Penrith PS rappers and bloggers

Feb 22

In February 2011, Christchurch, NZ, was devastated by an earthquake and a month later the teacher librarians of Australia, and their schools, rallied behind a fundraising campaign called “All Black Day”. Our school created a slideshow (and added to it a few days later with additional photos), but in the Great Photo Peach Crash of December 2012, we suffered our own disaster.

Mr McLean had to retrieve all the images from Flickr‘s Creative Commons and various computers. Today is the two-year anniversary of All Black Day. Please note that the slideshow now has a new URL:
photopeach.com/album/y7vl7s

Tulip hands frieze by SCHP, 2011

Nov 19

The Stage 1 and Early Stage 1 students are studying fables this term. Next up is the Aesop’s fable of “The hare and the tortoise”. After we look at some print versions, we have a digital story on Powerpoint, created three years ago by other Penrith PS students.

Then we have a sequel to that story, called Champions read, on Photo Peach.

Last week, the book rappers of 2RM came up with a delightfully imaginative digital story, Selby licks a lollipop: a Candyland adventure, concerning the featured canine character of Duncan Ball’s “Selby” books. Comments from viewers around the world came in thick and fast, including one from Duncan Ball himself!

Duncan Ball
Mr McLean with children’s author Duncan Ball at the 2007 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge ceremony, Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney.

Nov 09

Earlier this year, Stage 2 students were investigating Australian inventions (science and technology unit) and, in particular, plastic Australian banknotes (HSIE Financial literary).

Here is a great webpage article: Wi-fi, dual-flush loos and eight more Australian inventions from BBC News magazine online.

Nov 08

Stage 1 students create digital stories

Stage 1 students are media stars again! The full article by Jessica Aquilina is HERE, courtesy of today’s Penrith City Star newspaper. Above photo courtesy of Gary Warrick, Penrith City Star.

Our online digital stories are HERE on Photo Peach.

Sep 07

1/2 students present a new digital story based on the Book Week 2012 slogan. The Year 1 students of our composite class started a story (theme, character building, some photos) and the Year 2 students finished it (more photos, sequencing, caption writing, editing, etc).

Here is “Superheroes are champion readers“:
photopeach.com/album/78xb36

We hope you enjoy it!

Aug 24

Flash learns to hop

A group of Stage 1 (Year 2) students have been working on creating a digital story about the Book Week slogan, “Champions read”. We have spent 30 mins per day (for 2 weeks) watching stimulus material, such as The hare and the tortoise (2009) fable. Also brainstorming, character building, storyboarding, taking digital photos, caption writing, editing, and selecting music. They have discussed their effort on the book rap, Join a reading adventure.

Easter Carnival hopping race

See this exciting digital story on Photo Peach!

Photo Peach message

Aug 22

Easter Carnival hopping race

Students in 2B have created a digital story to celebrate Book Week, and to share on the “Join a reading adventure” book rap blog. An Easter Carnival hopping race is the setting for a sequel to the fable, “The hare and the tortoise”.

Champions read
Champions read

Flash learns to hop
Flash learns to hop

Aug 20

Happy Book Week, everyone!

3M Bilby secrets
Class 3M presented “Bilby secrets”

6W Flood
Class 6W represented the picture book “Flood” with a tabletop 3D model.

The flood was as quick as Usan Bolt.
The flood was as deadly as a spider.
The flood looked like a massive, roaring sea.
The waters of the flood were as unhygienic and dirty as a rubbish heap.

The flood was as wet as a water bomb exploding on your face.
The flood was like a horrifying nightmare.
The flood was as dangerous as a tornado.
The flood was as cold as an ice block.

The flood was as fast as a cheetah running away.
The flood was as violent as the devil’s anger.
The flood was as dangerous as a wild tiger.
The flood was as loud as a lion’s roar.

by students of 6W, 2012.

1-4P York's universe
Class 1-4P presented the Crichton Award-nominated “York’s universe”.

Aug 14

Penrith champions read
Penrith champions read – in 2012!

That's not a daffodil
Lots of us didn’t know what daffodils looked like. Luckily, Daffodil Day is coming up!

4W That's not a daffodil
4W’s poster for the book.

Daffodil

More Book Week displays from the classes have been arriving in the school library:

45E Champions read
4/5E decided to create a display using the 2012 theme for Book Week

KB Squish Rabbit
KB presents “Squish Rabbit”

A close-up of one of the Squish portraits:
Squish

It’s Rabbit Season:
Rabbits read

KI No bears
There are no bears in KI…

… or so we thought:
KI No bears... or so we thought

Watch a slideshow of all of these displays (and more as they are added) HERE!

Aug 08

It’s Term 3, so the first Book Week displays from classes have started to arrive in the school library! This year’s slogan is “Champions read”.

2H The last Viking
1/2H presents “The last Viking”

K-2B Farm
K-2B presents a frieze featuring “The three billy goats Gruff” and a farm

3F Bus called Heaven
3F presents “A bus called Heaven”

3F Bus called Heaven - unveiled
“A bus called Heaven” – revealed!

K3R Ben and Duck
K-3R presents “Ben and Duck”

K3R Ben and Duck2

K3R Ben and Duck3

1G Rudie nudie
1G presents “Rudie nudie”

1K Surrealism for kids
1K presents “Surrealism for kids”
Click HERE to see some sample pages.

The creators of “The last viking” have also posted 1/2H’s display on their website! Congratulations 1/2H!

Watch a slideshow of all of these displays (and more as they are added) HERE!