Tell Me More, Tahmoor! Tahmoor Public School Anthology - WestWords 2017

from s n o i o ol , Select h c S c Publi r o o Ta hm K- 6 Ye a r s

Tahmoor Public School Tahmoor Public School Anthology Years K-6 | 2017 Published by WestWords Ltd PO Box 2327 North Parramatta NSW 1750 91B Grose St, North Parramatta NSW 2151 (02) 8677 4815 | admin@westwords.com.au www.westwords.com.au Copyright 2017 Š All rights reserved Without limiting the rights of under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be used without the written permission of the publisher.

Illustrated by Tony Flowers tonyflowersillustrator.wordpress.com Graphic design by Luke Beeton and Christie Burmester www.sailorstudio.com.au

n o i t c u d o r Int A few weeks after a family function where I bragged about the creative

close to forty children from years K-6, all of whom had some incredible

writing program we’d been developing at Western Sydney University,

stories to tell, participated in the classes.

I received an email from my cousin, Brooke, who happens to be the deputy principal of Tahmoor Public School. She told me that since we’d apparently been having some success teaching creative writing to undergrads at the university, there was no reason why her students should not be given the same opportunity. As always, she made a persuasive case, and despite having no experience teaching children from K-6, I took on the commission to design a program for her students.

One of the key intentions behind this project was to provide each student with an opportunity to encounter the generative power of their own experiences – to be invited to see their own stories and imaginings as valuable resources to their communities, families and friends. It was with this in mind that we reached out to WestWords, to see if they’d be interested in compiling a sample of the work the students of Tahmoor produced. Both Ms Carman and I are exceedingly grateful to WestWords for agreeing to publish this assortment of stories, images

Ms Carman and I put together a series of creative writing workshops

and poems. I’m equally grateful to the students and staff of Tahmoor

focusing on the notion of ‘personal stories’ – a focus that was

Public School, especially Ms Carman and Mr Schofield, for entrusting

particularly important for Tahmoor Public’s curriculum. Our goal was

me with their time and their words – a wonderful cohort of happy,

to open up the concept and the practice of writing to students in a

hilarious, big-hearted kids with incredible talents for storytelling in all

way that was different from anything they’d been asked to do before.

its forms.

We wanted students to think of writing as something relevant to their own lives, as unique and personal as their own memories. In total, the program ran for six weeks, and together with teachers from Tahmoor,

Sincerely, Luke Carman

WestWords

Sailor Studio

Michael Campbell | Executive Director

Christie Burmester | Graphic Designer

Michelle Rickerby | Producer

Luke Beeton | Graphic Designer

Eda Gunaydin | Associate Producer

tahmoor Public School Tahmoor Public School was established in 1928 and is situated on the southern end of a growing semi-rural town. The combination of modern and original buildings is surrounded by an expansive playground and award-winning gardens. A computer lab, an Opportunity Class (OC), children's art gallery and a well-equipped library are all important features of the school. The original teacher's residence has been converted into a Teachers' Centre which is used as a venue for professional development by teachers and community groups from all over the district. At Tahmoor Public School we provide a secure, caring environment where staff and parents work co-operatively to develop the full potential of every child.

WestWords WestWords provides pathways of opportunity for the development of Western Sydney voices through innovative literature and related arts programs. We believe literacy, self-expression and creativity changes lives and communities. WestWords is committed to providing an environment where the stories of the communities of Western Sydney and the places they come from are celebrated. The guiding philosophy of WestWords is a belief that the unique perspectives and stories of the Western Sydney area deserve to be celebrated, developed in literature and shared with a wider audience. We believe that engagement with reading and writing allows young people in particular to develop their imagination, gives voice to their stories and experiences, hones skills in written expression and illustration, and sets them on a trajectory for life. With a focus on literature, we deliver residencies, fellowships, workshops, performances, presentations and publications. Our partners include teachers, schools, universities, community and arts organisations.

WestWords is proudly supported by

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Luke Carman Dr Luke Carman is writer of short fiction who hails from the Sydney suburb of Liverpool. His first book, An Elegant Young Man, was awarded a NSW Premier’s Literary Award in 2015 and shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal. In 2014 he was named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist. His writing has appeared in Heat, Meanjin, Seizure, The Lifted Brow, The Australian, Sonofabook, Cultural Studies Review, Southerly, SBS Online, and on ABC TV’s Big Ideas.

Tony Flowers Tony is a passionate illustrator with a love of the absurd and the silly. Tony and author Nick Falk are responsible for the ‘Saurus Street’, ‘Billy is a Dragon’, Samurai vs Ninja’ and the ‘How to..’ series, which have received positive reviews from Speech Pathology Australia and educators of early and reluctant readers. The highly illustrated and engaging illustrations help children to continue to turn pages and continue to read.

Tony knows he’s very lucky to be living his childhood dream of being able to colour in all day, and feels his 10,000 hours of line work practice has finally paid dividends. He has also received international recognition for his works at illustration competitions in America, Italy, Japan and England.

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The Royal Easter Show I got to the Easter Show by car. I went with my big cousin and my two little cousins. I liked the roller coaster the most because it was scary, a bit. We went on the Ferris Wheel first, then we went on the dodgem cars, then we had lunch. For lunch we had sandwiches. After lunch we went in the haunted house. I got really scared!

LIAM

The Strongest Player Once upon a time there was an ultimate villain in Minecraft. His name was Herobrine. Only someone powerful could defeat Herobrine and his name was Tyrone10. He was Ninjabrine. He killed lots of people and he mined lots of ore and crafted useful items to survive the Minecraft days. He was stronger than any other player.

TYRONE

On Saturday I was playing with my friend in soccer. I scored lots of goals until the end, then I said to my friend, ‘good game', then he walked back to his house.

MICHAEL

The Best Day Of My Life Last year we went to Luna Park. I went down the giant slide and I felt very excited.

ETHAN

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Like Flying When my horse went crazy, and it was chasing me, and I was hiding from my horse. It jumped out of nowhere and screamed at me.

I ran off crying to my mum and then I went out to the paddock and it was still chasing me, and then later in the day I went in the paddock again and it was okay now, so I went to take my horse jumping and then I did the jumps and made all of them.

It feels scary when you go near a horse but when you ride, it is fun.

And it feels like you are flying.

AARON

Nitro Circus One day on my 10th birthday I got a ticket for Nitro Circus. We went to ANZ stadium. The coolest part was when Ryan Williams done the world’s first quad-backflip on a BMX and one done the world’s first backflip on a snowmobile. I felt amazed and shocked when he fell on the bars and broke his ribs and got knocked out and it took a long time to get him up. There were skid marks on the ramp and there were bits of the snowmobile everywhere and the snowmobile was cracked and it was completely broken. And Travis Pastrana came out with a torch on fire. He done double front flips and another one done a 1080 on a scooter.

RAYMOND

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Stitches I remember that I broke my arm.

I remember that I slept on the floor.

I remember that I went hunting.

I remember I got a Fidget Spinner.

I remember that I got stitches.

I remember I went to the shop.

I remember they had $50 dolls in the shop.

I remember that my Nan got a box of chocolates.

I remember that my teacher was Ms Colear.

I remember that I went to the beach.

I remember that I went to Northern Territory.

I remember that my dog died.

JAMES

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My First Dog Her name was Boots, she was a beautiful dog. She would sleep beside my cot and when my Pop ate chips Boots would come and steal a chip from my Pop’s hands. Then she died.

Pop is a farrier.

Pop is the same height as me.

Pop loves horses.

My Pop is a retired pro bull rider.

Boots was white and black.

Boots was very tall.

Boots was very fast.

Boots would like to play and lick.

IZACC

Sara Island So we – me, my mum, my dad, friends and parents and other people – hopped on the boat and walked down the boardwalk to the lady who was doing the tour to Sara Island and seeing the tiny bookshop. After that it’s a bit hard to explain and I remember the ride at the end.

COEN

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The Reef We went to Green Island and a boat took us to the Great Barrier Reef. Mum and Dad saw a reef shark. They didn’t want to show us because we might get scared. I had flippers on my feet. My favourite part was the Rainbow fish. I saw a coral that was orange and pink. I had a drink, it was yum. I saw a turtle, it blended in with all the coral.

The lady came in from the boat and said we need to put on a suit because there was a jellyfish. When we went back I had ice-cream on the boat. It was chocolate flavoured. When I went outside of the boat I saw a whale.

Dad was very happy because he thought he’d never go to the Great Barrier Reef with Mum. ALLIRA

Thunder My mum fell down at my old house. She was walking out of her room with me in her arms. She walked out the door and down the stairs and she fell over and rolled down and got a big bruise for a month. I remember when my two dogs had eight babies. The next day seven of the babies died and the dad and one baby is still alive.

She was black and white.

Seven years old. She was cute. She played a lot.

Large tail. Small eyes.

Funny. Good.

Her name was Thunder.

Silly.

One day Thunder ran into the back yard and ran around in circles chasing her tail.

BRODY

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Elephant Rider I remember my trip to Thailand and I rode an elephant. I went to a really, really big shop. The people who went the first time – me, my mum, Dad, Nan, Logan, my aunty Jackson, Gypsie, Piper, Taylor, Caroline, Jesse, Marlie.

It’s a different time over there.

The second time I went the people who went were me, Mum, Logan, Aunty Jackson, Gypsie, Rogan, Nan and Fay, because Dad was in hospital. He broke every bone in his body except his back and his leg was yuck and now he goes to physio. He wears a stocking on his leg, he has metal rods all in his body. He was lucky to survive.

STEVIE

On the 16-5-2016 I just got home after dinner and I went in my room and got a ball and it rolled near the door. I looked up and bang! I hit my eye on the doorknob and had a black eye for a bit. I had a really, really bad bruise on my arm because I dropped something on my arm and it was black, green and a little purple. My mum said, ‘What happened to you? You look like you got in a fight with a kangaroo!’

Two years ago my dad was cutting wood with a chainsaw and it slipped and cut his knee open. He got taken to hospital and got surgery. Now he has a massive scar and he had crutches because he couldn’t walk.

When I was five or four, I went to my cousin’s farm and was riding a horse but my cousin had to hold the horse because I was scared. My cousin went inside to get something and the horse went down some bricks and I almost hit my head on a barbwire and I never rode that horse again. I told my mum the horse tried to kill me.

MONTANA

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My Holiday In the holidays I am going to Sydney with my mum and Nan to a party together and it is going to be the best.

My dad and my brother are going to be jealous so they are going to have a party.

LATALIA

Splinter Yesterday I was taking wood down and stacking wood, and I got a splinter in my eye then I stopped taking wood down. My dad touched it and then I played on my iPad. QUIN

The Keys On the weekend my dad came over and when he was talking to my mum, I went in the car when I wasn’t supposed to, then I got the keys, and my dad tried to get in but he couldn’t.

DYLAN

Leeton and Picasso I remember when I went to Leeton to stay with my uncle and aunty and Grandy. There was a big slide, the pool was deep.

I remember when I did a Picasso drawing. It was very fun.

PAIGE

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The Prize On Saturday me and my family and my aunty and my two cousins went to horse racing and we seen markets.

So we went down there and we ate. We had a look at the markets, it was good. I won a big prize by this running track. I won out of ten people. I won a big stuffed animal. It was a gorilla and I was very happy.

JOHNNY

Batemans Bay When I was a baby I went to see Jason and Matthew. I went down to Batemans Bay fishing with Chloe and Hailey. I remember when I fell off my swing set at my old two storey house.

CADENCE

Yesterday I hurt my hand because I bumped into the barbecue when I was trying to go inside Hannah H.’s house to draw on the whiteboard.

ABBY

I Love I love my mum. I love my dad. I love my sisters. My brother, I love my brother. I love my new puppy. My new puppy is a girl. She has dark blue and white fur. Her name is Pebbles. She is cute. I feed my puppy puppybiscuits with puppy milk.

SAMANTHA

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Seinfeld with Dad When I was bullied and I fell over.

When I ate pop candy at preschool.

I remember when I went to the movies.

I remember when two weeks ago I had a lesson of writing.

I remember when I was scared.

I remember my dad and I played tennis ball on rope.

I remember when I played Assassin’s Creed.

I remember going to Queensland and MovieWorld.

I remember when I watched Seinfeld with Dad. DECLAN

Aaron He is kind of funny and he is my BFF. He is sometimes weird. He has an Xbox and Playstation. He has one brother, two sisters, and a small room. He likes cats and horses and is Aaron.

I remember my step-brother was at the zoo with me. We both got a really big anaconda around our necks.

I remember my brother got stitches in his forehead.

CONNOR

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Archie I remember when Archie was born, I was waiting for Mum with Grandma. He was wrapped in a blanket.

Archie is my brother. He is very silly. When he was a baby I loved him more. We don’t play together at home.

Archie’s always hungry. We now go to the same school. Archie wants Mum to have a boy and I want Mum to have a girl.

BANJO

Self-Portrait It’s me… sleeping. Always sleeping, never awake. Sleep walks, absolutely beautiful. Really modest. Big Brain.

ARCHIE

Cake My favourite story is the cake my mum is making.

TYLER

The Fire-Pit We had a fire and I tripped and hurt my arm on Dad’s fire-pit. Mum filled up the basin and I put it in the water.

ANGUS

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Dad My dad is the best dad in the world. My dad is cool and fun. I love my dad. My dad has a dog, my dog’s name is Blue. My dad is cool. My dad is funny. My dad and I went to my Nan’s house.

ALYSHIA

A Cup of Kint’s Love Blue eyes staring into your soul. Sun shining up, up and above the back round a soft breeze is a cup of Kint’s love. Tears drop down of happiness and love.

SIENNA

The Eels My favourite story is Star Wars. It is about Darth Vader. I broke my fist playing football. My team is the Eels. I play fullback. My favourite player is Tyler. My coach is my dad. I train at home.

ARCHIE

Balling I am a good girl at cleaning my room.

It is fun at the pools because it is balling.

HARNEY

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Tahmoor Mornings

I

Ms Statham’s car in the car park It was windy and cold

Tahmoor Nights

I

The smell of smoke, cow poo, magic.

A dog burping.

My friends playing outside in the playground

The sound of my dog barking,

Big kids playing with cars in the playground

the Tooth Fairy’s wings,

Miss D was teaching the class

my brother’s bird squawking,

My dad’s Harley under the house

lightning and thunder,

Classrooms with coloured walls

my dad snoring like a pig,

Dropped at the school gates

the TV, the black sky,

II

Frost all over the car windows I see my fish tank I see coldness I see all the other hills Lots of fog My dog curled up in a tiny ball I see Archie running around I see myself in the mirror.

bright stars.

II

The smell of a gas burner, bat poo outside.

Woodfire, wet grass, my Mum’s perfume, the sound of crickets, my mum snoring, my dog snoring, the sound of the TV, the birds getting in their nests, the airplanes going past down low.

My face going into the pillow, the stars and the streetlight, lollipops and rainbows in my dreams, I see my sister dreaming.

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III

The smell of damp, smoke, my dog.

Air through the open window, apple trees, money.

IV

The smell of orange trees, the cold air.

The smoke of the chimney, the smell of dinner, the barbecue,

Fog, mandarin trees, wet grass and leaves,

the wet dogs, chlorine in your pool,

pears on my tree.

the smell of my Dad’s socks,

The road and food and my house

deodorant.

and crushed flowers.

The sound of birds singing,

The sound of cars,

the wind in the trees, the music,

cats fighting,

dogs barking, the sound of owls,

the wind.

splashes.

My Mum’s phone, my little sister screaming,

My dad’s snoring, rain hitting the leaves of the trees,

the leaves outside,

thunder.

my brother’s TV,

The bright moon.

trains at the back of the school, my Dad going to the toilet, the air.

Tahmoor Mornings and Tahmoor Nights is a collaboration between

Aaron, Abby, Allira, Alyshia, Angus,

Johnny, Latalia, Liam, Michael,

Archie, Archie, Banjo, Brody,

Montana, Paige, Quin, Raymond,

Cadence, Coen, Connor, Declan,

Samantha, Sienna, Stevie, Tyler,

Dylan, Ethan, Harney, Izacc, James,

Tyrone and Luke Carman.

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