The Kea Mascot-Sophie

                                                THE KEA

 Scientific name: Nestor notabilis

Picture from https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/kea-the-clever-clown-of-the-alps/

Why did I choose this bird?

I chose the almighty Kea because they are super intelligent and use it to their advantage. They can be very cheeky and they do things like strip rubber off cars and steal food straight out of your hand! They are fun to watch and just make me laugh.

Is your bird smart?

Is the kea smart?! That’s like asking ‘is the sky blue?’. Of course they are!! They are one of the smartest birds but are also endangered. Not many people want to help them because they can be pretty annoying. Just like me!!

Has your bird been a symbol or an icon?

The Kea were crowned best bird of the year back in 2017.

What is a group of Keas called? 

A group of Keas are called a circus! I joined the circus a year ago! Just shows they are the perfect mascot for me!

Summary

My mascot is the Kea. Firstly they use their intelligence and are fun to watch, secondly they are annoying but that makes them more like me and lastly a group is called a circus and were crowned bird of the year.

ME

My name Sophia (Or Sophie) is a Greek name and means wisdom. It is most popular in England though it is used in many different countries. A famous person with the name Sophie is Sophie, Duchess von Hohenberg who was assassinated on the 28th of June 1914. She died of internal bleeding after being shot in the abdomen. She had a happy life as a duchess before she died. I would much rather be called an uncommon name because I'm so annoyed that if someone calls out Sophie, five other people reply. It would be nice to have a name such as Abigail or Secret. Not many people are called those names and I have met at least twelve other Sophie's. My parents knew that Sophie meant wisdom and smart, and they liked the name. My dad wanted to call me Sophie and my mum wanted to call me Sophia so they compromised by calling my real name Sophia but my nickname is Sophie. My name was most popular in 2011 when 1,192 per 1 million were called Sophie. I would change my name if I could from when I was a baby but now my identity is Sophie and I could never get used to being called by another name. You can change your name legally if you are 18 or over and you live in New Zealand. You can change any bit of your name but you cannot spell your name with symbols or numbers and it cannot be a royal title e.g Princess, Duke, King etc. It can’t be longer than 100 characters including spaces and it can’t be offensive. It costs around $55 to change your name plus  $33  for the new certificate.

On the left is me on the outside, what everyone sees and who everyone thinks I am. Inside, I am the one on the right. I am dark, and I write horror stories. They are both me. One difference. The one on the left is what everyone else sees. On the right only I truly see. I prefer the real me. The one on the right.

• The Loneliest girl in the universe
• The hunger games
• Divergent
• The Gone series
• One

I like these books because they all have great plots and really take you to another place. They are dystopia and are about worlds different from ours. You understand a different environment and it feels as though you are actually there.  I read in a tree I love to climb or at THE BEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD: CHISNALLWOOD INTERMEDIATE’S LIBRARY!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I don’t have a favorite character because I feel as if I am the main character, feeling their pain and their happiness. I have a few favorite authors: Lauren James, Michael Grant and other random authors. I started reading dystopia when I was about ten. It was different from the world we are in. I became fascinated and from then on I have always been reading dystopia. If you are struggling to read, then I would suggest trying many different types of books because at some point you will find something you like. Last year at the end of the year the amount of books I had read was 147 at the Chisnallwood library alone. I also get books out at the Shirley Library and of course buy some myself. 

I know something is my strength because I am good at it and I enjoy it. I am good at reading, writing and that is about it. I care about people when they’re life is rough and they need someone to care for them. My old teacher told me my dream to become an author could come true.

The people most important to me are my three cats. They have been with me for almost my whole life and if they died, I will feel as if I died as well. Things important to me are things like roller coasters and skydiving. Even just knowing there are daring things out there that others have done it makes me feel as if I can as well. I know these things and people are important because they are a part of me and without them I wouldn’t be whole.

I was at my house in the 2011 earthquake. My house got huge cracks on the walls and dad was in a warehouse filled with dangerous  chemicals, all on tall racking so we were all very worried. I knew things were bad. My cat was trapped in my brother's room with a huge cupboard that had fallen over the door. We were under the table away from the many falling objects, with my dog taking up most of the room. I knew things were bad. The worst part was seeing mum frantically typing on her phone, trying to act ok for us but we could tell everything was wrong. I was with my brother, my dog, my mum and me. We got my mum's uncle (I think he was her uncle?)  and he managed to claw the door open. Luckily Baxter the cat was ok and so was our other cat. Dad was safe and we got the house fixed. All of our relatives were shaken but ok. We helped them clean up as they did with us. 

The place I love to be is up a huge tree in our backyard. I go there with the company of a book or just me. The best part is being away from the world, just climbing and relaxing. I was last up there yesterday after one of our trees that had fallen down had been picked up and they said that my tree was fine. I will probably go there today after school. I love it because it is away from my siblings.

Probably my nana and grandad because they have an amazing maze and farm. It is special because they live on the west coast and it is a long drive so I barely get to visit. Last time I visited my dog was still alive. A long time ago. We might if i’m lucky, get to go in a few years. I love them because of their stories and it is always fun and everyone is happy when they come. I have known them for my whole life. 

I want to become an author or do something to do with animals. I would like to live in a biggish place with a big backyard. I also want a maincoon cat and a golden retriever dog. I thought of this around when I was nine. I would go with a cat and dog. I chose this because it is everything I want. I will need quite a lot of money. I will work hard. 

Challenge: I will try harder than I ever have.

Achieve: I will take risks and do everything to my full potential, by always trying hard. 

I need to work on maths by being resilient.

I will help them as well as me.

Nau mai, haere mai ki tēnei taonga