Wonder

Augusts thoughts on starting school 

Recently we started reading a new novel  in the senior room. The novel is 'Wonder' by RJ Palacio. We were set a task to describe the feelings of the main character August about starting school. August has a deformed face  and has never been to school before even though he's eleven years old. This is my piece.

I’m starting school, I forget when, a few days or something. I’m nervous but I’m excited too. If there are a lot of normal people there I probably won’t last long, but if not, I’m bound to make friends, aren’t I? I mean it smells like a hospital so there is bound to be people with special needs. I always think people are jealous of people like me. The reason being we are special, different than all the rest. At least that’s what mum tells me. If there are “normal” people there I will not fit in at all. I mean Zach, Eamonn and Christopher and my “old” friends were normal but they were a once off I know it.       
They had their own problems but not on the outside but deep within their minds.  I am the exact opposite, my problems are on the outside but deep within my mind is like anyone else.  I just go to bed and turn my problems inside out, my perfect side on the outside but the bad on the inside. But I can’t hide my problems on the outside, and by people I have seen, it seems ridiculous but I think it is harder to hide problems on the inside than on the outside.  

By David King, 5th class

My Left Foot

Recently we watched "My Left Foot". It is a very good movie. After we watched it we had to make an interview for Ma' Brown. Here is my interview. (I played the part of Ma Brown in class with everyone firing unprepared questions at me. Teacher was very impressed with the depth of my answers.) We're planning on acting it out and recording it.

Ma’ Brown Interview

Q. What was it like having a handicapped son in the 1950’s?

A. It was hard but we managed.                                                                                         

Q. Was it very sad that only 13 out of 22 of your children survived?

A. It was and we always had our own funerals, I will never forget them all 9 of them that died.

Q. Was your marriage with Paddy arranged?

A. I fell in love with him when I was young and I asked my father to approve of him and he did.

Q. Was it hard to raise a family with such a small amount of money?

A. It was, we had very small food portions but we got by.

Q. Did you like being a stay-at-home mum?

A. Not really I would have preferred a job so I could get some more money for food but I had to stay with Christy.

Q. After you got married did you ever see your parents?

A. I saw them at family weddings and funerals, but apart from special occasions no.

Q. Did you like living in the city or would you have preferred to have lived in the countryside?

A. I liked living in the city because there were more jobs available but if I lived in the country side I think I would have loved it.

Q. If Christy didn't see the tin in the fire do you think you could have kept the money a secret?

A. Maybe for a bit longer but they would have found out soon.

Q. How do you know that Christy’s voice sounded like hope?

A. I heard his voice every day but I hadn’t ever heard him speak like that before I knew he was going to be let down somehow.

Q. How did Paddy die?

A. I never found out how the post-mortem results never came back, it was very unexpected.

By Kate Brosnan, 5th class

Inspirational People

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
This year we wrote some accounts on inspirational people. We were able to pick our own, some people did pop stars, some did soccer players, historical characters eg. Pelé, Taylor Swift, Lionel Messi, Gandhi, Sir Francis Drake, Stephen Hawking, etc.... I decided to go with Nelson Mandela because he showed us all no matter what race we are we should treat each other the same.   

Nelson’s childhood

Nelson Mandela was born on the 18th of July 1918 in the tiny village of Mvezo, South Africa. Nelson got his political ways from his father, he served as a councillor for several years. When Nelson was young he and his family moved to an even smaller town north from Mvezo called Qunu.  

Fun facts

• ·      Nelson Mandela was the first president of South Africa. He was born in Johannesburg Gauteng South Africa.

• _·         "Rolihlahla" in the Xhosa language literally means "pulling the branch of a tree," but more commonly translates as "troublemaker."

·       He was born on 18th of July 1918.

·       And he died on the 5th of December 2013 (aged 95)

·       He was arrested in 1962 for leading the ANC (African National Congress).

·       He was in jail for 27 years. He spent 20 years on Robben Islandand 7 years in Pollsmor prison.

·       He was in office for 5 years 10th of May 1994 – 14th of June 1999.

·       Nelson Mandela won the Noble Peace Prize in 1993.

(Although his name translates as troublemaker he was one of the best peacemakers ever.)

by Paul Byrne Kelly, 5th class