The Invisible Drum Kit

Fluorrrrrrrrooooooo!!!!!!!

Last night was the first Intermediate Social of 2010! The theme was "Fluoro" and everyone made an effort to "Fluoroise" themselves which was great as the School Council worked hard to organize the event. LOL, lollies, Glow Sticks and Music made for an evening of dancing and madness! Funds raised from the sale of glow sticks will go towards the Balmoral School Japan Exchange later in the year. Post a comment and give us some feedback.

"Old School vs New School"

The original Mr T versus some dude that looks like him...... Basic cinematography versus James Cameron's Avatar 3D..... Basic sound versus Dolby Digital Surround Sound.

Do special effects, high tech equipment and gizmos and million dollar budgets make TV shows and Movies more enjoyable for the viewer?? And what makes a classic film..... without all that stuff....a "Classic?"
Post a comment and let us know what you think.

Home Alone??!!

On Campbell Live on Monday night there was a segment about a 12 year old boy who was sick and tired of being dragged around shopping malls by his mum and being bored out of his mind. So he wrote to John Campbell and asked whether he was allowed to stay home alone or not because he said "Mum and Dad watch the show and believe what they say so if you tell me it's not, I will believe you." Sadly he found out that the legal age is 14.......
So what do we think? Are we mature enough to be left home alone? Post a comment and let us know what you think.

"Rights"

Yesterday we had a discussion during Philosophy about "Rights". I posed a question....."Can all kinds of creatures have rights, or just humans?? We discussed whether animals have the right to live or die and who fights for animals rights if the animals can't for themselves. We also talked about the recent trial of Pete Bethune and his involvement with trying to protect whales.
Post your comments and let us know what you think!

"Don't Put Up With Put Downs"

Here is a link to a website from Holly for information on bullying.
http://www.police.govt.nz/service/yes/nobully/bully_info.html
Check it out:-)

A Goblin's Tale

Today our school was visited by a group of performers who put on a show called "A Goblin's Tale". Although the performance was pitched at a younger age than our class, it raised some important points about making assertive decisions, setting goals and striving to achieve them, peer pressure, and bullying. These issues can be achieved and overcome by using the "Balmoral Habits" of Managing Self, Persisting, Creativity, Communication and Thinking.

Post a comment relating to some of the issues raised in the performance. Remember we are trying to develop a higher level of critical thinking so think about your comments:-)

"Saying Yes"

This week we analyzed the film "Yes Man" starring Jim Carrey.

The film is about a bank employee Carl Allen who has become withdrawn and preoccupied with his personal life since his divorce from ex-wife Stephanie. Routinely ignoring his friends Pete and Rooney for hangouts at their local bar where Stephanie regularly visits, he has grown used to spending his spare time watching DVDs alone in his apartment, and has an increasingly negative outlook on life. One day, Nick, an old colleague of Carl's suggests that he goes to a "Yes!" seminar with him, which encourages its attendants to seize the opportunity to say "Yes!" Carl considers the option, but subsequently misses Pete's engagement party at the bar. An irate Pete turns up at his house and berates him, telling him that he will end up completely lonely if he doesn't change his life around. Carl decides to attend the seminar and he meets inspirational guru Terrence Bundley, who publicly browbeats him into making a covenant with himself. Carl reluctantly promises to stop being a "No Man" and vows to answer "Yes!" to every opportunity, request or invitation that presents itself thereafter.

What do we think about the power of saying "Yes".... How can saying a simple three letter word be so powerful and affect our lives?
Write a comment!!

Teen Fashion and the Influence of Celebrities

Questions: "Are teenagers becoming more and more influenced by celebrities?"
What do we think?? Post a comment.

Increase In The Price of Cigarettes

Question: "Will the price increase in cigarettes lower the number of people smoking or will they sacrifice other things to pay for their habit?"
What do we think?? Post a comment.

Circus Sport Challenge

From Monday 10^th May to Wednesday 12^th May, Balmoral School had the opportunity to take part in the Circus Sport Challenge. The two instructors, Phil and Richie showed us some awesome tricks on the spinning sticks, spinning plates and diablo. We were all eager to learn new tricks. On Tuesday our class were lead to the hall to do just that. The purpose of these activities were to develop our hand-eye coordination skills in a fun way. First up we had a go with the spinning sticks.

Richie showed us some simple tricks to get us started. It looked hard so I was surprised when I actually managed to throw it up and catch it. Next was the spinning plates. I only managed to spin it once! I looked around enviously at the plates spinning round and round madly. The last activity was the diablo, which we were told has been around for many years and originated in China. Getting it spinning on the ground was the easy part. It was impossible to throw it up in the air and catch it… or so I thought. I was astonished by how my classmates got it up after only a couple of tries. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky. Overall, we all had great fun and it was a wonderful experience.
By Jade Xiao
(click on photos to enlarge)

Body Systems

Interesting facts about the Cardiovascular, Immune, Respiratory, Skeletal and Muscular, Digestive and Excretory, Integumentary and Nervous Systems....Check our findings in the comments:-)