Sad news yesterday when I heard that the real silver back gorilla Ivan died at age 50. He was still painting I have been told.
Watch this lovely clip of Ivan and then come and see me for the book to read.
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I have updated our homework page with two new sites. They really are fun sites and have been checked out as safe for our children.
Online science games have been promoted via the BBC so we know they are both fun and safe. Aimed at the junior and middle school but I know seniors will enjoy them as well.
The literacy shed is a fantastic way to encourage creative writing and get the ideas flowing. There are little film clips with heaps of activities and ideas underneath. One I really enjoyed was Alma in the Ghost story shed. Great for all levels and a fun thing to do for those many rainy days we have been having.
Do take the time to view as I know you will enjoy them as much as we do here.
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Parade day with Eve, Georgiana, Lily and Gabby enjoying the competitions in the library.
Thank you to everyone for making book week such a success. Parade day was a real highlight with so many children running around in wonderful costumes.
The competitions are being assessed at the moment and results will be ready soon.
We sold over $7500 worth of books which is brilliant. The commission we earn will go towards setting up a senior fiction area and new library books.
We loved all the visitors to school who came and shared their stories. We had All Black and Crusader Andy Ellis reading stories and showing us his World Cup medal. Bob Docherty came and reviewed books for the seniors and Zac Harding from Christchurch City Libraries came to read to everyone else.
A great week with everyone sharing stories and reading, so well done. Thank you from all the book team.
Bailey with storyteller Zac.
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Next week is book week. Yahoo. Lots to read, competitions to enter, books to buy. A week full of fun.
Dress up parade is Thursday so start thinking about your favourite book character or your favourite champion.
We have redecorated our Enchanted Tree in the library. Many of the characters are reading books. Pop in a have a look.
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The author, Derek Landy of the Skulduggery Pleasant books will be in Christchurch this Friday.
He will be signing books at The Children’s Bookshop at 4.30 Friday 10th August
If you love seriously creepy, scary books about a dead detective then you might want to read his books. Only for seniors though.
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What a sad day yesterday to learn of Margaret Mahy’s passing. As a writer she was brilliant and so inspirational. Her loss will be felt world wide but especially here in Christchurch, where she was just so eager and willing to visit schools and attend literary events for children.
I count myself so lucky to have been involved in many of those events and been given the chance to listen to her talk. To hear her recite word perfect the whole book Bubble Trouble was totally mind blowing. The book is one big tongue twister. Amazing. A true inspiration.
Thank you, Margaret. Your legacy will continue through all the children who will carry on reading your books and find themselves enchanted with stories.
Take the time to watch these clips of some of her well known children’s picture books.
The great white man-eating shark
The three legged cat
http://youtu.be/cYTadZsuG6U
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It was lovely to see the book club members all excited about promoting book week to classes today. They looked wonderful in their costumes and really are great role models for the younger children.
Watch out for Book Week in week five this term. Lots of competitions, visitors and of course wonderful new books to buy.
Thanks book club – you were awesome.
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I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are keen to get back in to school. This is going to be a very busy term. We had the Olympic Games, and Arts fortnight, Wearable arts, and Maths Week.
But the best will Book Week in week 5. Lots of competitions and prizes to win. Heaps of new books to buy and lots of special visitors.
One of the competitions will be to make your own book trailer based on one of your favourite books.
Check out these two below.
“The worst thing about my sister” by Jacqueline Wilson (a great year 5-6 read)
Or you could try this form of book trailer.
Ivy and Bean : Doomed to dance
By Annie Barrows. Super read for the year 3 and 4 girls.
Perhaps you and your friends could act out your own trailer. You will need to get started soon if you want to impress the judges.
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Check out Ben Y’s great post for the blog today.
Today I went to Armageddon to meet Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon (and the other Inheritance Cycle books). He was really cool and I had a good time. I found out some interesting things.
He is going to write two more books about Alagaesia. Yahooo!
In his first draft Eragon was called Kevin!!
He works out his stories by asking himself questions which bring up more questions and then he answers them which makes up the book.
The character Angela is exactly like his sister (who is really called Angela) and she invented ‘were-cats’ for him.
He likes lightsabers and x-box and can do cartwheels!
Eragon is called Eragon because it is Dragon with the first letter changed and the book is set in an Era that is Gone.
Christopher Paolini signed my book and my dragon rider’s sword.
From Ben Y
Thanks for this post Ben – awesome outfit and I love your big smile.
And thanks to my mate Zac at Christchurch City Libraries kidsblog for this photo of the author Christopher Paolini. Ps. Thanks Zac for getting my book signed. Check out Zac’s blog as there are plenty of competitions for the holidays. There is even a chance to win Skulduggery books and maybe interview the author when he comes to Christchurch. If you enjoy the Eragon series then I am sure you will also enjoy the Skulduggery books so do pop on over to the kidsblog.
Enjoy the rest of the holidays.
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These are the last of the stories we will be sharing online but you will be able to read more in folders next to the tree in the library.
The Library Tree
There is an amazing tree in our library…
Up the top it is hollow so the people that live
there have a home.
Down near the bottom there is a toadstool and a
little glass lake by The Haunted Tree, don’t go round
the other side in case there’s a grumpy old bear
reading in his hut.
Snakes are everywhere to guard it from rival
community trees, and the spiders form an early
warning system. The grumpy old bear in the hut is
also head of army, and is continually looking for
plans to defeat them in defense and attack. The
spider webs are used as jails.
The fairies and frogs are peace keepers, but when
it comes to fighting the frogs use crossbows and
the fairies use longbows. The witch is also a
night guard.
by Corin – Year 3
The Haunted Tree
In the library there is an amazing tree! It looks
like it goes out the roof but it doesn’t!
If you open the door there is a big brown bear
hibernating, reading a book. The moon is shining
brightly. The witch is riding on her long
broomstick.
There’s water like glass with frogs on green lily
pads. Green leaves are all around it, and there
is a bear sitting on a piece of wood. There is a
white owl sitting next to his nest.
There are snakes slithering down the rope. On the
swing is an evil looking creature.
by Natalie – Year 3
The Tree in the Library
On Wednesday Room 15 went to the library and saw
A TREE GROWING!!!!!
I named it Spooky because it’s spooky, and has 4
snakes, 2 of them holding a tyre with some kind
of monkey in it, and Spooky also holds a witch and
lots of spiders. I freaked out because I thought
it was real, and also I thought the tree went
through the roof, but it didn’t.
But the part that wasn’t Spooky was the Disney
characters. And another scary thing is….THE TREE
HAS A FACE AAAA!!! But it didn’t say anything.
I asked, “What kind of tree are you?” The tree
replied “I’m a… I’m a Face Tree.” He smiled.
“Never heard of that before” I said to myself.
“OK” I smiled back.
And the sweetest sweetest thing about Spooky is
that every single day for 1 hour a bear reads the
fairies a book.
by Oscar – Year 3
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The Library Tree
There is a colossal tree growing in our library.
It has all the Disney Picstar characters like
smurfs. It was built by Mr Walker, a very good
artist. Fendalton School is grateful to him. It
is made of papier mache! There is a snake holding
the tyre swing. I hope he does not eat the
mouse.
by Conor
The Illusion Library Tree
The library tree is fantastic. There are fairies
and smurf houses. I see Harry Potter’s favourite
owl Hedwig. The library tree is like a dream. I
thought the spiderweb was real because the spiderweb
looks real to me. I saw a teddy bear reading a
book. I always see a spooky, haunted, scary witch
saying “Boo!” I see a real plant that Desna needs
to water.
by Maggie
The Big Tree
There is a humongous tree growing in our library.
There are snakes slithering, there are spiders
spying and seeking. There are smurfs that are
hiding from the witch. The bear has woken up and
is reading a book to the mice. He also reads a
book to the smurfs.
by Ryan
Thank you Room 18. And Maggie I will water the poor plant.
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If you want some fun maths or literacy activities to do online then check out the Homework page on this blog.
It has just been updated with some new sites aimed at encouraging both maths and literacy skills. Great for all ages.
Do check out Funbrain. You can even read Diary of a Wimpy kid online through Funbrain.
These sites have all been recommended and tried out by teachers, librarians and some students so do have fun.
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Year 3 children have been working on creative writing inspired by the fantastic tree in the library.
Do enjoy reading their stories. There will be more soon. Scroll down to look at the photo in a previous post to see the wonderful tree.
The Legend Tree
Once upon a time there was a little library, it
lived on 168 Clyde Road Fendalton School.
Once, Room 16 went there. I saw a magic tree.
I asked kind old Desna what it was doing. She
said that “Once when she left the library a long
time ago she dropped a seed and during the night
it sprouted a little.”
When she came back the sun was as bright as
Mars…and this time Desna saw it sprout, and a
mushroom had sprouted as well.
The next thing she said was, “The frogs found a
pond next to the tree and started to jump all over
it.” I turned around to see the tree and all of
this was so magical.
Then I turned back to Desna and she kept on
telling the story. “The next day she started to
take care of it herself. She read it stories, and
gave it water and before she knew it was all grown
up.
And now every night she works late in the library
to make sure the tree is safe. The end.”
When Desna was done everybody started to clap.
Sheena and the class said, “Thank you” and left.
by Kaitlyn
The Sparkle Glowing Tree
In the sparkle glowing tree at night the animals
come to life, the brown bear reads a book to the
fairies, and the fairies fly around him.
At night the snake slivers down from his tree and
sings a song to the sleepy, snoozing bear.
At night the witch went flying around the sparkle
glowing tree and tried to scare the little baby
spider to sleep.
by Jemma
The Library Tree
There is an amazing tree growing in our library. I
love the owl swinging swiftly, soundly upon the
tyre swing. The owl is purple and likes orange
fairies.
The toadstools are lovely colours and spotty. The
fluttery, flying fairies like to sleep in them at
night.
Lots of people like the big, brown, beautiful bear.
It loves to read books upon the tree trunk burrow.
All of the animals like to listen to the stories.
Witches that live in the library tree are grouchy,
and growny and of course they’re mean. I really
do hate the witch.
Some people come along to look at the tree but
when they look above them they scream because there
is a spider above them. That really scares me.
Our snakes always slither, slowly up the brown
trunk.
by Millie
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Itch
By Simon Mayo
The explosive adventures of an element hunter
New out just for the seniors. Itch is 14 and loves science. He is however both an accidental hero and accident prone.
Itch makes an unusual discovery and suddenly he is in danger. Great for those seniors who love Alex Rider
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What a great turn out of Fendalton school students at the Andy Griffiths book signing. It was wonderful to see so many of you getting your books signed. His books really are very funny. His website is also very cool. A special thanks to Natalie for getting our school library books signed.
Natalie and Violette with Andy Griffiths
Justine and Andy G
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[dropcap2]T[/dropcap2]oday Room 10 went to the library and saw the new installation…a magnificent tree what is bursting out of the ceiling! Here are our initial impressions:
Alice – I like how the heart is carved into the tree – it says FOS
Fletcher – Some of the tree is real and some isn’t.
Tom – I like how it looks like its bursting through the roof
Caitlin – I like how they did the spider weba dn the twig, with the spide in the middle.
Louis – I like how the owl was at the very top of the tree.
Lomond – I like how the bear is in the holoow of the tree and is reading a book.
Ella – I like how the mirror makes it look like a pond.
Luis – I like how parts of stories are actually on the tree.
Maddison – I like how the snakes join together to hold the tire.
Jamie – It’s really cool how the mirror looks like a pond.
Desna and Paul Walker – thanks for doing such an incredible job on the display 🙂
TOBY STOKES
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[dropcap2]T[/dropcap2]he Faultline Fiction Fanatics have been involved in the NZ Post Book awards. Radio New Zealand called in to the school and recorded several students book reviews – some of which played last Sunday morning on the radio.
Click HERE to listen to the Picture Book Reviews.
Books reviewed include:
The Cat’s Pyjamas by Catherine Foreman, reviewed by Lucy O; Rahui (English and Maori version) by Chris Szekely and illustrated by Malcolm Ross, reviewed by Olivia C and Jason te Kare; Stomp! by Ruth Paul, reviewed by Maddison; and Waiting for Later by Tina Matthews, reviewed by Olivia H.
Click HERE to listen to the Junior Fiction Book Reviews.
Books reviewed include:
The Flytrap Snaps by Johanna Knox and illustrated by Sabrina Malcolm, Ruby-Jak;Just Jack by Adele Broadbent, reviewed by Emily; The Loblolly Boy & the Sorcerer by James Norcliffe, reviewed by Maddy K; Super Finn by Leonie Agnew, reviewed by Caitlin; and The Travelling Restaurant by Barbara Else, reviewed by Lucy.
By Toby Stokes
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A huge, huge thank you to Paul Walker, the assistant caretaker, for making the brilliant tree now installed in the library
He has spent many week nights building this tree and it certainly has the wow factor. I also want to thank a friend, Liz, for making the wonderful toadstool.
We have placed all sorts of spiders and bugs for the children to seek out. Do pop in sometime and see this lovely display. It is wonderful watching the children coming into the library and just going “wow”. Well worth all the time and effort.
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