Watch our kapa haka performance on youtube

The Telegram

‘‘Mum, mummy! Where are you?’’ called young Nicolas from the hallway. Suddenly his sister Ginny ran in,

“Why ar... ar.... are you calling mum?’’ she stammered.

“Telegram for mummy,’’ he said in a sad, dull tone .

There on the floor behind him it lay, looking so innocent. She picked it up, not daring to peek inside the envelope, not wanting to read the horrible truth! Part of her wanted to not give it to her already stressed out mother and part of her wanted her mother Cecil to know.

Three pain staking hours went by like years before her elder brother Simon got home. He was in such a grumpy mood, as usual! He gruffly snatched the letter and, red-faced, slowly read it. A minute that felt like a year went by then a white faced simon left the room. The telegram lay there on the floor. Ginny knew what had happened but she let it sit in her mind like butter on bread,

M.I.A, missing in action. 

By the time Cecil came home, expecting her cheerful children to meet her with open arms, the feeling in the house was of saddnes and grief. Silly Simon couldn’t keep his mouth shut and without even giving her the chance to take her boots off he told her the dreadful news. He blurted it out without thinking of his delivery. With saying a word, her faced changed from joy to despair and she walked deafeatedly to her bedroom where she slumped onto the bed, her soft golden curls slightly messy now, her skin blotchy with pale red spots, her lipstick smuged on her face.

By Charlotte, Room 11, year 6, 2010

Golf with Kaye

Today we had golf with Kaye. First we used the tennis ball which i didn't like because I didn't hit it very far. The golf ball was the best because me, Zion and Sene all hit it on to the play ground which was cool. When it finished we all had to say thank you to Kaye. I had fun and I hope we get to play golf at intermediate.        


By Tyreece, Year 6

Rose Edwards Jones

Rose Edwards Jones

Fifteen  year old Rose was walking back home with the groceries for her younger brothers and sister. She had been their soul mother ever since their mother and father had left to be a nurse and a air pilot in the war. She decided to walk through the park like she had done so many times before with her mother Beth Edwards Jones. She walked through the silent, mystical park to the water fountain. She looked into the water and saw her blue, sea-like eyes and her brownish-blonde hair staring right back at her.

“The body of a princess,” is what her dad, Lance, had always told her. She slipped the photograph out of her pocket and stared down at her mum and dad on their wedding day. 

“The happiest day of their life,” she said to herself holding back happy tears. She continued walking home and after about ten minutes she was at the house. She opened the door and put down the groceries at the door. Suddenly, she realized it was very quiet. Normally it was very loud and cheerful, but now it just felt drained of happiness. She walked into the lounge where Albert, Arthur, Melody and Ed, were sitting on the two sofas. Melody  was in fourteen year old Alberts arms quietly crying. Ed looked up into Rose’s kind eyes  and suddenly ran into her arms. Crying!?!

She scooped up five year old Ed and went to sit down on the sofa next to fourteen year old Arthur. She hugged Ed for a minute and then put him down and walked over to Albert and Melody. Melody lifted her head for the first time. Her eyes were filled with tears. A single tear splashed down onto Melody’s special locket their mother had given her. Rose picked up Melody and gave her a great squeese. She suddenly felt something in Melody’s clutched hand. She carefully took it out and found a telegram.

She sat down with Melody sitting on her lap. She unfolded the telegram wiht trembling hands and read :

Dear Jones family, 

Lance Edwards Jones is MISSING IN ACTION.

We will get more information to you when possible.

From the New Zealand Airforce

A tear ran down Rose’s face and splashed on to her fathers name. She hugged  Melody even harder and put the telegram into Melodys locket. The words ‘Missing in Action’ stuck out incredibly big. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. They all stared in it’s direction. Rose put Melody back into Albert’s arms. She then went over to the door and opened it. There was Cedric. The fifteen year old postman in the community. He held a letter. Not a telegram!

Cedric then said 

“Its from your mother,”.

Rose felt a good luck stream run through her. She took the letter from Cedric, said thank you and closed the door. She went back into the lounge and opened the letter. Albert, Arthur, Melody and Ed all went and sat next to her. They then all read:

Dear Rose, Albert, Arthur, Melody and Ed

Your father has been found and is being nursed. He was found in a bombed trench. He has been shot in the arm but is healing fast.

Love from your mother Beth

P.S Coming home in one month!!!

Rose  looked up from the letter. She had never felt more relieved in her life. The huge boulder was off her shoulders now.

By Faye year 5

WW2 Weapons and Artillery

This year it was our school centennial so for the production each class was given a decade. Our class got given the 1930's and 1940's. Our class focussed on WW2. We decided that we would like to learn more about WW2 weapons and artillery.

By Zeb, William, Mitchell and Gus, Room 11, 2010

How to 'take a photo'

You will need:

A digital camera
Yourself
Something to take a photo of

Method:

1. Put one hand through the loop attached to the camera.
2. Place both hands firmly on the camera,then lift it up so you can see through the screen.
3. Aim the camera at what you want to take a photo of through the screen.
4. Put one finger on the big button at the top of the device .
5. Press down on the button.

Well done you have now successfully taken a photo:)

By Gus, Year 6

How to Fish

You will need:

Fishing rod
Bait
Bucket
Hooks
A boat if you have one

Steps:
1. Drive to a good fishing place.
2. Get you stuff out and walk on to the wharf.
3. If you have a boat hop on it.
4. Get the bait out and put on the hook then put the line in the water.
5. Sit there and wait until you feel a tug.
6. Pull the line out and if there is a fish put the fish in the bucket with water in it.
7. Repea.t
8. Leave and when you get home you can eat it.

By Ethan Room 11 Year Six 2010

How to 'Trick Or Treat'

You will need:

An awesome costume
A bag (to put all the lollies in)
Kind neighbours

Method:
1. Walk up to a house and knock on the door
2. Say "Trick or treat!", if they answer, if they know about Halloween they should give you lollies!
4. Say "Thanks!" and walk off
4. Walk up to another house and repeat the process.

By Jonathan

WW2 Aircraft

Room 11 was learning about World War 2. I was fascinated with the aircraft used. So here's a slideshow about aircraft used in WW2.


By Jonathan Year 6

Kids in World War 2

Faye and Stella made this keynote to find out about Kids in WW2. We found out lots about about kids and found it very sad and interesting. I hope you enjoy our keynote!

From Faye and Stella 

P.S We created the music ourselves on Garageband! Cool aye?

How to do the invisible rope

You will need:
2 people (friends or family)
No rope
A car that doesn't know you are going to pull a trick.

Steps:
First: Get your friend to go on the other side of the road.
Next: When you see a car, pretend to be pulling hard on a rope.
Outcome: The car will hopefully come to a stop or it will go past.

If it does work,you have mastered it already.
                                
Tips:
If the car goes past pretend that it has broken your rope and fall over.


By Zeb, Room 11, 2010

How to Ding Dong Ditch

You will need:
-sneakers
-a house that you know the owners are home
-to be a fast runner

Instructions:
-Walk up to a house door with a car in the driveway or on the road nearby (make sure the owners don't see you through a window)
-Get ready to run back to the street
-Knock on the door and sprint to the street

Tips:
A good thing to do is to 'Ding Dong Ditch' a house on a corner so you can run and hide around the corner. You can also hide behind the parked car on the road.

By William, Room 11, 2010

Production 2010

Hiroshima and the Atom Bomb

This is my keynote about Hiroshima and the Atom bomb. I thought it was really sad learning about what happened. This shows what great harm war can do.

By Kyle, year 5

Matt Sanderson

Matt Sanderson

With scruffy brown hair about two inches long and a wacky sense of humour, Matt Sanderson was recruited to go to WW2 when he was only 18 years old. 

  

He could clearly remember the day, when sitting eating his dinner, he heard Sir Michael Savage giving a speech on the radio,

“We are now at war with Germany, with gratitude for the past and confidence in the future, we arrange ourselves without fear beside Britain. Where she goes, we go.

Where she stands, we stand.

We’re only a small and young nation, but we march with a union of hearts and souls to a common destiny.”

One day a letter was sent to 22 Sussex Street, Matt opened his front door to find a little envelope that had his name on it. He opened it and pulled out a piece of paper, it said a whole lot of mumbo jumbo, but the only thing Matt noticed was,

‘On September the third you, Matt Sanderson have been picked to go to war against Germany and Italy’.

Matt was so stunned that he dropped the letter and stumbled inside. He had experience with guns because he owned a Springfield rifle, but still he hated war.

 It was January the ninth and Matt had been well trained over the last few months, but still he felt sick with nerves. Although he wasn’t looking forward to the war Matt was really impressed with the perfectly timed marching. It was so good it could send the enemy’s army back to Germany. 

At that moment Matt knew that the war had started.

By William, Year 6, Room 11, 2010

Kate Richard

Kate Richard lived in Gisborne. She has one daughter called Liz Richard. She is 8 years old. Kate Richard is 35 and she is married to Jack Richard. She grew up with lots of brothers. She is the only girl in her family. She was an orphan and she doesn’t know who her parents were. Her oldest brother brought her up. She often imagined who her parents were. Jack went to war in 1939 and she missed him terribly. She was abandoned on a farm with her brothers. She moved with her brothers to New Zealand from Britain. 
One day a man knocked on the door a letter. It said: “Its Jack, I’m all right I miss you and my daughter. Are you still alright? love Jack". 
She was in a movie called ‘My Husband is at War’. There is a knock at the door Kate and Liz opened the door.
"Who are you?” she said.
”I’m your injured husband back from the war,”  said her husband.
“We missed you, never leave us again,” 
They took him to the hospital and he was really injured but he was all right because he with his daughter and wife.  

By Aryana, Year 6, 2010

Christina Battley

 Christina Winifred Battley sat on the front porch looking over her husband Colin’s eleven hundred acre farm,near Pio Pio, crying, wondering if her family members would ever return from the war. It was 1939, she was 33 and had just had a depressing farewell to thousands of men (including Colin) going off to fight in Italy. Christina was now left with the responsibility of looking after the farm, her eight children and cleaning the house. Tom her oldest child came up for comfort.

“Do you think that daddy will ever return mummy?” he sobbed, “ I hope he does because you can’t look after all of us children, because you have got Heather, Alan, Barbara and Dorothy. I don’t think that you will cope mum! You’ve also got Betty, Jack and Barry. I’m really worried mum, I really am!” 

Tom’s voice was all shaky and as he looked at Christina. Some tears trickled down from his hazel green eyes, that looked like his mothers, Tom’s curly blonde hair so much like his mothers flowed in the wind as he looked at his mum and said wiping away his tears, 

“You’d better get out of your good clothes mum!” By good clothes he meant Christina’s favourite purple flowery dress, unlike her normal rags tied back with a piece of string, as they were a very poor family. Tom walked away muttering,

“Daddy, Uncles Alex, Jeremy and Joseph, Aunties Dianne, Alexandra and Mary all gone!”

“Honey,” Christina called, “ you must understand, we’re all heart broken.”

This comment Christina just said sent her back into more sparkly, dripping tears. Her curly blonde hair blowed in the wind as she thought about her friends and how they were coping, Rose, Arabella, Bella and Anne-Marie because they had all sent family members off to war or had family members in other parts of the world where war was happening. As Christina got up, she stumbled and wondered how she would look after the family, as they were very poor. The postie boy rode past and and delivered the days mail. Christina walked down the steep driveway to the mail box and pulled out the mail. It was a letter saying that rationing was going to be put into place and that they had to go and get a book of coupons one for each of the family on the coming Monday. Christina smiled and walked back up the driveway and into the house.

About three years later Christina was dumbstruct to see a telegram boy standing at her door. The telegram boy was there to say that Colin, Alex, Jeremy and Mary had all died at a bombing attack at sea. Christina was never the same again - EVER!! (Even up until her death in 2005 at the age of 99).  

By Petra, year 6, 2010

Nickolas O'Reily

Nickolas O’reily

Nickolas O’Reily was in North Africa, fighting for his country New Zealand in World War 2. When he went to sleep he dreamt about coming back to Pukekoe and reuniting with his wife Barbara and his children Peter and Francis. He then went back to doing his job which was writing for The Dominion Post. He woke up, knowing it was all a dream. He then heard the sound of the bugle. The day was Guy Fawkes 1944, which was Nickolas’s birthday. He was turning 24. He looked in a mirror and saw himself while combing his hair. He saw his brown hair and brown eyes. He also saw his freckles. Six months had passed and Nickolas was wondering when he would come back to New Zealand. Then a messenger came and said, 

“The war is over, Hitler is dead.” 

An aircraft carrier came to get the soldiers. Nickolas went back to Pukekoe and saw his family again.

By Kyle, Year 5, 2010

Charles Thompson

Charles Thompson’s rusty, old Spitfire had just plummeted into French soil. The slightly built twenty-three year old now had no chance of being able to see his wife Joanne and his two young children Harold, three and Marie just seven months old.

His light brown hair blew in the wind as he turned and faced his plane. His hair turned a shade of grey as the ash and smoke leaking from the engine blew past his dusty face giving him octogenarian-like hair. His burnt, once porcelain-coloured hand was aching as he tried to relieve the pain by using a piece of his dusty, dark green jacket to cover it. As he tried to stand up his brain started feeling like fireworks were going off inside.

He wished he had kept his job as an engineer. He yelled and slammed his fist against his plane's wing. Even if he did get found by his comrades his stomach would most likely still kill him, he was starving. The forrest reminded him of the backyard outside his little villa in Napier. His very good sense of hearing could hear the rumbling of tyres....

He woke up staring at a white tiled roof ceiling. 

“How are you,” bellowed a low voice. He slowly lifted his head to find General Jonesey standing right in front of him.

General Jonesey held up a mirror. Green eyes, brown hair, freckles.

“I’m fine,” Charles looked on his lap to find a tiny leather box.

He opened it to find a small gold cross with ‘Bravery’ carved into it.

Jonathan, Year 6, Room 11, 2010

Golf clubs

Today Room 11 went to play golf with Kaye Carroll. Room 11 practised swinging the flag and then room 11 did their real swinging with a golf club hitting a ball. First we hit the big ball and we had three people in a group. In our group there was Fa'alolo, Sene and Jeremiah. Kaye Carroll thought Jeremiah was an American but Jeremiah is from Tonga. Then we hit the tennis balls, Sene hit the tennis ball really far. The last type of ball we hit were the golf balls (not real ones). Fa'alolo hit the golf ball the highest. Jonathan hit the golf ball the furthest out of everyone. Room 11 had four turns to hit each of the balls. Ethan hit it all the way to the play ground and Jeremiah hit it further than Sene.              
By Fa'alolo and Sene.

Penelope Sterling

The Letter

Penelope Sterling stood on the balcony of her Hawkes Bay home and worriedly ran her pale, slender hand through her long blonde hair. Charles, her husband, had gone to war eighteen months ago and she didn’t know when or even if he would return.

Every evening after putting her identical twins Ruth and Miriam to bed, she stood out on the verandah and thought about him. On the morning of Tuesday 16th February 1943 she got the twins up and while Ruth made breakfast, she started her farm chores with the help of Miriam.

“Come on Miri, ”Penelope yelled. ”It’s your turn to help me milk the cows!”

“Coming Ma, ”grumbled Miriam as she trundled outside, pulling on a jacket as the cold wind whipped her auburn curls around her beautifully-shaped white face.

“Come on, the faster you get it done the quicker you can get inside and warm your hands by the fire with a nice hot cup of tea, ”Penelope encouraged her twelve year old daughter.

When Penelope finished milking the cows, she trudged up to the mail box and watched Miriam shuffle slowly up to the house, arms wrapped around her small frail frame and wished Charles was back. Penelope opened the mailbox and expected it to be as empty as it always was. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a rectangle shape lingering silently in the darkness. There was a letter, just waiting to be picked up. She peered in with her light blue eyes perfectly framed by a delicate oval face and lifted it up. With shaking hands she opened the baby blue envelope, not knowing if it would break her heart any further, or fix it back up again.

“Dear my beautiful wife Penelope, ” The letter began. Her heart leapt and she read on.

“I have missed you so much! How are the twins? By the time you get this letter, me and my crew will be in places unknown. Penelope heard a commotion inside with both the twins yelling out , but took no notice and carried on reading. Sorry it has taken this long for my love to reach you and the children. Hopefully the war will be over soon and I will once again be able to hold you in  my arms. Apart from a few injuries, I am just fine. I saw your brother James in the infirmary yesterday with 

a head bandage and a broken leg. The nurses ensure me that he will make a very speedy recovery. Love you lots,Charles.

Penelope’s heart, no longer broken, was beating like a drum as she rushed inside with tears of joy streaming down her face, to show Ruth and Miriam. To her surprise in the door way was Charles. She screamed in delight and ran up the drive to meet him.

Morgan, Year 6 

Bella Jones

Bella Jones left her small classroom at The Central Primary School in London, and she began her walk through Trafalger Square. Bella always admired the large lion statue, she ran her long, slender fingers over it’s smooth, lionish stone. Although Bella tried to live a normal life with her five year old Jo and twelve year old Suzie, Bella dearly missed her husband, Julian, who was off fighting in Eygpt. Suddenly there was a gust of strong wind,     

sending her curly, golden hair fapping around her sad, sullen face. she began her walk home as she needed to cook dinner for Jo and Suzie. It began to rain quite hard, “Oh dear!” Bella thought and ran under a nearby tree. Suddenly there was a loud crash and the tree she was standing under fell over! Bella jumped out of the way, dropping her bag. As she bent down to pick it up she looked in her small hand mirror. Her large, hazel eyes stared back at her and in the back ground, a whole lot of..........NAZI PLANES!!! Bella let out a shrill scream and began to sprint home as fast as she could, not even bothering to pick up her bag. One or two times she tripped over her long, black dress but that didn’t bother her, she needed to see if that loopy housekeeper was looking after her darlings. Bella arrived home in five minutes. Most of the windows were  smashed and the door had fallen off. Things were just as bad inside. Bella’s favourite chess board had snapped in two and her cat, Tibbles, was trying to hide under the sofa, but these things did not bother Bella. she ran down to the cellar and found Jo, Suzie and Sarah, the loopy housekeeper, huddled in a corner. Bella stretched out her long, slender arms to give Jo and Suzie a big hug. They were all alive, unhurt (almost) and back together again.

           

By Lucy, Year 6, 2010, Room11 

golf is so cool

Today Room 11 played golf with Kaye Carroll and it was really fun. Jeremiah hit the golf ball very, very,very far out to the field. We were supposed to stand in a particular position to hit the ball. We had to have a certain grip on the golf club. Ruth had a go with the golf club. Next we played a cool game and the aim of the game is to stay in the hoop. We weren't supposed to hit the ball too hard. Then Kaye Carroll had a big big hit to the tree. We are also doing it next week. We can't wait!!!



By Jeremiah and Aryana.

Alexander Grant

When Alexander Grant was a little boy he hated war but when war time came he had no choice but to go. He was from Auckland, New Zealand. He lived at number 10 Northland Street, Grey Lynn. He had five brothers and five sisters. His dad went to World War 1 and he came back..... just. Alexander went to Grey Lynn School and after that he worked in his dads barber shop for about ten years. He didn’t want to go to war but he had to. It was war time and after he left Auckland he was based in Italy to fight. He was there for two years, his face was always dirty and he hadn’t had a proper shower for a very long time. His uniform was disgusting. One day when he went in to a new town he hadn’t visited before, he was reminded of Grey Lynn. It even looked like Grey Lynn. The stores the school everything. But it was like a ghost town. When he left he wished that he never went there. One day there was a big battle and he got a bullet in his arm. He nearly died but he didn’t. His arm was dripping but he still fought on. He was very brave, so brave he got the Victoria Cross for his bravery. The little boy who hated war was one of New Zealand’s greatest fighters.

By Ethan, Year 6, 2010, Room 11

2010 Showcase

In 2010 all our school's learning has been around the topic of 'Change'.
In term one we learnt about 'Personal Change'. We looked at the way we have changed over our time at Grey Lynn School. We talked about physical and emotional change, how to create change within ourselves and we set goals about the change we would like to see happen.
In term two we learnt about 'Changemakers'. We studied people who have created change in the world, the reason why they were motivated to create the change and how they went about achieving it. There are lots of inspirational changemakers out there; Kate Sheppard, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King.....just to name a few!
In term three we looked at 'Historical Change' which tied in very nicely with our school centinennal celebrations. We focussed on the causes and effects of World War Two and the change it created around the globe. We did an amazingly moving performance at out school production related to the loss and devastation created by the war, that left a tear in many of the audience's eyes.....
This term, our last term at Grey Lynn School for most of us, we are learning about 'Chemical Change' and will be investigating the way substances change during the bread making process. Yum!
2010 has also had other highlights, Aloha Night, camp (what fun!), ETOC Week for the Year 5's, Inner City sport, Kapa Haka and heaps more.
Over the coming weeks we hope to showcase the best of our work this year for you all to see.
Enjoy.