Information Report - The Blue Ringed Octopus

The Blue Ringed Octopus

By Bianca Arcilla

I am learning to inform my audience through an information report

Imagine yourself snorkeling in clear blue ocean in the Philippines on a public holiday. Suddenly you look at the reefs there and pick up a tiny octopus that could fit in the palm of your hand. Soon, the creature bites you and your dreamy holiday turns into a horrifying nightmare, because you have been bitten by the Blue-Ringed Octopus, one of the https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_ikonlf9Z1HsUwgODkWomn12L5GFmxrTQLn9v5EjStBOZatmqjqLBqMY2Y5mUW41VSe0jPpgNSMzrwcUgerKoCVwrDdBq9Aivd7uAjfNypU9Klc80vqn8JaCrLwIiW34C7PcmYSys_k/s1600/blue-ringed_octopus.jpg

world’s most dangerous marine animals.  Blue-Ringed Octopuses are small octopuses that live under rocks on reefs in oceans near pacific islands such as Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and Philippines. They also are easily identified by their blackish, yellowish skin and the blue rings all over their body. But beware, if these rings turn bright blue, you will get bitten.

Consequences of being bitten by a Blue-Ringed Octopus

  Blue-Ringed Octopuses are one of the world’s deadliest marine animals because of the effects that would happen if you got bitten by one. If you were bitten by these, you would find that your mouth and tongue would be numb, your vision would be blurry, you would have difficulty in speaking and in swallowing. These effects happen because whenever you get bitten by the Blue-Ringed Octopus, you receive some toxins called Tetrodotoxin and Histamine. These toxins are produced by the bacteria in the glands of the octopus and the octopus releases it’s venom on it’s prey too.

Diet

Blue-Ringed Octopuses have a diet of small crabs, shrimp and maybe even fish. These octopuses get their prey by pouncing on them and then pulling them towards their mouth. But female octopuses can’t eat while they are reproducing.

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Reproducing\Life Cycle

Just like humans and other animals, Blue-Ringed Octopuses need to reproduce more Blue-Ringed Octopuses so that their species won’t become extinct. When Blue-Ringed Octopuses reproduce, first the male caresses the female’s mantle with his modified tentacle and next, the male places the tentacle in the female’s mantle cavity and then puts in the sperm packet. Then the spermatophores are released but soon, the male dies. Then the female lays 50-100 eggs and guards the eggs under her “skirt”. Last of all, the eggs then hatch and female Blue-Ringed Octopus dies. Also, when Blue-Ringed Octopuses are babies, they are the size of a pea, when they are an adult, they are the size of a golf ball. Later on, the life cycle of the Blue-Ringed Octopus will start again…… After the babies grow up : )

In conclusion, Blue-Ringed Octopuses are one of the world’s most dangerous marine animals because of the serious effect of being bitten by one. So you need to take care when you are snorkeling and stay away from them. And do remember, whenever their rings turn bright blue, they are ready.. to bite YOU!

   

Creative Writing - The Glowing Pumpkin

Inspired from one of

the images of Harris Burdick chronicles - Just Dessert.

I a.l.t Entertain my audience

The Glowing Pumpkin

By Bianca Arcilla

At home I’m sitting at my rocking chair keeping a secret that nobody is ever going to believe that happened. And because of all that madness, I get scared at night and hide in my blanket and never eat pumpkin soup.   

The  secret was that last week, I was just in the museum in my taxidermy chamber which is on the top floor. Nobody was there except for me. No wait, there were security guards shining their torches at the marble floor in the insect exhibit downstairs and my assistant outside my door guarding me, back facing towards my chamber.  While everybody was doing that, I was trying to stuff the Ghost Pumpkin, also thinking that the insides of the pumpkin should be for some sweet pumpkin pie.  When I held the knife readily to cut the pumpkin, I took a last look at the beautiful, neon orange skin of the pumpkin, but then suddenly, there was a blackout.  There were no lanterns or candles so I had to do the stuffing in the dark.

When I was went to chop the stalk, my knife was 5 inches away, ready to chop the top. But as I lowered the knife onto the skin, the pumpkin’s orange flesh  grew bright like a lantern so, as I saw this I cut a small piece as small as a papercut. Then a mysterious voice made my heart beat fast and gave me goosebumps . It called in a spooky voice“ Be careful my young one cause I‘m going to the insect exhibit.” Then when I lifted the knife I heard a blood curling scream as if somebody was getting stabbed in the neck.Quickly I jumped up and scurried down the stairs like a frightened fox to check it out , I found the security guards dead. As I went up the stairs… again, and into the chamber, and went inside, I cut another piece of the neon pumpkin and the voice repeated itself but called something else it called “I’m going up the stairs my dear” Soon, I heard wooden steps, pang! pang! pang!. When I have cut a third piece the voice called again “I’m now going to the door!”  and I found my assistant dead with his blue eyes open and his mouth with blood coming out. But I even saw the doorknob turning and I heard a creak.

Now finally, I had cut the stalk of the pumpkin. But this time, the voice did not speak no more. Instead, I looked up and saw with horror that instead that the spooky voice has revealed itself into pumpkin with a carved face.   Like the ones you see in halloween. But also, the pumpkin had a gray ghost body. Worst of all, he didn’t come in peace cause he was holding an axe with my initials on it; M.W. Soon I had a strange feeling why the pumpkin is called the Ghost Pumpkin. But anyway, the pumpkin called “You’ve cut me three times tonight. Now you’re dead meat!”

After this sentence, he tried to give me a straight cut with the axe on my hand but instead the axe was in between two of my fingers, so I ran from the museum and into the street. But as I turned around, the floating pumpkin’s head fell on the concrete, along with the axe. Oh well, maybe he can only live in the museum. Then a passing stranger told me that the thing is still trying to chase me

Now, I don’t know how but, the head of the ghost is sitting on the windowsill still having that smiling creepy face with the axe to make me go into the street so he can attack me,  since he stopped attacking me after I went home. But, the pumpkin is still going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Year 6 Camp 2015

Camp - MERC 

The second week of school the Year 6 students were off, all 35 of us, oh and the 7 adults we needed to supervise off.  We had so much fun team building and focusing on leadership.  Here is a snapshot of what our week was like.  We had so much fun and we are all excited for the year ahead.