Diwali

Nessa and Karthiga - celebrating the festival of lights

Farewell Aimee

The last of our international students left on Friday.  It was a pleasure to host you, Aimee

Wacky Mufti - Dressing weird for Kidscan

Underwear as outerwear - all the rage on the catwalks in Paris (said nobody ever)

Rocking it in Room 2.  Nothing new there then

Twinsies - the long and the short of it

Is the Big Orange Splot the best book ever written?

Prolly.

I was lucky, my dad loved books and I was raised in a home rich with reading material. Dad selected books carefully because he thought content mattered, and that books should provoke deeper thinking; I think he was right.  My dad bought me The Big Orange Splot.  Yesterday as part of our exploration of Narrative writing, I introduced Room 2 to The Big Orange Splot.

So here's a basic synopsis:

Mr Plumbean lives in a house where all the houses are the same.  Mr Plumbean lives in a neat street. After a stroke of bad luck, Mr Plumbean seizes the opportunity to reinvent his home and ends up with a house that he explains 'looks like all my dreams'.   The house is painted brightly, there's a clock tower on the roof and a crocodile in the yard.  Naturally, the neighbours go into an uproar, and send one of the strongest opponents over to Plumbean's house with the expectation that he'll talk some sense into him.  The next day this neighbour's house is transformed into a ship styled home...

Get the picture?

The author, Daniel Manus Pinkwater never tells us what is said during the conversation.  As readers we are only told that they stay up all night talking and drinking lemonade.  

SO AWESOME!!!!

The mystery of this conversation is a gift to budding writers. What was said that night?  How did Mr Plumbean convince his neighbour to change his house to look like his dreams?  This was clearly a watershed moment for the neighbour; what caused his enlightenment?

I just love this kind of learning opportunity.   It presents a chance for children to participate in deeper philosophical discussions, and is also an opportunity to explore the importance of dialogue in character development.

In terms of teaching moments, it also provides a moment to explore symbolism.  We talked about how young children might read the book as being about changing houses, but the kids in Room 2 (an insightful bunch) recognised immediately that the house is a really a symbol (or metaphor) for the people who live in the houses.  In terms of mental well-being, we talked about the true message in the book - being true to yourself and celebrating uniqueness.

The kids have now paired up, and are writing scripts that we will act out next week.  What I like about this activity is how broad the appeal is.  It is fantastic for my creative kids but also fabulous for those kids who enjoy experimenting with the intellectual art of argument. .  You know you're on to a good thing when the kids moan when you ask them to put their devices away. ;-)

Follow the link directly below to watch a reading of The Big Orange Splot

The Big Orange Splot

Kids transfixed

Kids are working together on shared documents

Daring to be different

Instructions for Life in Room 2

.... that moment when you know you have an awesome class and it's going to be a great year!

Yes, I know some people hate incomplete sentences, but still .....

We have been working on our alternative to the conventional class treaty; we took a quick look at 'instructions' written by the Dalai Lama for living well.
           The Room 2 kids are so insightful; far more mature and reflective than I ever was at ten or eleven.  Have a look at some of their top tips for getting along in life.  This is just a sampler.  Enjoy!

Have fun!

Be awesome!

Think positively

Mistakes prove you are trying

Don’t let something small ruin your day!

Make sure you’re happy

Be yourself

Manage yourself

Believe in who you are!

Show responsibility for your actions

Don’t lose your temper when someone provokes you

Creativity is da key (like the creative spelling here! ;-) Mrs Wallace)

Everyone is good in their own way

Be yourself, everyone else is taken

Be happy

You’re beautiful just the way you are

Anything can be done with confidence

Stand up for yourself

Honour, respect, loyalty

You’re not bad, you’re just learning

Things aren’t perfect - expect that!

Have fun with friends

Learn from your mistakes

Laugh and live

Care and Share

Don’t be rude

Be grateful for the stuff you’re given

Never swear

Don’t get mad over silly things

Eat healthily

Never have too much sugar

Practise makes perfect

Good things come to those who go out and earn them

Light can be found in the darkest of places, if one remembers to turn on the light (Albus Dumbledore)

Determination

Co-operate with classmates

Laugh often and learn well

Be kind to other people