Creating a function

In grade five coding we use the app Swift Playgrounds to learn how to code. I chose the level collect, toggle, repeat to explain because I think that is a very interesting level. The whole point of this level is to create a function to collect the gem and switch on the toggle switch. A function is a named set of commands that can be used whenever needed. Once I created my function, which I called Move, it was done. I was able to use the function to complete the level.

Grade 5 Poetry

Over the last two weeks, in English we have been focusing on poetry we were given a task to write our very own poems. First we were required to write one or more poems about any topic but the poem had to have similes in the poem. I  Wrote two simile poems  the first one I wrote was about love, I chose this topic because at the time I was experiencing a lot of love for my family and when I was trying to think of a theme to use I asked myself, What do i feel strongly about? This is a very great way to come up with ideas because if you really want to enjoy your poem and actually be proud of it you need to have it mean something to you. The second poem I wrote was called A Sister. I decided to use this theme as in the time that I wrote the poem me and my sister were really bonding and becoming close in that specific time. This poem was displaying all the different wonderful  qualities about a sister and how if you don’t have one you should wish that you do. Similes are ways of describing things, people or objects by comparing them to a completely different object or thing.

The second set of poems we were required to write had to have metaphors included within the poem. The first poem that I wrote that had metaphors in it was called A pen. I wrote my poem about a pen because was writing my other poem down and I started thinking, How on earth does this work and so I decided to write about what exactly a pen is. The second poem that I wrote was about a Map. I chose to write about a map because the day before I wrote this poem I had watched a movie about pirates and so it really inspired me to write a poem about a map. A metaphor is way of describing something by comparing it to another object or thing by saying that the word you are describing is actually what you are comparing it to.

A day in an informal settlement 

Hi I'm Zama  I woke up in the morning to a dark, cold and dirty shack i was really miserable  because i hardly got any sleep that night . I flopped out of bed and slowly walked to the table in the middle of the shack. I slumped down onto the squeaky chair and ate. For breakfast I had oats and a glass of milk thats what I have everyday I sometimes get sick of it. When I’d finished I packed my bag for school, I did it all by myself because mommy’s sick with H.I.V I wish that we could afford the treatment she needs. Daddy’s at work, he's a painter you know, he paints the most beautiful things. 

It always takes long to get to school, the teachers don't really mind if I’m late, although sometimes it can be a bit embarrassing,  they know it takes long to get here. When I got there I sat down at my desk that I share with sibulele we also share textbooks, and stationary and most other things. Today we are learning to do read, write and do sums like 5+7 and 8+2.

After that I had lunch, for lunch I had bread I wish we could afford other food but I know that daddy tries his best. When school finished I walked home down the long mucky river that makes me want to throw up, I almost fell in yesterday so today I am going to be very careful.

When i got home to the plastic, tin and wooden shack, I Put my bag down and sat down on my cushion and tried to read my homework. It was to hard because I couldn’t see anything in the dark. I went outside to read under the lamppost. The reading wasn't hard, my teacher says i am a good reader.

A few minutes later my mom called me to come eat dinner so I went inside. For dinner i was having chicken and 3 carrots, I wish i could’ve have more because i was really hungry tonight. After I’d finished I went to my cushion lay down and prayed, when I finished I went to sleep hungry, again. 

The Horrible Mr Raymond

The horrible Mr Raymond 

The diary of Benny  Patterson

Yesterday Mr Raymond  came to school. My teacher said he was very kind and gentle but he was wrong. Mr Raymond is the loudest, meanest, scariest man I’ve ever seen in my life. He is a singing inspector and I hate singing because in first grade I had to sing in front of the whole school and I forgot all the words, and everyone laughed at me.

I was just doing my math sums when he barged into the class and yelled at the top of his lungs, “If one of you can’t sing I’ll kick you out of the classroom .” That really scared me because I knew I would probably forget the song or go completely mute. We all sat at the desks in his classroom and all the seats at the back were taken. So I had to sit right in front of him. It felt like if he moved any closer to me he would fall right on top of me. He had long golden curls, and wore a giant pair of knickerbockers and looked a bit like a leprechaun.

Charles Anderson and I were the first people to sing, I could actually feel his breathing. We were both breathing so fast we couldn’t even say anything. Mr Raymond screamed at us to start singing but I couldn’t think of any songs to sing. Mr Raymond kept yelling and screaming and eventually Charles squeaked,"We can sing Pretty Polly.” I wanted to say that I didn’t want to sing, but I’d gone completely mute. 

At this point I was completely terrified I thought that at that very moment he was going to get up and give me a caning. But we both started singing Pretty Polly. In the middle of the verse we stoped singing because I forgot the words. Mr Raymond yelled so loud I thought the windows would break. He kicked us out the classroom and I am never ever going to sing ever again.

The Grade 5 Camp

THE GRADE 5 CAMP

Camp was so fun! 

This year we went to High Africa for camp and it was one of my favorite camps ever !

We did loads of cool stuff like making Rooste Brood and having a potjie making competition.

My least favorite part of camp was when we had  to go to bed. I had so many favorite parts of camp cant even say them all. My most favorite part of camp was when we did the Leap of Faith, the Leap of  Faith is where you have to climb up on a ladder to a thin wooden pole and jump and grab for a metal bar. I also loved the climbing wall, it was really fun. Another fun thing was  doing the obstacle coarse which is when you are attached to a rope and you have to climb on things while attached to the rope. all the instructors were really nice and friendly. The night hike was pretty scary as we saw about 7 scorpions and I almost stepped on one. My cabin was really nice I had a lot of nice people that i am friends with. I hardly got any sleep so I was really tired, but it is okay because I had such a great time. I really loved playing the kickball tournament, against all the other groups. Our group was called The Wolf Gang and we had a really funny war cry, made by Kian. Overall I had an amazing camp.

My First Few Weeks in Grade 5

My First Few Weeks in Grade 5

My first few weeks of school have been very busy, we have so much work to do but i'm not 

complaining I like school but I have a really busy life and half of it is homework.

It's been really fun as we have already had 2 outings one to The Beach and the other to Kirstenbosch Gardens. Tomorrow we're going on camp to High Africa i'm so excited.

 My new teacher is really fun and exciting, a few weekends ago me and my dad went with him on a the Krom river Hike. Grade 5 is definitely harder than grade 4, but i feel i'm doing well. it is very different having a new principle but he is really nice too.

Enrichment Day is coming up and I am doing photography, i'm super excited.

The Grade 4 Camp

Last week we were on camp, we went to Simonsberg christian Center, we had lots of fun.We slept  in dorms and we got to choose our dorm mates, the bed were very comfy.we did so many activities like,
fort competitions (we built forts out of wood and leaves.)
Stalk the Lantern (we have to touch the lantern without the instructors seeing us.)
Obstacle course (we had to finish the course using teamwork.)
Swimming (we swam in the ice cold pool.)
Night hike (we walked up the mountain, when we walked down it was so so steep.)
The instructors were very nice and funny, there names were Alan, Axeman, Quincy and Lomka.
Quincy called himself Q dizzy cause he's busy and Axeman called himself Liam Russel.
Someone taught Axeman how to say molo and he said it the whole camp.
We had so much fun we ate lots of delicious food like spaghetti, cereal and macaroni.
The forest was beautiful and there was a dip and it was full of sticks and logs.
our fort won 1st place and it had a booby trap- Emily had put a stick on the roof and the sign was resting on top of it, Mr Bellwod pulled the stick and the sign fell on Mrs Coetzee.
We had loads of free time to play or build forts (most of the arguing happens in the forest ).
Then we had to leave we were all sad.