"Those who cannot change their minds cannot

change anything"

Kia orana, I am sorry for the 3-week delay. I will try sum up the past 3 weeks as brief as
possible.

It is now week 10 of term 3 and I can’t really say that I have been improving. I have been
letting personal issues affect my studies and my attendance. I am not proud of what I have
allowed myself to become but I will not continue this way any longer. The time of being a
year 13 is getting closer and closer and I have realized that I really need to remain focused for the remainder of the year continuing through to next year.

Recently, I have completed an assessment in Geography based on the public’s knowledge
around the Auckland Volcanic Zone and have been told that it is a definite merit and a
potential excellence. I will be studying for the end of year exam for geo later on in term 4.
I have also completed my statistical inference assessment with the result of an excellence
and am now studying for the maths external. I have finished a creative writing and just need
to do a couple of edits. I have to print off everything for my ICT assessment and I have
passed this class. Seeing my achievements thus far has allowed me to regain my hope. I
have belittle myself for awhile but I have opened my eyes to see reality.

Thinking about the role of Kaitiaki makes me rethink the steps that I have taken and the
process of how I took each step. I have made a lot of bad choices in the past and I can only
live to regret what I have done. If I want to be seen as a leader I have realized the amount of
changes that I need to make, I feel like its too late, but I won’t give up on this chance. I love
empowerment, I love to give motivation to those who give up on themselves and that is
something that I see in a lot of our young students. If there was one passion I love to do, it
is to make people believe in themselves, to overcome every struggle, because it seems that
issues like this holds back on their achievements - other than laziness.

In week 8 - I think, I was given the opportunity to attend a community clean up. I loved it! I
have a high passion in many areas and by decreasing the risks and hazards that lay
through our environment seems to be one of them. We cleaned up behind McDonald’s and
filled up about 7-9 bags of rubbish. We went in he bushes to pick out rubbish, used a spade
to scrape dirt from the kerb and put it back into the grass. In doing this experience, it made
me feel a sense of responsibility with the reward of having a healthy environment.

Overall, I know that I wasn’t at my best, but by talking about next year and everything that
we predict will happen with my friends, I have pulled my head back in the game. I will
change my mindset for term four and prepare myself for anything. I am ready to really
fight for everything that I want and I realize that I can’t achieve something without
putting in my time and effort. As everyone says, there is always a reward to those who work
hard, I would love to make myself feel worth every reward I receive by putting in time and
effort in all that I do. Let’s continue the chain of success.

"Success is the Ability to go from one Failure to another with no loss of Enthusiasm"

Week 6 is now know as my favourite week of term 3 this far. I have gained so much motivation in myself that I’m starting to see a change. I am beginning to use time wisely and since I struggle to sleep at night, I found it useful to complete as much work as I possibly can to make up for the hours I wasted in my classes. I don’t see staying up late to complete assessments as a punishment whatsoever, but another step to achieving my goals that I have set throughout my life. I am proud of the obstacles that I have overcome and all temptations that I can now see right through. I am not going to let anyone take advantage of me and my time of learning anymore, because I’ve seen what the consequences are.

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to support the Kaiawhina with their year 9 classes and it wasn’t as bad as I thought that it was going to be. It was a great experience and by joining them with support, I have found interest in interacting with the junior school. I will be joining a group project with a group from the Employment skills class in order to gain more confidence in communication and to be interactive and supportive with the juniors. Although it was nerve racking, I look forward to seeing them sometime next week. I have matured myself and really want to improve on being seen as a leader so I am able to provide great values in leadership.

So far, I have been writing a lot for most of my subjects - English, Science, Geography… - actually all of my subjects. I have started to see writing as a way that allows me to express myself. If I was to be honest, I didn’t see a purpose in blogging and always wondered why we had to do this, but I have realized that not only does it help you know what I have been improving on and doing wrong during every week but it also helps me think about the things that I have to complete next, what I need to improve. By expressing my achievements of the week I am able to identify what my next steps are and now, I can see a purpose in blogging. I give up on myself a lot through every failure I have presented, but I will persevere until I achieve every goal I have set no matter how unrealistic it is, I am ambitious.

Michelle Vainerere.

"Every day may not be a good day, but there is good in every day"

It is currently week 6 of term 3 and I am beginning to make large progress. Recently, I have completed an exam in geography which will benefit for an exam that I could possibly be sitting later on in term 4. I have been really motivated to write and have been staying up late for a couple of days to finish one of my creative writings that I have been creating for an English assessments. I have written over 4000 words for a 500-word assessment, but I would rather have more than I need than to have less. 

I have been improving on so many things. I have to say though, I still get distracted but I have learnt so much and still in the process of fully being focused. I am starting to really take responsibility for the things that I do in my classes, because I have realized how many things I need to work on if I want to be a role model for the junior school next year.

I have really poor attendance and I genuinely wish that I could have came to school all the times I was away, but for now I can only focus on raising my percentages. I have also been coming to school late, but with valid reasons. To improve on this, I am willing to wake up earlier to get ready, make sure I'm prepared and do anything way before school starts. I do regret my lack of attendance but I can only focus on being on time and present for the rest of the term and beyond.

I am motivated even at my worst, there are personal issues involved in my disruption of learning but that cannot be an excuse for me any longer. I will find the good in everyday even if everyday isn't good, I will focus on me and my future and will strive to complete as much as I can with the potential people believe that I have. I am grateful.

Michelle Vainerere

"Do Not Define Who You Are Until You Find Who You Are"

I was granted with the opportunity to create relationships and bonds with students from other

schools through the AUT Live My Future programme. Not only did I create friendships with the

students but I also created a strong bond with my Navigator Jean, who made me feel comfortable

through this whole journey. I was nervous at first, especially after I was told that I was gonna be

separated from all of my friends, but after I met my squad I realized that it wasn’t bad after all.

Our first task was to get to know each other and then the first challenge set in. Not surprised,

majority of my squad were full of boys and they were the loud ones, but also smart. We were

given a paper which gave us a list of things we had to do and the first one was to take a photo

with the squad in front of a sign that says ‘AUT’, and to be honest, my group started before we

were supposed to. We thought of a group name and since we were the Orange team, we were

called ‘Orange Juice - OJ’. We did all the challenges on the list, made a chant and
recorded it. We stuck together as a group and would say we created bonds also.

Thankfully, we were given a $20 voucher to spend at 2 specific shops, but we had to go and see

a live lecture as well. I decided that since I have a slight passion in Science, that was the block that

I wanted to see. I was with my friends on our way to the Science block to see the Biology lecture,

my friend was going to Chemistry and the other one was going to Paramedicine, but we were lost

and didn’t know where our classes were located. We bumped into a staff and he highly

recommended to see Food Chemistry and he intrigued us as soon as he said we were gonna be

making ice cream, if I was to be honest. He took us to the class and as soon as we got there I felt a

very comfortable vibe with the man showing us how to make ginger beer. Instantly, we created

strong bonds between our supervisors and ourselves. They really made it an experience to

remember, we created and taste tested food made with different utensils and learnt about the

things they discover through food chemistry. We looked around through Health Science department

and saw heaps of stalls which were based on different types of science such as Oral, Health, etc.

So, we went to the Paramedicine area and asked questions as they were performing CPR to a

doll whose heart stopped beating.

To conclude the day we were all placed in a lecture room, sitting with our colour squads and

we were split up in quarters This was just another activity and we reflected back on the day

and what we learnt. The things I took from this experience was how paramedics perform CPR

and how to compress air through someone who cannot breath and how liquid nitrogen is used to

harden and dense cream to turn it into ice cream. I would have to say that I judged the whole

event too early, because I wanted to go home at first. But as the day progressed, I didn’t want

to leave. I am grateful for this experience and have learnt so much. Definitely put thoughts

about attending AUT after High School and maybe even volunteer as an AUT Navigator.

Michelle Vainerere

"Temptation is Temporary, but Your Choice Makes it History"

First of all, I’d like to apologize for my delay in blogging.

Today my quote for Week 5 of Term 3 is ‘Temptation is temporary but your choice makes it history’

due to the fact that it relates to me so much. I am quite proud to announce that I have been keeping

my head in the game, I have recently completed an internal assessment for Geography which is a big

deal for me, seeing that this is one of the most difficult subjects I have and seems to be the class I am

most distracted in, if I was to be honest. I have a lot of friends in this class who like to gossip, but
while they talk about everyday life and issues, I don’t like to come off rude to them but I am learning
to ignore what they say or nod my head with little interest - I am grateful for one of my friends who
tend to keep people from talking to me while I’m in my zone. If I am unaware of a task, I ask for
teacher guidance all the way through. I have been helping out my friends with comprehension
understanding towards topics they struggle with and I try my best to help them complete the
assessments that are due. I am up to date with my ICT and with one more assessment which is due
to be presented in Week 7, I will pass this class.

One thing I need to improve and develop with is my attendance. I haven’t been attending school
lately, due to medical reasons and sickness, but although I’m required to stay home, I try and
complete as many assessments as I can. I need to keep my head in the game, but I am learning to
gain self-motivation even through the situations I face. I am thrilled and excited for Saturday, I
am beginning to really push my limits above my standards and meet the expectations that people
really see in me. I took advantage of time through each class, I didn’t realize how precious it is in
regards to how many assessments I have yet to complete, I have met my consequences and will
not continue the way I have been through the past 2 terms and a half.  I am strong-willed and
ambitious, and I will make sure that my temporary lust for distraction will only be destroyed
with the right choice in order for me to succeed to my full extent.

Michelle Vainerere

"A goal without a plan is just a wish"

The way I am aiming to strive for success follows the quote above. Through this term I will be focusing on creating goals to be due of completion by the end of this term, but I realize that I create goals with lack of strategy and ambition. Within the first week of this term - and throughout, I will be creating goals which will not only help me with assessments and exams but which will also build up my knowledge of leadership values to the maximum extent with plans of how I will complete each goal. I have been told by many people that I have more potential than I show and in order to redeem myself and put credits towards my endorsement I will be pushing myself to the limits and take risks which are out of my comfort zone.

Michelle Vainerere

"Don't give up, great things take time"

This week, my motivational quote is "Don't give up, great things take time". My main focus and challenge for this week is to keep endeavoring to complete my assessment although it seems too difficult or uninteresting. I have been told that I have a tendency to either be a distraction to my friends or be distracted by them, so I will also try my best to distant myself from group gossips or irrelevant conversations.