Green Gold!🌳🌿

 Since 2014, our school has been working our way up to be a Green Gold school. It is now 2021 so we have been completely environmental for 7 years! Our generation (us kids), are the ones that can change our future from global warming, trashed streets and sickly gasses floating around in our air to beautiful wetlands filled with birds and native plants, clean air and native animals that are nearly extinct coming back to full capacity. 

Yesterday we had the Green Gold people ( Charlotte, Kirsty, Rick and Kauri ) come and judge if we are worthy of holding the Green Gold title. In the morning when they got there we greeted them with a powhiri. After the powhiri my class went to find the start of Hamanatua, our school awa. I horse ride over the hill we were walking so I knew the way. 

When we got to the gate into the farm Koka Rozie told us the precautions to take on the farm and then we headed in. Right at the start was a steep, slippery hill we had to climb up to get to the creek. I barely made it down the hill without falling, when it was my turn to jump I had tightened my bag straps and prepared myself and swoosh... I made it without any water on me, TADA!!

Onwards..... We followed the river through mud and poop until we got to the base of Hamanatua. Woohoo!! We made it. Everyone was super ready for lunch so we sat and ate our food. It is hard to believe that Hamanatua started as a big wetland, just a humongous paddock full of mud and cows!

When we got back a awesome surprise was waiting for us... WE GOT GREEN GOLD!!!!!!!

ITS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 On Monday, it was my 11th birthday, Mum said because it was my birthday I could stay home! My day started off by," Ella wake up it's your birthday! Also, read this", Mum passed me a cute little note that when I read it my heart melted, it read: Happy birthday Ella! We feel terrible that your books haven't come... We are so proud of the young woman you are becoming. I am really excited to spend this special day with you. I got up and had breakfast, and just as I was finishing my Nannan and Poppa came over.

My Nannan said happy birthday and passed me a little present and said here this is just a little thing compared to the trip to the Mount with me and Poppa. Yesterday we were having a family party because on Monday my family had work the next day, my family decided to give me my presents then. My Aunt gave me a beautiful dress from Australia, the small present my Nannan got me was bar soap conditioner and shampoo, my Nannan, Poppa and my Parents all chipped in to book a hotel in the Mount and go to all these cool places!

We booked tickets to World Of Wearable Arts an amazing fashion show right here in NZ, But soon after it got canceled. After my Nannan and Poppa left, I ran got into my riding gear and packed the chocolate moose cake in the bag with some spoons. off we went and dropped Willow and Jae (my siblings) to school! Me and mum were in a rush to get the horses up the top of the hill for the farrier. We went up and he rung Mum, RING RING RING. Mum hung up, put the phone in her pocket and sighed.

Part 2 coming soon.

Cross-Country

  Today we went and did cross-country. Because we went into a lockdown, cross-country was postponed, and today was the postponed date.  Before the surprise Lockdown we were given out ice cream forms for cross-country. 

On Monday they told us if we still have it at home you could bring it in with the money, some people had time to bring it in and some people did not (I did not). I couldn't run the cross-country because I had a sore hip and my friend (Te Atawhai) couldn't because she had foot sores so we were given some rubbish picks and buckets so we could pick up rubbish while we wait.

Honestly there was lots of rubbish, over the road from the park we picked up the rubbish from was a dairy so there were a lot of lolly wrappers, chip cartons,  plastic sandwich holders and cigarette butts. I was surprised how much rubbish there was, especially under the big trees with all these branches.

When it came to lunchtime the ice creams for given out because I didn't get an  ice cream. First the WAI kids lined up, WAI are the little kids they are year 0, 1 and 2, then NUI Lined up, NUI  are be middle aged kids they are year 3, 4 and some year 5s, then finally MOANA got to go, they are the oldests kids who are year 5s and 6s. 

I enjoyed cross country this year.

I challenge you to a drawing challenge!!!

As we're in lockdown my Mum has decided to give us a drawing challenge, which has a topic on what to draw each day. The first day was bones, the second day was an exotic pet, and today is something with two heads. I'm really excited to do it because I think I'm going to do a two headed dragon. For bones I did a horse skull in a field of flowers and for exotic it I did a toucan and a rainbow jungle. It is really fun because you get to be creative but also have a topic that helps you to get your creative juices flowing.This is great cause there's not much to do because it is very raining and cold so we can't go out for a walk, and we can't go for adventures. Just before lockdown my Mum got us new pens and pencils. Some are metallic and glittery and some are neon, The pencils are perfect for blending and making shadows.If you are bored I will put a photo of the list and you could start doing it because it is very fun and entertaining.