My favourite animal

These falcons are formidable hunters that prey on other birds (and bats) in mid-flight. Peregrines hunt from above and, after sighting their prey, drop into a steep, swift dive that can top 200 miles an hour (320 kilometers an hour).

Peregrine falcons are among the world's most common birds of prey and live on all continents except Antarctica. They prefer wide-open spaces, and thrive near coasts where shorebirds are common, but they can be found everywhere from tundra to deserts. Peregrines are even known to live on bridges and skyscrapers in major cities.

These birds may travel widely outside the nesting season—their name means "wanderer." Though some individuals are permanent residents, many migrate. Those that nest on Arctic tundra and winter in South America fly as many as 15,500 miles (25,000 kilometers) in a year. Yet they have an incredible homing instinct that leads them back to favored aeries. Some nesting sites have been in continuous use for hundreds of years, occupied by successive generations of falcons.

Peregrine populations were in steep decline during the mid-20th century, and in the United States these beautiful falcons became an endangered species. The birds have rebounded strongly since the use of DDT and other chemical pesticides was curtailed. Captive breeding programs have also helped to boost the bird's numbers in the U.S. and Canada. Now populations are strong in those nations, and in some parts of the globe, there actually may be more peregrines than existed before the 20th-century decline.

Peregrines are favored by falconers, and have been used in that sport for many centuries.

Fast Facts

Type:

Bird

Diet:

Carnivore

Average life span in the wild:

Up to 17 years

Size:

Body, 14 to 19 in (36 to 49 cm); wingspan, 3.3 to 3.6 ft (1 to 1.1 m)

Weight:

18.8 to 56.5 oz (530 to 1,600 g)

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man

That is why they are my favourite animals.

Ten Benefits of Regular Exercise

10. Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke: Daily physical activity can help prevent these leading causes to death by strengthening your heart muscle, raising your good cholesterol (and lowering your bad cholesterol) and improving your blood flow. In fact, studies have shown that exercise lowers your risk of stroke by 27 percent.

9. Improved blood pressure: Research has shown that physical activity reduces the incidence of high blood pressure by approximately 40 percent.

8. Healthier aging: A recent study found that frequent physical activity reduces the likelihood that an older person will become physically disabled.

7. Less back pain: Workouts focusing on muscle strength, endurance, flexibility and posture can alleviate spinal pressure and improve how you feel from day to day.

6. Stronger bones: High-impact workouts prompt bones to add mass, or reduce the loss of mass that occurs naturally as you age.

5. Better self-esteem and stress management: Your body produces feel-good endorphins during prolonged, strenuous exercise. Physical activity also provides mental health benefits by improving your self-image as you take the positive initiative to care for yourself.

4. Heightened immunity: Regular workouts might help your body fight of colds and flu by increasing the circulation of cells that ward off viruses and bacteria and by improving your body’s response to the influenza vaccine.

3. More energy: Exercise gives your muscles increased strength and endurance to perform everyday tasks such as riding your bike or carrying loaded grocery bags with ease.

2. Reduced breast cancer risk: Research suggests that women who exercise regularly can expect a 20 to 30 percent reduction in their breast cancer risk compared with women who don’t exercise. Although the reason isn’t completely clear, scientists speculate that lower estrogen levels as a result of exercise contribute to these positive results.

1. Better sleep: Consistent physical activity can also help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality. Just be sure to schedule a buffer between your workout and bedtime since late-night exercise might amp up your energy when you’d rather be winding down.1. 

EOTC story

I was so excited for the last day of EOTC week, we were going to the pools. 

Miss Cooper did the roll, then we lined up, while Miss Cooper counted us and we got on the bus. I rushed to get to the end row and sit with Taylor.

When the bus started to move we played sweet and sour. How to play was we waved at random people, if they smiled or waved they are sweet if they don't do anything and they look at you they are sour.

After a lllloooonnnggggg time we finally got to the pools. But we weren't going just yet, we had to eat lunch. I was starving! So we sat on the field just outside the pools to have lunch. We only got 15 minutes! So I scoffed down my food and waited for the other people to finish. There were 2 more minutes left so I went to play on playground.

Now it was time to go in so we walked through the door and there were the pools, there was a outdoor pool and a indoor pool.

The lady briefed us, she said there were three leaders. One talked about pool safety another talked about about beach safety and the last one talked about life jackets.

We first went to beach safety the man asked us to sit on the side of the pool and told us a quiz about rips then he said "you can make a rip" so we jumped in the water and asked us "make a circle" then he asked us to run in one direction really fast, stop running and float and the water dragged us out. After we had finished the man let us have a go on the slide.

Now we moved to the inside pool to do pool safety. We met the girl in the pool. The first thing she said was "how do you get in the pool" Archie said "backwards". That was correct. Next she talked about the best thing to keep afloat she said "eggbeating" so we did that. Next we moved to lifejackets the water was freezing. We met the man and he gave us lifejackets. The lifejacket is cool it makes you float. The man also gave us a challenge to put on our lifejackets in the water. It was hard. Finally it was free time I had so much fun, I went on the water slide I sunbathed and I swam ( a bit! ). After 45 minutes we had to go change back to our uniform so we went to the changing room to change. When we walked back the bus was waiting for us and we got in this time with Roman. 

When we got to school it was home time. So that was the end of the awesome trip to the Onehunga war memorial pool.

Term 1 reflection

1. What did you enjoy most in the term? Why?
I enjoyed EOTC week because we got to miss a whole week of boring school work!

2. What did you enjoy doing most in the classroom? Why?
Reading because I am quite good at reading and I  like the reading tumble.

3. What have you found hard in your learning this term? Explain.
 Maths because we are learning decimals and it challenges me.

4. What are you most pleased with in your learning? Why?
Maths because I think I improved a lot.

5. Tell us one thing you would like to learn about in Term 2.Science.

My Key Competency Goal

My goal is to manage self. By doing this I will listen to insructions and keep my desk tidy. Why I pick this was because my desk has always been messy and I don't listen to instructions very well.