No Christmas for the Druids

Druids (or 'In Druidism') do not celebrate Christmas as it does not side with their beliefs mainly because they do not believe in God. Though many of those who don't celebrate Christmas don't believe in him either.

During the iron age in Gaul, Ireland and Britain (And who knows where else) Druids are Celtics and were seen as magical beings who held the ability to cure and so on. They were kind of like Philosophers, Wiccans, Healers slammed into one person.

Druid(esse)s may not celebrate Christmas but they do celebrate the Winter and Summer solstices where the sun reaches it's highest or lowest point in the sky. And they do have a celebration on December 25th where the sun reverses it's annual cycle.

There are still solstice festivals today held around Stonehenge and there are many rituals that take place.

The druids actually died out around the time Christianity came into the picture but even so I believe they still exist somewhere alongside those stealthy unicorns.

Third World Country: Belarus

A third world country  is a country that has an undeveloped economy and depend on the bigger countries. Many third world countries were colonies at some point, generally the smaller ones, and they live in poverty.

The Republic of Belarus is landlocked by Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. It's strongest economic aspects are industrial or manufactural work. Belarus is also a part of the Soviet Union and is dependent on Russia.

Belarus, like it's fellow third worlders, is in poverty with almost fifty percent of the population living without food, water or shelter. Those who are more affected by the loss of money are single parents, families with only one person working and the less educated. Media is also not allowed within Belarus nor is freedom of speech existing.

45 Min Inquiry: …A rose by any other name…

'Tis by thy name that is my enemy; 
Thou art myself, though not a Montague.
What's a Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, 
nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man.
O, be some other name! What's in a name? 
That which we call a rose by any other name 
would smell just as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, 
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.'

This is a quote from Romeo and Juliet (but more pointedly Juliet) by William Shakepeare. In this quote Juliet explains her apathy for the fact that Romeo's family is supposedly his enemy. That it was only that they were enemies by name and with or without them it didn't matter to her.

This play (written in 1597) is a story of love between two people who are torn apart by family conflict and tossed into…well…chaos! Unfortunately in the end (SPOILER ALERT) they both end up dead at the hands of themselves. Romeo walks in on a supposedly dead Juliet, who had actually drugged herself into sleep to avoid marriage, and plunges his sword into his chest in grief. Once waking up, Juliet is upset and poisons herself in sorrow.

As bitter sweet as it is this play is widely known and extremely famous. There have been many different versions of this play and in many different forms. (There's an anime version too 'Romeo x Juliet') So it's one of the many plays Shakespeare wrote that stays with us today.

New School Uniform Ideas

What must we take into consideration when choosing the new uniform?
• Comfort
• Freedom to move
• Appearance
• All purpose
• Beneficial

Use the internet to pick the uniform items (Show the aspects):

45min Inquiry: Logging

When logging there are two different classifications of wood, hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods aren't necessarily softer but are mostly evergreens with broader leaves and have complex structures. Softwoods are also 80% of the world's timber production.

Most of the logging comes from outside the country and 14% of it is likely to be from within it. Usually we get it from the South Island in Hinewa forest. After it's been processed a majority of the logs are sent to Asia.

The logs are then taken to a sawmill which is a very old facility that cuts logs into timber. Sawmills are old fashioned but they're efficient and can easily cut through the huge logs.

Once manufactured the wood is usually made into floorboards, paper and fences but most of it ends up as planks used in houses or other buildings.

Vegetable Scenery

45 Minute Inquiry: Curling

Curling is an on ice winter sport where teams compete in intense matches.

To participate in curling you usually have teams of three where one person slides a 'rock', which is a puck-like granite stone, across the ice (or curling sheet) and two others use brooms in order to create a path. 

The sweepers have to curve the path so the rock will follow it and hopefully land in the center of a bulls eye type of ring. Whichever team's stone is closest to the middle gets higher points and once all of the stons are used up the game is at it's end. Each team usually gets eight to ten stones.

Curling is related to Bowls, Boule and Shuffleboard in which they all use sliding or tossing across the ground in order to get the ball/puck to it's score point.

This looks like a recent match where it was us (New Zealand) vs China where our team lost but still seems to be improving.

For more information on the subject use these links: Curling, Wikipedia Curling Teams

Wrecking ball vs Nothing Compares to you