Literacy Update

2023 Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

Well done to all the students who have signed up to compete in the 2023 Spelling Bee. This week we had 20 students participate in the first round and we are waiting to hear if any students have made it through to the next round. The atmosphere in the room was positive and exciting as the students approached something that they have never done before with a great mindset. 

Resilience was the theme we channelled as we were unsure what to expect and definitely came across some words that challenged us. A huge congratulations to the students who chose to participate.

Hopefully, you are enjoying reading the entries that our fabulous SKiPPS students wrote for the 2023 Short Story competition. I am so proud of their efforts and excited to share another 4 stories with you today.

All 19 students who chose to participate will be acknowledged at the school assembly next Friday, August 11th.

The Dragon Knight and the Poisoner

By Rosalie O’M Year 4

“Alex what was that!? Because I call that pure talent. Welcome to the Dragon Knights” said Sarge. 

Sarge was the leader of the dragons that were knights. Alex had wanted to be a Dragon Knight since he was four and now he was finally one of them. 

“Your first mission is to find out who put D-Pax in the Queen’s drink” Sarge continued. “Let me explain what D-Pax is. It is a very, very powerful poison.”

Alex was so excited with many ideas rolling through his mind. He pulled out his notebook and started writing suspects. He listed Sap, the Queen’s jealous sister and then added Tip to the list, the Queen’s chef. “It can’t be Joe, the Queen’s nice brother” thought Alex. 

Alex decided to go investigate Sap. He snuck into Sap’s room and found that the room was super neat. Alex searched the cupboards, drawers, laundry basket and under the bed but he found nothing. Then he remembered Sap’s vault!

Alex raced to the vault and when he got there, there was a number lock preventing him from opening it. Alex used a special device that Sarge had given him to crack the code. It took 14 minutes for it to get the right combination but once it did click, Alex was in. 

All Alex could find in the vault however was jewelry and dust bunnies. Since he had found nothing important so far, Alex decided he should go to bed and at 1:26am break into Tip’s room. 

Ding! Alex’s alarm went off. He slowly tiptoed into Tip’s room. Tip snored louder than Mopo. (Mopo is a really, really, really loud talker. You could hear Mopo in another universe he was so loud.) Alex quietly moved around the room searching for D-Pax but he once again found nothing at all. 

“Another big fail” thought Alex sadly.

 He was starting to think he wasn’t good enough but then he saw a dragon scurrying through the palace. Alex decided to follow the strange figure and tailed them to a dark corner of the castle. The figure turned around and Alex saw their face – it was Joe! Joe was holding something in his hand – D-Pax. Alex was shocked as he put the pieces together. 

“Of course, he was the poisoner! No-one would expect him. He could put the D-Pax in the Queen’s drink undetected without anyone thinking it was him” thought Alex. 

Alex used his picture power to take a picture of Joe with the D-Pax. Joe suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Alex walked to his bedroom thinking about what had just happened and he decided to tell Sarge what he’d found out in the morning. 

“Sarge! I know who poisoned the Queen! It was Joe!” exclaimed Alex. Sarge didn’t believe Alex so Alex showed him the picture that he had taken the night before with his picture power. Sarge couldn’t believe it, he was so surprised. 

The Dragon Knights swiftly assembled and marched to Joe’s room to arrest him. When they got there, they saw Joe asleep and quickly put handcuffs on him. Soon after, they found not just the poison but it’s antidote called C-Pax. The Dragon Knights put Joe in custody for his crimes and gave the Queen the C-Pax. The Queen was cured, and Alex got awarded the Hero Award for stopping Joe. 

The End. 

THE LOST EMBERLING

By Piper Yr 6

Prologue

I’m running, running faster than I’ve ever run before, I can hear the sirens in the background, the dog barks getting closer my backpack weighing me down my breathing is ragged, suddenly I have a thought, I reach into my backpack, pull out the stone, click the button… BANG!!

“I don’t think we’re getting anywhere with this plan scoundrel,” I say he just looks at me as if to say what plan, “I don’t think Keely thought about it, I mean it makes absolutely no sense.” “Break into the paths ha!” I mumble under my breath.

Chapter 1

Beep beep beep beep” Ugh okay Okay I’m up jeepers! “I grumble waddling to my closet I throw on some clothes and head downstairs for breakfast I grab a piece of toast stuff in my mouth grab my satchel and shout “MUM!! I going to Karee's house tonight after school.” OKAY,” she shouts back I close the door behind me. I’m not going to Karees, but Mum won’t allow me to go to the Sprite Ling woods she doesn’t want me to get an Emberling guh there like the best ones.

The school feels like the seconds have been stretched into hours, I’m exhausted by the time school finishes ‘bye Karee!” I shout, “See you at the sprite woods I hope you get an Emberling!” “You too Linh!” she shouts back already on her path to the spriteling woods. When I arrive at mine my palms have already started sweating like crazy.

All around I hear people gasping at their beautiful little spritelings as they hatch from their spiked eggs, crack crack craaack, oh my gooseberries I got an EMBERLING!!!!!! “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH” I squeal with excitement. Keely comes rushing into my hatching cell with her adorable-looking leafling “What’s their name!’ she asks excitedly I hadn’t thought about that. I put my hand on him and somehow, I just know his name is: “Scoundrels’ luck” I say proudly holding scoundrel in my arms, “I love it.” she says in awe… “how are you gonna hide it from your mum?” dammit, “I hadn’t thought of that!’ I admit “well I’m sure you could hide him in the shed” “oh yeah, well I better go to the pet store to get a molten volcano bed, coz they’re always gone after an hour… byeeeeeee.” “Oh…um … bye?”.

50 DOLLARS!!!! Sheesh I knew molten volcano beds were expensive but, wow, I reach into my pocket and pull out 300 bucks so I get toys and jumpers for scoundrel, whew I hope this is enough. The lady at the counter congratulates me on getting an emberling,” what’s her name?” she asks” Scoundrel’s luck, scoundrel for short.” I say proudly “he’s a buety.” “Thanks.”  “Okay this is going to be kinda really tricky to get you into my shed coz my mum might be doing gardening” I say, worried what my mum might do to him if she ever found out hopefully she won’t, I don’t know why she hates emberling’s she had one when she was a kid so why can’t I?

Chapter 2

“Okay” I sigh happily “there ya go little buddy” I just finished putting the molten lava bed together when suddenly I heard mum go out the back door, “Linh? Is that you?” she called “uh yeah I’m just grabbing some… gardening… materials” I lie “oh okay just put them round the side please we’re building another shed do that one can be yours and the new one will be mine kay?” “Okay mum” I say running out of the shed with every single gardening tool in there I almost forgot to close the door and my mum almost saw scoundrel! “what’s that red thing in the shed?” she asked “…um...it’s…my…SCIENCE PROJECT” I say randomly “I’m doing a volcano isn’t it cool” “yeah, anyway dinner in 20 love you” she says. Once she’s safely out of sight I rush back into the shed to check on scoundrel to see whether he ate any of the food I set out for him… “gosh scoundrel that bag was supposed to last you a week, guess we’ll have to get 6 more packs then aren’t we scoundrel boy.” Wow the shopkeeper never said that they ate THIS quickly phew, I look at the name of the food and mentally smack myself “I says leafling food wow I’m really out of it tonight, maybe I can ask mum if I can sleep in the shed to be with you.” I walk into the house and shout “MUM I’m going to sleep in the shed tonight!” “OKAY! “She shouts back.

“Linh? You back there,” someone calls “Keely?” “Yup it’s me and scoundrel looks adorable when he’s sleeping by the way.” I look over at scoundrel and I have to admit he does look really cute but “what are you doing here.” I ask “well, my parents sold my leafling and gave me an emberling!” “Wow that’s great Keely.” I would hate to be separated from my emberling, but I guess Keely you really wanted an emberling “what's their name” I ask, “thunders despair” she says proudly “love it, but don't you miss your leafling” I ask “of course, but my parents really wanted me to get an emberling, so I kinda had to yeah I do miss My leafling.” she looks so sad without red nights delight suddenly police officers stormed into the house sirens wailing dog barks…

Epilogue

I’m running, running faster than I’ve ever run before, I can hear the sirens in the background, the dog barks getting closer my backpack weighing me down my breathing is ragged, suddenly I have a thought, I reach into my backpack, pull out the stone, click the button… BANG!!

“I don’t think we’re getting anywhere with this plan scoundrel,” I say he just looks at me as if to say, what plan, “I don’t think Keely thought about it, I mean it makes absolutely no sense.” “Break into the paths ha!” 

Pancake  

By Ryan Year 3

Legend of the Treat 

Chapter 1 

The sighting of NO treats!

One early morning, I was relaxing and eating a treat, when a border Collie rushed through or bashed in.

I would say: the poor thing looked like it saw a ghost. It came shouting. 

My treats have been stolen. ‘’stolen`` I said looking perplexed. 

“Yes” said the collie "when I left the house to sniff", my treats were missing. 

“What time did you leave? 10 or 8 a.m.?"

"Why ask?"

“No reason, who are your neighbours I may ask?”

 “Doggy ten and Woof woof”

I headed to Woof’s place. I asked him a few questions, apparently, he went for a walk between 6am to 8am plus he was on a diet, so it couldn’t have been him. That left only one suspect, Doggy ten!

When I entered the house, Doggy ten was surprised to see me. I asked him a few questions, and he said he was at Collie’s home to clean it and he did have a craving. Just when I was about to arrest him, he jumped out of the window. 

After the case of missing treat, and entering Doggy ten to the jail, I could finally put my legs up and chase the mysterious tail like a dog, puzzling when the same border Collie came shouting, “My treats have disappeared!” 

But the thing that made it different was his words “Vacuum Cat at the museum had turned: Evil!

I could tell from the glimpse of his eye that he wasn’t lying. 

For the people who don’t know Vacuum Cat, I should say the Vacuum Cat is the only vacuum that we like because it helps us fight cats. 

So, I jumped on the weird box with wheels and zoomed over! The scene was ugly at the museum! There were cats everywhere and the vacuum was sucking up every dog in a 100-mile radius. 

I tried to fight it, but it was too strong. It swallowed me up! When I woke up, I didn’t know if I was dreaming or if I was on a clifftop and strapped to a million chains! But that’s when I saw my chance to escape! He hadn’t tied me up properly, just about  when I was going to get lava poured on my head, I pushed Doggy ten in the lava, and he was gone!

Chapter 2 

The Fight for the cookie

But it wasn’t the end. The second I turned; he was there, then Doggy ten threw the most beautiful ball ever! 

When I caught and bit it, I died!

I was Dead! 

I was gone!

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, months turned into years, and years turned into decades, 

Until a miracle happened … I woke up.

When I woke up the place looked completely different. The roads were destroyed. Then out of nowhere, I saw a Paw War 1 plane and it was launching an atomic nom nom Goners. 

Then I saw ten Cat Vacuums, that’s when the glimpses of life flashes before my eyes!

An old dog pulled me back to underground base and that’s when I met Bata.

After saving my life, Bata seemed really baffled but after a while, with a weird, angry and puzzled face, he asked a question that he should have asked before I had fainted! 

“Are you... Pancake?”

“Of course,” I answered yes

Anyway, Bata told me to follow him. He took me to a dark place and there was a giant statue of me! 

Bata said this has been our only hope and the hope himself was here. Then he showed me the LEGEND OF THE TREAT! 

He told me that only Pancake can defeat Doggy ten.  I had to eat the treat, so I ate it AND I GOT REALLY BUFF SO ME WRITE IN CAPITALS, SO ME GOT IN TANK WENT TO DOODOO TON AND KICKED HIM TO MARS OR THE PLANET SNICKER AND EVRYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL AND DOGS LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

THE END.

The Glitch

by

Margot S Year 5

Log 1

I wake, stretching and rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I am a little bit of a pain to be around in the morning. I always wake slowly and end up getting up at 8 am. I get dressed as always in my fine clothing, not the tomboy-like clothing Lizzy loves oh so much. My silky blonde ringlets cascade down my back. The lace cloth of my perfect dress brushes gently into my soft skin and it feels like clouds. My green eye is perfect, my blue eye is perfect. I’m not vain but everyone knows it, I’m pretty. I’m not beautiful, I’m not perfect, I’m better.

I slip on my slender heels and my gold locket, my skin has no make-up applied, for there are no imperfections to hide.

After a delicious breakfast of banana toffee smoothie, I start the small stroll to the bus stop. I arrive 5 minutes early so I fiddle with my phone. The bus arrives and I hop on.

I hop on and the world glitches. I hop on and static hisses and I hear nonexistent sounds. I hop on and the worst happens.

Log 2

School is canceled today it will be for a while, over 100 have died but only 1 was injured…

…me. 

My arm is gone, no bleeding, no bone showing, just gone. Like my parents, like Lizzy and McKenzie and so many more. They tell everyone about almost everything. Except for how this happens. They know but they say they don't. They lie. There is a glitch and I am going through it. Alone.

I do it, I actually do it. I am in a cramped yet orderly room and I am instantly surrounded by large men with massive guns and handcuffs gripped tightly in scrunched fists. “Lock it up. If it came through the glitch it's nothing good”, the burly one says in a gruff voice. I sit in the cold damp cell while three guards alternate shifts to watch me. The first, Alek, is quiet but smart and quite nice, the second, Ash, is grumpy because he gets put on night duty but needs to get home to his family, and the third is Natasha, who looks like she might poison my food any day now. 

Log 3

At night time I think of my rather irritating fate. Am I destined to be here forever drinking cold kale soup and eating plain porridge made from processed oats every day? And I always think of escaping, of freedom, and of answers to what is going on and what strange place am I in. I slowly build up my decimated confidence and start talking instead of stubbornly sitting in the corner. I talk to Alek about numbers and coding and what he would have done if a disease hadn't outbroken in his small yet still advanced village. I chat to Ash about caring and love and finding beauty in the worst of situations. I scream at Natasha to go away and leave me be but I still think she might have a small heart behind the chilling nastiness. But very small. I don't understand her - I really don't.    

Log 4

I’ve been here for 1 month now but I still don't understand Natasha. I know she prefers Nat to Natasha or Ms. Aleksandra, I know she prefers to talk than have silence and I know she hates the glitch with an intense and pure hatred. I know she is at a higher level than the other two guarding me and that she has documents about the glitch and where I am. 

I heard the other two talking about Nat yesterday.  Apparently, her parents were working on a classified project that caused them to die, and someone stole what they were working on and claimed it for their own. 

I am getting those documents no matter the cost. My decision is final I need answers soon.

I know I should talk to Nat but I'm scared. I can't be a hero, it's hard when all you are is a failure. We are allowed to keep dairies so I started this one to enter all my failures. This book is my life in a few short sentences.

Log 5 

I know should stop focusing on my failures. Especially when I know I can help. I know I can do it but I’m so scared. I need to take action, yet in my mind, I'm playing over failure after failure and convincing myself I can't. Yet I should.

Log 6 

I've made up my mind, I will help and I will stop being a failure. I’ll play the hero when no one else can. 

I beg each guard for the keys. Two say no, Nat asks simply, "Why?". I tell her my story, of the losses, of the grief, of the struggle and self-doubt. She listens with an open mind and when I take a gasp of air at the end, she drops the keys through the bar and hurries off. I slip through, silent and unnoticed. I turn sharply and grab the papers. I read as fast as I can, hearing footsteps approach. I get to the end just as a large group of guards and officials arrive. I am hoisted over a shoulder, carried to a simple room, and tied to a chair. I get told the truth. We are backups living in a simulated AI world. When the world ends we are there to save it, to remake the human race.

Epilogue

I sit at a desk writing new codes to help shape the world, or my world at the least. All the dead have been returned. I now help create the world. I am free. I am strong and I am happy. I may live in a simulated world but I can still make a difference. Anyone can.