Should EVERY family own a pet?

Last week we began learning about how to write to persuade others to agree with our point of view.  We learnt about structuring our arguments with an introduction, stating our point of view, main reasons backed up with supporting details and concluding with what we think should happen.  Check out some very persuasive pieces written about pets.  Who do you agree with?

Pets.  Lots of people have them but some people hate pets.  They should not be forced to keep them.

First of all, don’t you think it would be cruel to keep an animal if you don’t have time for it.  Let’s say you had to work and you didn’t get time to care for an animal.  You would either be late for work or your animal would die.

Second of all, some people hate animals.  I’m not saying you can’t have a pet but you shouldn’t be forced to keep pets.  Pets need a loving home, so if you don’t love a pet the pet would be upset and ill and you would be angry.

Thirdly, if you didn’t have enough money to keep an animal and feed it as well as yourself it would starve to death.  At least it gets fed well at the pet store.  Money is important when it comes to animals.

Not it’s time for my fourth reason.  Don’t you think an animal (pet) would get lonely with a human.  I mean we don’t understand dog, cat, fish, horse or bunny do we?  An animal would be terribly lonely and sad if you couldn’t afford another pet.

Finally my last reason.  If you worked for the SPCA or an animal shelter or a pet store, there would be no pets for you to sell and you would earn no money whatsoever.

I’m not saying don’t have a pet if you want one, but don’t get a pet if you don’t want one.  People should have a choice.

Rylee

Do you think every family needs a pet?  I do not.  Now I am going to tell you why.

Some people might be allergic to some pets because some might carry disease or when you touch one you might not know if you are allergic to them and you might sneeze.

Many people don’t have pets because they might live in the city where they might not have a backyard where as in the country you can have any pet you want.  If you live in a city and have a dog you might have to sell it.  You could keep a bird or a mouse and a cat but for a horse you need a paddock and a dog needs a kennel.  Some people don’t have enough room like people who live in a city and live in a big apartment.

Most people don’t have enough money because some people don’t work or some people don’t save their money.  If you have a farm your dad might not want to waste his money.  And also you need money to buy food and toys.

Now just remember, everyone does not need a pet.

Rubie

Should every family need a pet?  Yes and here’s why.

Pets can entertain you with tricks and run around chasing stuff.

Pets can keep you company, because an old man or lady with a pet won’t be lonely because they have some company.

Pets protect your house.  Some can protect you, like dogs.  Watchdogs are probably the best dogs for protecting you.

Pets can give you stuff.  Pigs can give you meat, chickens can give you eggs.  Pets can give you heaps of stuff

Pets are loving, caring creatures.  Everybody should have a pet!

Toby

I think every family should have a pet.  Do you think you should have a pet.  Here’s why.

Pets give people company, even people by themselves.  Pets like to play with you.  It’s good because you won’t be alone.

The pet store and SPCA will be full if families do not have a pet.  What would happen with the pets in the SPCA and the pet store?

Pets make people feel happy.  They jump around and run on the beach with you.  They can play fetch.

Come on people, you need a pet.

Paris

Cats, dogs, goldfish, rats... so much.  So I think that everybody should have a pet.  And I’m going to tell you why.

Pets make people feel good by snuggling up by you, wagging their tails and wanting to play games with you.

Old people need company.  That’s why they should have a pet.  They shouldn’t have a goldfish or mouse.  They should just have a quiet little animal like a cat or a dog because they only need to take them for a pat and feed them.  If they are all by themselves they have something to love and care for.

Pets can entertain you by doing tricks, jumping and putting their paw on your hand.  Pets have talent so that’s why you should teach them tricks.

I think families should have pets because then if you have children you don’t have to buy toys for them because you have a pet to play with.

That’s why I think all families should have a pet.

Massive wave five minute 'Quick Write'

Oh no!  A massive wave lumbers over a surfer.  I can not see him. Where has he gone?  As I scribble down on my piece of paper I see a head pop out of the water like a stalk.  “Thank goodness” I say to myself.  What am I going to report on now?  -
Abby

Ahhhh! My heart beats really fast.  I say to myself, ‘Can I make it to the sand before the wave hits me?’  I get closer and closer to the sand.  My heart beats faster and faster.  Phew, I make it!  I was two kilometres away from the other surfers.  I win the first ever gold medal in the Olympics .  - Kate

Oh no, a massive wave is coming.  What can we do?  CRASH!  He’s gone.  I can’t see the surfer, he’s disappeared.  “Get the BP boats and search for him.”  10 minutes later they come back but they can not find the surfer.  “Wow,” they all scream, “he’s on the beach.” - Jay

The pale dark wave rolled up like a burrito.  The dark sky blended into the wave so I didn’t know where or when the wave would hit me.  Everything was going through my head so I couldn’t think where to run.  Then I heard a loud splash.... - Lucy W

Oh no!  A big wave is going to land on my friend.  What do I do?  My friend finally got out of the water and he said.... “Never make me go out in the water again.” - EmmaA wave pops out of nowhere and crashes along the rocks.  I will not give up.  I have always wanted to be someone and now I can.  I go up to the wave, down to the ground.  That wasn’t too hard I think as I walk to shore.  – George

“Wow, that is a massive wave!  That guy is going to be soaked and so am I.  Oh no, that poor person.  He is going to drown.”
“No he isn’t going to drown you idiot.”  - Hamish

I see a big massive wave looming over my friend.  Oh no, his paddle has gone and his board.  Now he has gone. Phew!  His head pops out of the water.  Then he swims to get his paddle and board.  “Gosh, you alright?”  
“No, I’m not.  A rock cut me really bad.”
“I’ll take you to the doctor.”  - Rubie

Student of the week - Emma

Super well-done and congratulations to Emma, our student of the week.  This award was no surprise to the other children in Room 4.  Emma has been working extremely hard in writing and mathematics and has amazed us with her top efforts in cross country training.  Keep up the superb effort, 'Striving to Excel', Emma.

Using initiative

Congratulations to five wonderful Room 4 girls who used their initiative, noticing that the sports shed was in a huge mess, and took it upon themselves to spend their lunchtime cleaning it up.  The were awarded a special chocolate treat from Kate at today's assembly.  We are very proud of you Lucie, Rylee, Alex, Lucy and Rubie.

Te wiki o Te Reo Maori

This week is our time to celebrate Maori language and as part of this, congratulations go to Rubie who has been trying hard to use Te Reo in the classroom, wherever she can.
Rubie was presented today with a special prize at assembly from Miss M for using and promoting Te Reo Maori.  Tino pai rawe Rubie - excellent!

Welcome to Jay

Welcome to Room 4's newest student, Jay, who has joined us from Sawyers Bay School in Dunedin.  

Jay has settled in extremely quickly and, thanks to the super-friendly kids in Room 4, has made lots of friends already.

It's lovely to have you with us Jay.

Angry Lady Quick Write

Another selection of our five minute quick writes.
Be prepared to be entertained.....

I’m an old lady.  I am, but I love smashing water with ice on the top and I love smashing windows that are glass.  Well my stick’s handy.  Do you think so?  - Jenaya



An old lady on the loose... No don’t hit me old lady.  You’re waving your walking stick like you’re hitting a pinata. Oh dear.  What will I do now?   - George


“You little rascal I’m going to get you even if it’s the last thing I do.”
“That’s it great grandma keep doing what you’re doing.”
“I thought I taught you better than that.”
“And CUT.  Nice work Grandma.  You were great.”
“Thank you very much.”   - Alex

‘What?  Ahhh no way’ I thought.  ‘I’m not supposed to be a weapon.  I’m a walking stick for old people’.
“Grrrr, I’ll get you young man,” Mrs Anderson (my owner) growled to a little boy who had been pushed into her garden.  You see Mrs Anderson had been waving me around alot lately, just at any person who touched one stone of hers.  When she gently put me down she hobbled towards the house like any old lady.   – Rylee

“Heeya” I shout as the old lady swings me at the robber.  The robber screams.  The lady shouts “Police! Police!”  Suddenly, whack, the lady whacked me at the robber and the robber falls to the ground.  - Toby
Ahhh the lady is chasing me.  She is about to hit me.  “Stop, stop, do not hit me please.  You are a so grumpy Grandma. I would not want to be your grandchild.”  - Lucy S


“AHHH!” the little boy screamed as I raised my bommy knocker (walking stick).  My pink dress flopped around like a pancake.  I screwed up my face and looked angry.  The boy flipped a lighter out of his pocket and set my garden on fire.  “AARRGG!”  I whacked him on the head with my walking stick.  – Mac

No, don’t raise me in the air.  Put me down.  I spew as I get swung round and round.  My blood stops from where this psycho lady grips on to me like I’m food.  Smash!  I’m dead.  I hit the ground.  Help, help.  No I’m gone.  – William
“No way.  Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?  Well you ain’t talkin to me with that mouth.  I may be old and you may think I’m slow but you haven’t seen the bad side of me” (as I raise my stick up).  Bang.  I swing my walking stick up and back down like a golf club.  I don’t expect to see that young man again!!!  - Lucy W

Ahhh!  What are you doing to me?  Are you trying to bust me in half or are you whacking me on something really hard?  SNAP!  I break.  I say to myself, ‘Well that’s the end of my life’ and after a few minutes I get thrown on the fire.  – Kate

Fitter, Faster, Further

As part of our STRIVING TO EXCEL topic study, the students in Room 4 have been discussing the meaning of mottos.  As part of this they have created our own Room 4 motto for Cross Country training, which is FITTER, FASTER, FURTHER.  All students are striving to become fitter in order to run faster or further.  They have all set themselves weekly goals for their training and are working hard to achieve their individual goals.
Here are some pictures from our training in Week One.

Room 4 students - post a comment below on how your training went in Week One.  Did you manage to achieve your first goal?  What will you work on next?

Sneaky Photographer Quick-Write

A sample of Friday's Quick Writes....



This is going to be a juicy story for the newspaper.  I can’t wait to write this in the paper.  Click goes the camera.  What a good picture.  I can’t wait... – Emma

“Why are you taking photos you old man?  Get out of someone’s property.  You could get caught.  So go on, get out of here.”  Oh no, a brick fell... – Regen

“Woof.”  Something barks and runs across the ground.  Click.  I zoom in and hide behind a wall.  Click, click, click.  Why isn’t this stupid thing taking photos?  Suddenly the screen goes black.  Perfect timing to go flat isn’t it. – William

I snuck around the corner and saw a chameleon.  I took a photo.  Then I went home and published a letter to the council.... – Max

Man, whoever you are can you stop clicking me for once.  You have been clicking me all of your life.  Can I slip out of your hands?  But I do not want to break myself! – Lucie

Wow, what was that?  I think it was a photographer hiding in beside the brick wall.  I wonder what he was trying to take a photo of?  Maybe he is a spy person.  I wonder what he was trying to do?  - Blake

The photographer points his camera at a sign saying ‘CLEAN IT UP!’ then at a dog with no owner and a clean up needed.  He snuck through to the newspaper building and gave the photos to the people with a title saying ‘LOST DOG WITH CLEAN UP NEEDED!’ - Mac

Click, click my camera went.  Clean.  What does it mean?  I said in my head.  I make my camera zoom in.  - Paris

Click, click I go on my camera.  I walk around finding stuff to take a photo of.  Then I crouch down by a rock and I see a hippo in a cage with a tiger.  So I go click, click on my camera.  I say to myself "That's unusual."  Then I go off to find another thing to go click, click on my camera.  - Connie

I see a camera and a lens.  Aha there's a media photographer trying to take a photo of me.  Oh that sneaky photographer.  It won't get a photo of me now.  Not my eyes, not my mane, not my feet, not my brain cause I'm hiding from him now.  - Jessica

Student of the week - Lucie

Congratulations to Lucie, Room 4's Student of the Week.  Lucie has settled straight back into her school work this term.  She has been focused and motivated to learn, 'Striving to Excel'.
Tino pai Lucie - keep up the great work!