౨ৎ⋆ ˚｡Kia Ora, Welcome back to my blog! Its Term 4 week 7!!, This week my literacy class, has been learning about the The apartheid. Apartheid means Apartness in Afrikaans (South Africa’s main language ).The apartheid is about separating or segregation between races. The first major law in the Apartheid was Act 1950 dividing south afrikaans into 4 groups based on their skin color : White,Black,Indian and colored. check out this video above to watch me and my partner Nu Nu ! . I hope this discussion gave you some thoughts ! What do you think?>>

Kia Ora, welcome back to my blog ! In Tuesday Mana ako learnt about the on-going hikoi about Maori Rights. Check out my slides !

Papua New Guinea is a tropical island. Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, north of Australia and just south of the equator, Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the second-largest island in the world), while the western half belongs to Indonesia.

Papua New Guinea is part of Oceania, and it has a mix of islands, mountains, forests, and coastlines. The main island, New Guinea, is split between Papua New Guinea in the east and west. Besides this main island, it is made up of about 600 other smaller islands, including the Bismarck Archipelago, the Louisiade Archipelago, and the Trobriand Islands.

The country has a rugged landscape with thick jungles, active volcanoes, and the towering peaks of the Owen Stanley Range, some of which reach up to 14,793 feet (Mount Wilhelm, highest mountain). Many parts of the island remain remote.

One of the most amazing facts about Papua New Guinea is its incredible cultural diversity. Despite a relatively small population (about 9 million people), it is home to over 800 distinct languages and countless ethnic groups. Many communities live in small, isolated villages, each with its own unique customs, traditions, and dialects.

Papua New Guineans have a strong connection to their traditions and the land, with art, dance, and rituals playing a central role in their lives. Traditional “sing-sings” are one example, where tribes gather in colorful costumes and elaborate face paint to celebrate, perform traditional dances, and honor their ancestors. The Huli Wigmen, who wear intricate wigs made from their own hair, are a famous example of their unique culture.

Its isolated environment has allowed unique species to flourish, and the island is home to many animals you won’t find anywhere else. Some of the fascinating creatures include:

• Birds of Paradise: Known for their vibrant colors and elaborate courtship displays, these birds are a symbol of Papua New Guinea’s natural beauty.
• Tree Kangaroos: Unlike other kangaroos, these animals live in trees and have adapted to forest life.
• Cuscus: A slow-moving marsupial that resembles a small bear, the cuscus is found in PNG’s forests.
• Cassowaries: This large, flightless bird with a striking blue face and helmet-like crest can be dangerous if approached too closely.

Papua New Guinea also has over 20,000 species of plants, including colorful orchids and tropical palms. Its rainforests are among the most biodiverse in the world, with a variety of ecosystems ranging from coral reefs to highland forests.

Papua New Guinea has a long and complex history. The first known human inhabitants arrived around 50,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. For centuries, different clans and tribes lived in isolation, creating a diverse community across the islands.

European explorers reached Papua New Guinea in the 16th century, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that colonisation took hold, with the British, Germans, and later Australians establishing control over different parts of the territory. In 1975, Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia and became a nation.

For those who seek adventure, Papua New Guinea is a destination worth exploring. It’s not just a country but an experience,a journey into a world that’s as fascinating today as it has been for thousands of years!

Kia Ora welcome back to my blog ! Its week 5 of term 4 ! In mana ako today we learnt about the wonders of Papua New Guinea!

౨ৎ⋆ ˚｡Kia Ora, Welcome back to my blog! Its Term 3 week 9!! almost the end of the term, This week my literacy class, has been learning about sharks. How its one of the biggest predators but however there’s alot of different types 1,250 to be specific and in New Zealand there are about 120 species of sharks that you would find . We discussed about should sharks be made extinct? personally for me I don’t think they should be extinct since not all sharks are harmful as the texts said ” you are most likely to die from a bee sting rather from a shark attack” because even if they bite you they wouldnt eat you whole, some sharks are harmless like the whale shark even if there big they are gentle giants and the nurse sharks! plus if sharks dont exist our complete ecosystem under water would fail no sharks would be more fish more fish the more corals would be eaten considering sharks are one of the biggest animals in the food chain.I hope this discussion gave you some thoughts ! Check the create task that me and my partners nunu made a sharktastic podcast about sharks!! what are your opinions? do you think sharks should exist?>>

౨ৎ˚⟡˖ Kia Ora, Welcome back to my blog! this term our theme was “Karawhiua give it heaps“. for our inquiry/DLO we had to do something similar to what Mr. Wiseman did for the immersion assembly, If you haven’t check that out… Make sure you have a quick check and leave a positive comment!! We are learning to Show control of our body movements when demonstrating a new skill, Persevere through the challenges of learning something new. so this term we had to pick a cool skill that we have to learn in under 4-6 weeks ( like juggling,staff spinning or cartwheels ). What did choose to learn?  I’ve decided in the first weeks I wanted to try or learn how to do a proper handstand/to hold a handstand, first we had to research and find methods, set goals on how I can successfully do the skill then after. In the first few weeks specifically in  Monday August 5th I started to learn my skill, it wasn’t easy in the start in fact I struggled a lot, I spent the day getting use to the feel of kicking up but my goal is to hold it. Mainly I think what’s holding me back is that i’m scared of falling or getting hurt, but in order for me to succeed I have to overcome this fear..Wanna see more about it? check out the video/link above and watch my documentation of me learning how to do a proper handstand!!

Reflection time: its the end of the journey in learning my skill, I didnt got as far as I wanted to,  I’m not efficient in doing a handstand, somehow sometimes able to demonstrates it by I often don’t feel confident..Also throughout the term there some days we didn’t have enough time sometimes to do inquiry for reasons,but what i should’ve done was to practice at home more, at the same time I’m proud of myself for overcoming my fear of falling, I’ve realised falling and getting hurt is part of the process in learning how to, every time I fell, it motivated me to try harder and never give up it gave me a boost of confidence that there’s chances that I will succeed in learning how to do a handstand. Although I did not succeed in learning I learned a couple of things that I can use next time overall this inquiry project made me realise its okay to fall and make mistakes all of it is a part of learning, Maybe in the future I’ll learn how to do a proper handstand!! 

ka kite ano, thank you for reading!! ( plus thanks to Kisa and Bonnie for helping me along the way!! )