Schools in NSW have a strand in the English Syllabus called Talking and Listening. You might remember it from days or yore as NEWS. NEWS was when you stood up in front of the class and rabbited on about something for a few minutes before inviting questions from the floor. The first question was always "Why do you like it?"
Nowadays, News is called Talking and Listening and is assessed as part of the overall English grade. And instead of sharing random stories and things you have picked up from the floor of the car from when your mum drops you off, like everything these days it is a planned activity designed to drive parents a little more crazy. Harry is in Year 2, an age where I firmly believe he can take responsibility for his own presentation.
Today is day 3 of my own personal journey known as phlegm-gate. I have finally booked a doctors appointment where I will no doubt underestimate my weight, over-estimate how many times I exercise a week and flat out lie about the alcohol units I consume. I was on the phone to to Doctor's while trying to watch the Conrad Murray verdict this morning while waiting for my darling friend Mrs Watts to take the kids to school for me.
Harry walks in and announces it is news day for him today and the topic is......
Creativity - Invent your own game or toy. Think about what it is make of and how it works.
You could make a prototype or draw a detailed labelled diagram.
He says this just as Mrs Watts pulled into the driveway. I had to use my flu-riddled brain for 60 seconds. We came up with Headbutt Hockey which we could use things from the front verandah to illustrate the game. Harry took his bike helmet and Mr Woog's paddle from his Stand Up Paddle board. In the time it took me to walk him out to the car we had come up with the following rules.
- 4 players a team
- 1 point for every head-butt you land while running down the field
- 2 points for every goal shot
And that was it. We figured he only had 3 minutes to explain and we expected that there would be LOTS of questions from the class. And maybe one or two from his teacher.
Desperate action? Perhaps.
Creativity? Most probably
Chance of being asked to pop in and see the principal at some point? Definitely.
