Creative Writing - The Strange Day in July

The Strange Day in July.

By Caitlin Gregan

I.A..L.T  write to entertain my audience.

The rain poured down, as Lily and I played chess in our mansion at the top of the hill. A little while later the sun came out, so we chose to go down to the beach for some fresh air. The path was muddy and the trees waved as we past by, As we got closer to the beach I shiver went down my spine I felt like we were being watched by something or someone. I looked around but there was no one there. A few minutes later I felt the feeling that someone was spying on us again, but as I looked around, I saw nothing. My sister ran ahead, but I rushed after her, as I was getting close to the beach I heard a distant scream I sprinted  through the bush “Lily!” I called out but there was no reply.

When I got to the beach it was deserted Lily was nowhere to be seen. When I turned around I saw her there in the bush coming out laughing “don’t do that” I said. She was still laughing when we got to the spot that had the best stones to skim. I picked up a stone that had been lying at my feet it was perfect except for a skull that was engraved in. I pulled back my arm as my sister watch from a to it far as I throw with all my might, it skimmed so it disappeared into the mist  then we heard the most strangest thing… the sound of a skimming stone and it was getting louder and louder  as if it was coming  our way. then it rested at our feet trembling I picked it up my sister screamed nothing had prepared us for what happened next.

On the stone there was the skull that clearly  identified it as ours but the true horror came when I turned it over. There on the smooth flat stone, deeply engraved was one but terrifying word that should have taken hours to carve and not seconds.

Kill

The stone dropped from my suddenly frozen fingers we ran through the sharp thorns our clothes ripping. As we ran into the safety of our house bolting the lock behind us. we ran to mom who was doing the washing in the laundry “Mom there’s a ...there’s a” I stumberd

“There’s a what ?”  Mom asked

“There is a person trying to kill us” I shouted. At that moment our brother walked past laughing his hands full with stones each one had a different message. Then we spotted the skull like crack on a smooth flat stone that had the words Kill on it.

Information Report - Chinchillas

Chinchillas

By Caitlin Gregan

I am learning to inform with an information report.

Far away in the silent sleeping Andes mountains of South America there lives a small but furry creature called a Chinchilla. Their name might sound dangerous but actually they are one of the most harmless creatures in the world. While most things are sleeping these small creatures are coming out of their burrows to find food for themselves and their baby kits. Did you know that Chinchillas can live up to 10-18 years of age?.  Chinchillas are named after American Indian tribe called "Chincha" which used chinchilla's fur in the past to produce clothes. Chinchillas were hunted nearly to extinction in the previous century because of its dense and soft fur. They are still listed as critically endangered species today.

http://www.chinchillaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/VioletChin.jpg

What they look like?

Chinchillas look a lot like a mouse crossed with a rabbit but a lot more fluffy and are a lot more smaller. Chinchillas come in many different colors, such as grey, white, brown and black.  Full grown chinchillas are usually 25-35 cm long, did you know that Chinchillas can overheat?, In their native home in South America the weather is cool and dry. The best temperature of 15 degrees to 25 degrees centigrade (temperature) chinchillas have a soft furry coat that they can keep clean by having a dirt bath. In their natural habitat there is not that much water so they clean themselves by having a dirt bath.  

Chinchillas habitat

Chinchillas originate from high altitudes of the Andes mountains (in South America) that run along the western coast of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. A Chinchillas habitat in the Andes mountains is almost 3 miles above sea level that’s 5 kilometers high! Like rabbits Chinchillas live in little holes called burrows, they usually live there during the day but at night they crawl out and find food for their family. The food they often eat is grass, carrots, leafy greens, dried fruit and grains.

What they eat

Chinchillas are naturally vegetarians, they usually eat fruit, stems, flowers, grasses, leaves, twigs and  vegetables and small insects such as bugs. Chinchillas teeth grow continuously throughout their life which need wearing down and need to keeping at the correct length. Not eating the right diet can result in serious dental disease. Chinchilla’s digestive system is very sensitive. A good quality diet is considered to be rich in fibre low in protein and very low on fats.

How they protect themselves

Chinchillas have many predators such as lions,eagles and foxes. If a predator does manage to catch a chinchilla, it will still be able to escape by means of a fur slip. A fur slip is  when a large patch of fur is released at the point of contact, leaving the predator with a mouthful of fur but no chinchilla, This is harmless to the chinchilla, and the fur does grow back.

In conclusion chinchillas are friendly, cuddly animals that look a lot like rabbits.They live in the high Andes mountains on the  western coast of South America, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. They eat grass, hay, twigs, leaves and fruit. They protect themselves by shedding some of their fur then running away. They are very small like a mouse only a little bit smaller. Next time you're camping out in the Andes mountains at night go outside and turn on your torch and look for the small furry creatures there might be a chance you see one. 

Hockey Room 6

Hockey for Connolly

This term Rooms 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of Good Shepherd School have been learning to play hockey each Wednesday taught by Mr Bryan.

The students and Mr Bryan have been concentrating on turning their hockey sticks, using their left hand and also sidestepping with the ball as well as turning around cones with the ball.  Over the next few weeks they will play a game of hockey reffed by Mr Bryan.

A reminder to the children to bring their sports gear each Wednesday while our Hockey lessons are on. If you for some reason do not want your child/children to play please inform your teacher or write a note.

Room 6 in action:  

Year 6 Camp 2015

Camp - MERC 

The second week of school the Year 6 students were off, all 35 of us, oh and the 7 adults we needed to supervise off.  We had so much fun team building and focusing on leadership.  Here is a snapshot of what our week was like.  We had so much fun and we are all excited for the year ahead.