Grace moving to Christchurch

Today was Grace's last day at HNI as she and her family are moving to Christchurch. We'll miss you Grace!

A typical day in Room 12A

Learning about financial terms in Maths

Bailey is the HNI Lions Peace Poster winner for 2014 - Congratulations!!!

Space Monkey - It's not a planet, it's our home. Writing inspiration

Space Monkey - It's not a planet, it's our home. by riddler-mp

Through Chimp’s eyes

The green and blue blotched sphere welcomes him home. Chimp could feel the relief washing over him as he gazes lovingly towards Earth. The affection he could feel for his home over whelmed him. A smile. A smile that has not been seen for over 65 years snaked across his face.

He could not describe what he saw. His eyes could not be deceiving him. How could they? There were buildings stacked one on top each other. They rose far above Chimp, they towered above like grotesque giants. The bushes and shrubs had lost their leaves years ago by the debris that was scattered around the skeleton trees. But either way he was jubilant to be home. His eyes scoured the ghost town, he did not see his family anywhere. A tear trickled down his face.

- Bailey

It strikes me like a punch. It carves a familiar pain into my sinking spirits, as I see this sight I have requested for an aching many years. I think of all the things that are out there, making a hopeful smile creep up on my face like a caterpillar. I refuse to let the smile slip away to a grimace, glaring at something that has overwhelmed me with fear and longing for so long, and so hard. My train of thought just derailed as my heart just leapt to the roof as my happiness and faith drowned out my sorrow and despair, fueled by the vision of silver glitters sprinkled across the threatening black of the night. I reach out, trying to grasp it. I gather myself together and take my first wobbly step onto the soil, ready to be drowned in happiness, feeling hope like a build up of belief. Then reality slaps me, cold and hard in my stricken face. Everything is in a trance, waiting to be woken. It’s grey and bleak. My heart lies in broken shards on the cold, forgotten ground. I lose my awareness and my face crumples. I stare at what was once a home, but now is a maze of concrete forgetting. And then a tear trickles down my face.

- Milou

I see earth for the first time in 65 years it's unbelievable so amazing with the faded blue and green in the distance it’s so beautiful. Seeing the faded round earth in the window was so emotional. I felt a tears welling up in my eyes they were joyful tears. I reached out to grab earth as if it was so close it could've grabbed it with my old wrinkled hand.

As I look around I get a flash of anger and disappointment. I can't believe that humans have let the area became so run down it’s a disappointment. Its grey and lifeless no trees have leaves. Its like a jungle but dead and made of concrete. And then a tear trickled down my face  

By Caitlin

I clamber out of the space-ship and I am shocked at what I see. All my feelings are compacted like concret. Where are all the people? Where is all the colour? Where are the plants? There are no people. All the plants are dead. The sky is grey. It is all dusty and perished. What once used to be a green, colourful and busy city has gone. My home. Destroyed.

A tear trickled down my face.

- Hannah

I have been in space for sixty-five years now. I am finally coming home. Right now I can see the blue and green sphere with white clouds floating around it. I had started forgetting how beautiful Earth looks. All the stars and the navy blue surrounding this planet is just amazing. It’s such a great feeling coming back after being away for so long, not being able to do much. I can’t wait to see everyone again. I am so happy, but I feel a longing to get back home as quickly as possible. I can’t help but smile.

- Aimee

Sustainability and the Marine ecosystem

For the marine ecosystem to be sustainable, we need to minimise or ideally eliminate human threats to the ecosystem.

Some threats are: 
Overfishing
Farm run-off
Carbon dioxide in the air (turns the water acidic)
Oil spills
Dumping rubbish 
Littering at beaches

All of these things disturb the harmony of the ecosystem, wreaking havoc on animal and plant life.

My marine ecosystem: