Level 4 Lock down 😷 !!

Our country has now moved into the official lock down. We were all informed that we are transitioning into Level 4. This means YOU HAVE TO STAY HOME !! 

Staying home will just decrease the chance of the virus spreading. Physical contact with your family is allowed but if you are sick even with just a cough please try your best to stay away, especially from old people. This is only because it affects them more than it does to the younger ones.

Last night helicopters went around spraying disinfectant in the air. The disinfectant will help to slow down the process of it spreading. Make sure that if you do go outside for emergency reasons you stay 2 meters apart from people.

Crocodiles In New Zealand Zoo's

There is a rule that they will be allowing more crocodiles at the Zoo's all over Aotearoa.

Under this rule, crocodiles and their eggs will be imported from countries in Asia and the Pacific. Currently our country is only receiving crocodiles from Australia. They will be allowing a bigger range of their species too! 

The animals and eggs have to be raised captive first, meaning that they want the crocodiles  being kept in for a while. They are doing this just so it doesn't end up attacking the zookeepers. Just like humans, they will have to be held in isolation first for 30 days and be disease free before being imported to our country. 

Stuffed Egg 🍳

Today our dish was to make a stuffed egg. It was consisted of eggs, cucumber, tomato, lettuce and some unsweetened yoghurt. The eggs had to be made hard boiled and the yolk was used in the stuffing. We got the opportunity to add a garlic and herb or smokey barbeque spice.

I personally struggled when it came to peeling of the egg shells because I was afraid that I would mess up. When it came to the cucumber I was was quite confident because I am experienced with using a knife. The presentation looked spectacular but the taste wasn't as good as I expected.

British Flagstaff Cut Down 175 Years Ago

Last week people were celebrating 175 years since Hone Heke a Maori leader, cut down the flagpole at Kororareka. Back in 1845 was when two Ngapuhi chiefs Hone Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti came together and cut down the British flagstaff. This is what began the flagstaff war.

Hone Heke was very concerned about the British taking over and how they were controlling the Maori. The chairperson Deb Rewiri from Kororareka said that this was a chance for them to celebrate the legacy that Hone Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti lived.

Rewiri also said that the commemoration gave the people a chance to remember their tribes and not forget where they came from.

Pest Control Lesson

Today the intermediates had a pest control lesson with our guide from Hamlin's Hill, Frazer. Frazer came and helped us set up traps around our school to find what pests are around.

We also received bags full of different things like traps and chew cards, and all 26 of us and the two teachers were so lucky to get a footprint tunnel each. All the traps we were given by Frazer we decided to put behind our multipurpose room, it was decided to be put there because it is a place where nobody goes and leads to peoples homes underneath the gates.

My part to play when we were setting up the traps was to put a footprint tunnel down with the help of Pita and Winnie. Winnie put in the peanut butter that we know the smell will attract the pest.

Vegetarian Curry

Yesterday in food tech I made an Indian vegetarian curry. For me it wasn't the best thing because it made me feel a bit sick.

While making the curry we weren't completely satisfied of how it was looking, but then it started to form and look better bit by bit. Since Mrs Hamer, our food tech teacher didn't want to many kitchens running she made us work in a group of three. This meant some people from our school had to join a group with the St Pius X.

After creating our meal, we had to then start our evaluation sheet. An evaluation sheet basically helps  the teacher to know how you feel, and if you enjoyed the food. Each week we fill out two evaluations, if we don't finish it by our next tech class we have to finish it during our class to make sure we are up to date.

Predator Free !!

The government has made a new plan to get rid of predators that were introduced to our country. These are animals like stoats, possums and rats, they decided to do this because they are damaging the environment.

They have been calling for some type of strategy for their goal. Now what matters is that there is some funding behind the plan that can help them to achieve this. By 2050 they want to have gotten rid of all these harmful animals and pests, just so our country is safe and not being damaged.

For me, knowing the government came up this idea is such a big issue because I'm pretty sure it will make a big impact to our country.

Hamlin's Hill

Have you ever seen a hill near Sylvia Park and thought it was Mt Wellington? Well that is actually a hill, and to be exact Hamlin's Hill. That is where both the intermediate classes went to learn new ways we can trap pests and get rid of them.

Our guide for our trip was Fraizer, he is a zookeeper from Auckland Zoo and we were honored to have had him help us! The scariest trap for me would be the A-24 pest trap, the A-24 has to contain peanut butter or bait that will attract the pest inside, so when they touch the bait something goes in their neck and causes them to die.

Everytime we walked and saw ribbons we had to remember pink was for pest and blue was for clues. Fraizer had a navigator and it helped us reach our destination at the top of the hill. From the hill we could see the Manukau Harbour out south down to Rangitoto Island.

New Zealand Confirms Coronavirus

It has now been confirmed that New Zealand has had its first victim to catch the Coronavirus.

Last week Friday, Jacinda Ardern our prime minister announced that someone in New Zealand caught the deadly disease. New Zealand has now become the 48th country in the world to catch the virus, the patient who caught the disease is in their 60's and recently just came back to New Zealand from Bali.

They arrived in Auckland on Wednesday and got home before the family called the Ministry of Health. The patient was being treated in Auckland Hospital but has now been released. They were put in a pressured room so that nobody else in the hospital would catch the virus.