As part of our 'Competition' unit of work, we have been discussing the commitment involved by the athletes who aspire to be Olympians.
Here are a couple of stories, from two New Zealand 2016 Olympic athletes, outlining just a small piece of the journey that has seen them succeed to become Olympic athletes. Also included is an interview with Eliza McCartney, New Zealand's youngest female medal winner at an Olympic Games. She just can't seem to wipe the smile off of her face .... can't blame her really!
Andrea Kilday - NZ Taekwondo Olympian
Courtney McGregor - Rio 2016 Gymnast
RNZ talks to Eliza McCartney after her bronze medal win
Challenge: Comment below ... what qualities do you think a person needs to become an Olympic athlete? What do you think the biggest challenges would be that these athletes have to face and overcome if they are to be champions in their sports?
Friday 26 August 2016
Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer
Please take some time to read through and remind yourself of the words from this hymn
as we will be walking down the aisle as we sing ... which would make it a bit tricky
Silver medalist Renaud Lavillenie reacts during the medal ceremony for the men's pole vault. Photo / Getty
Brazilian fans at Rio's Olympic Stadium ignored requests to behave themselves as French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie was greeted with a chorus of boos as he received his silver medal today.
Lavillenie reacted furiously to the partisan treatment he received during yesterday's tussle with local hero Thiago Da Silva, but it continued as he took to the podium in tears today.
"That is just wrong," former British runner Paula Radcliffe said on Twitter. "Ashamed of the track and field crowd tonight. Cheer your own as loud as you like but never disrespect the others."
The 22-year-old Brazilian beat the defending champion in a thrilling contest, but it was marred by large sections of the crowd booing Lavillenie's attempts.
The hostile atmosphere clearly unsettled the Frenchman, who gave fans the thumbs-down sign between attempts and in his first interview after the event likened his treatment to the reception America's black sprinter Jesse Owens received at the 1936 Olympics in Germany.
He apologised for that comment in the press conference later on but repeated his belief that booing rivals was unacceptable at the Olympics.
"If you get no respect in the Olympics, where can you get respect?" he said.
"If this is a nation where they only want Brazil and they spit on others, then you should not organise the Olympics."
In relation to Berlin 1936, he added: "In 1936 the crowd was against Jesse Owens. We've not see this since. We have to deal with it."
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach described the booing that echoed around the stands during the medal ceremony as "shocking behaviour" that was "unacceptable at the Olympics".
The behaviour of the crowds in the venues - when there are crowds in the venues - has been a recurring theme during the Games, with athletes, coaches and officials frequently having to ask for quiet at key times.
But the Brazilian fans' football-style bonhomie has also created a great atmosphere in some venues, particularly when a home athlete or team were in action, or Argentina were playing.
But Mario Andrada, the spokesman for Rio 2016's organising committee, admitted on Tuesday that his compatriots went too far in the pole vault final.
"As an organising committee, and as a citizen of Brazil and a sports fan, we don't think booing is the right attitude, even when you're in one-to-one competition with a young Brazilian who has a chance to be the champion," said Andrada.
"We plan to intensify our dialogue with the Brazilian fans through social networks to make sure that they behave as fans in the proper and elegant manner without losing the passion for sport.
"Booing is not the right thing to do when you are competing at Olympic level."
The International Olympic Committee has largely avoided saying anything critical about Rio, Rio 2016's organisers or Brazilians fans, but its spokesman Mark Adams did say Olympic bosses would prefer it if "the passion is channelled in a good way".
Here is the 'Chorister's Prayer' that we say at the beginning of each Junior Choir session. Please spend time committing it to memory for our church service this Sunday.
This should not be too hard as you are already familiar with it.
We are looking forward to seeing ALL of our Waka Pūhara whānau at church this Sunday.
We have spent a lot of time during choir practising for this service and it's going to be a great opportunity to share the Junior Choir's talents with family and the local church community.
Date: Sunday 28th August 2016
Time: 9.45am (please come to the church hall so we can assemble together - the service starts at 10am)
28 x Yr 3 - 5 St Mark's students joining in with a large crowd of students from around Christchurch while they take part in leadership training at Heaton Intermediate.
All the other students were reminded to use their voices after the instructor noticed St Mark's students were using their voices (well)!
Our students aiming high.
A big thanks to Jan and Anna for coming to our training day.
Last Monday and Tuesday the student and teachers from Waka Puhara visited the Chritchurch City Art Gallery. We looked and discussed a variety of paintings and then went to the art gallery classroom to try our hand at using pastel and baby oil. We have brought the works of art back to school and will finish them over the next few weeks.
Waiting for the gallery to open.
Listening, looking and answering questions.
We are using pastel and baby oil to create this picture.
The Olympic spirit is best expressed in the Olympic Creed:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
Abbey D'Agostino of the United States collided with Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand in a women's 5000m qualifying race. In true Olympic spirit, they helped each other out, and despite being banged up, they both ran another mile to finish the race.
Comment below, responding to the 3 questions that have been asked. Remember, please, to leave your name at the end of your post.
Helping You To Understand How To Read An Analogue Clock
Some children in Waka Pūhara have been revisiting how to tell the time. This is a very important life skill which some people find easy to understand and other people take a bit longer to understand. This clip is another tool to help you learn and understand this life skill.
If telling the time is a skill that you are find tricky, watch this video clip (once, twice or even more!) and see if it helps you understand a little better.
If you are someone who is taking up the challenge of learning to tell the time, let your teacher know so they can remember to ask you the time throughout the day!
We were very lucky to have Aaron Orangi, Olympic ambassador, as a guest speaker at St Mark's School. Aaron showed us New Zealand's Olympic flag. (He turned it around so it was right-way-up after this photo.)
This is his speed suit. (Not very warm for bobsledding!)
He explained how bobsledding shoes are designed to grip the ice.
They have hundreds of tiny spikes under the front of the shoe.
Our Year-7s were keen to challenge Aaron in a handstand competition because he said he always won handstand competitions when he was younger.
Aaron still won!
Aaron answered lots of our questions. We learned what it's like to compete at the Olympics.
When I went shopping today I bought a dog and a chocolate bar then I went home and cried because my chocolate bar melted.
Buster, the dog, snuck his way around the bench and eyed up a scrumptious chocolate bar. When the adults came back home they found Buster was lying down dead and they cried.
When I came home I cried because my dog ate a chocolate bar and had died.
Suddenly the slimy dog fell and found a chocolate bar but his mum said he wasn't allowed it, so he cried.
There was a dog who ate a chocolate bar and then he cried and cried and cried, until he died!
The slimy dog ate a chocolate and cried because he died!
As the baby dropped his chocolate bar, the dog sprinted to taste it and then the baby cried.
Ralph, the pit bull terrier, was quite dumb and as he sniffed across the pavement he found a chocolate bar and gobbled it up, and died. Someone came along the pavement and saw the dog and cried.
A spotty dog ate a white chocolate and then cried itself to death.
Imagine you are a news reporter .... with a buddy, write a short paragraph for each gymnastics event (do this on your refill pad - you only need to write one copy between the two of you).
Comment Below: Why do you think that Gymnastics in the Olympics has changed so much over time? Do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing? Please explain your thoughts. (Remember to leave your names at the end of your response.)
My great great uncle fought in the first world war. His name was Claude Douglas. He sent back a parcel to my Nonna. Inside the parcel there was a plant from the Garden of Gethsemane.The plant is 100 years old. The Garden of Gethsemane is a big beautiful garden where Jesus had his last meeting with his disciples before he died. The plant opens up when you put it in water and closes when you take it out. It only takes about 3/4 of an hour to open and 1/2 an hour to close up again. At the bottom of the plant there is a bump with a hole in it. The hole sucks in the water and the water travels through the plant to open it up.
By Harriet.
