SPECIALIST CLASSES

As the year progresses, we rotate Specialist Classes. There are:

*Food and Fabric
* Hard Materials
* Graphics and Design
* Art
* Music
* ICT (for Year 8's.)
* Science

Half of my class started in Science. We made crystals out of Copper Sulfate and water. We let them grow for a few days. Then we focused on electronics. We each made a buzzer board with a spring that causes the board to buzz when contact is made with the washer. On the back we did a lot of wiring including soldering bits and pieces, plus and minus, e.t.c. It was so much fun! I painted a snail on a garden path on my board. I put in LED lights, so when it buzzes, the lights light up as though they are solar lights in the garden!

Now we are in Graphics and Design. We are designing a new product and making a mock up. We started by doodling ideas, then 3D ideas and I have just finished my big, colour washed, detailed drawing. I am designing a Cheese Camera. Some of the holes on the cheese are lens'.

Now we are in Hard Materials. We are making clocks! I finished mine today. It is a snail clock made of plywood and green acrylic with pokerworked details on a plywood back with a mechanism in. It's been heaps of fun making it. We use the pokerwork machine, the scroll saw, the sander, the engraver e.tc. : )

When we were in Music we played games and did quizzes to help us remember terms like, 'tempo', 'dynamics', 'allegro', 'forte', 'piano', 'mezzopiano' and 'mezzoforte'. We had a go at playing the Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, DrumKit and keyboard. As a class we all played Yellow Submarine. I was the electric guitar player.



Now we are just starting Art. We are going to be doing printmaking and making modern Maori art. We have already started practicing how to draw korus. I'm really enjoying it and it's very relaxing!

Food and Fabric taught me heaps of new things! I like cooking. We made macaroni cheese, pizzas, spaghetti bolognaise and Scotch eggs! They were yum!

ICT has just started and it sounds like we're going to be very busy with computers! We are working in small groups and our idea is to film teddies travelling around the world and greenscreen them into world backdrops.