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Wacky Hair Day - Wednesday 22nd March 2017

Oral Language - Round 2

You may find the following website useful when researching Christchurch suburbs for your oral language (Thanks Nikki T.):
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/index/

Students, please check your school email for the Oral Language questions.

Port Hills fire poems

Fire Storm - by Caleb

The red blaze was expanding

Bigger, and bigger

Like a balloon

We thought we had contained the enormous beast.

But then, it ignited

As if the balloon had just popped

Eyes of terror surrounded me

As we all gazed at the fire spreading around the Port Hills

Like a warm blanket wrapping its arms tight, around the houses, in its tracks

Choppers in aircraft, soaring over the land dropping bombs on the fire

Days passed and the horrible, treacherous fire was still roasting

Nothing could stop the brute

But the rain

Drops hosing down sizzling on the red hot scorching fire

Putting it out...

Feel that burn - by Yusi

The fire lacerated everything in its pathway

Following the direction of the wind

The wind is its pathway

The black blanket steamed from the ground

Blinding everyone’s view

Wrapping his warmth around Christchurch

The determined firefighters had their dreams

To save Christchurch.

THE FIRE - by Keegan

Tangoing across the dry hills,
consuming everything in its path,
growing bigger and bigger like a tsunami as it goes to the shore,
mountains cry as they get burnt to a crisp,
charred hills as black as night.

Finally, a splatter of rain like spits on a barbecue,
Port Hills engulfed in black and grey smoke,
the flames put fear in residents of burnt homes.

Word has reached across the lands that the fire has dulled down.

THE FIRE - by Max

The fire rapidly destroying... rapidly roaring!

burning the trees and the bees.

High in the air, get out of here.
Dancing around, making more sound.
Smells like smoke, you might choke.
Fight the fire, because it’s getting higher!

Risking Lives - group poem

Ravenous flames swallowed the land

Beckoning for more...

Pine needles and gorse

Thirsting for more...

Eyes burning

Like a ring of fire...

Defending our beloved homes to the hilt

Unscathed by the fire...

In my eyes - by Naomi

I run, I flee, the fire is chasing me,

I scream, I roar, I can’t take no more,

I hide, I cry, up the branches then I sigh,

I need help, I need it fast, fires climbing up my branch,

I am scared, I see, my family is leaving me,

The hills are destroyed and my home is no more.

Forgotten Rage - by Lucia

Forgotten rage

Lingers

Over the now foreign land

Engulfing signs of survival

Reaching through hope

Lost

Gone

Forgotten rage

Forgotten rage

Still lingers

Over the once known land

Poems about the Port Hills fires

Flickering Flames - by Jenna

Endless bush

Smothered in flames

Thousands evacuated

This isn't a game.

Unstoppable rain

Licking the hills

Stressed out homeowners

Taking pills.

High in the sky

The smoke lingers

Just waiting there

To burn off my fingers.

Quickly as I can

I flee the house

Empty

Apart from the tracings of a mouse.

Dancing on rooftops

Is this beast

Eating our city

For its feast.

Fire Poem - by Mya

It smoulders the lonely hills

The flaring blaze

Kindling the trees

It ignites.

The city holds its breath

Waiting

For the lingering flames

To engulf the land.

The firefighters calm the charred hills

Containing the soaring fire

Extinguishing the alight flames.


Fire - by Fritha

Light ascends

Rapidly spreading

Rushing up the hill

Until it sees a solitary tree

Standing in the open

The only one left in its area

The light waits

As the trees limbs wave

In the breeze

Then… In a second

The tree is consealed in a layer

Of light

As the bright blue sky turns grey

An aroma leaks of the tree

Choking the living

Then the tree disintegrates

Gone forever

Ruins of a Flame - by Orla

The smouldering ruins,

Of a burnt out house,

Charred by a roaring blaze,

The incessant flames, smothering all,

Igniting everything in it’s path.

Starting as a single flicker,

A danger to nothing and no one,

Soon developing into a flaring fire,

Impossible to comprehend.

Clouds of billowing smoke,

Blotting out all around,

Hiding the hills,

Charring the trees,

Continuing to liner on.

After the fire’s put out,

And the waves of firefighters gone home,

The flames sleep dormant,

Wasting away,

‘Till one day the blaze will return.

Smoke in the air - by Bella B.

A blanket of thick dark smoke levitates in the air

Land thirsty flames swallow up the charred hills

The rain, useless as can be, like spitting on a barbeque

Once green hills are smothered with dancing flames

Beads of sweat form on the exhausted firefighters skin

Days, weeks, months

How long will this beast survive?

Watch this space for more published poems!

Camp Activity Descriptions

Team Building/ABL

Description:

The team building session has been designed as a full course that students must work through, to achieve the final goal…defusing a bomb!  There are around 6 activities that flow into each other and the course is a race between two small teams to see who can get there first. Giant skis, code cracker, toxic swamp, cargo net and bomb are just some of the activities the students will complete to get across a pressure sensitive field without setting off the bomb at the end that they must defuse. This activity never fails to deliver a great time and heaps of excitement.  It is a must do for any school camp.

Bush Craft/Bush Safety

Description:

Bush craft/Bush safety is an interactive session of bivvy building and survival. Students start with an auction to buy equipment that they think they would need to survive a night in the wilderness eg, shelter, cooker, headlamp, food, warm clothing etc. Then in their groups they have the opportunity to build a natural/man made shelter against the elements that must protect their entire team. They demonstrate with the equipment they purchased during the auction how they intend to support each other and survive. This activity reinforces preparedness in New Zealand wilderness.

River Safety/Waterfall Abseil

Description:

Fun with water safety! Working our way along the river we find pools to explore and swim in and students learn about how to safely walk and cross rivers. Our rivers are always changing and the hazards can be hidden so by learning through interactive play we are teaching our students how to act and think safely when in this environment. As the river is not deep and is managed by our experienced staff, students of all abilities are able to participate in this activity.

The River Safe Programme and abseiling provides students with an active, exhilarating and fun wilderness experience.  The activities have a ‘swimming hole safety’ tint as they teach river crossing techniques, hazard identification, checking the pool depth and safe jumping and sliding practices.

Orienteering

Description:

A centre wide orienteering course has been specifically designed to engage all students in an exciting treasure-hunt experience. Using photos, descriptions and flag markers students make their way around the course in groups no bigger than 6. They look for answers to all the clues in order to successfully complete the course. A mixture of navigation, observation and team work will see the students round.

Mt Richardson Tramp

Description:

At some point over the three days at camp, students will be tramping all or part of the Mt Richardson track.  The total Richardson, Blowhard and Bypass Track has a DOC time of 4-6 hours.  Students will tramp in a group of between 30 and 45 students, with a ratio of 2 adults to 15 students.  

Students will need plenty of drinking water for the tramp (we suggest that students carry 2L of water with them).  It is also a good idea to pack energy snacks, such as pretzels, crackers and other complex carbohydrates that help fuel the body and replenish the electrolytes lost through sweating.  A dried fruit mix is also another good option.

It is encouraged that students carry antihistamine cream and tablets as a precaution because of the wasp population at this time of year, and any students who are known to be allergic to stings/bites not complete the tramp.  Wasps are attracted to food, so all food should be covered and sweet drinks avoided.  Students should wear light-coloured clothing as wasps are more likely to be attracted to dark-coloured objects that resemble the dark colours of the beech trees.

Camp Gear List and Activity Programme

* Click on image to enlarge.

 

We will share student groupings with the pod tomorrow. :)