Subtract the second numerator from the first numerator and put it over the denominator!

Learning Intention: We are learning to develop our understanding of fractions.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I write three steps for subtracting fractions.

YMCA is my favourite pool!

On Saturday the 17th of September, my family and I went to Manukau mall for our family lunch because we didn't have anything else to do. We all travelled to the mall in my dad's Jeep wrangler.

After we arrived, I jumped out of the van and went inside straight away with my mum. There was a big empty space in the middle of the mall with activities like bungee jumping, face painting and baby photography.

My father asked me to do a back handspring so he can record it in slow motion. I did a backflip at the same time as my sister Sophia. Then I did a press handstand. Lasike and I got our faces painted. I got a really big Tongan flag on my cheek with a purple butterfly on my eye and my brother got a red writing on his face saying 'Po'uhilas!'. Then my dad took a photo of our faces together.

Afterwards, we all went to the movies and played in the arcade centre. We played ice hockey and my sister won against me, we earned 10 tickets from the game. Then we played a football game. We had to get the golden ball into the centre and if we do, we get a jackpot. Lasike won the golden ball so he got 150 tickets. After a while, we hopped in a machine called the Hurricane and it was really scary.

Then we collected all of our tickets from all the games that we have played and we had a total of 276 tickets. Then we went to the prize box and collected things that we could afford with the tickets. We got 3 smurf sculptures filled with candies and a big box of erasers and pencils. My sister gave us each 2 pencils with 2 erasers because there were six pencils and erasers altogether. Afterwards, we all went to the food court to have lunch because that was the main reason for our visit to the mall. Lasike and I had Burger King, my sister had McDonald's and my parents had some cooked salmon. Then we went home to have a little nap.

Later on, my mum told us to pack our swimming togs, towels and extra dry clothes because she was taking us to the YMCA swimming pool. We travelled there in my mum's Suzuki. After we arrived, I went to the girls' changing room with my mum and my sister to change into our swimming togs. When we were all ready, we hopped into the swimming pool.

I swam all the way to the bottom of the pool and back to the top. Then Lasike and I did a backflip into the pool. Then Lasike, Sophia, My mum and I went to the big blue water slide and I slid down the slide with my mum. It was really dark in the water slide and we ended up in a big, deep swimming pool. I swam to the edge of the pool and used the ladder to pull myself out of the pool. Then we played surfboard and I grabbed a big paddle board and pretended to surf on the blue, clear water. Lasike counted how long I could surf for and my mum won the game.

After an hour, we dried ourselves and changed into our dry clothes. Then we all went home because we were all very tired.

My favourite part was when we slid down the big, blue water slide because it was alot of fun and really exciting.

Learning Intention: We are learning to understand and use the language feature in our writing.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I use action verbs to describe my family day out.

Russia was the first country to launch a satellite into outer space!

Learning Intention: We are learning to understand the interactive systems in outer space.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I research and locate information about man-made satellites.

Each of the Olympic mascot represents the hosting country!

Learning Intention: We are learning to develop our understanding of time, continuity and change.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I write down the past 10 Olympic mascots and explain what they represent.

Make sure that the denominators are the same before you add the fractions!

Learning Intention: We are learning to develop our understanding of fractions.
Success criteria: I know I can do this when I explain that fractions can only be added if the denominators are the same.

I finally performed my Samoan dance after 2 weeks of practice!

On Saturday the 10th of September, my mum, dad and I drove to my family concert at Mount Roskill. My sister didn't come with us because she went to her best friend's birthday party. When we were getting ready to leave, my mum packed my Samoan puletasi, red lipstick and a packet of hair pins. When we were all ready, we left the house.

On our way to the hall, we stopped to get some food for the family concert. After we arrived, I helped my cousin Sita to carry the radio that would blast out the music for the dancers. After we went inside, we had to set up the radio. 

While we were waiting for the rest of the family to arrive, we played X-factor in the children's room. My cousin Selevasio and I sang a song together. My cousin and I came first place. After a while, the rest of the family arrived. My dad led the prayer and then we all ate. I sat next to my cousin and ate with her.

Eventually, it was time to dance. I was the first to dance and I wore my puletasi with red lipstick with a c on my cheeks and my hair in a neat bun. I danced to the song La'u Samoa/ During my dance, I raised $352 dollars. Four of my cousins danced and one sang.

After that the parents had a small meeting while the kids played multiple games. I coloured in an online adult colouring book and I took many selfies with my family members.

Eventually, we all went home with a bowl of leftovers. I said goodbye to everyone and hopped into the car.

When we finally arrived home, I went straight to bed.

My favourite part was when I performed the La'u Samoa dance after 2 weeks and 4 hours of practice.

Learning Intention: We are learning to understand and use descriptive language in our recounts.

Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I use action verbs to describe my family concert.

WOW! There's a satellite out in space that is in my name!

Learning Intention: We are learning to understand the interactive systems in outer space.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I list down 10 interesting facts about satellites.

John Pahulu stars in Tagata Pasifika and Fresh!

Learning Intention: We are learning to write a description.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I make a brainstorm with key words about John and use them to describe him.

I don't want to be caught in an earthquake!

Earthquake is a natural disaster that can happen any time, any where and everywhere. Earthquakes are violent shaking of the earth caused by the movement of rock plates in the Earth's core.

Earthquakes happen when the plates in the earth's crust shift. When one plate moves, the other will move too. If one plate moves on top of the other plate, there will be a big earthquake.  The earthquakes stop when the two plates rub on each other and when they rub they stick together which stops the disaster.

There has been 15,000 earthquakes this year in New Zealand. Earthquakes are very dangerous because it can topple houses and buildings, train tracks break, roads and power supplies get damaged or get affected,and huge cracks are made on the ground. Earthquakes can even cause tsunamis. Earthquakes are very dangerous that I don't want to be in one again.

Learning Intention: We are learning to follow the structure of an explanation writing.

Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I write the introduction, follow by the explanation and then a conclusion of how an earthquake happens.

What did you do for your father on Father's Day?

Learning Intention: We are learning to understand and use descriptive language in our recounts. 
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I use action verbs to describe the celebration that we had on Father's Day.

It was Father's Day on Sunday the 4th of September. My family and I woke up at six a.m. Once we were all downstairs, we all said happy father's day to my dad and we made my dad his special father's day omelette with salmon and gave it to him. My sister made pancakes, I made the eggs and the toast while my brother cooked the bacon.

When the food was finished, we all placed the food on the tray and went out to the deck under the shade for our feed. I sat on the hammock that was tied to the tree. My dad took some photos to post on his facebook page to show off to my other family members.

When the clock hit eight, we all got dressed to go to church so my dad could get blessed on his special day. When we were all ready, we rushed to get to church so we could join in the divine mercy prayer.

After mass, we all went home because my uncle Ngaro and Ringo came over to give my dad a present and to have a mini barbeque with our family. My dad bought a frozen pork for my brother to cook. My brother and my sister were on cooking duty and I was on decorating duty of the house.

My dad, uncle and grandpa all relaxed while we all did all the work. My sister baked a blue, red velvet cake with vanilla icing and edible decorations. There was also mash potatoes, pieces of steak, french fries, salmon and she also made my mum's special macaroni and cheese. My brother cooked Tongan umu pork.

After a while, I ran to the shop to get some decorating materials. I bought a big white coloured banner, 3 big paint brushes, big containers of paint, blue, green and yellow balloons, blue ribbons and a candle that said 'Happy Father's day'. I painted, 'Happy Father's day!!' using blue paint on the big white banner. After the paint has dried, I painted green balloons and hung the banner across the room with the help of my older cousin Linzee.

When the food was cooked, the presents were ready and the decoration was all prepped as well, we called all the fathers to come inside. When they came in, the whole room was dark and they couldn't see anyone. Then I turned on the light and everybody yelled out, "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!"

After a while, all the fathers grabbed a plate and filled up their plates with food. Then the rest of us filled up our plates as well. Then everyone watched a movie called, 'The three wise cousins'. Afterwards, We cut the cake and everyone had a piece with one scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Soon all the fathers opened up all the presents. It was fun watching their reactions, because they all received what they wanted. Then we all played 'guess who?' and my brother Lasike won the game.

After two hours of playing board games, everybody left the party.

The house was quiet so we decided to call all my uncles in Tonga to say Happy Father's day to them as well. After that, we went to bed because it was getting late.

My favourite part was when I decorated the house because I love to create my own decorations and it was a lot of fun.

Did you know that 'duck' is a homonym?

Learning Intention: We are learning to develop out understanding of the English grammar.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I explain that homonyms are words that have the same sound, same spelling but they don't have the same meaning.

WOW! Broccolina turned into an angel!

Learning Intention: We are learning to make connections with the text and develop our critical thinking skills.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I use the ideas from the story 'The witch's daughter' to write five critical thinking questions about it. 

Does your school have a mascot?

Learning Intention: We are learning to develop our understanding of time, continuity and change.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I write down five facts about mascots.

I'm so nervous about my presentation for the first of September!

On Thursday the 25th of August, Salome and Siliga came back to our classroom to take us for art. First, Salome gave us our instructions. Straight away, we all ran around trying to finish off our masterpiece.

Meanwhile, I grabbed some tape to stick the bottom part of my golf club together, because during the week, my golf club broke. Soon I taped my cups together, I grabbed the hot glue gun to secure them together.

After a while, I went to the painting station and asked some classmates who have finished to help me to paint my equipment. Alessandra, Punipuao and Tristan helped me paint.
When my golf ball and club was ready, I set it aside so that I could work on my golf tee which had also broke. I grabbed a bottle lid a skewer and glued them together.

Eventually, Salome yelled out pack up time, so we tried to clean up the classroom quickly. Finally, the classroom was spotless. Our masterpieces were done but we needed our cue cards. Salome said that we would have to finish our cue cards at home. Our deadline is by the following Thursday (the 1st of September). Afterwards, we all said thank you, followed by an end of day karakia.

Learning Intention: We are learning to understand and use the appropriate language features of a recount.
Success Criteria: I know I can do this when I group my ideas in order using sequencing words about our Thursday art session.