Monday 24 August 2015

Mops, socks and little men.



As the long summer break draws to a close, and the new academic year begins, there is just time for one final "Do you know?" courtesy of the Sunnyside cohort of 2014-2015. 

As we have learned from previous Sunnyside stories, "Do you know?" moments are special. These enchanting and spontaneous utterances are simply a piece of information that a little learner feels compelled to share. As far as the Sunnyside Team is concerned, a "Do you know?" moment brings an extra ray of sunshine to the school day, not to mention and smile and giggle.  

It was Mrs Crayon who was in receipt of this particular little gem, whilst she was on her knees, (in every sense of the word) thinning out books in the book corner on the last day of term. 

After scrutinising Mrs C's attempts to sort her dangerously listing tower of hardbacks, the little learner in question sidled up to the weary practitioner and said, "Do you know?.....my favourite story is Snow White and the three seven wolves!" 
Convinced that her jaded ears were tricking her, Mrs Crayon was keen to push for some clarification. 
"Sorry...did you say, Snow White and the three seven wolves?" she asked, as the little learner thumbed through a stray copy of Percy Thrower's 'Practical Guide to Roses'.    
"Yes!" stated the little learner, studying Percy's tips on dealing with troublesome aphids.
"That's...the three seven wolves?" persisted Mrs Crayon, still believing her ears to be blocked.
"Yes!" reaffirmed the little learner, somewhat irritated at her teacher's apparent lack of understanding.
A bewildered Mrs Crayon was curious about the number of wolves involved in this version of the Grimm brothers' legendary fairy tale. Was it three, or was it seven? Could it be thirty seven? 
"None!" came the emphatic reply, "Not one!"

As the little learner plonked Percy and his aphids back on the listing pile, and sauntered off, doubtless in disgust that a grown up could be so woefully ignorant of her beloved storybook, a re-energized Mrs Crayon was certain there was a poem to be had out of this surprising twist of fate for the celebrated, singing domestic.  
However, with not the slightest notion of how to shoehorn wolves into a half decent rhyme, (try finding a word that rhymes with wolves) Mrs Crayon nevertheless vowed she would, (in some form or another.) 

So, with just days to spare before the Sunnyside Team welcomes the next new intake of Reception learners into the fold, Mrs Crayon would like to proffer the following.


Said Snow White to herself one day

Said Snow White to herself one day,
It's always work and never play.
I'm tired of washing socks and hats,
Of mopping floors and brushing mats.
I'm going to leave these little men,
To start my life over again.
I'm shipping out, with no regrets,
And all I'm taking are my pets.
Into the sunset we shall sail,
To start another fairy tale.
I'll fill my life with fun and laughter,
And do away with men hearafter!




".....and from now on, we shall be known as, Snow White and the Three Seven Wolves!"

Thursday 6 August 2015

Jelly facts and fish stings








It's that time again...that time of stark walls and overflowing waste bins! 

Believe it or not, it's the end of the academic year! And at the end of the academic year, what went up....must now come down! This means display boards must be stripped, dingle dangles must be removed, and draws and cupboards must be emptied and tidied. It is also time for the team to reluctantly bid farewell to the current Reception Year cohort and wish them luck as they journey towards their brand new class. Yes...Year 1 is beckoning the little Sunnysiders of 2014-2015!

As Mrs Crayon was busy wrenching staples from all the classroom's display boards this afternoon, she was accompanied by a willing and helpful party of little learners armed with magnets, picking up the growing mound of extricated staples on the floor. 

As they all toiled away, the subject of the imminent six week holiday came up for discussion, and the group began to share with one another their plans for the long break. Whilst some little learners were venturing to foreign parts, others were staying put and looking forward to spending time on the Island's beautiful beaches.  

"You better watch out for jellyfish!" informed one little learner as he freed his magnet of a ton of staples, "Jellyfishes kill you, you know!"

The little learner's grim warning came as a result of an increase in jellyfish sightings in recent weeks, when they have washed up on beaches around the Isle of Wight. It also prompted an abrupt end to all the holiday chit-chat and for the debate to centre around the issue of jellyfish. 

The little staple gatherers immediately launched into an exchange of far out claims regarding how many of these gelatinous creatures they'd seen on the beach, as well as their size and proportions. As the little learners tried to outdo one another with claims more and more fantastical, i.e. the beach being littered with jellyfish 'as big as a bedroom', Mrs Crayon couldn't help wondering if some of these jellyfish sightings were in fact supermarket carrier bags shamefully washed ashore in Whippy Cove Bay. Nevertheless, she was keen to find out if the group knew anything factual about jellyfish other than they can kill you, and they grow to the size of a one bedroom apartment. As it turned out they didn't, however, a little learner playing close by saved the day when he joined the magnet monitors, offering to share some or his own jellyfish insights.   
"I know about jellyfish I do," he declared to Mrs Crayon as she descended the dizzy heights of the 2 step ladder she was using.
"Do you indeed," she said, happy to be reunited with terra firma again.
"Yep!" the little learner told her assuredly, "I know they sting you with their nettles!"

What a wonderful way to end the school year thought an appreciative Mrs Crayon, grateful for this new jellyfish fact. After all, it is also thanks to this particular cohort of little theorists, that we have an understanding of why humans have eyebrows, what a camel stores in his humps, the true potential of kittens, and how to keep the ducks happy! We have also discovered some extraordinary facts about our Queen, horse tack, and the perils of purchasing rabbits.  
As the essence of a nettle-wielding jellyfish ditty began to formulate in the far reaches of her mind, Mrs Crayon felt totally indebted to these clever little people for inspiring her to produce another year of Sunnyside doodles and rhymes. 

Happy holidays little learners! Happy holidays dear readers!

SUNNYSIDERS will return in September with a brand new cohort of little learners and a host of brand new stories and rhymes! 



Beware the Jellyfish! 

I'm as fragile as a flower, 
And as flimsy as it's petals.
But don't be fooled, if you come near,
I'll sting you with me nettles!



"With gnashers like mine....who cares about your nettles!"