Don't Write Your Name on a Chalkboard

For our writing our teacher brought in a video. It was called Alma. Here is the link to the video:

This is my story:

Don't Write Your Name on a Chalkboard

The snow is drifting down in Devon and I am skipping along a long skinny lane of old brick buildings. They are all the same size and all the same colour. There are grey houses and shops, and even a beige bridge above me. The lanes in Devon are usually short and twisty, strangely this one is not. It takes a while to reach a small opening but when I do I find a worn down chalkboard. On the chalkboard there are many names which have been there over a long period of time. I also see a piece of chalk waiting there for me to pick it up. I couldn't resist the temptation of writing my name on the chalkboard because I feel like I should contribute to the name list. At least 100 people have written their names on this board and I believe it may be forever.

Thankfully there was a space for my name. L i b b y, done. I turn around to notice that there is a small shop with a doll standing up almost like it is meant to be there for my presence. As I slowly walk to the window I start to see a shape I recognise. When I wipe the frost off the window, I gasp. It's me! Standing there in the window - is another Libby. I look at myself to make sure I am right. The way that the blue eyes sparkle and the short brown hair glows and the way that my pink coat shines. "Woah." Where has it gone? I run my hand along to the next part of the window and there is another doll looking at me. Not the same one, a different one.

I keep moving along and I get to a wooden door with a strangely cut window in the middle of it. I put my hand to the door handle and pull it down .... it is locked. I feel so annoyed I grab some snow and throw it at the door. Nothing happens, ugh.

I trudge along in the snow and I slide my hand along the wooden wall when suddenly I hear a little creak. I turn around and my eyes light up because the door has opened slightly. I run into the shop and take a big breath. As I slowly creep around the room I find there are dolls for Africa. Small dolls, big dolls, fat and skinny dolls. I feel so lucky to have found this shop because out of all the lanes in Devon I picked this one to go down and I made a find. I can't wait to come back here with my parents!

This place almost feels ancient because the floor makes a clip clop sound every time I place my feet on it. The walls look like wood that is about to crumble and the delicate pedestal looks very old that my identical doll is standing on. I try not to make any sudden movements as I slowly slide in towards my doll. As I get closer I walk faster and faster I reach up to touch my doll and... Oph! I jump back startled until I look down and see another doll on a green, old fashioned bicycle trying to bike but it was on its side. I pick up the little man and plonk him back on the ground. He is biking around and he gets to the window BANG! He has crashed into the door. I couldn't help but have a little chuckle because the doll was being a little silly.

I turn back but it's gone! The doll, it has disappeared. I feel a rush of excitement, this could be a game of hide and seek! I scan the room for any sign in of the doll and out of the corner of my eye I spot my identical. I run over to the high shelf and quite conveniently, there is a unstable looking cream sofa saying to me "Climb up please climb up." So I clamber up onto the couch and it is unstable.

After a while I realise it is only the uneven ground that is causing me the troubles. I suss out what I need to do because I have been wasting a lot of time with this wobbly couch. I reach up and wave my hand around trying to reach the doll. In the end I reach high enough to touch it’s face. I extend my arm as far as it can go and...

My head starts spinning, I can recollect seeing some gruesome images, I see my brain cells and then I see nothing but the shop I was first in. I gain back some air and then look at my surroundings. I try to move but nothing happens, I try to scream but nothing happens. All I see is all the other dolls looking at me, looking at there new innocent victim. Who does this kidnapping kids in dolls? I take a deep breath and try one more time to move and it doesn't work. I have now accepted that I am still Libby, I still look like Libby but I am the innocent Libby.

Rotary Quiz Night

On Tuesday 26 May, Ethan and I went to Lincoln University to compete in the Lincoln Rotary Quiz. There were 15 schools competing in the quiz. Each school submitted 10 questions which were picked at random and read out. Some of the questions the schools put in were really hard. Some of questions we were asked were really tricky like - How many metres high is Mt Cook? There were also prizes and in the end everyone that competed got a book and a voucher for Paper Plus.

There were 40 questions and we got 17.5. The top teams got 23 points so we weren't far off. It was great fun (free dinner included) and friendly competition between schools.

 

ALMA

ALMA

Here I am standing still waiting to watch the next innocent child be swallowed away from the world. I take a glimpse at the other dolls in the store. I still remember when I first anticipated this outlet opening. I was so excited!

On opening day, I seemed to be the only child to arrive. I ran to the blackboard to write my name without a second thought. As I turned towards the window I noted that the window on the doll building looked like a monster's daring face ready to attack. In the dark mouth of the monster's face stood a doll that looked identical to me. The last thing I remember was opening the door into the dark, cold room and walking towards the look-a-like doll.

....Two Years Later...

I sit at the back of the shelves on a snowy morn staring through the window. I miss the times where I played outside with my friends, playing hide'n'seek at the park.. I miss my parents, friends, and family.

After a couple of minutes I hear childish laughter and look towards the blackboard. I make out a small, young girl maybe about the age of 6 reading all of the names. While she reads I hear a sketchy, scraping noise as an old, worn doll with the same maroon jacket and a pair of beige winter boots spirals out onto the display unit.  The girl soon grabs the dusty piece of chalk that is lying on the ground and writes her name, nicely - Alma. She turns around towards the shop and catches sight of the doll. I watch quietly as a smile forms upon her face.

Alma starts running towards the window but trips over into the soft snow. She looks up but the doll has gone. Lured by the need of the doll, Alma heads towards the door of the shop. Inside me, I feel scared for the child. I hear the latch of the door open and in walks Alma.

She looks up at the other dolls and I, as we all try and stand as still as statues. Soon enough, she spots her doll and runs towards it. But as she approaches, her foot hits Jim the Monkey, and he starts panicking. Alma kneels down to pick him up and when upright Jim peddles off, on his tricycle, towards the door. Alma looks over her shoulder as Jim bangs into the door numerous times, trying to escape. She swings around greedily, to see the doll has disappeared again. Alma looks around, perplexed and confused. But I can see the doll. As Alma is not looking, I try to move soundlessly over to the doll to hide her from the young girl. But somehow Alma can still see the doll. She runs over towards us without hesitation.

She leaps up onto the couch and tries to reach the doll. I want to reach out and stop her. I want to shriek and yell. I want to get her out of this treacherous shop now. But I can't, because it's almost too late. The girl extends her arms and stands on her toes to grab the doll. The assembly of dolls look towards the young girl, in doubt. We all wait for that abhorrent moment... and in a blink of an eye, the small girl disappears into the body of the doll. I feel admittedly downcast, as I remember Alma walking into the shop and I stare over towards the beastly display unit as another doll rises, waiting to catch the next victim.

Anzac

War Knowledge

From the beginning of this term Sonics have been reading novels connected to war.

Our groups have been reading different novels and working on question sheets. We now know so much more about the unfair treatment of all people, particularly the jewish people, the soldiers and also children’s opinions of the war.

The Kowhai group have been reading 'The Boy in Striped Pyjamas' by John Boyne, and have just watched the movie. We did an activity where we compared differences and similarities between the book and movie. 
We noticed that the first half of the book was shown in the first quarter of the movie. Majority of the movie was concentrated on the very last part, which is where the two best friends, each from different sides of the fence, died together.

It’s very sad and you will need to watch or read it.

Playground Update

Knitting

On Thursday some of the Sonics are learning to knit. Some started as beginners and others as already taught professionals. Everyone has improved, thanks to the master of knitting Bobbie Jo.

So far we have had 3 sessions and almost everyone is on their second piece. The participants of the knitting group love it so much they are even doing it in their break time.

Everyone is still learning and making mistakes, for example adding stitches or making holes but there is way less mistakes than before  and everyone is improving miraculously.

We hope everyone can get the knitting experience we did.

Special thanks to Bobbie.

Litter free lunch

Today at our Hui, Sonic won the litter free lunch box for the week.

We had 57 wrappers. Every Wednesday we try to get the least amount of wrappers.

Remember to have litter free lunch every week.