Monday, May 20, 2013

Philosophy - trying your best!


This week in philosophy we looked at the book ‘Ish’ by Peter Reynolds. Whilst the book is about art we took the theme of trying and doing your best as our discussion point.

Here are some of the children’s ideas.
Year 2
Year 3
Should we always try our best?
Yes
No
You do better if you do your best.
People are proud of you.
You feel proud of yourself.
You get people saying nice things to you.
You get good feedback.
If you try your best you will get better and better.
You might be scared but you have to try and then you might find you can.
It might get you somewhere good like in a competition.
You might make some money.
If you try harder then you know you can do it.
It feels great.
You can get it right.
You can’t do your best all the time but mistakes are ok.
Not if the prize isn’t a good one.
Not at home, because no one is watching.
If you do your best will you always succeed?
Yes
No
Mistakes don’t matter you can turn them into something else.
The race doesn’t finish until the last person crosses the line! (6yr old)
If you keep on trying your best you will always get better.
You succeed if you finish.
Even if you fall you can get up and keep trying.
You might not win but you will get better and be proud of yourself.
You might make a mistake.
You might be tripped, fall or be bumped.
You might get a try for the other team.
Even if you do your best there might be someone better.
You could be up against a lot of people like in a marathon.
Something might go wrong fro you.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Young Writers Workshop - Poetry with Rachel

Recently some talented writers worked with Rachel from YWW.
Children involved were :

Year 5 students
Emma 
Julius 
Thomas
Lydia 
Samantha
Atlanta

Y6 students
Brydie
Jadey 
Phoebe 
Gemma 
Nate 
Ella
Adam 
Jaeda 

If you would like your writing published please drop me your book. The first of our writers to share are here:

Nettle
The misty grey morning
chilled the air when I was
walking on the dewy green
grass with a little tinge 
of white. I could hear the 
soft pattering of rain and the
small squeaky chirps from birds.

In the garden I reached over
and grabbed the wet handfuls 
of lettuce.

Suddenly, pains started grasping my
skin, like rocks scarping repeatedly
on my arm.

The gloomy green stinging nettle
had briskly brushed against my 
hand. The pain was everlasting, 
like numbers going on forever.

The sky was swirling,
the watery plants blurring
screams of fright, sunlight 
turning off.

Julius

A Penguin in the Amazon
As the flightless bird
wanders freely in the 
humid rainforest, he is slowly 
dying from not being in the 
right climate. As sweat binds
on it's feathered 
forehead, it waddles down 
the Amazon River. Bullsharks
ferociously jump and try
to tear at the penguin
trying to take a bite 
at the helpless bird.
It walks back up the bank 
into the deadly forest.
Its orange feet are in pain
as it walks
across broken sharp sticks
and bark off trees like its 
shattered dreams and memories 
of home.

Nate