to reset it, but the fractures of bone stuck out of his arm.  And in the end, they had to amputate it. So Mr.Dahl had to go about life without and arm. 

                                      FINDING A FORTUNE
              When Harold Dahl grew up, he and his brother,Oscar ran away and went to France on a cargo ship.  Harold and his brother split up to make their fortunes.  Oscar owned a caning company in La Rochelle and became very rich. Harold and his buddy Mr.Aadnesen became ship brokers. Ship brokers are people who supply ships with stuff they need like food,tools and coal. They were also very successful. Harold had married a young french girl called Marie in Paris.  She had two children, a girl and a boy. She died after giving birth to her second child. Then Harold married a young Norwegian lady called Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg. Sofie had four children ,three girls and a boy, Roald Dahl. Sadly Harold Dahl died of pneumonia shortly after his favorite daughter Astri died.

                        CANDY SHOPS AND MEAN OLD LADIES
              Roald Dahl only remembered two things from before he was 8. The first was when he was waking home from school and he saw an older boy speeding down a hill on a bike with his hands crossed on his chest. Roald really wanted to do that one day,that was his life long ambition at that moment.  Roald Dahl's second memory was about him and four other friends.Roald and his friends would walk past a candy shop every day on the way to school and the owner was a dirty, mean, old lady. One day Roald and his friends found a dead rat in their secret stash and Roald got an Idea. His idea consisted of putting the dead rat in one of the candy jars. So when they walked in to the candy shop that after noon, Roald slipped the dead rat in to the  candy jar and they left. 
             The next morning they looked in to the the shop and they saw the candy jar on the floor with candy all over it and the dead rat with the candy. But they didn't see the old lady any where. One of Roald's friend's dad was a doctor. Roald's friends dad told him about heart attacks and many other things and hie told his friends that the mean old lady probably had a heart attack when she saw the mouse and died. The troop of friends believed the story and thought the old lady was dead.  At school that day, the mean old lady was there and had them beaten by the Headmaster.


                    Roald Dahl's childhood seems really interesting and enjoyable to read about. I can't wait to know all about it.


           


   

THE WHALE RIDER by Sarah

                On Wednesday, my family and I watched the movie, Whale Rider. I think the movie was a good choice to do my book report on because it is obvious what the beginning, problem,  and solution are. The beginning is when the twin girl gets born and her boy twin and mom dies. The chief of the Maori tribe got disappointed because the boy twin was suppose to be the next chief, but he died. And Pikea, the girl twin survived and she tried to prove that she is the prophet, but her grandfather, the chief doesn't believe she can. 
                When Pikea is sent off because she doesn't move to the back, she doesn't because she belongs there and wanted to learn how to be chief, but her grandfather won't let her.  When the chief is looking for a boy to be chief after him, the girl spies on them and she practices the stuff that they do. When the chief figures out that she is practicing it, he gets really mad because he thinks girls can't be chief.
                On the final test, the chief throws his whale tooth into the ocean for the boys to get and none of them got it, so none of the boys could be chief.  When the girl goes out looking for the whale tooth with her uncle, she finds the tooth and brings it back with a lobster.  The girl is too shy to give the tooth to her grandfrather, so she gives it to the grandma who saves it for the right time to show it to the chief.   He was still in denile. 
                 Until one day, the grandfather finds whales washed up on the beach and he and the tribes people try to keep them wet so they will survive.  All the people from the town help to keep them wet until the tide comes in so the whales can swim back into the ocean. When they all go back in for a rest, Pikea climbs up the barnacles on the biggest whale and starts kicking it so it wakes up and swims away. The girl rides it for a little while until it gets really deep. Then she lets go of it and swims back to shore and ends up in the hospital.  When Pikea is in the  hospital, her grandfather tries to say sorry and believes that Pikea is the prophet.  She is the Whale Rider.
                 In the movie, Whale Rider, the grandfather refused to believe that Pikea could be the prophet, until he found out that she found the special whale tooth.  Then the grandpa who is the chief stopped being mean to her because she is a girl and started to believe that she could be the prophet and future chief.

SQUASH KAYLEY 11/3/2011

                                                           SQUASH!!!!

A tiny black comet
A rocketing boomerang
A whizz on the court
A mini black blurr
 WHAT IS IT??

A criscross of wire
A wall to send back the blurr
A barrier for the unknown
A wall that can easily be broken
 WHAT AM I??

A clear wall like a TV screen
A barrier between the doers and the watchers
A gate to fun
A sound screen
 WHAT AM I??

A funny retorting sport
A game for two doers
A veggie game
A challenging chase
WHAT IS THIS??

Halloween in New Zealand BY SARAH LOR ROLPH

     HALLOWEEN IN NEW ZEALAND

            On Monday, it was Halloween in New Zealand and  it was the worst Halloween  I have ever had. I don’t think   very many people celebrate Halloween here because barely anybody had candy at their house and there weren’t very many trick or treaters.     

           When my family and I went trick or treating in our neighbourhood in New Brighton near Christchurch, NZ, barely anybody had candy at their house.  No one decorated the houses we visited.  In some of the houses, no one even answered the door even though some of the people were home.  The candy we did get was mostly lollipops and taffies.  After about 2 hours of walking and about 25+ houses visited, I ended up with about 2 hands full of candy and sore feet, very disappointing.

           I also noticed that there weren’t very many trick or treaters.  During my time out, I counted less than 10 groups out trick or treating.  And only a few of them had costumes.  It made me feel embarrassed because I had face paint and ears, a tail, and bow tie on. 

         It was the worst Halloween ever.   I was disappointed and wanted to spend Halloween in California where people actually celebrate by dressing up in costumes, trick or treating, decorating their houses, and giving out lots of candy.

The Great Course by Zander 11-3-11

My family hasn’t been able to go to school, because we are on a world tour. We have had to do on line courses for our education. We have been taking an architectural course. It teaches us about structures and buildings. The Great Course is the on line course that teaches us about architecture in The Great Course is boring, There are some things that the instructor can do to make it better and more bearable.

 There are some things that the Great Course can do to make it funnier. The person who teaches us needs to have a more interesting voice, it makes my mom sleep. His voice makes me tired when I hear it for a long time. He needs to find new buildings. He is obsessed with an Arsenal in New York. He has brought it up for the last 3 lectures. It gets kind of boring. He needs to find new buildings. He also uses too many free body diagrams. They are really boring. He should just use the picture of the building so we have something to look at. The free body diagrams don’t make it easier to see the load path, to the foundation. The instructor needs new pictures and examples. 

The great course needs to make some changes so it is more entertaining to watch. I mean lectures aren’t the funniest things in the world. If the instructor makes the course more entertaining by getting new information then the course will be allot more fun.

poem on shoes by Zander

Shoes shoes!!!! what everyone needs.
I got some new ones today, with arch supports.
We went to a foot doctor.
My feet are messed up.
I went to the foot doctor.she gave me Arch supports.
She also recommended new shoes for me.
We spent 4 hours choosing shoes with my dad.
We went to Riccarton mall in Christchurch.
It took us ages to find the special shoe store.
We went to a special shoes store.
It gave us info on what shoes fit me best.
Then they took a picture of me running.
Showing me all the problems that i have.
Then we went to rebel spots to get the shoes.
I liked my shoes they are Adidas!!
They are black and blue!
They feel new and different with the special arch supports.
My walking has all ready improved!!
It feels much better.
I like the new shoes and arch supports.

THE LAMEST HALLOWEEN EVER NOV.2.2011 kayley

                 

                      Halloween was two days ago and it was so lame.  We dressed up and took pictures. We walked to a party at the a church like building by the mall. Daddy and mommy gave us some money and then they left.  I was kind of nervous and and my hopes were kind of high.  When we walked in to the building.  I was disappointed because the flyer's made the party look really fun.  The party had a lame bounce house and a couple games and a cafe. Zander found his friends so he was out of the way.  Mia ,Sarah and I just sat around Sarah and I colored. It was really  boring.  

                        After the party, Mommy and Daddy came to pick us up.  We walked home and did some trick or treating.  Most of the houses were empty and some people didn't have candy.  Some trick or treaters don't even dress up for Halloween. It seems people don't really celebrate Halloween here. 

                       While we were walking, Mia was talking about how lame it was.  Zander wouldn't trick or treat. I think he was embarrassed. We got like a handful of candy in all. We got a bunch of fruit chews and taffys.  We were all disappointed partly because we had been looking forward to Halloween for a month.  

-KAYLEY SIENNA ROLPH   

                            

MATH BY SARAH



Math we do every day
but why do we do it?
Maybe because we need to know it
or because it's fun...
Maybe because it's the most important
subject of all,
or because we don't want to fall behind.
Some days we do addition,
other days we do algebra.
Yesterday we did fractions,
and today we are going to do more fractions!
Daddy bought work books for us,
they are meant for year six,
but they are really easy!

We are way ahead of New Zealand!!!

Halloween

Halloween in this country is extremely lame! Barely anyone dresses up or goes trick or treating and there are barely any houses that give you candy. Since it is spring instead of fall there isn't really a spooky vibe like there is in the northern hemisphere. Adding to that, no one at all decorates their house which, in my opinion is like half the fun. The only thing that came close to decoration was a really lame haunted house thing that just had a sign by the door that said 'enter if you dare' and some people that jumped out at us. Zander wouldn't dress up because his friends weren't going to and he was embarrassed. He wouldn't even trick or treat! Something must have been really wrong because he usually wouldn't resist free candy. Despite the all around lack of spirit, us girls went trick or treating until it got dark which was at around 8:30 pm. Only a few houses actually had candy, so we didn't get much at all. When we were in SLO everyone had candy and mostly everyone had decorations up. Here, we have trouble even finding the front door and usuallly you cant even get in because there is a locked gate! I guess good trick or treating was a luxury we all took for granted when were back in SLO. Usually we would stay out until 10 or 11 and only go home because either our feet hurt, our bags were too full of candy, or both. The kitchen table would be completely covered in a giant mountain of skittles and chocolate. This year the candy of all three girls barely covered a square foot. I cannot wait to get back to Halloween in the States!!!