Reading Strategies (Priscilla and the Wimps)

Predicting = Guessing what will happen next.

I think that he will be saved by his friends from the locker.

Inferring = It says in the story...I know...So I can infer (understand) that ...

It says: "Practically everyone in school could show you his scars"

I know: Scars come from when we are hurt

I can infer: that the Kobras are violent

Connecting = linking events in a story to your life

There are bullies in this story. What do I know about bullies? Do I know any bullies? Have I ever been bullied?

Visualizing = Imagining with pictures

"The Odd Couple....Priscilla was...the largest student in our particular institute of learning...Melvin was...one of the smallest guys above midget status ever seen."

Imagine what this couple looks like - describe them or draw a picture.

Sentence of the Week

"We can see that both are loyal and have an unbreakable bond between them." By Polly, 6D

"After the Warden came, X-Ray received a day off after all that time digging in the hot shining glazing ray from the big red fireball, otherwise known as the Sun." By Bill, 6C

Sentence of the Week

"Stanley is compassionate and loyal to his first real friend, Hector Zeroni." By Davina, 6D

"Maybe he felt more comfortable with the boys there than in his hometown." By Pearl, 6C

Sliding on a waterslide so fast, and end up flying into a pool

Don’t you feel scared all of a sudden and then you end up with a splash? Sometimes you even gulp a mouthful of water because you are screaming and then “SPLASH!” All you know is that you’re in the water and you’re choking really hard.

It is really cool and you feel nervous. In the beginning, the slide is really slow, and you may feel bored. After that, the slide goes faster and faster. All of a sudden you just know that you’re plunging down, all you can see is blurry stuff because you’re plunging down too fast and flying up again. Then, you enter the pool with a “SPLASH!”.


Awesome!

By Jimmy, 6D

Sentence of the Week

"In America, whites were considered superior, while colored people were considered inferior." By Nhan, 6D

"A time when it was still filled with clear water, which occasionally was filled with laughing children, splashing and swimming in the clear, cool water." By Anh, 6C

Holes Quote - Zero

"Zero was the smallest kid in Group D, but he was the first to finish digging." P37

This quote shows us that Zero is small, yet strong and experienced.

Holes Quote - God's Thumb

"When he was asked how he had lived so long, he said he "found refuge on God's Thumb."" P93

We don't know what God's Thumb is at this stage, but we can infer that it is a magical or safe place.

Holes Quote - Something unfair

"If I had just kept those old smelly sneakers, then neither of us would be here right now." P184

Everything could have been avoided if he had kept the sneakers. Stanley wouldn't be at Camp Green Lake.

Holes Quote - Desert Life

“He’s not going to die,” the Warden said, “Unfortunately for you.” P91

Stanley has learnt that people can be as dangerous as the desert.

Holes Quote - Camp Green Lake

"There is no Camp at Camp Green Lake" P3

It immediately tells us about the setting.

Holes Quotes - Stanley

"He needed to save his energy for the people who counted" P82.

This quote shows that Stanley has begun to treat Zero the same as the other boys at camp do.

Sentence of the Week

"Confident as he was, he was still nervous about performing." Celine, 6C

"He practiced his pantomime in the shower and at school every day leading up to the talent show, yet on the day of the show something unpredictable happened." Josh, 6D

Writepath Competition - Monday 11th October

WRITE PATH COMPETITION 2010

The Write Path is a writing competition which started in the UK in 2008 and now involves students in schools around the world. Well known authors provide the opening paragraph and then teams of students work together to write a progressive story.

Schools will be given a timeslot on one day, with our school being allocated 1-2pm on Monday, October 11. At this time, the students involved will come to the library and will read the author’s opening to the story. In pairs, students will then write the next part of the story, before it is passed on to another school to continue.

There will be six different stories, with each pair allocated one story to work on in their allocated one hour time slot.

To participate, students must be aged between 11 and 13.

Schools are encouraged to write a blog post of their own at the end of their time about their experience, and also to upload photos, videos etc.

At the end of the week schools will be asked to vote for their favourite paragraphs and the winners will be sent a trophy.

All of the stories will be published in a book and a copy of the book will be sent to the school. We have a copy of last year’s book in the library if you would like to have a look. All students who participate have their names published in the books as authors of the stories.

Story continuations should be kept short (maximum 250 words), as this prevents the stories from getting too long.

Good Luck!

Look at the website to see last year's stories:

www.writepath.ning.com

Holes

We will study this in class during September and October.

Think about: 

• reading strategies (infer, predict, connect)
• themes: bullying, desert life, homelessness, juvenile detention
• time lines

Seeing a Half Grown Shark

How would you react when you see a half grown grey shark with a mouth full of bone crunching teeth on a beach lying helplessly on the beach one day?! Well this is one way to do it! I was on vacation at Da Nang and I was going to go fishing with my friend when suddenly my friend said she saw a really big tail. Then a sea of people was gathering around something at the beach! Me and my friend squeeze ourselves through the crowd and saw a half grown grey shark was stranded on the beach! The security guards helped the unfortunate carnivore back to the deep blue ocean. I felt strange why a grey shark would swim in the shallow water. No one dare to touch the beautiful calm sea that whole week but the mystery of the stranded grey shark remain unknown. Though seeing a stranded grey shark was unbelievably surprising, I and my friend thought that was a scary but AWESOME experience!!!   

AWESOME!

By Rosie

Crying while watching a scary movie

While you’re watching a scary movie, do you ever notice the person sit next to be crying because the movie was too frightened?

Well, when I was young I usually wet my pants whenever I watch a scary movie, therefore at night I didn’t go to the bathroom because I thought that the yellow monster going to kidnap me! Until now, last Halloween I went to the theater to watch a new horror  movie but unlucky for me that, the girl sitting next to me was crying to like she watching a romantic movie, it a good thing that I brought a pack of tissue.

Awesome!

By Roo

Riding on Extreme Roller Coasters

Have you ever rode on some roller coasters? You might wanted to bring a bag so you could barf when the roller coaster was running. You might not want to look down when the roller coaster was running when you’re afraid, because it make you barf.

Made sure you buckled your seatbelts, because your arms and legs don’t have the strength to hold yourself against the wind and g-forces, and you will fly off. When the roller coaster cars were doing some tight loops or turns, or stunts, you might feel a force that push you left and right, back and forth, the wind and the g-forces was pushing you, and you will occasionally experienced black-outs, which was when your sight became black and you can’t see anything at all until the roller coaster cars level out, you can slow the black-outs by tighten your muscles.

Made sure you followed these steps when you’re riding in a roller coaster. It sort of like flying a stunt aircraft, or flying a fighter plane in a dogfight.

Awesome!

By Nhan

Peeing on my mom’s bed!

Once, I was really tired and slept in my mom’s bed. I was too lazy to wake-up to go the toilet. At that time I was dreaming something and peed in my mom’s bed. I smelled so bad at that time. I was 3 years old so I didn’t know anything. I tasted it and it was wet and stinky. It had a yellow color and my mom looked at it and yelled at me. I was so scared and I was crying really loud. My maid needed to clean my mom’s bed cover.




Awesome!

By Lisa

Walking into a air conditioned room after a long walk on a hot day

Don’t you just love it when a room is air conditioned after a hot day, or don’t you love it when you get home after a long day of walking? Have you ever done at the same time? Its just a great feeling when you just spent like two hours walking around on a 40 degrease day  and then you walk into a house or a shopping center and get blown back by the cool breeze from the air conditioners. I just love it because it instantaneously cools you down. Its just………….AWESOME!

By Josh

Skiing Down a Really Steep Mountain

Today’s awesome thing is about skiing or snowboarding a really steep mountain. Usually this would be really scary for beginners, like me, but I’d be willing to give it a try. Whenever I ski down a mountain, I always feel the fresh cool air blowing in my face. Once you finish skiing down that hill, you’ll never want the feeling to stop. Skiing or snowboarding might always cheer you up when you’re feeling down. My favorite part of skiing is tasting the snowflakes while you’re going down. That way you can feel the fresh wind while tasting the cold flakes. I think skiing would be a great idea for a Christmas vacation.

AWESOME!

By Davina

Having the smelliest vampire in my bed during while at the middle of the night!

         In Halloween, when you went trick or treat to get candy, I dressed in a vampire costume. It was really fun to get all kind of good candy to eat. But at night, I had a bad feeling, a frightening feeling. But then I forgot it and thought it just a feeling nothing will harm you. At the middle of the night, I suddenly felt someone step into my room. I thought just forget it. But the sound of some step into my room got closer. I was so scared that I closed my eyes. While I closed my eyes, the person who are not supposed in my room walked to my bed and sat on my bed!! Then I heard the sound of my clock like “ Ding Dong Ding Dong…” Before I opened my eyes, I smelled something. A really horrible smelled. I opened my eyes and saw the smelliest vampire sitting in my bed!! I screamed and jumped of my bed to turn on the light. When I turned on the light, the vampire disappear. It was my brother, with the smelliest smell I had ever smell. Phew I was really thought that was the real vampire. My family laughed at me and they really made me embarrassed.

 Awesome!

By Polly

Drinking something that’s past the expiry date

Once, I woke up very early on a Saturday morning. I walked downstairs and tried to get a drink, but I didn’t notice that the bottle of coke was past the expiry date.

When poured it out in a cup, I looked down to the bottom, and there were hundreds of dead ants in there. Even though there were dead ants in the bottle, it didn’t taste any different. It was gross and I wanted to puke, but it was the last bottle of coke and I really like coke so I didn’t care. I even drank the ants, it was nasty but I really wanted to try how it tasted.

When I finished the bottle, I thought I would be sick or something. But, I was never better.

AWESOME!!!!

Being Scared of Horror Movies but Still Eager to Watch

Watching horror movies can make you terrified for quite a time, but somehow you still want to know what crazy thing is going to happen next.
Horror movies are one of the things I try to avoid watching, because after watching them I get extremely paranoid and have terrible nightmares! However, every time someone turns on one of those films. I would always be there to stare right at the deadly scenes. When a bloody scene appears, I would always chills down my spine and cover my eyes with my sweaty palms, but still leaving a hole to peak at it. After peeking at it, I would give a little shriek and wished I didn’t ever peak at it. To me, scary movies are one of the scariest things ever, but somehow it hypnotizes me into watching those freaky scenes!

AWESOME!!!

By Celine

Sleeping in the bathroom

If you scare of someone. Then go to the bathroom to sleep. First, lie the blanket down. Then take some books and music to read or listen to. Then go in, lock the door and read or listen. But if you were in there, maybe you will fell very curious. But I do. After about one hour I can’t stay at there anymore because I don’t know what people doing in out there. Are they worried about me? But you know what! They don’t even go up stairs to see what I am doing up there. Then I have to go down stairs, say sorry to my mom and clean the bathroom.
Awesome!

Going On The Best Water Slide Ever

I went on a vacation with my family to this awesome, big, pretty,five star hotel that has the coolest water park and the funniest arcades. I went to the Great Wolf Lodge hotel. When i finished checking in and unpacked my bags, My family and I went to the coolest water park right away. The first Thing I saw in the water park was the biggest, coolest most awesome Water slide ever! The line was so long though! It took an hour before I could get on the ride! When I finally got on the best water slide, I Was so excited. When I went down the most awesome slide ever, it Was all black inside the tube and the tube kept going in a spiral. Then I saw this shiny light, colorful, shimmering light and the mat was jumping up and down! it was totally awesome and exciting when the light stopped shining I continued going down the cool spiral tube, water started splashing on me and I couldn’t hear anything! When I finally got out, I was so happy that I kept talking and thinking about the water slide the entire day!

AWESOME!!!

By Diana

Do the homework under the swimming pool

I wanted to do homework under the swimming pool. I locked the car’s door and looked at what I was taking. I took some of my homework that my mom gave me. I introduced myself to the swimming coach and told him that he needs to teach me how to do homework at the swimming pool, I mean, under the swimming pool! Don’t ever make him upset because he will be fined. And need to promise with him that you will learn well. His classroom was amazing. He organized some glasses so the water couldn’t go in. I was very curious then because all of his learning style and his skill were very scientific and interesting. When I sat inside, I heard a sound of wave, a sound of people talking. All of the awesome were in this swimming pool. I want to learn again but my uncle said that we need to go home!


AWESOME!!!

Going on a Roller Coaster without screaming

When I was just a 5th grader, I always felt scared when I went on games which bring me to the sky. Once, my school went on a field trip to Dai Nam. I was so excited to think about learning or school. I was just screaming like: “Hooray! I don’t have to go to school tomorrow! Yay!!! So I went home and started to prepare what I need for the trip.
The next day, we went to Dai Nam. When we got there, each of us got like 10 tickets to play. I played so many fun games, except Roller Coaster. After playing so many games, I got bored, so I went to the place where people play Roller Coaster to see how they could survive on it. They played and played, and I watched and watched until I thought I was also exciting. I thought: “What if I die? Some of my friends say that it’s very scary. I think I’ll just try.” After that, I went on the Roller Coaster. A security guard looked at me and asked:” Don’t you know what “being scared” means?” I ignored him.
A few minutes later, the Roller Coaster started to move. I closed my eyes so that I won’t look down. When I opened my eyes, I discovered that we were on the top of the Roller Coaster and I thought it wasn’t scary at all. The Roller Coaster started to move again. I had no idea why the security guard was screaming. I thought he wasn’t scare.
When we finished playing, I don’t have enough tickets to play it again but however, it was AWESOME!!!

The first time to eat mashed pumpkin!

It was a Sunday night in Hanoi. I was so hungry and couldn’t wait for dinner. When I came down, I saw orange, mashed pumpkin in the bowl. First I thought it’s was going to be sweet and yummy. But when I smelled the bowl it smelled like fish and potatoes mixed together. Then my mom started pouring them into my bowl, I ate it so fast I didn’t taste a thing. But by the second bowl I was full. I ate it slowly and steady. It tastes like mashed fish with potatoes. It was disgusting I didn’t swallow it, I ran as quickly as I can to the bathroom and spit it all out. That was so much pumpkin for the first time eating pumpkins for the first time eating pumpkin. The next week, another week of pumpkin, still it was cool to taste pumpkin the first time.

Awesome!!!

Taking Off in an Airplane

Taking off in an Airplane

When taking off in an airplane it feels great! The speed prints a smile on your face, the pressure and weight that you feel, I bet that’s your favorite part of the whole flight! Some people can hear the speed outside, and when you look out the window saying good-bye, you might even smell the fresh air outside! All of your emotions take a break, you close your eyes, sit back and relax.

Awesome!

By: Christine Gadlan 6C

Abseil down a height of an eight-storey building in the mountains

Have you ever faced your scariest fear? I had abseiled down a height of an eight- storey building in the mountains of Dalat. It was the first time I’ve abseiled. When I climbed the mountain to the place to abseil, I was exited. When I got there, I saw that’s too deep so I was very scared. I saw that there were big lumps of rocks for me to abseil down. I was about to say “no.” but because of the fresh smell of cool winds, I tried to abseil down. When I was abseiling down, I heard people say “help” and “cool” because I went with my school, AIS. I abseiled down all the way and waited for other people. All the people abseiled down and said “ouch” I saw they all had blood on them, not me.

By Andy

It was an awesome day, thanks to the wind.

Awesome

Burying a dead hamster!

There’s just a weird feeling about burying your dead hamster. The sad feeling in your stomach, yet a sign of joy flickers in your mind, thinking that your dear pet will go to a place where hamsters can run free. A place where the smell of fresh nuts is in the air, a place called “Hamster Heaven.” After the burial, a feeling of relief will take effect. That feeling of relief is that you have done what you can during the lifetime of your furry little pet, and did the best you can to ensure a good journey for your hamster to “Hamster Heaven.” Of course, after that, the joy of having another furry little hamster!

Awesome!!!!

the first time i slide down a water slide in 3 seconds

Sliding down a water slide in 3 SECONDS

Sliding down a water slide in only 3 seconds. How does is make you feel? To me, it’s horrifying because when you look down it’s a long way down. You can feel the wind blowing into your face. When you ride for the first time it’s really scary but when you are used to it, it will become fun. When you touch the ground there is water and the water flies over your face. You can fly around 1km with that speed. You feel like you are a rocket flying in very high speed.

AWESOME!!!!

High Tens...Awesome!

High fives are good. High tens are great.

Picture it — jaw dropping in slow-motion silence, eyebrows furrowing in mock-angry rage, head slowly wagging side to side, both hands lifting high up top, waiting a brief moment for your friend to answer your call and deliver a booming double palm-on-palm SMACK.

Now that’s a beautiful picture. That’s the happy dial turned to 10. That’s a good day giving birth to a great one. That’s a photo from Appendix A of The Study of The Best Things Ever. It’s just explosive.

Like I said, the high five is good, too. But really, almost anyone can deliver a high five. It’s just one hand! Once you start tenning, the five starts to look wrong, incomplete, and unfinished. It becomes a half, a partial, a sort of, like a flop with no flip, yang with no yin, pong with no ping, or a unicycle.

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