WONDER - Authors Sahara & Holly

Moving as silently as a shadow, I stood on my tiptoes and peered through the keyhole. The metal
felt as cold as ice on my face and shivers went down my spine. I opened my eyes a little wider and
saw..........wonder. I stared at it and it stared back. It really was a wonder.

I was shocked, scared even. Could anyone really look like this, or was this whole thing a bad dream. Nightmare. I was eager. I had to find out more about it, whom I now called Wonder. I opened my as wide as the moon and place my left eye against the keyhole. That's when it started screaming.

I scavenged around for the big, wooden key I had earlier. 'If only I hadn't dropped it,' I thought to myself. After looking for what seemed like forever, I found it. I raced back to the screaming keyhole and gently, placed the key in the hole and turned.

It was the worst mistake I ever could've made. Ever!

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BREATHE - Author Sophie

Yeah, sure I liked my last school. Mum thought I wasn't getting a good enough education so she has moved me to Fioroton Co-educational Anglican School. I hope I like it here, it’s pretty overwhelming though, and I've prepared myself for the homework to be way harder than Northton State Sport School. I’ll definitely miss good old N Triple S, but I’m keen to make friends and a good impression. This nerdy girl Georgia was keen to be my science partner before we had even spoken. I’m not the best at science; I’m more into my sports than my studies, so having a smart partner who will do all the work didn't faze me of course.

Recess flew by and I had been warmly welcomed into a group of boys and girls; most were from my English class. They seemed like good kids, sporty ones too. They like me; although one girl was eyeing me off a bit when she overheard me telling Harry that I had made it into the national’s team twice for swimming and once for running. It wasn't my fault, I told the truth! He was the one who asked about my sporting life anyways.

So after a while I kind of got sick of the same old same old, the cliques within the group would always get up and leave us all the time. Kirsty would always brag about her amazing life and James and Gen would brag about their ever so tremendous sporting achievements. Til I thought to myself how they wouldn’t give a flying pig if I disappeared and found new friends, preferably not a bunch of self-obsessed troublemakers as I discovered. I started walking towards the garden closest to the fish pond at the back fence. There was a rusty old bench with fallen maple leaves scattered all around. I was drained so I plugged in my music and zoned out of reality…

Between songs, I heard a soft cough coming from behind me. I unplugged. “Hey-yyy?” I whispered, curiously. I heard no response, so I tip-toed further around to the other side of the maple tree. Sitting there, leaning against the base of the tree; was one of the girls from my history class... I think? She always seemed to be alone, like she was then, but surprisingly she seemed all good. I sat next to her; I figured it would do no harm to chat.She wrapped up her perfectly cut two pieces of her pickles and ham sandwich that she didn’t finish. She was a thin little one, who was paler than my grandma.

We did chat actually, for the rest of lunch and all the way to our next class that was in the same building. It was really fun and I put a smile on her face. Her name was April. Little did I know, there was a laneway at the end of my street that connected up to April’s street, so that afternoon, mum let me have her over. We managed to get all of our mind-numbing history homework done by 4:33pm. That gave us time to chat about our lives and interests.

“I like the sky. Yeah, everything in it. The stars, the moon, the sun. Sunrises and sunsets, but most of all, the stars. I could stare into the night for hours just gazing at the stars that keep appearing and twinkling as I look further into the distance. And Coldplay, I love all their songs too!” I thought to myself how deep she is, wow. All I am is a swimmer that’s has an over-obsession with chocolate Pods and Gossip Girl.

Continue reading ......

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IMAGINATION OR REALITY? Author - Alec

My engine is full of plutonium. It requires 1.21 gigawatts of electricity. I stomped on my accelerator as far as it can go. My heart is beating out of my body and I am just about to hit exactly 288 km per hour. In exactly 2.4 seconds I will be shot into the past. A force field has gathered around me and I have been sent back to 1964.

When I land I am suddenly spiralling out of control. I activate the emergency eject button and get catapulted out of the car and somehow have rolled into the Finsbury Park Astoria Theatre.

Suddenly I realize that in front of me is a live concert. The Beatles are playing and there are about 20 000 people gathered in seats. The crowd cheers as they play songs. I cannot believe it. More and more songs are played. I take a seat. At the end of the concert John Lennon asks "Now we would like to bring up someone from the audience that can play.” The crowd roars. "You," says Paul McCartney. I was stunned. "Me?" I reply. "Yes," he replied. I walk out onto the stage in fear my body trembles I am about to get up onto the stage but I trip and

Fall over the last stair.

I am a laughing stock. I feel like running away but no I don't. John Lennon hands me a guitar. “Show me what you've got,” he says. I start to play my favourite song by AC--DC the crowds jaws drop right open and I start to sing .The crowd is echoing the lyrics. I feel great the crowd start to sing-along and I finish with a solo and then a stage dive and I am crowd surfing as the audience holds me above their heads. I travel around the stadium. I get thrown back onto the stadium and get thanked by the Beatles

At this point I stop and wonder. Is this my imagination or reality? I take a deep breath and close my eyes. What do you think I see?

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AS THE IMAGE IS CREATED - Author Christian

As the image is created,

Many words are evoked,

Many imaginations are made up,

As the parents sipped on their Black Felt Cup,

Many Children are prancing and dancing.

To the song so quiet the image unfolds,

As Mr. Gold’s old bold spot moulds

Shining in the sun.

When the sounds of the Gatling gun.

Are fired there is too much imagination to care.

As the sounds just flare and flare.

Silence is never heard in the town of Cain

And there is never pain

When it Rains

It never pours

As the imagination is closing the image is finished

The crowd of the Painter are all now astonished

As the image is created.

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REFLECT - Shinead

The details are printed into my memory. Each dress, each wish and each tiny detail. Each imperfection that she covers up, I have seen. I love those imperfections. That is what makes her, her. Her life makes mine. Except, I don’t want my life to be like hers is, now. When she was younger, she loved her toy doll, Max. She used to play with him everyday after school, combing his hair, taking him on bike rides... Now, he sits abandoned on the top of the bookshelf and looks at her with his yellow button eyes.

She likes me more now. More than Max. I wish she still loved Max. She has changed, but not in a good way. She is always sitting in front of me staring at me. I don’t like it like that. I wish she would stop looking at me. She is a nice person, a very nice person. She treats her younger sister with respect. She is kind to new people. She looks after her pet dog with love. She remembers everyone’s ups, but not their downs. She remembers everyone’s, except her own.

‘I grew tired of her disappointment every time she stared into my soul. She hated what she saw. After school each day she raced into her room, threw her bag on the unmade bed and opened the window. It didn't matter what was happening. Her Confirmation, dinner with the family or even netball practice. She would put on an elephant sized amount of makeup, groaning all the time about what she saw. Layer upon layer she would pack it on. Colour upon colour. Trying to make it magazine perfect. It was then I decided to make a plan. A plan by the end of which she would stop with the makeup, stop with the celebrities and think of herself as ... Beautiful.

Continue reading the Story ...

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I WONDERED - Author Kai

I wake up and feel myself in some place. Some place I don't know. I look around. I still don't know where I am. I get up and start exploring, I find myself creeping through the hot ground and dark tone of the tall grass. I start to hear voices in the distance. The sound of unknown objects scares me at times. My heart is pounding. The noises are getting louder and I am still trying to figure out what the noises are. I stop to take a breath, but suddenly everything went black.

I wake up later next to the sand of the beach and some huts. Residents started worshiping me, they call me a king. I am taken to a mysterious house next to the wonderful sounds of the waves crashing up against the sand. It's a huge hut full of many rare valuables and jewels. I am given a crown. I feel like exploring this very big and lush island. I get up and I start exploring. The first thing I saw was a huge mountain, it looked like a giant mesa. I kept walking, then I saw some bright sand and water, it looked so inviting it made me want to swim. I saw a field jungle in the distance. I crept in and I saw heaps of animals and plants. 

Then I saw a waterfall with a lake below it that also looked very inviting to swim in, so I got in but I realised something was wrong. The water was boiling! I hopped out quickly, the water started to boil and the waterfall started to turn orange like lava. I suddenly felt the ground shake and rumble, and a piece of burning rock fell into the lake. I could see the mountain that looked like a mesa, and then I realised... It was an active volcano! I ran back to the village as fast as I could, my eyesight was going weird I saw the town people panicking and trying to escape. My heart was beating so fast. I tripped, but I got back up and kept running. I got to the screaming sounds of the townspeople and the sounds of the burning flames. Everyone ran to the emergency boats. I started sailing away from the island that was almost covered in lava and fire.

There was a big sigh of relief, but suddenly I heard something snap. I looked around for the source of the sound. I kept looking, but I got knocked off the boat by some rope. I got knocked out. I felt a hard thump on my head. I could see nothing. Everything went black again.

I woke up and I heard my name. I was in a strange room full of words, numbers and equations. I realised, that it was the worst thing ever and I was forced to do it. I heard my name again, I looked down and I saw a bright sheet of paper and a pencil. It has heaps of questions and no answers on it. ''Kai! Come hand in your sheet. Oh no! I haven't even started the test. Well I guess it's detention for me.

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SOME CAN ONLY IMAGINE - Author Jasmine

Some can only imagine

What it is like to hate yourself

Hyperbolising the hatred you feel

When you look at your reflection in the mirror

And they are the lucky ones

Because they do not have to live through the stress

The anxiety

The emptiness

That these feelings bring

They can only imagine

The tsunami tides of emotions they would face

They do not know 

What it is like to be knocked down by waves of sadness

To drown in a sea of hopelessness 

Waiting for someone to pull you out and save your soul

And the moment you feel a hand grasp yours

Saving you from your demons

You are struck with a new wave

A stronger emotion

And any source of hope hiding in the crooks of your body

Is washed away

With no evidence it even resided there 

They can only imagine 

What it is like to cry for help and not be heard 

They do not know

That our cries do not escape

Our sad excuse for a body

Because everything feels impossible

When you are just a mere whisper

In a world full of shouts

There are some who imagine these feelings

And wish to feel them

As a way of seeking attention

As a way of receiving pity

But why would they want to sit at the sharp end of the knife?

Why would they want to be a lit stick of dynamite?

Anticipating the exact moment the explode?

These feelings are those

You do not wish to have

If you’re so much as lucky

To only be able to imagine them

You should be grateful for that

Because living a life in darkness

Without any sliver of hope to grasp onto

Is a life you do not want to live

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ROAD TO NOWHERE - Author Juliana

A cold gust of wind squeezed its way through as I opened the rusty window. Everything was fast asleep as I crept out of the Italian orphanage. “Stupido finestra. Stupid window”, I muttered to myself angrily as I hit my head against the old window frame. My feet landed with a thud on the cold and hard concrete as I jumped from the window. The sky was beginning to brighten to a soft orange colour. I walked through the cold air along the wall of a tall, brick building. I suddenly came out to a clearing. There was a small town square with a large fountain in the centre pouring out with fresh water. Surrounding it were small shops and trees. As I crept out I saw people opening their small rusty stores and I smelt the scent of freshly made coffee and toasted bread. My stomach rumbled of starvation.

 ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° °

 The sky had soon turned to a bright blue as I walked around curiously looking for something to eat. People looked at me with disgust and filth. My clothes were dirty and I smelt horrible. It is an Italian tradition to keep you clean. As I turned the corner I found myself standing in front of a huge row of fruit. It looked like a rainbow of different colours. My mouth watered as I urged myself to take a red juicy apple. Just as I stretched my arm out to grab it, I caught a small glimpse of something move behind me from the corner of my eye.

 Turning around I could see the shape of the police badge on his jacket. My knees trembled. My body began to tension. I had been caught red handed. He had a small square moustache and a blue uniform. His eyebrows had suddenly turned inside out and his eyes had shrunk to small pieces of dust. My heart was beating as hard as a hammer against a nail. As I took a step back he reached his arm out to grab me by the dirty black coat I was wearing. I began to run in horror of being beaten and sent back to the orphanage. I was quickly losing my breath as I ran past people in shops feeling the cold wind blowing in my face. I could sense the officer’s feet landing with a thud against the cold concrete floor behind me. “Come here you little bastard”. He was catching up faster and faster with each step. “Stop! Stop”! As I turned my head around, I could see him with a baton in his right hand.

 As I quickly turned a corner, I found myself running through a cold and dark alley way. I stopped and starred into the bright blue sky. I felt safe. As I peeked through the gap between the two walls, he suddenly appeared in front of me. My heart skipped a beat. I was terrified. I stepped back before he could get me. But the gap was too small for the officer to squeeze through. He tried to force his arm through but I was too far away for him to reach me. “Come here you filthy child”, screamed the officer. But it was no use. I stood there in horror. “I will get you one day”, he exclaimed angrily as he walked off. As I sat down to eat the apple that had caused the whole commotion, I saw a figure in the distance.

Curiously, I stood up and walked towards the dark shadow not knowing what to expect. It was small and scruffy. As I got closer I realised that it was a small dog. Terrified of me, it hid behind a trash bin shyly. “Don’t be scared”, I whispered. “I won’t hurt you”. It was small and brown with a small tail. It looked at me curiously with large brown eyes. “Come boy”, I whispered enthusiastically. Poking his head out slowly and looking around, he began to walk slowly towards me. I sat down and rested my back against the cold and hard, brick wall. ‘Charlie. I’m going to call you Charlie”.

My stomach rumbled. He came closer until he was finally sitting beside me. We soon became friends and fell asleep under the lights of the stars.

Continue reading ....

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LOOKING FOR THE WRONG THING - Author Constance

Chapter 1

“Mum!” I shouted out, my face breaking into a massive grin, laughing as she carried me across the garden. Suddenly, she dropped me on the floor cackling and running away while I was calling aloud helplessly, “Mum… help me please… don’t.” and then all I could see was a wall of hellish darkness. She never came to help me.

“Aaaahhh!” I screamed out loud, collapsing back into my comfortable bed. The covers wrapped me inside a world of my own as I recalled the events during my unrealistically horrifying dream. Yet after that ear piercing shriek,  no one came to comfort me. I shuffled out of my room and walked into my kitchen, my back was hunched dreadfully as if someone had just told me my kitten had died and I moved towards the box of cereal. Before I could get to it, a hand grabbed mine fierce, vermillion, red fingernails gripping me tightly.

Chapter 2

“Stop!” I gritted my teeth and muttered, tearing my pained hand from her fierce grip. My stepmother was the one who grasped me so tightly. She was a drunk and insane woman and I detested her, not understanding what attracted my dad to marry that drunkard. I frowned at her, feeling my dark mood grow darker as I realised she was going to bombard me with her thousand and one requests. “W-What are you doing! Go buy me m-m-more beer Janet… now!” that last command jolted me awake and I realised that I  could not  bear this another second longer. I suddenly exclaimed, “Go get it yourself! I’m not your slave and you can’t just order me around like that!” Her empty eyes stared at me filling with an immense amount of confusion. I then took the chance to run to my room and when I did, I sunk into my warm bed finding the comfort I badly needed there.

“Where are you mum?” I sobbed uncontrollably shaking hysterically, “Why did you leave me now mum! Why now? Times are so tough without you and I’m crumbling away…!” That was the truth that had woke me up so suddenly, that I would crumble away if I didn’t find my mother now. I needed her right now and I needed to find her.

Continue reading Chapter 3 

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THE BURROW - Author Maya Illustrated by Sofia & Maya

I wondered more as I gazed. I scuffed the leaves on the floor, wondering what it would throw at me. I heard the wind whisper my name.*WHOOSH* What was that? I didn't know so I just kept on walking. This time it was even louder. It came from a berry bush. I wondered what it was. Curious, I opened up the bushes. 

It was only a dog. The dog looked just like my dog. Same cheeky eyes. I wondered why there would be a dog in the forest. Then suddenly, the dog had a waist coat on! I couldn't believe my eyes. The dog hopped away. I followed it, curious. It stopped at a burrow. It looked at me, and then dived into the burrow. 

Why would a dog go into a burrow? I wondered. So I crawled cautiously into the burrow. I slipped, I started to fall screaming. I passed clocks, and other weird things I can’t describe. It seemed to go on forever. Finally I stopped. I saw the dog. It went into a door that it could just fit through. 

I was about to fall to the ground. I stopped. I was floating above the ground. Upside down. I tried to think of happy things, like when I first got my dog. Suddenly, I fell into a floating door. A burst of light filled my eyes. I shut my eyes as tight as I could. I felt something licking my face I opened my eyes. 

I was at my old house, on the floor. My dog was licking me, but he was young. I went to the bathroom to wash my face. I splashed the cold water onto my face and looked into the mirror. I gasped. I was 4 years old. I had to go back to that burrow. 

I had the greatest idea. I ran outside, opened the garage and took my bike. I peddled as fast as I could to the forest I hopped off my bike. I ran straight to the burrow panting hard. A fox jumped in front of me. I stopped, and tripped over. The fox jumped on me and sniffed me. It went into the burrow. 
I stood up brushing the dirt off me. I ran into the burrow I crawled and jumped into the hole. I landed, flat on my face into dirt. 

Would I have to live my life all over again?

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ALONE - Author Kyla

Imagine being by yourself, dying in hunger and pain.

I packed all of my possessions in the worn building I once owned. That was when it was under my name. Contemplating the possibilities that I should have considered to avoid it. I went out and observed the plain fields that were mine. I didn't have the money to harvest crops nor water to keep them alive. My favourite hammock had deteriorated from the sun. I could just visualise myself reading, almost falling asleep. Well that is if I can find a bed before dusk.

By myself, a loner as you call it. All I had were my belongings, my memories, not that I had many to keep. I couldn't cope. Carelessly strolling down my rocky-surfaced driveway, peeping back every now and again over my shoulder, where did my life go?

Looking below at my sandals that were worn to the sole, almost like my heart. Scuffing my shoes as I walked on. Wondering where to go. As I travelled away from the shack all of my memories slipped past me. I felt transparent. I stood there spiritless, torn apart from what I loved, unaware of the undesirable atmosphere. My mind was empty. The wind swiftly whispered in my ear. I heard a sound talking to me mentioning to stay at my brother's place. He always accompanied me when we visited the orphanage. Those days were the most miserable and downcast. Sitting on the cold concrete in winter, shivering alongside in his arms. But, those days have passed.

My shoulders felt heavy and my back was slumped as I walked away from my dream house. Not everyone's pictured mansion however in comparison it was unique. The greatest challenge was to get to my brother's house before I needed a supply of food or water. I wasn't worried about the fact that it was on the outskirts of our countryside, it was that I had no indication of which direction to take. No signposts, nothing.

Strolling down the road that wasn't marked. All that I saw was dead crops, collapsed. My only idea was to keep on walking but my arms felt numb and useless as I pulled my loaded suitcase up the path. It was hard to tell where I was going when I only had an unknown road to guide me there. There were no houses in sight.

The humidity in the air was making it hard to breathe. My shadow was just keeping up with me. I was famished and dehydrated, the days were passing by too quickly. I had nothing else to rely on and I didn't have the energy to go any further. I sat lonely on the side of the road.

105 000 people are homeless in Australia. Now, I am one of them.

In my life I see people begging on the populated streets. What they need, I always have. I feel guilt. It's called  HOMELESSNESS. I imagine myself in their shoes. We need to act fast. This is what matters to me!

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NEVER EXPECT THE EXPECTED - Author Isabella

I was drowning; the water was covering my face. This was the en –

“Woof! Woof! Woof woof woof!”

“Daisyyyyyy,” I groaned, pushing my huge golden retriever off my bed, “it’s too early – go away”. It was Sunday, my least favourite day of the week. I know, I know, most people live for Sundays – but not me. Sunday was the day my dad left. He walked out on my family, my mum, Daisy and me. Daisy had been a birthday present from my dad only a week before he took off. Don’t get me wrong, I love Daisy, but she’s always been a reminder that my dad didn’t love me enough to stay around. I eventually dragged myself out of bed and into the kitchen where I found a note from my mum; “Posy, I’ve gone to the gym, please feed Daisy. Be back soon. Mum xx.”

“DAISY! Daisy, breakfast time!!” I yelled out into the hallway, following a path of muddy dog prints that led out of the front door and stopped. Mum had forgotten to close the door in her excitement to get out of the house. I felt bad for my mum; she didn’t get out much as she had to look after a dog, a house, and me and maintain her job. I ran back inside, got dressed, grabbed my phone, wallet and keys and went out the door.

This wasn’t the first time Daisy had run away, but it felt different this time. I called Lulu, my best friend, and told her that Daisy had gone missing again. Lulu had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. She had been there for me on the first day of kindergarten, the first day of high school, through all the bad boyfriends, when my dad left and she was still here for me now.

I walked around the neighbourhood that morning, looking in all the places that Daisy had gone the other times she had run away. I didn’t find her. As I walked back home I ran into Lulu and gave her a huge hug. “Don’t worry Posy, we’ll find her, let’s go back to your house and eat some lunch then we can keep looking. Yeah?”

“Yeah, OK, let’s go.” I knew Lulu was trying to help, but I still felt like this time was different and that we might not find Daisy. After we had eaten breakfast, my mum came home. She was so mad at herself for not locking the door properly. Mum, Lulu and I waited patiently for Daisy to walk back through the door, only she didn’t. As it started to get darker someone knocked on the door.

“Hello? Is anyone home? I think I have your dog. Daisy, is it?” The voice at the door sounded very familiar but I couldn’t figure out why. My mum went to answer the door, but as soon as she saw the man outside, she pulled back, looking like she had seen a ghost.

Continue reading ....

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I WONDER WHY - Author Tam

I wonder why I do the things

I always seem to do

I wonder why I say it's false

When I know it must be true

I wonder why I do wrong things

When I always know what's right

I wonder why I push and shove

When I know it starts a fight

I wonder why I say I hate 

When I know I really love

I wonder why I run from rain

When it's falling from above

I wonder why I say it's bad

When I know it's really good

I wonder why I say I won't

When I know I always should

I wonder why the sun is warm 

When it sits so far away

I wonder why the nights are cold 

Then it warms up though the day

I wonder why, I wonder why

I wonder why it's so

I wonder why, because I'm alive

That's why I'll always want to know

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Teaching Standards Portfolio

I am attending the e-learning key contact teachers' archdiocesan meeting led by George Kouros. 

I have learnt that we have to get over the idea that you don’t publish until it is perfect. Do a page at a time and fill in the content because it is now publish then filter. Not filter then publish as it used to be.

If every teacher blogged once a week and looked at 5 others, our teaching standards would go way up because of the wealth of knowledge that we would be sharing.

One idea I thought of whilst listening to George was the idea of having a video Blog of my reading Recovery Students' reading. If I could document the growth in their reading once a week, I think that it would be, not just powerful evidence of their learning, but a motivational tool for me and for them to read fluently and in a more animated way. This should in turn, lead to better reading comprehension because they couldn't do this without a better level of understanding and engagement in the book.

Thank you George for not just encouraging us to Blog and therefore, think more, but for giving us the time to do this!