Sharing:  Here are some of our first sentences using RECIPE FOR WRITING WITH ETHERPAD writing buddies.  We are going to add a sound sentence and then have a character or two appear!  We will edit, add, subtract, and proof read when we have completed the whole recipe which is published below.

1  The blazing sun shone over the planets as the black hole darkened the sky.

2  As the sun rises across the sea I can see the islands in the distance. 

3  As the sun rose above the horizon across the deserted plain the vultures began to swoop down and attempt to devour the sheep below.

4 Among the clouds lays the island of Azzreal, an almost barren island except for large mountains that sit on the edge of the island's surface and a long winding river that flows through Azzreal's one city, the city of Assara. Surrounding Assara are large walls engraved with the names of Assara's previous rulers. Surrounding the cities centre are rows of grand 

buildings and overwatching the city upon one of the highest hills in Azzreal stands the king's palace.

5  The rain hits the soft green hills and the drops of water roll down the hill into the rising stream. 

6   On the beach waves are crashing and the sun is slowly settling down into the sea. 

7  Out on the farm the lambs are running around, the sheep are munching the last of the brown stubble and the morning is clear and bright.

8    As the glowing sun disappeared behind the lushest green hills in the outback hill country, the far cry of a new lamb filled the crisp, clean air. 

Freddie & Brodie   As the sun set, the moon rose from behind the hills and the wolves howled loudly.

Rohan & George L   Up on the hill, a rusty old lighthouse looked down as rolling waves came crashing in and hit the rocks of the rugged coastline.  Sleek seals jumped across the rocks and the surfers...

Ethan & Sam  As the sun rose above the grey clouds one big white cloud came rolling in.

George S & Rebecca  The sky darkened and all that could be seen were the outlines of the ghostly trees covering the hills.  And all that could be heard were the loud howls of the midnight wolves.

Lucy, Janine & Charlotte   As the morning sun rises, melting the morning frost, the lambs feel the new spring in the air.

Morna & Tineisha  I watch the sun set behind the tall wispy trees and wonder where the sun is heading?

Maia &   Shardae  The sun was just setting on the horizon  as I stared down at the poppies, with glistening tears sliding down my face. 

Welcome to the...

RECIPE FOR WRITING WITH ETHERPAD:

Ingredients: 

1. Setting the scene, 
2. Tuning in the ear, 
3. Developing the character, 
4. Creating the action, 
5. The resolution.

Method:

1. Bring your reader in to a powerful setting of the scene where your story is to unfold.  It helps to imagine that you have a digital camera and have taken a photo of the place where your story is to happen.  Remember you are holding the camera, so you are not in the picture at this stage.  It is a still camera, so while there may be suggested movement, such as "the waves rolled gently to the shore", there is no action in the story at this time.

2. Introduce some sound into the scene to further engage the senses of the reader.

3. Have your character appear dramatically within the setting.  We should get to know something of this character by the way you portray them.

4. Create the action that will bind the reader into the story and continue to develop this to the penultimate moment.

5. Resolve the story with some revisiting of the initial scene, the sounds or the character that was central to the storyline but something has changed - perhaps forever.  Leave your reader with something magic to hold on to.

COURTESY OF PHYLLIS JOHNSON AND JILL HAMMONDS

Stu Duval Visits Hunterville School

We are so lucky to have had Stu Duval come back to Hunterville to share his books, stories and very clever chalk pastel artworks.  A few years ago he visited us, and lots of us could remember the stories, artworks, and music that Stu presented in his show.  
Stu is a really interesting, exciting story teller, and everyone in the hall had their total attention held for the whole time he was presenting!  Our story today was set on the east coast in the early days of the settlement of Aotearoa New Zealand.  It was a great story, which started with Stu drawing a really neat picture of a beach setting, with a cottage on top of cliff, which was where the main character lived.  He was a man who left a ship and became the first settler in the remote bay, which later was known as Dynamite Bay, directly as a result of the main complication at the end of the story.

We have lots of Stu's books in our library, and he showed us two new books that he has written this year.  One of them is part of a series of fun books, and the other one is a serious, 'dark' book.  
Below are some pictures showing Stu at work drawing, and story telling this morning...

PNBHS Stage Band Concert

Some of our class, parents and teachers were at the Palmerston North Boys High School concert last Saturday night, here in the Hunterville Town Hall.  We had a real connection with one member of the band, ex Hunterville pupil, Patrick Takurua!  He is a really good musician who plays keyboard for the student Stage Band.

The whole idea of the concert here was to fund raise for the band's trip to Australia to play in a band competition and to attend band training with some world-renowned musicians. The whole concert was arranged by the band organisers, and in particular by Patrick's mother and family.

It was a really neat concert, and the student band play a wide range of music from old time tunes to modern songs. Another awesome item was the OK Chorale, which is the group of PHBHS boys who sing all sorts of really cool songs with no band or even a piano with them.  They sing in all sorts of harmony, and they are all really good singers, from bass to 
soprano and sound so cool.

It was a great to have live musicians here in Hunterville, and the concert was really well organised.  There was a lot of talent and it was really fun for the audience, which ranged from ten year olds to some grandmothers and grandfathers.