Waitematā Literary Trail

Some of our present and past pupils have had their writing selected by Auckland Libraries to feature in the Waitematā Literary Trail, beginning next month as part of the We Read Auckland | Ka Pānui Tātau i Tāmaki Makaurau festival.

Congratulations to:

James De Wit | How to Get Out of a Maths Test
Porou Rongonui | Remembering Autumn

Robbie de Groot-Tsuji | The Strangest Art Gallery

Amelia Grundy | Baking Comfort

Ruby Jones Johnston | Moon Cycle

Akhila Sharma | Slowing Down Time

Newly published authors | Toitoi 27

Congratulations to our newest published authors; James De Wit and past pupil Eabha Dalton, who have both had their writing published in Toitoi 27.

Eabha's beautiful piece about her Irish grandad can be found on page 21. James wrote a very entertaining poem titled 'How to Get Out of Doing a Maths Test' which you can read on page 81.

 

 

Form Poetry

 

Some of our Writing Club students explored various forms of poetry and wrote some for Paula Green's Poetry Box challenge. We had summery acrostic poems, instructional poems and plenty of odes- including odes to Mrs Ussher and Mr Walker. 

Congratulations to these students, who had their poems picked to be published on the Poetry Box website.

Special congratulations to Eabha and James, who Paula has selected among her favourites. She is sending them each a book of poetry; Skinny Dip: Poetry, eds Susan Paris & Kate De Goldi (for Eabha) and Groovy Fish by Paula Green (for James).

Here are the poems, and you can read them on the Poetry Box site also.

Summer Sun (acrostic)

Sun shining
Umbrellas shading
Mums lathering on thick sunscreen
Mum sunbathing on the chair
Eating sticky ice creams
Racing on the hot sand to the water

Summer waves tickle the sand
Unusual blue crabs scurrying away from sandy little hands
Nice cool waves glistening like a diamond

Amelia Y, Y8, Russley School

Here's a beautiful ode written by Sophia, to her Mum:

Mum (ode)

Oh, your hair is as brown
as sweet melted chocolate

Your eyes are pools
of glistening blue water

Your cooking would make 1000 people
want to stay for dinner

You have humour that would only
make a dad laugh

Sophia E, Year 4, Russley School

Eabha has written an instructional two-breath poem, inspired by the one-breath poem by Christchurch author Greg O'Connell ('How to Swim a Length Underwater'):

Push ups, an instructional poem

Read in two breaths.

Move into a planking position making sure your hands are parallel to your shoulders and the small of your back is not arched then you must squeeze your core tight and hold your breath before beginning to bend your elbows which is when your body should start to get closer to the ground and after repeating this a few times you may breathe again. But you must hold your breath immediately afterwards and your upper arms and core will begin to feel like it’s about to implode but if you do too many push ups you will collapse to the ground in a heaping mess.

Eabha D, Year 8, Age 13

James DW has written an ode about a sport he is passionate about:

Ode to the Best Ball

You fly through the air like a hawk with a back wind
You are as bouncy as a trampoline
as grippy as newly bought shoes
as orange as a freshly grown carrot
When you swish it makes me feel like Steph Curry

Some people find your continuous bouncing annoying
Some people think your game has too many rules
Some people think mouth guards are uncomfortable
Some people don’t like you

but you appeal to me

James D, Age 10, Year 5, Russley School

 

We love the ode Moaz wrote to Mr Walker! (We hope Mr Walker does too!):

Ode to Mr Walker

Oh, your hair is as dark as a log.
Your tie is fastened like a seat belt.
You run the classroom like a
world-wide famous comedian.
You teach the whole class properly
but still you add a lot of
silliness into learning.
When you come up to the
microphone at assembly, you fill up with joy
like a hot air balloon ready to take off.
You are simply the one and only
Mr Walker.

Moaz A, Yr 5, Age 10, Russley School

Eabha and Micheala worked together to write this acrostic summer poem:

Summer (acrostic)

Sun shining on the yellow bay.

Umbrellas are wasted in this heat.

My legs burn from the scorching temperature.

Magazines escape the hands of sunbathers and fly into the sun.

Energetic children splash in the low tide.

Rat-bag seagulls steal my hot chip lunch and gleefully glide away.

Micheala E, Eabha D, Year 8, age 13, Russley School

Sara's ode is to her cat, Isla:

Ode to Isla

Your fur is as dark as the midnight sky
Your eyes shine like the stars at night
Your nose is as dark as a blackberry
Your howl sounds like a balloon deflating
Your tail wags like leaves blowing in the wind

You are as playful as a pixie with fairy dust
In the car you are as calm as the sun setting
On walks you bounce around like a basketball
You’re always hungry, like a panther who hasn’t eaten for days

When you are excited, you zoom around the house
like a ferrari on a race track
It is summer every day with you here
You are cunning, cute and courageous
I couldn’t imagine life without you

Sara T, Age 10, Y6, Russley School

Another ode to Summer, this one is from Lucas Y:

Ode to Summer

Your ice block melting weather
makes me want to be outside
Oh, you make the crops and flowers grow
to the peak of perfection

You make the tennis stars come out to play
You let the gardeners snip away
at their bushes and trees
You let the school fields be open

You are my saviour from the freezing cold
Your heat waves make the parents
give in to the mr whippy ice cream
Oh, summer what would I do without you?

Lucas Y, Age 10, Year 5, Russley School

Our Awa Nui writing team put their heads together to create this ode to our wonderful librarian, Mrs Ussher. She has this poem pinned to the wall by her desk. Go and check it out!

Ode to Our Librarian

Oh, Mrs Ussher,
hair as bright as a sunflower,
glasses perched on your nose

You run the library
like the queen
of a castle

issuing books
faster than the speed of light

Your book fairs are magnificent
like a room full of treasure

You’re simply the best
librarian ever

Moaz A, Lucas Y, James DW, Sophia E, Sara T, Chloe S
Y5 and Y6, Awa Nui Writing Club, Russley School

Poems for the Christmas Holidays

Kiwi Beach | by James DW

Crazy Grandad surfing 

Wrinkly Nana sun-bathing

Psycho Golden retriever swimming 

Noisy Families playing cricket 

Brother piercing through the water like a silver bullet

Delightful barbeque smoke flying

Amazing mum pulls out the pavlova

Summer time at the pools | by Chloe S

Pools busy as a beehive 

Playful children splashing loudly

Worried lifeguards watching intensely 

Sun as bright as a star in the night sky 

Ice blocks as tasty as Christmas dinner

Avonhead park | by Sara

Large trees whispering 

Fluffy dogs barking

Parents talking about Christmas 

Spiky bushes swaying  

Grass moving like calm waves 

Twinkling Sumner | by Moaz

Rough ocean crashing like demolition derby cars
Soft sand crawling like golden spiders
Talkative seagulls squawking like screaming elephants
Jagged seashells twinkling like stars

Trip to the Park after Christmas Lunch | by Lucas Y

rusty swings squeaking 

slick frisbee flying

long creek rippling

emerald grass swaying

sky as clear as a wine glass

sun shining like a christmas tree

The Beautiful Garden | by Lucas Y

Tall evergreens shimmer

Tuxedo Cat runs freely

Hungry lawnmower devours

Chirping birds soar

Flowers show off their petals like a peacock

The smell of fresh sausages 

air thick with black smoke

 

Bridges to Books

 Read these fabulous entries some of our writers produced for the Tamariki Book Festival's competition, 'Bridges to Books'.

Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and James

When I open the book
I am under the roots of a tree
with Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail...
and Peter

Slipping on my sky blue jacket
hopping quickly to...
Mr. Mcgregor's garden

Page eight I squeeze under the gate
Chomp Chomp I chow down the carrots
so many vegetables 
it is like a themepark of food

Oh no! MR MCGREGOR!
I hear his his heavy steel capped boots stomping
CRRRR my jacket ripped 
now it´s made into a…
scarecrow

Rushing to the gate to get out
SLAM! I close the book
and hide under my covers
hoping Mr McGregor doesn't find me

by James De Wit

When I open the book, Fing 

it feels like I'm getting pulled right in

I'm in Mr and Mrs Meek’s house 

freaking out

because their daughter Myrtle Meek 

she gets whatever she wants

I feel like this is not going to end well

Myrtle wants a fing...

I am wondering 

how is this going to end 

nice… or deadly

- by Isaac Elkins

My love of reading

When I open the 117- treehouse comic, 

My mind is chaos

movies swirl in my mind, 

making me feel like I’ve been on a long roller coaster ride

It's as hilarious as British-white cattle dancing 

to ‘Dance Monkey’.

I keep coming back to story police, a giant foot and a enormous hand 

I just can never take my eyes off it

- Sam Li 

Henry Potter

I open the book...

I am in Quality Quidditch Supplies

my nose pressed against the window at a Firebolt

the latest broomstick model

Crowds and new reporters

from the Ministry of Magic

all stand around Professor Lockhart

Harry Potter by his side

Platform nine and three quarters

steampunk train painted with golden letters 

HOGWARTS EXPRESS

Professor Sybill Trelawney

the mysterious divination teacher

looks into a crystal ball

Professor Dumbledore

with a long white beard

announces Gryffindor wins the house cup!

 - by Henry Peters  

Nature Activity Poems Published

 

Congratulations to these talented Russley writers, who have had their poems published on Poetry Box. 

Blake W | Wind

Sam L | Ginko Walk

James DW | Ginko

Anabelle K | extreme ginko walk

Mostafa | I Wonder Why

Esme | Scribbles

Paula Green's Poetry Box challenge was to write a nature poem, inspired by some of the activities in The Nature Activity Book, by Rachel Haydon and Pippa Keel. Paula invited students to explore nature, to listen and look, use their imagination, and take their time writing a poem.

She received hundreds of poems from all over NZ and said it was an exceptionally hard job choosing just a few. 

Paula said, "I loved reading your poems and I can tell you loved writing them. I especially loved the way you went outside and you listened and looked. What a terrific time the students at Russley School had slowing down in the world to look and listen."

"I loved the way some words stayed with me all day. I loved the way Esme ended her poem with a pencil scribbling!"

Paula Green chose Blake's poem, Wind, as one of her favourites and he will receive his own copy of the The Nature Activity Book. Congratulations, Blake!

I Wonder Why

 

In front of the library filled with books 

mysteries and adventures

a warning 

COVID-19 poster

the bare oak tree stretches its branches to reach the sky

soft breeze cools me down 

a flock of house sparrows chirp gracefully  

delicate flowers shine in the sun

and I wonder

why the sky 

is such a very bright blue?

- Mostafa Elnahas | 9 years old | year 5

Colouring our World with Poems

Our Russley Writers have been exploring colour. They each created a poem which celebrates a colour of their choosing and entered the Poetry Box Challenge. Author Paula Green congratulated all our students who submitted their writing. She said, 'Your choice of words made colours come alive, your poems were full of movement and zest. I really liked the pictures that grew in my head as I read. I especially liked the way they all flowed so beautifully. So many standout lines and images. Brilliant!'

Paula received hundreds of submissions from schools all over NZ and has chosen some of her favourites to publish on the Poetry Box website. Twelve students from Russley School have had their poems selected. 

Special mention to Beau Twidle, who Paula chose as one of her top three favourites overall! Beau wrote a fabulous poem about black and has received a copy of Paula Green's book, 'Groovy Fish' as a prize. Congratulations Beau, and to the other published poets:

Beau T 

Esme S

Evrin M-T

Morgan C

Madeleine H

Jay P

Akhila S

Joseph S

James DW

Isaac E

Henry P

Oliver P

Here is Beau's poem:

Black

night covering penwood street

ants running across the dirt

a sleuth of bears sleeping

a box of old fashioned telephones

a patrol unit of arrows flying at the target

a bundle of cables, like snakes

by Beau Twidle | Year 5

Celebrate Matariki 2020

Some of our writers have been busy crafting poems about Matariki. The following students have had their poetry published on the Christchurch City Library Canterbury Stories, digital heritage repository.

Well done to Bryn, James, Alice, Samuel, Oliver, Amber, Isaac, Milla and Emma.

Click HERE to go to the Canterbury Stories website

Russley School's Astonishing Bubble Time Poems

Paula Green has written a beautiful post on Poetry Box, about these talented Russley writers:

Finn B
Henry P
Willow R
Oliver P
James dW
Isaac E
Annabelle K

Paula emailed me to say, "These poems are magnificent... I love the music, the detail, the flow, the mood, the shared expereince. These are the best and most moving things I have read all year."

Read more on the Poetry Box blog:

https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com/2020/05/30/poetry-box-may-challenge-russley-schools-astonishing-bubble-time-poems/

Paula is sending a copy of her book, Groovy Fish, to each of these students. Congratulations to all!

Published on Poetry Box

More of our Russley Writers have had their work published on Paula Green's website, Poetry Box. Congratulations to:

Ella-Rose - Daisy
Eabha D - Cat
Liam Bond - Mingles, my Pet Cat
Reuben Veenstra - Millie
James de Wit - Explaining a Cat to an Alien | Ocean
Oliver Peters - The Prowler of Night
Lillia Poh - Greygrizzledog
Henry P - Things that Wake Me in the Night
Willow Rentoul - Going to the Sea

These students have been picked by Paula to win a copy of her book, Groovy Fish: Liam, Reuben, Lillia, Henry and James.

Congratulations!

Cat Poems

This is Enzo,
who goes on adventures and finds himself in unusual places.

Here are some clever cat poems, written by our awesome Russley Writers, and some photos of our family cats.


My cat
has a friend

She's called Luna
and my cat Millie
admires her

They play a lot
climbing  menacing trees
darting between scruffy bushes
catching unsuspecting birds
together
forever

Until
we moved

I know Millie misses Luna
maybe we’ll visit sometime
But for now
Millie will just have to make some more friends

by Reuben V (Year 8)


Creeping down the hall,
Out of sight
Making a lot of noise,
In the night
Dancing on the roof,
Hold on tight
It’s your little kitten,
THAT CAN BITE!

by Eabha D (Year 8)


Greygrizzledog

She howls like the wind,
As grey as an hb pencil,
She purrs like a train engine,
She's as still as a statue
As wiggly as a worm
Her eyes are like cameras capturing everything we do
But she is my cat and I love her to bits!

by Lillia P (10yrs)


Explaining a Cat to an Alien

Welcome to earth
this is a cute cat
A cat is a tiny skeleton wrapped in fur
They have triangle ears like illuminati symbols

There is a long bone that sticks out of their behind,
when they walk past it tickles
They have eighteen keen claws to scratch a couch
Cats have tiny white teeth for crushing mouse skulls

Their glowing eyes can cut through the dark
No matter what height they fall from
they always settle on four landing pads
They sound lethal but they are only awake
for 37 minutes everyday

 by James dW (8yrs)


Mingles, my Pet Cat 

His feet are as white as snow
He has radar ears that flicker to any sound
Slithery tail like a snake
His eyes are as green as freshly grown grass
which light up when I rattle his food

by Liam B (11yrs)


The Prowler Of Night

She prowls around like a burglar
and slips through fences like a bar of soap

With pointy ears and a long smooth tail
her Midnight coat makes her invisible to human eyes

Long whiskers illuminate her face
her tail curls around branches

Her teeth shine in the moonlight,
as sharp as a gorse bush

The icy wind brushes against her coat of warm fur
she stalks her prey like a jaguar

Her yellow eyes sparkle like a sapphire
she leaps high like a pogo-stick

When the sun begins to rise from the east,
she sneaks back through her cat-flap

and snuggles up to sleep on the soft cushions on Mum’s chair

by Oliver P (9yrs)

Introducing Ziggy:
you could not find a more relaxed cat.

Mischief and Ziggy:
snuggled up on a cold, Autumn day.

Ziggy again:
My cat likes to sleep in egg cartons. Seriously.

Poetry Box Poets

These clever poets have had their poems published on Paula Green's Poetry Box website. You can read them below, or find them on her blog: https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com/2020/05/09/poetry-box-bubble-time-friday-8th-childrens-mahi/


Sophie Elkins - My Favourite Tree (Sophie has won a book for her poem!)

My Favourite Tree

My birch is as rough as a Rhinos horn
And as calm as peace and quiet
It's as beautiful as a mystical starry night
It’s looked over me when I was young
and will look over further on

It's not exactly straight
But it's like only a little crooked like a crooked house
Its graceful leaves luxuriously sway
side to side in the ferocious wind
It will always be with me no matter where I am
I will always think of it as beautiful

even when dad grumbles like a gorilla over the leaves
When I look and think about it
I will always remember the wonderful time
I took my first step up on the trunk
looking out, over the street like an eagle

James de Wit - Death of an Autumn Leaf, The Wiggly Squiggly Hose, The Peaceful Night


Death of an  Autumn  Leaf

Autumn leaves glide like flying squirrels in North America
They cascade like lemmings migrating off a cliff
they sail like shipwrecks

leaves pile-up like toys on the floor
They die on the ground
like lemmings at the bottom of the cliff
 Leaves accumulate like money in the bank

leaves rot like an apple
in the bottom of my school bag
They decompose like dinosaurs
when the mighty meteor hit
Leaves corrode
like rust on the bottom of a shabby Corolla

The Wiggly Squiggly Hose

The hose is like a tapeworm tangled up in my stomach
It loops around itself like an elephant’s trunk
It is coiled and knotted like my shoelaces

Our hose drips water like a broken toilet.
It leaks water onto the ground like a sewer pipe
It sprays water like a skunk defending itself.

My hose is as long and green as Jack’s beanstalk
It is as long and green as five Kermits tied together
It is as long and green as a vine of sour grapes


The Peaceful Night

My bed is luxurious with the softest pillow in the world
the blankets are toasty and snug,
the room is dark and cozy,
just perfect for sleeping in

As my eyes start to shut
a loud snore comes from my brother’s room,
the house creaks 7 times every 7 seconds,
my crazy dog begins to bark
to get outside and hunt hedgehogs

After that long and interrupted sleep,
I think I might need a coffee today,
possibly a cappuccino


Lillia Poh - Lockdown List

Lockdown List

leaves, leaves, leaves crunching
mailboxes, moths no one’s bunching
Dogs, dogs, dogs barking
creeks, cats, cars are parking
Sparrows, Sparrows, Sparrows tweeting
Felicias, friends no one's meeting
Wind, wind, wind whistling
bears, bikes, sausages sizzling.

Lucas Yee - Lockdown Walk, Bean Bag

A Lockdown Walk

White fluffy clouds roamed the sky.

The streets were deserted like the basement of an abandoned house.

Brown, crunchy leaves crackled with every step.

Leafless Birch trees lined the streets.

The occasional car interrupted the surreal silence.

Suddenly a big gust of wind blew me over and I came tumbling down SPLAT!!!!


Bean Bag
The surface is like the colour of a snow lynx’s coat.
It’s as oval as an egg.
Puffy as a cloud dancing in the sky.
Soft as a bed of marshmallows.
Furry as a Maine Coon cat.
Warm as an overheated computer.


Ella-Rose - Beans

Beans

foil crinkling as I
dip my hand
into the packet

what do I
wish for
dinner?

popcorn and
apple pie
maybe a dash
of
coconut

cantaloupe
and coffee
blueberries
and bubblegum

doctor pepper
or island punch
creaming soda
or root beer

my mouth watering
as I dip my hand
into the
rainbow

into the world
of
sugar

into the
land of
sweets

into...
jellybeans

Reuben Veenstra - Mondial Rose

The Mondial Rose

The rose bush is like Medusa's hair
Twisting and creeping towards the sky

It is a brave warrior
Fighting with long, vicious thorns

It is a forest
Calm, relaxing and beautiful

It is a hotel
Welcoming small guests

The flowers are women
wearing soft, white dresses

The buds are young children
Running with the breeze

The wilting flowers are elders
Waving their relatives goodbye


Liam Bond - Nibbles My Pet

NIBBLES My Pet 

Nibbles is as hot as an erupting volcano
He is as fast as Lightning McQueen
His feet are as small as a lego figure
His whiskers twitch like he is about to sneeze
He is just a bit bigger than a block of butter
He looks like an oreo biscuit with a splash of Caramel on the side

Did you guess what I was writing about ???

It is a guinea pig


Liam Clark - Autumn

Autumn

Leaves blowing
trees flowing
the lemons
are growing.

My brother’s
birthday’s
coming up.

Eabha Dalton - String Lights, Things That Wake Me Up in the Night

Pitter pitter patter
The footsteps of a beast
I am too cold yet heavily  fleeced,
my rumbling stomach’s churning after my midnight feast

Swish swish swoosh
The branches of the trees
I hold my breath and hug my knees,
              my heart takes a few seconds to unfreeze

Flick flick flock
The flickering of the lightswitch
I hide under my quilt from the witch,
And my fingers go bonkers for a giant itch

Tweet tweet beep
The sound of the morning
I climb out of bed lazily to spread my warning
And nobody seems to be conforming!


String lights

Rain droplets hanging on a thread of silver
A thousand shooting stars
stuck on a moonbeam
Tiny fairies dancing around a cherry tree
A glittery snake slithering
around my bedroom
Eyes of an owl looking at me as I sleep
Long and twisted jungle vines
Miniscule marbles pink and blue
My little string lights.

Aaliyah Rentoul - Weedeater

The Weedeater

Oh no there it is again
the one
the hungry
weedeater machine

It gobbles the garden like baboon
It roars and hisses like a car engine starting
It gnaws the grass, the weeds
like a mouse nibbling on cheese

Me and my sister like a lovely stroll
and then ahh!
There it is again at this place
at that place
all over the show
like a monkey dancing to jazz music

here and there
everyone’s got them
Where do we go?

I know we can hide like a turtle in its shell
as it rushes and gushes and strikes but misses,
I think it’s full- no more weeds
but we’ll see you again, beasty machine!


Ila Rutherfurd - Things That Wake Me in the Night

Things that Wake Me Up at Night 

I listen to the cars drift past my driveway in the dark night.
Wind whirling in the night sky.
No one can hear or see me.
So I am desperate to be safe.
Snug in a rug in my warm cosy bed.
I hear the birds singing bedtime songs to the chicks.
The bedtime stories are making me sleepy
so I go to bed and say my prayers.

Good night, New Zealand

Poetry Box Poets

The following Russley writers have had their poems published on Paula Green's Poetry Box website. Sophie Elkins was chosen as an overall favourite, and wins a copy of Paula's book, Groovy Fish. Congratulations, Sophie!

I also want to make special mention of prolific poet James de Wit, who had THREE poems published. Awesome!


Sophie Elkins - My Favourite Tree

James de Wit - Death of an Autumn Leaf, The Wiggly Squiggly Hose, The Peaceful Night
Lillia Poh - Lockdown List
Lucas Yee - Lockdown Walk, Bean Bag
Ella-Rose - Beans
Reuben Veenstra - Mondial Rose
Liam Bond - Nibbles My Pet
Liam Clark - Autumn
Eabha Dalton - String Lights, Things That Wake Me Up in the Night
Aaliyah Rentoul - Weedeater
Ila Rutherfurd - Things That Wake Me in the Night


Paula also published two of our Pass the Poem pieces...

Team Roto Writers (Mrs K, James, Lucas Y, Emilia, Henry, Oliver, Amber & Sam)
Pass the Poem - Ninja Cat

Team Awa Nui Writers (Mrs K, Lillia, Aaliyah, Sophie, Lily T, Therese)
Pass the Poem - Button Moon

Fabulous Sea Turtle Writing

Super Sea Turtles

Sea turtles have a strong beak, as sharp as a flaming sword. A crooked mouth covers their old face. Turtles look like an angry man saying ‘Get off my lawn!’ Huge, beady eyes bulge out of their rough skin. Their chin looks like the corally Great Barrier Reef. Their  wrinkly neck tucks into their shell, which is as hard as titanium. Turtles have a bony shell with hexagonical* scutes on the top of the slippery body.

Sea turtles like to eat baggy jellyfish and seaweed that sways in the luminous water. Sea turtles have rear flippers for steering and front ones to propel through the ocean. Turtles slice through the water like a silver bullet. They have little sharp claws at the end of their flippers. Sea turtles are amazing animals!

*made up word alert:

Hexagonical: (adjective) having patterns of hexagons

By: James De Wit | year 4 | 8 years old

Note from Mrs K: 'hexagonal' is actually a real word relating to or constituting a hexagon; having six straight sides and six angles. But, I really like the way James' version of the word ('hexagonical') rolls off the tongue. The famous NZ author, Margaret Mahy, was well known for making up words in her stories (like, 'flingamango' and ‘horrakapotchkin’).

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles have a beak as sharp as a sword. They have a mouth that looks like a boomerang. They have knobbly chins. Turtles have big black bulging eyes. Sea turtles have nostrils next to their eyes - weird, right?

Sea turtles have rear flippers for digging holes and for steering. Turtles use their front flippers as propellers. Sea turtles glide through the ocean like a bird.

On turtles' backs they have a firm shell, with something called a scute. They are hexagons. On top of the scute they are costal. They have a little tail. 

Turtles eat jellyfish, sometimes they mistake plastic bags as jellyfish. The sting does not harm turtles. 

Don’t litter - save sea turtles!

Isaac Elkins | age 8 | Year 4

Fabulous Sea Turtles

A sea turtle looks like an upside-down spaceship. They have a pointy beak as sharp as spikes. Sea turtles have a big goofy mouth that is shaped like a croissant. Sea turtles have a round bumpy shell with these things called scutes on them. They can come in many different colours including green, black, yellow and olive.

They use their front flippers to propel through the blue, clear water and use their back flippers to steer and dig.  Sea turtles can glide through the water like a boy on a greasy waterslide. 

They eat jellyfish and slippery sea sponges. Sometimes they mistake plastic bags for food and eat them because they look like jellyfish. My advice to you is not to litter, save sea animals, especially sea turtles.

  

By Henry Peters | age 7 | year 3

Sea Turtles

The sea turtle’s tail is as smooth as an eel. It has a strong powerful beak with extra sharp claws. It has droopy flippers with 100% use. Its front flippers are used as propellers. It helps them to speed forwards. Its rear flippers rotate the turtle. It also uses its rear flippers for scooping dirt and putting babies in the holes. It has a hard bony shell shaped like a teardrop.

Sea turtles eat jellyfish, slippery sea sponges and sea grass which glows through the water like a biofluoresce fish. Jellyfish look like plastic bags so they sometimes mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish, then they choke. 

Sea turtles’ populations are decreasing fast because of pollution and littering.

By Samuel Li | Year 4 | Age 8      

SEA TURTLE FACTS

A sea turtle's shell is big and round like a ball. A sea turtle has little flippers to glide through the ocean. They have big googly eyes. A sea turtle’s mouth is like an upside-down U. 

Sea turtle’s shells can be olive green, yellow, greenish brown, reddish brown or black. Their shell is as tough as a shield. When they’re scared, they can just hide away in it. 

Sea turtles can live up to 100 years old. There are about 12 types of sea turtles. 

by Ila Rutherfurd | age 7yrs | Year 3

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles have flippers like wings to glide like birds. They have front flippers like propellers to push them to the sea. When they get to the water they zoom like rockets.

From their chin to their tummy, they have scaly skin which looks like pebbles. Their skin is like seaweed. They have really small tails. Their eyes are quite thin and beadie.

Sea turtles like to hang around the bottom of the sea. They eat jellyfish and sea grass. Sometimes turtles mistake plastic for jellyfish. Sea turtles are still not extinct from all the plastic and pollution waste. I think we need to stop using plastic and polluting the ocean.

By: Amber Hicks | Year 3