The simultaneous Brothers Quibble

Yesterday, our school participated in ALIA’s National Simultaneous Storytime. Each Stage gathered in groups around the school at 11am (simultaneously with schools all over Australia) to share the picture book, The Brothers Quibble by Aaron Blabey!


The Brothers Quibble


The Brothers Quibble [Auslan version]


Aaron Blabey – Picture book maker [Story Box Library]

Our previous links are HERE.

Investigating kangaroos

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students have been learning factual information about kangaroos, after hearing the Aboriginal Dreaming story, How the kangaroos got their tails.


Newborn baby grey kangaroo – Attenborough – Life of mammals – BBC


Kangaroo boxing – Attenborough – Life of mammals – BBC

Previously, we had used these other useful Youtube clips, featuring a young joey learning to hop, and newborns in the pouch. Click here.

Mirragan and Guranggatch

This week, students in Stage 1 and Early Stage 1 are learning about a local Gundungurra Aboriginal Dreaming story of Mirragan and Guranggatch, which tells of the creation of the Nepean River, Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves. It was first recorded Europeans in the early 1900s by RH Matthews. We are watching this Photo Peach slideshow, which uses the art from a school-created “big book” from 1995. The beautiful artwork is by Mrs Bagnell, with one mural panel by a former Penrith PS teacher, Mrs Martin.


Mirragan and Guranggatch

Library rules – Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students

Next week in Library lessons, students from K-2 are investigating rules. Classroom rules, playground rules and home rules are being discussed in class (and in the library), giving us an opportunity to revisit the school library rules.

Our School Library rules have been traditional for many years, with only a few amendments over time. They are:

1. Clean hands.
2. Line up quietly outside.
3. Be quiet in the library.
4. Please walk in the library.
5. Take care of the books, furniture and all library equipment.

* Remember to bring a cloth library bag to borrow books.


Robbie Rules: My first day at school (2013).

Wheels, wheels, wheels

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students are investigating transport. This week we are looking at the wheel, which researchers now believe may be an invention from about 5000 years ago. Some texts state the wheel was an invention of prehistoric peoples, but the evidence has not supported that assumption.


History of the wheel – claymation


Hidden histories: The wheel


Horrible histories – Pioneers of transportation

The man, the boy and the donkey revisited

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students have been investigating the Aesop fable, The man, the boy and the donkey. (Previously, we used the following Youtube links.)


The farmer, his son and his donkey – Aesop’s fables – animated/cartoon tales for kids


The man the boy and the donkey || short story for kids

From there, the students have begun looking at factual information about donkeys, especially as to how they were once used prolifically as a working animal, for transportation, carrying heavy loads. In many places of the world, donkeys have been replaced by technology: shopping trolleys, tractors, cars, trains, etc.


Braying donkey


Pets 101- Mini donkeys


Sustainable transport in Ethiopia – The Donkey Sanctuary

Frogs and their life cycle


Aesop: biography of a great thinker

Following their investigations into variations on Aesop’s fable of The exploding frog (aka The bull and the bullfrog, aka The frog and the ox), plus Sally Murphy & Simon Bosch’s picture book, The floatingest frog, students in Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 are learning about factual information on frogs in science & technology.

Spring is here!

Spring has well and truly arrived at Penrith PS and the Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students are investigating Spring this week!


Taronga spring babies


San Diego Zoo kids – babies!


Baby animals being cute at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium


Dandelion flower and clock blowing away time lapse


Bee collecting pollen on echinacea flowers in slow motion


Sid the seed by Daniel R Pagan

Investigating Australian birds

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students have been reading the Aboriginal Dreaming story of Pheasant and Kingfisher, in a big book version by Catherine Berndt & Raymond Meeks.

We used a Google Images search to locate online photographs of Australian pheasants and Australian kingfishers. The additional descriptor of “long tail” helped us find images of kingfishers “with firesticks stuck in their bottom”.

We discussed why images of peacocks (not Australian!) and lyrebirds turned up in the pheasant image seach, and why kookaburras turned up in the kingfisher search. We then used Youtube to locate examples of a pheasant saying its name, “Bookbook”, as in the story, and a kingfisher saying “Bered-bered”.


Common pheasant making quick repeated sounds while taking a walk


Pheasant – common pheasant bird call


Pied Kingfisher catching fish in split second – BBC wildlife

The next week, we moved our investigations into factual information on Australian birds:


Aussie beauties – a tribute to Australian birds

Why the emu cannot fly

Before Book Week, Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students were investigating the Aboriginal Dreaming story, Why the emu cannot fly. We found many versions of this story, including the picture book, Winin: why the emu cannot fly by Mary Charles & Francine Ngardarb Riches, and translated by Bill McGregor from the original Nyulnyul language. In this version, Emu is in dispute with a brolga.

This first Youtube version involves a crocodile and some Aboriginal hunters:

Talking Country: Worla [Why the emu cannot fly]

The following variation of the tale involves a brush turkey, and was created in claymation by young students at another school (some spelling errors):

Dinewan the emu and Goomble gubbon the brush turkey [Why the emu cannot fly]

This week, the students are studying factual information about emus, using books such as Emus by Caleb Whitehorn, in the Springboardseries, Feathered giants: the way of the emu by Henry G Lamond, and Emu by Claire Saxby & Graham Byrne.

Our research will be enhanced by the following Youtube clips:


Running emu


Emu hatching from an egg – beautiful HD footage from start to finish

And, just for a bit of fun:

Rod Hull and Emu – How to groom an emu [Hudson Brothers’ Razzle Dazzle Show]