Some guy called Andy

Look what I stumbled on this morning. Its the new Andy Griffiths book called 'Andypedia'. Interstingly though as it is only going to be sold as a e-book. Reason is, is that it won't work in the normal format. Click on the sample below and see why

Andy's new book

I don't have an e-reader, so if anyone buys it can I have a read? Can I? Huh? Please! PPPPllllllleeeeeeaaaaasssseee! I'll be good I promise!

Shortened Lunchtimes

Here is a piece of writing that Alex completed last term very early on when we were beginning to write strong arguements. Read it and tell us what you think.

SHORTENED LUNCH TIMES by Alex Stenhouse

I am certain that the lunch times at Grey Main School are too long. We spend ¼ of a weekday at school and an amazing ¼ of that time at lunch. With shortened lunch times we will have more learning times and less bad things therefore receiving greater academic results throughout the year.

Do you believe that we already spend enough time in class? Well I am here to assure you that we don’t. At Grey Main our academic level is not great and I believe it could improve. Shorter lunch times will result in more time in class and games will definitely be more of a reward.

I strongly believe that Grey Main’s academic level is low. With less time playing we will spend more time in class learning and improving our end of year test results. More time in class will not only boost your child’s learning level but will also help them gain better manners and better people skills like being polite, respectful and caring which will turn them into better men.

With more time in class kids won’t have enough time to be bad. If a child is indoors they are under constant supervision but outdoors we have just 2 duty teachers on at a time, trying to control nearly 400 kids which is quite a struggle. You may believe that because these teachers are walking around we don’t have enough time to swear and fight but let me guarantee you that we keep an eye out for teachers we know when they are near and when they are out of sight.

That is why I believe that lunch times at school need to be shortened. This is an urgently needed change.

Sarah Ulmer

Sarah Ulmer at GMS

Woohoo! We get to meet Sarah Ulmer tomorrow. How cool is that? So that we don't look like a bunch of dorks (well not all of us anyway!) prepare some questions in advance.

Make sure they are intelligent questions please fellas! Click on the link below to go to Sarah's page on wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Ulmer

DP1

Here is one of the types of art works we are creating this term. This is a 2D(ish) version of DP1. Its been tricky and you have to think forward and backwards in layers. It takes a bit of practice and I've found that not glueing it together has allowed me to play around a bit, fixing up any mistakes as I go.

A simpler way to do this would be just to build up layers as you go and that would be acceptable for most people, but if you are in Arts Talented or just have the drive to try something a bit harder I recommend going for it this way. It looks real cool to have the windows recessed (sunken in) like in real life.

I've gotten up to the painting stage today and I'm really glad I didn't stick it all together because painting it would have been a nightmare, however, keeping track of the parts is going to be tricky for some. I'm thinking that it may have been pretty cool not to paint/colour it in at all, or just paint it all white.

Fig 1.

Fig 2.

Anyway...on with the show...Figure 1 shows the drawn image I like. I used the data projector to enlarge it.

Fig 3.

Figure 2 shows the drawing all straightened up. I'm going to use this as my master copy. All of my layers will come off this. I'll do this by 'tracing' onto the cardboard underneath, then drawing over the indentations  again. See figure 3.

Once the indentations were made, it was just a matter of going over it again in pen. I used the ruler again. 

Fig 4.

Figure 4 shows the building beginning to be cut out. I have one of those 'self healing' mats underneath. Its A2, can't remember the price, however I did see some down at the Warehouse. Only A4 size, but would be very handy. $6 or thereabouts

Fig 5

Fig 6.

Fig 7.

Fig 8.

Shout Out

A big shout out goes to Miss Liddell soon to be Mrs Cherie Rhoda Wood. Hope you have a good first day back.

Masterchefs?

Here's a video from nearly 2 years ago. Lots of fun to make

Man Flu & PrEP

As I'm sitting here, wallowing in self pity and snot (have caught the deadly man flu-typical of me to get sick during the holidays) I've been distracting myself from the school work I'm supposed to be doing by pretending this is school work!

Anyway, we need to crack straight into PrEP. What are the possibilities? No food or stress balls (because of the mess). Anyone fancy making Ginger Beer? Any experts at home who think this recipe might be a good one? Click the link and let me know ginger beer recipe

...or lollies! lolly recipes We'd make a killing!

What else does everyone feel like doing?

(When you repost boys make sure you find a link I can look at.

The 20 most beautiful picture books of all time?

Saw a post by a friend from Australia tonight. The post linked to a website that put forward what they thought were the 20 most beautiful picture books of all time. What do you think? What should be there? Why? What is beautiful? Can we come up with a criteria? Click the link below and check it out.
The 20 most beautiful picture books of all time

Term 3 Art links

Dinosaurs on the telly! How cool is that?

This term in Art we'll be creating small scale construction using cardboard. We'll be creating 2D flat images with relief, and 3D dioramas. I've found a cool website with LOTS of ideas, so check it out.

My DP1 artwork is going great guns so I'll post the end result here
http://www.stormthecastle.com/mainpages/dioramas/diorama_index.htm
As I find more I'll bang them in here.

Bookfinder @ Booktrust

http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/

If you click on this link a book just might find you...

Booktrust is a very good British website dedicated to books for all ages. I recommend you check it out. Read some reviews and con mum and dad into buying you a book!

Desert Island Books?

Hmm... five books to take with me in case I ever got stuck on a deserted island.

In no particular order

1. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman; The Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife & The Amber Spyglass ( I'm being fairly sneaky here. I sure i would have brought an omnibus or a boxed set before the aeroplane  ride)

2. The Dream Merchant by Isabel Hoving.

3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

5. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (can i get this trilogy in a boxed set too?)

Yep. That would just about do it I think.

Maybe a survival book like Hatchet may help. Unfortunately far too short. Would not make the cut.

I wonder what my boys in Room 17 think of that list...what would they keep? What would they change?

Haere Mai

Haere Mai. Welcome. C'mon in. Don't worry about taking off your shoes. You're fine.

So rather than read a book and tell people how great it was,  I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts so that others can comment. I hope that the boys in Room 17 will post comments here about what we're reading.