LITERACY
We have another amazing instalment of The Pseudonym Group pieces and the uber talented writers and artists involved. We are all so happy to have a space to represent these students in a safe and secure way. Enjoy!
Literacy LORE classes have entered the term of competition reading through Year 8s and their Textageddon challenges, and Year 7s with their Literature Circles groups. We continue to progress through the Literacy LORE classes, building writing capabilities and continued focus in developing a skill and a love for reading!
We have some whole school competitions running as well as upcoming including a Spelling Bee Challenge, the Premier’s Reading Challenge and more.
Mr Ingham
The Pseudonym Group (TPG)
Pseudonym (noun) – A fictitious name, especially one used by an author.
For the second entry of TPG, we meet some new writers and artists, feature their work, and continue some of the previous stories that have already been provided. Pippi L’s episodic story will continue with the second chapter including visual art by Nita Handwriting. How exciting!
A Voice among the crowd
I’m not someone who usually enjoys English and writing but I chose to join TPG because I wanted to share my story. At Mooroolbark College so many people from all around come and meet in one place, but I wanted to share my experiences here to show others that there are so many different stories that happen here. There’s sadness and happiness and this kind of stuff happens right under people’s noses, and I wanted to use this group as an opportunity to show people what school is like for others.
Wolfgirl
WolfGirl is my pen name as I love wolves and, well, I am a girl! I love to write adventure and romance story’s as if they were a real place. I started writing in grade 6 then moved to writing stories in years 7-8. In year nine, I started a very long story that I still need to finish. I have also started writing short yet meaningful stories that can be an inspiration to everyone and can give people a purpose. I hope to create short stories or chapters that all relate to one large story. Follow my journey and throw yourself into a new world!
The Scribbler
Hey, hi, hello. I mainly write poetry, both short and long, and I love writing descriptive pieces, and things that seem surreal. I hadn’t really thought about a pen-name, but maybe something along the lines of “The Scribbler”. Kind of a knock off of “The Riddler”, to add in some clues/riddles in the piece the audience would have to figure out, if for instance the piece was about a murder. (Foreshadowing). Like I said earlier, I do mostly write poetry, and that can sometimes get lost when the poem drags out for eternity, so I mainly use short, percussive like words that are simple enough to convey a strong message across. Other than poems, I write a lot of descriptive pieces that go for 50-100 words, and I have few that go over that line.
Bluebird
My writing will be a mixture of fantasy, historical fiction, war stories and a series of short stories about a girl who travels between realms using a necklace that is also a key enabling her to save the realms from a common enemy. Further to this, I would love to write and research about paranormal events and disappearances with some philosophical pieces as well.
The Lost Girl
I started The Lost Girl back in grade 6. It is a horror story, and its first few sentences were based off a book called ‘Feathers’. I hope to intertwine some sort of sci-fi and fantasy into my writing also. I found my love of writing in primary school grade 2, but I had almost no time to write up until now. I’m also writing (still working on it) a Harry Potter Fan-Fiction called “Harry and Draco’s Love”.
Gothos
As someone who devours fantasy literature, I was always going to select a name from a fantasy series. But how difficult to choose! Eventually I selected Gothos, a character from the ‘Malazan book of the Fallen’ series. It seemed appropriate, as part of his fame in the series is as the non-human author of a renowned series of books, which seem to be the origin of every pearl of wisdom quoted in the series. An auspicious omen, and I hope my writing reaches such dizzying heights! However, Gothos’ magnum opus is also named ‘Gothos’ Folly’, and I feel this means that I’ve also covered the distinct possibility that my stories may not live up to my hopes. Always wise to plan for all eventualities.
Featured
Pippi L
Episode 2- Catching a Killer
“ANOTHER ONE!” He roars throwing the paper furiously down on the desk. “LAST NIGHT ON JAMES STREET”.
Detective Parker leans back in his chair, eyes squinting, and braces himself against the spittle flying in his direction. When it seemed that the shouting has finished, he leaned forward and gingerly picked the paper up from the table. ‘The Midnight Man Strikes Again, Murder on James Street.’ screams the headline in aggressively bold writing.
“The Midnight Man, is that what they’re calling him now?” His act of nonchalance doesn’t quite hide his worry. That’s four now…
He’d been there of course. Less than two hours after the murder had occurred, it would have been sooner, but the man was a shadow, slipping out of sight with no traces. Just the scent of gunpowder… oh how that smell drove Detective Parker insane.
It was fortunate the body had been discovered so quickly but Parker felt sure arriving within seconds wouldn’t change a thing, there were no traces anyway. It had been her friend who had found the body. Apparently, she’d burst in after a dramatic break up, but, he guessed, finding your best friend has been murdered is not quite the comforting night she’d expected. Her alibi would be checked, of course.
It took all his courage to look his boss in the eye. Captain Roger Hawkings drew himself up to full height, so that this falsely brown hair just brushed 5 feet. He was a big man, with nearly no neck. His face was flushed a furious shade of beetroot and his small piggy eyes were filled anger at his detectives seeming lack of competence.
“Listen here…Buddy!”
Det. Parker recoiled, moving his chair as far away from the point of attack as he could. Captain Roger spluttered, choking on his words as he struggled for the next sentence. Seeing a brief lull in the conversation, Parker quickly intervened.
“I was there Sir,” he said hastily. “Last night, on James Street, less than two hours after it happened. There are no signs of forced entry but slight damage to the front lock suggests it may have been picked at one point, it’s impossible to tell if it were last night though.”
“Yea, well, that’s another one still! I want him caught and quickly!!”
Det. Parker refrained from rolling his eyes but just barely. What did this fool think he was doing if not trying to catch the man
“Of course, Sir” he said in a forced polite tone “I’ll get on that now.”
And with that he spun from his desk, slipped his badge through the soft material of his shirt, and exited the room.
Who really cares?
She walked down the street, with headphones over her ears and blasting music. She didn’t have a destination, it just felt like a good day to go on a walk even if it was a little cold. She didn’t want to see anyone she knew so she went down a quiet path that a lot of people wouldn’t know about.
She hadn’t had the best day, it was boring. Filled with little bits of homework and too much thinking. That’s why the music was blasting, she was having too many thoughts. It wasn’t about anything in particular, just many of the bad things that had filled her week and all the occurrences she had been avoiding thinking about because they always led to bad conclusions. She was making herself miserable!
The Quiet Spirit
Not a moment feels real, is it just an illusion, nothing but an endless dream I haven’t woken from? Emotions may burn deep in the layers of skin but not a scar appears, just a firing internal pain. Scrapes and bruises may hurt, but have you ever just healed mentally as fast before? Collections of thousands of thoughts escape, dispensing through the windows of the soul, as a burning fire destroys relationships and love. Disfiguring stress melds me into abstract shapes, seizing the clock. Time stops. Mind and body trapped, solidly glued to the ground, paralysed, immobile. Never to move again, merely lost in thoughts.
Hiro
I love seeing other peoples’ art, it gives me inspiration to be better myself and to try new things with art. My hope is to one day inspire people with my own pieces. I’m also interested by the idea of possibly making art for the other writer’s stories! I do mainly digital art but some traditional.
A lot of my art is heavily inspired by my struggles with mental illness and just challenges in my life in general, as well as music that really connects to me. I think that some of the messages in my pieces might be important for others to see!
Sarah Garnaut
LEARNING SPECIALIST LITERACY