BISHOP TYRRELL AUTHOR TEACHES CHILDREN TO
Celebrate Uniqueness
MR PAUL RUSSELL, A PRIMARY TEACHER FROM BISHOP TYRRELL ANGLICAN COLLEGE, IS HELPING TO BROADEN AN UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF NEURODIVERSITY WITH HIS FIFTH CHILDREN’S BOOK, THE INCREDIBLY BUSY MIND OF BOWEN BARTHOLOMEW CRISP. Once again, his latest book draws from his teaching career in the primary school at Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College, being a father, and his own professional development journey. Mr Russell’s first book about dementia, Grandma Forgets, has been published in fourteen different countries and nine languages; while My Storee (2018) is based on his own experience with dyslexia as a child; The Incurable Imagination (2019) explores the value of imagination and creativity within learning, and Courageous Lucy released earlier this year (2021) talks about feelings of anxiety.
e h T ETHICAL LINE
“Bishop Tyrrell’s students and families are Mr Russell’s biggest fans,” said Mr Mark Durie, Head of Primary School. “We appreciate how these books are helping our learning community. Every child has the right to feel like they belong and enjoy an inclusive community. Our school always makes children feel welcome, and so do his books.” “The joy of being a teacher and writing for children is seeing a child come alive through literature. Watching students find a story that speaks to them or a book that helps them navigate the world is an incredible feeling,” explained Mr Paul Russell. ”We are all different, and finding the strengths in our differences is what life is all about,” Mr Russell said about the important message in his latest children’s book. “When I’m writing books, my own experiences are also in retrospective from being a teacher, parent, and my own
Photo by Nikki Kuhn
WORDS CHLOE O'SULLIVAN - ON TOUR WITH THE KID I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN WHEN THE KID STARTED SCHOOL THAT THERE WAS NO ETHICS-BASED OPTION WHEN SCRIPTURE CLASS IS ON. THE KIDS WHO DIDN'T DO SCRIPTURE HAD FREE TIME. MY AMAZING MUM LOOKED INTO IT AND FOUND PRIMARY ETHICS WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT CAN RUN IN ANY SCHOOL AS AN ALTERNATE OPTION TO SCRIPTURE. THE ETHICS TEACHERS NEED TO BE TRAINED THROUGH PRIMARY ETHICS, WHICH IS DONE AT NO COST AND THE TEACHING OF THE CLASS IS THEN A VOLUNTEER POSITION. We already put a lot of pressure on teachers, and my mum has always been one not to complain about something unless you are willing to jump in and help. Thankfully our school was on board. Since then, my mum, my best friend, and I have all done the training and are doing what we can to be part of the solution and are teaching Ethics Classes on a regular basis. Mum always raised me to be ethical in a broader sense of the word than the day-to-day right and wrong. From a young age, we had talked about things like ethical purchasing and that where you spend your money and where it ends up is an important part of the chain. It matters, of course, that
you do the right thing, but it also matters that you are not unknowingly funding things that don't fit within your ethical standards. Given ethics are not a black and white concept, this is a line everyone needs to draw for themselves. We have become a much more global society, and given that big corporations control so much of the marketplace, it
self-development. I am at this perfect junction in my life for writing these stories about children’s wellbeing. My stories are seeded in my own experiences but enriched by the children whose educational journal I am blessed to share as both a teacher and father,” he said. The results speak for themselves. Mr Russell has achieved numerous local, national, and international recognitions for his work, including a prestigious CBCA Notable Picture Book, national television appearances on the Today breakfast show, articles in The Guardian and Telegraph UK, and invitations to speak on numerous panels at writers’ festivals, and as a guest author at schools and library workshops, and talks in both Australia and New Zealand. “Being a teacher, I get to see first-hand across all ages the enjoyment children get out of reading, and it is even more special if they are reading my books. Knowing the impact books have on children and their understanding of the world, I have always used stories to teach and couldn’t imagine ever leaving the classroom. They say you learn something new every day, but I seem to learn more than that by recess. I am always learning, for my students, with my students, or from my students. As a teacher and author, I am open to wonder, which is something I also encourage in my students. Bishop Tyrrell is an incredible school, with a supportive community that values diversity and original thinking,” Mr Russell said. “We all have features and qualities that contribute to building a diverse and strong community,” said Mr Durie. Once we learn how to utilise and celebrate these strengths, we become the most empowered. Meet Mr Russell and Bishop Tyrrell's learning community at Open Day, Thursday 26 August.
becomes borderline impossible to make sure that every arm of a company you are buying something from meets even your ethical standards. Let's face it, if we looked into it hard enough, it's likely none of us could justify most purchases, including phones, electronics, or clothes. However, wanting the world to be a better place and still having to live in the world that we have and function in are not mutually exclusive. You can feel the need to cut your carbon footprint and still occasionally have to get on a plane. Two small things we have done as a family: Clothing: We made a huge effort to reduce the amount of clothing we buy new. There are, of course, times when the kid needs tights for school or an orange shirt for Harmony Day when it's almost impossible not to buy from a chain store. And I draw the line at underwear, I need to be the only person who has worn them! For most things, though, we have found this amazing collection of vintage and pre-loved shops. Food: We compost what we can and use the green waste for everything else. We started a veggie garden and use the things that my gorgeous mum already had growing. Rhubarb pies are a regular at our house, thanks to my mum and grandma. I have managed to grow some good-sized, if not quite odd-looking carrots, some cherry tomatoes from seeds, and some potatoes. Not supplying the farmer market just yet, I grant you, but it's a start, and it's something nice for us to do together. When we buy fruit and vegetables, if possible, we buy direct from the growers, or if we can't, we are very particular that we know that they are grown in Australia or NZ and when we can afford it are happy to pay a bit extra to companies who give a better deal to farmers. www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 19
