Penrith PS rappers and bloggers

Feb 22

Second anniversary of All Black Day

Posted in news school events Tagged Christchurch earthquake, fundraising, Photo Peach, slideshows No Comments »

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

Nov 19

Slow and steady

Posted in Early Stage 1 Stage 1 Tagged Aesop, digital stories, Duncan Ball, fables, Hare and the tortoise, hares, Photo Peach, PowerPoints, Selby, tortoises No Comments »

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!

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

Nov 09

Ten Australian inventions

Posted in news Stage 2 Tagged banknotes, BBC news magazine, financial literacy, inventions, inventors No Comments »

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

Pupils make most of web in storytelling adventure

Posted in news Stage 1 Tagged digital stories, Gary Warrick, Penrith City Star. newspaper articles, Photo Peach No Comments »

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

Superheroes are champion readers

Posted in book raps Stage 1 Tagged Book Week, Champions read, digital stories, octopuses, Photo Peach, puppets, sharks, superheroes No Comments »

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

Champions read: a digital story

Posted in blogs book raps news Stage 1 Tagged Book Week, digital stories, hares, Photo Peach, rabbits, races, tortoises No Comments »

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.

See this exciting digital story on Photo Peach!

Aug 22

A digital story takes shape

Posted in blogs book raps news Stage 1 Tagged book raps, Book Week, Champions read, digital stories, fables, Photo Peach, rabbits, tortoises No Comments »

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

Flash learns to hop

Aug 20

Latest arrivals: class displays for Book Week

Posted in news picture books Tagged bilbies, Book Week, collages, displays, floods, planets, similes, universes No Comments »

Happy Book Week, everyone!

Class 3M presented “Bilby secrets”

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.

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