This year definitely made some changes for each event, including swimming. This time instead of hosting it at the beginning of the term, it was arranged at the end. On the first day we were sorted into 3 groups. Every day the coaches would change, which gave us the opportunity to both learn new skills and to learn about all the coaches. On the last day of swimming we got to ride the boats and practice how to save those who are drowning again! Which wasn’t really enjoyable for me if I’m being honest. But it was nice to participate in the CLM swimming lessons one last time.

For 2 days we did Epro8 but this time for the first lesson we tried doing as much projects as we could. Which resulted in completing 1 project. But as for the second lesson we were given the free will to choose one construction out of three difficult ones. On the first day my group (the “Gals”) was the first to complete the first construction under 25 minutes. Sadly we didnt have enough time to do the second one so we dissasembled everything and waited for tomorrow.

On the second day we could choose a project that is suitable and exciting for us. The “puppet show” was engulfed in fame since my group and everyone else decided to have a go. Except for one group who chose “The Queens Chair”. All were pretty difficult since we weren’t given direct instructions but we all kept our faith and continued on. Just like the first lesson, we couldn’t complete everything due to swimming. So we had to destroy our buildings and transfer everything back to its place neatly. Although the amount of time we had wasn’t very helpful, I would still like to thank EPro8 for giving us the opportunity to create even more constructions and increase our creativity.

Every other Mission Day created so many enjoyable experiences. But this years Mission Day not only is the most unforgettable one out of the rest, its THE special one that revives the sweetness we felt not because of the candy but because of how much fun we were all having together. And it created memories for those who never had the chance to properly celebrate this event!

We started the day with our special Mass. Eventually, once we prepared our stalls we spent time with each other and decided to observe all the other exciting stands we can play. After the bell rang, the fun began! Sadly, I didn’t have the chance to try out every stall. But I asure you, I had the most delightful day. To increase the “happiness” level, we watched a movie while snacking on our sausage sizzles and our popsicles. We finished the day off with raffles and the prizes were sports equipment and bikes.

In room8 we continue with MoneyTime to learn about Financial Litracy to help improve our future choices. In each module we have completed we have learnt many things about “money”. Borrowing, Paying and my favourite, earning. One of the successful methods to earn money is creating a business. But a business isn’t an official business without workers and…advertisements!

Now, we had to design our advertisements for our business. Since I had many advertisement ideas I couldn’t choose specifically, so I created two of them. The first one being about “Baked Goods”, but instead they have unique structures and ingredients that suprises our customers.

The second one I did is about “Therapy”.  Everyone needs help, especially 12-13 year olds. But they’re too afraid to ask. So I came up with a safe space people can visit and release their stress. But everyone has a different method of dealing with problems, so in my business I make sure to include techniques that works for everyone. Since pets are known for bringing peace and joy to those surrounding them, they make very good companions.

Dear Diary

Gloomy weather, soaked clothing and traumatised people, what’s a combo better than this? We arrived on the boat, the screaming and pleading of the helpless left a scar in my eardrums and my heart. But the clashing of waves and the coughing of the boat’s engine was able to defeat the distant sound of destruction and heal the painful mark that was left in my blood pumper. Sadly, the amount of greedy people ending their lives soon ended my thought that peace is feasible. The saltiness of the sea’s particles managed to enter both my eyeballs and my mouth uninvited. Which forced my tongue to fold back and my eyes to blink rapidly to eradicate the stinging. The smoke barged into my nostrils, but once the odour of combined human liquid interrupted the gas’ trespass it climbs straight down towards the only exit. Like snakes and Ladders. The chilliness of the rain pressured my body to freeze as cold as a goliath snowman. The warmth of both my fathers jacket and his love heated me up. Reviving the smile I had before the chaos unfolded back in Cuba. But right now, what’s the difference?

Land has been spotted. Excitement charged my battery to 100% only to die immediately once the “land” is revealed to be “the streets”. The candle’s heat and the half-ripped blankets comfort could never outpass the warmth of my fathers determination to keep me safe. Although my eyes were locked harder than a safes, I sensed my father staring at me while I slept uncomfortably on his shoulder. His sorrow was soon transferred to me. My eyes were shut even further to prevent the waterfall of tears flowing down my bulky cheeks. I awaked to go for a walk along the peaceful path that wasn’t demolished and wasn’t engulfed in people suffering many indescribable injuries. My fathers concerned face remained. But when we passed by a bakery filled with many pastries, his expression became more serious. I tried moving on. My craving stomach said otherwise. My belly can’t hold it in anymore and threw an outburst full of growls and scowls like a newborn baby demanding to be fed. For me, it was different. I knew the struggle we were currently going through so I silenced the snarling by relaxing my icy hand to calm its frustration and hurry along. Refusing to look back. `

Splishing and Splashing walking upon puddle by puddle. Sky flashed everytime lightning bolts struck. The air roared towards my direction, attempting to blow me away. Rain drops descended onto the only protection we had. No matter what the weather planned for us, nothing could erase the positive smile that has finally arrived while staring at my father. With both happiness and guilt. Walking upon the steps to reach a well polished wooden door with stone slates surrounding it. My father knelt down to kiss my dry,cold forehead. Lended me the yellow scarf he’s always worn even before the mayhem. Tightly wrapped it around my neck, tighter than the last hug I had with my mother. How was I supposed to know this would be the exact same situation? His concern turned into guilt, and my guilt turned into concern. He took one more look, his eyes said “I’m sorry” and wandered away into the submerged road. But how I saw it was he was returning to the misery abyss we just escaped from. Correction, I just escaped from. 

There are types of feedback that all lead to helpful information. One of them being the deforestation feedback loop. Earth’s temperature rises and the tree’s die which leads to forest fire. The rotting and burning trees release carbon dioxide and the cycle goes on.

I wander around my dull and old town with boredom, to lighten up my mood I swing my arms and skip joyfully on the hard tiles engulfed in soft snow. Cold flakes falling upon my clothing doesn’t bother me at all. A gust of wind charges in my direction, but I don’t care. The crunchiness of my footsteps stepping upon the combination  of hard and soft echoes throughout the empty and lifeless alleyway. A bunch of old, rusty, yellow-ish and brownish missing posters, each one with its own information. I proceed to skip happily passing the posters, giving no attention to them at all. Finally my eye has been caught. A blackboard overtaken by different names belonging to different people. Some unique and some casual. Glee has finally entered once I notice the perfect spot for my beautiful name. The muffled crackling comes to a stop when I slide so cleanly, landing in front of the board. I slowly walk towards it and spot a piece of white chalk sitting there. “It’s time I put this to use”.

The crackling is replaced by the sounds of high-pitched squeaks while I freely write my name down on the dusty board with the rough piece of chalk. The freezing particles rest on my bright maroon jacket and my grey blue hat. Nothing can distract me from completing my wonderful name. Finally, I’ve joined the troupe. Backing up to admire how well my name stands out from the others. I relax my hands, drop the chalk without any care, gently pull my scarf down and allow happiness to take control. Which results in a small but heartwarming smile. In the back of my head, strange mechanical noises emerge out of nowhere. Chasing my satisfaction away and allowing concern to barge in. It takes hold of me, I turn around, towards the shop. It was tough to view it properly with ice and fog stuck on the window. At this moment all kinds of emotions are battling for the remote, but caution hasn’t left yet. Slowly approaching. Moving my head side to side. Ensuring no one is around. Finally, I reach the window and use my mitten to wipe the glass. Amazement returns. “An antique doll,” I observe closely. Staring at the eerie dolls appearance. Something about this doll catches my attention. I inspect myself, compare it to the doll and realisation hits. A doll version of me? It has very precise details. The only difference is the life I have in my eyes while I stare deeply into it, meeting its soulless gaze. Finally completing my comparison, I move my head up to continue appreciating the figure. It’s gone. Moving and shifting, scanning for it. My search comes to a stop once I reach the door. Mission success! The doll has been found.

Feeling the adrenaline switching from vein to vein up to my upper body and down to my lower. Immediately, I turn the door handle. It doesn’t budge. I knew it wasn’t going to open, but excitement wasn’t going to allow this obstacle to be left undefeated. Soon the empty alleyway is overwhelmed by the sounds of squeaking and clunking of the silver door handle. The collaboration of squeals and clomps increases in speed while I jiggle the handle faster and with more aggression each time it refuses. Hope has completely disintegrated. I can’t help but pout at the door and stomp my foot furiously on the snow, Imagining the door was my mother. Like I said, this door will not be left undefeated. I reach down, shape the fluffy substance into a bumpy sphere and throw it at the glass like a sloppy baseball pitcher. Walking away along with my disappointment. Sliding my hand on the smooth, chilly wall. A clink of a bell rushes to my eardrums. Reviving my determination. Slightly turning my head to see the door creaked open not too much. “Oh exhilaration, how I’ve missed you”.

Running sloppily towards the door. Peaking through the gap and preparing myself to be discovered by the shopkeeper. Once I’m ready, my hand pushes the door open. It lets out a rusty screech and a muffled cling, echoing throughout the empty shop with no human being in sight. But if you were to consider “dolls” to have a soul of their own, this room is suffocated in life. Boots releasing a liquid-y rustling while I wander around, fidgeting with my fingers and examining each peculiar doll. My emotions not knowing how to respond. The trip is finished once my creepy but cute doll replica is spotted on a shiny brown table in the same position. When reaching for it I’m rudely interrupted by a laid down wooden boy doll while continuously cycling on its tricycle. Its eyes have the same blank stare as my doll. Bending down, picking him up and placing him down properly. He heads straight towards the door which randomly closed once it got up. Weirdly, no matter how many times the wooden doll failed it proceeded to slam and bang on the door. I could help him, but that’s not my problem. Returning to obtain my doll, it disappears again. The investigation is back. This time, it’s completely blended in. Hope is slowly dying, until I notice it on the top shelf. Excitedly running to the olive green couch. Creaks and faint jingles are built once I hop onto the couch. Climbing the shelves to receive my doll, not caring about the others I bumped into. Pulling off my thick beige mitten with my crooked teeth. Carelessly dropping it down. All I had in my mind was “You are mine!”

Mitten placed on the shelf below the one with my beautiful doll relaxing on it. Trying to extend my arm and waist. I’m that close. The thumping of the wooden doll increases in speed and volume. I couldn’t care less. “I’m nearly there!”. Stretching my arm even further, “Come on!”. The closer I got, the more widened my smile and eyes would go.  Finally, my finger interacts with the doll’s nose. Unexpectedly, I’m devoured by the view of its eye enlarging. Images of myself frightened each time it flashes become images of baby dolls gathered and floating towards me. At this point, no emotion can control me during this horror show. To finish it off, I’m sucked into the last doll’s eye. I awake to see light shining through the glass from a fisheye view. Heavy breathing and clicking of my eyes frantically looking around is all I hear within this space. I’m unable to move or feel anything except panic. Soon, the “soulless” dolls show evidence of life when one beside me slowly and tiredly opens their eyes. The rest of the dolls follow. My panicking and hyperventilating is stopped without my permission by the same familiar mechanical sound that caught my attention before. Now, it has a redhead doll wearing a red dress on the top of it. Waiting patiently for its own personal child. Similar to how my one was. I understand now. I’m aware of the warnings I didn’t pay much attention to before I ended up becoming one of them. I really did join the troupe after all.

The Baleen Whales can be trace back to  “Pakicetus” which are the first whale species to be discovered from around 34 million years ago.  A feature they have that makes them unique are their baleen plates or sheets, which also means they don’t have any teeth. Their diet changed due to one ocean current flowing around the bottom of the planet attracting plankton and krills when processing. Ewan’s theory is that some whale species started to eat krills since there was a huge amount of them. The consequences of this action led to their teeth erasing themselves and bristles emerging throughout the years. Their teeth works by using them to sieve their prey underwater. The baleen whales we see in New Zealand are humpback whales and southern right whales.

In the story they say our protagonist named “Robert” and his mother lived in a settlement hemmed in by the mountains. They didn’t specifically inform us so we had to take matters into our own hands and find out where the Settlement might be. Searching for infortmation on Robert and his mothers whereabouts was quite the challenge. But my theory is that the settlement is either located near Earnslaw Hotel or near the Southern Alps. I think if there were more details or if I observed it closely I would obtain a more realistic conclusion.