Rainbows End, New Zealand’s largest theme park, famous for the Fear Fall which towers up 18 stories and has a speed of 80km per hour, welcomed some very lucky Year 7 students from the English Language Learners class.
The class was accompanied by their teacher Mrs Croxford and for a whole day they got to explore the many attractions and rides that Rainbows End has to offer. Now you’re probably thinking that going to a theme park and not doing any school work is the best – but what the Year 7s actually had to remember whilst going on all the rides was the feelings that they felt, so they could use these feelings to tell a story once they got back to school.
One of the students who went on the trip was Lotu Finau. He said that the purpose of going to Rainbows End was to get some ideas and come back with a good report. His class is currently working on creative writing and learning how to write an intriguing and really well-written speech that gets the audience engaged. Lotu said that his favourite ride that he got to go on was the ‘Invader.’
Rainbows End announced this month that they will be taking down the Pirate Ship ride after 34 years of fun, laughter and entertaining visitors. Lotu and his classmates got the chance to go on it for the very last time and Lotu can remember back to the many fond memories he had when going on the Pirate Ship with his family.
He will be doing his speech on poverty and will be relating his experience with why we should all be thankful for what we have and the exciting opportunities that we receive like going to Rainbows End and while having that message as a central idea we can remember those who are less fortunate than us.
Overall, it was a day full of great memories and it just showed how incorporating fun things like this into your learning can really help students to learn better.
Shontelle Matano
