Prize giving

On the last day of school there is the annual Victoria Avenue School prize giving.
Many people aim for certificates if not in year six, and the year sixes just want the trophies.
AND GUESS WHAT???? I got one!!! WOO-HOO!
It was for Creativity in the arts, music and writing. When Mrs Cameron was reading out what it was for, my friend Sophie whispered "You." I told her, "maybe," but I was really hoping that she was right. AND SHE WAS!!!
I am really happy with my trophy and little cup, and to those who didn't get anything, don't worry, you tried your best.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nearly end of year!

It is coming so close ( two and a half weeks infact ) to the end of the year and I would just like to write down a few things I have enjoyed over the year.

I have enjoyed:

. Beach Ed
. Waterwise 
. Production
. Our Assembely
. MOTAT
. House challenges

Leave a comment to tell me about some of YOUR favourite things that have happened this year!

Top 10 Robots on PhotoPeach

Beach Education

Beach Ed on PhotoPeach

High school student on track to success

Kiwi  racing development driver Andre Heimgarter's outstanding performance in last weekend's round of the Carrera Cup at Surfer's Paradise has scored him the chance to race in the Porsche factory drive at the 2013 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The opportunity continues when the 17 year old student at St Kents High school in Auckland who decided to drive the team Kiwi racing Porsche 997 earlier this year.

Ending with 2 fifths and a fourth at the Gold Coast, Porche cars Australia sealed his nomination.

" When I offered Andre the opportunity this season to race the porsche, it was that that gave him the international experience  and exposure to make a full time career of racing."

  

Andre Heimgartner, Kiwi racing driver, in a porsche.

Cardboard bike!

A bicycle made nearly completely out of cardboard could change the world. The cardboard bike is cheap, durable and rides like a traditional metal-framed one. It has the potential help ease the world's most congested cities to helping transport people in the poorest reaches of Africa, its Israeli inventor says.

Izhar Gafni, 50, is an expert in designing automated mass - production lines. He is an enthusiastic cyclist who for years has thought about the idea of a bicycle made of cardboard.

"I worked for four years to cancel out the cardboard structure's weak points," Gafni said. "Overall, it took a year and a half, with a lot of testing and failure until I got it just right."

Initial production is set to begin in Israel shortly and the bikes will be available to purchase within a year.

 

Izhar Gafni with his cardboard bike.

My Speech

Thinking of a trip to Australia?
Fancy a swim in the crystal clear oceans around Perth? – well, with five gruesome shark attacks in less than a year, all taking place in Western
Australia alone – you’d better you listen up.

Here are my 5 life-saving tips on how to suvive a shark attack!

Step one: Remain calm. Even if the shark is looking at you like you’re lunch, it’s always best to play it cool.

Step two: Keep your eye on the shark at all times. Now is not the time to admire the scenery! If you’re not watching where he’s going he’s
probably going to try to sneak up on you and snack on you.

Step three: Get into a defensive
position. No not kung fu! 

In open water get back to back with another swimmer. (If possible choose a tasty looking person – someone big and meaty.) Any of you guys will do.  

That way you can always keep your eye on Mr Shark. If you don’t have anyone around you could try
blowing bubbles – whaddaya know sharks don’t like bubbles! 

Keep blowing bubbles in the water and the shark might be so freaked out it leaves you alone.

Step four: Fight. The shark won’t even bat an eyelid (not that it has any) if you play dead. It’ll eat you any way. Instead smack it in the gills, poke it in the eye or if you want to risk having your arm eaten, bop it on the nose. (It might run away to sharks nose hospital). If you happen to have something like a snorkle use that to bash Mr Shark, it should hurt him more than your hands and it won’t hurt if he trys to bite it, whereas it might be a little more inconvenient
to lose a hand.

Step five: Get out of the water. So you’ve tried all the other options but all you really need to do is get out of the water. Calmly but loudly call over a boat or swim to shore. Avoid thrashing about, all that does is attract the sharks attention (not good). Swim smoothly with as little splashing as you can manage – breaststroke is probably best.

And if you have the worst luck and DO get bitten by a shark – do you know what’s best to do? Hug it! Yes hugging the shark makes it pretty hard for him to bite you again and hopefully then you can really bash him in the gills, and he’ll let you go and swim away.

Just last week a surfer was bitten in half by a Great White shark off the coast of Western Australia, so to sum up, my number one piece of advice is – stay at home! New Zealand sharks have MUCH better manners than those Auzzie ratbags