Intelligent Life

Sunday, August 4, 2013

C and P: Student example



Peter’s Journal.
 
Dear Journal,

Today was the first day of school!!

I got to see all my friends again including Barry who I haven’t seen in what seems like forever! I also got my new teacher today, her name is Mrs. Siren; she seems cool. I can’t believe I’m already in the first grade. Every one at home is already starting to treat me like a grown up. Finally.

Another thing happened today; a little girl started Kinder. She looked different to all the others though, but good different. I think she was Asian like those ladies’ in Dad’s secret magazine that don’t wear clothes.  After spotting her, I couldn’t stop staring at her. I tried to think of something to say but when I opened my mouth all that came out was, “Ching-chong, ching-chong sitting in a tree. Ching-chong, ching-chong eating chop-suey with a flea!” My rhyming skill could have been better. Why didn’t I say, ‘eating chop suey on her knee,’ or something else that actually made sense. I’d never even eaten chop suey before, I just remember watching it being made on one of Mum’s cooking shows. But I guess I just wanted her to notice me.
 
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Dear Journal,

I found out her name today. I was watching her play with her friend, I think her name is Jo-Ann or something, anyway, they were playing hide and seek and Jo-Anne was looking for her and calling out her name “Jacqui Soo, Jacqui Soo, where are you?” She was looking is all the wrong places so I thought I should help her. I started looking around the playground for her when I spotted her. So I ran over screaming “Jacqui Soo! I’m coming to get you!” But when I got over there she got up and run over to Jo-Ann who yelled at me to leave them alone. I don’t get it; I thought I was helping her.

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Dear Journal,

I asked Mum about Jacqui today. About why she looks different but sounded just like everyone else and she told me that she was a banana (don’t worry Journal, I was confused too). She said she may be different on the outside and have yellow skin, but she’s the same as everyone else here on the inside, white. I thought about it for a while and it began to make sense. And then I realized something. So I said to Mum “What if you’re an egg? You know, yellow on the inside but white on the outside” and then she laughed and said “don’t be silly”, but I wasn’t being silly and that made me angry so I went in my room.
 
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Dear Journal,

I wasn’t feeling well today so I got to stay home from school. Mum even made me her special meal, baked beans and burnt toast. She says it’s an old Irish remedy for feeling sick. She says there’s something magic about the recipe that makes you feel good inside. It made me think about Jacqui and Jo-Ann and how Jacqui make me feel good inside.

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Dear Journal,

I played near Jacqui and Jo-Ann today at lunch. I really want to be friends with them but I have a feeling that they don’t really like me. I don’t know why, I hope I haven’t done something bad to them. I got to test my new nickname on them today though so maybe they might like me. I called out to them to give them back the ball they were playing with at lunch, “Here you go, Baked beans and Burnt toast” and passed them the ball. They just looked at me really strangely and took the ball and ran off. Maybe they’ve never had baked beans and burnt toast before.
 
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Dear Journal,

Jacqui wasn’t at school today and when I got home Mum and Dad were fighting again. They were getting really loud so I decided to just go to my room and id under my bed where I couldn’t hear them. It went on for ages. I really wish they would stop because it’s scaring me. I think it’s getting late and I haven’t had any dinner. My tummy kinda’ hurts. I think I’ll just try to go to sleep. Maybe I’ll dream of Jacqui and Jo-Ann and us all being friends plying hide and seek together.
 
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Dear Journal,

Mum and Dad are still fighting. Sometimes they refuse to talk to each other just use me to pass on messages. I think it’s quite childish of them and that’s coming from me. I hate it! I feel so sad at home now. It’s like I can’t have fun anymore with Mum and Dad. I hope it stops soon.

I followed Jacqui around today. I tried talking to her but she just kept ignoring me. I don’t know what I’ve done to upset her. I just wanted to be friends. After a while I gave up trying to talk to her and settled for just watching her.

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Dear Journal,

Mum and Dad are getting what’s called a divorce. They sat me down after footy training and explained to me that they don’t love each other anymore but they will always love me. Mum said that me and her are moving to Queensland. I got really excited when I realized that that is where the theme parks are. I asked if Dad was going to be there as well but he just kind of looked at me sadly. He said he was going to stay here but he will take holidays to come see me every so month and he will be there for me whenever I want him. I feel really sad. I feel like I’ve done this to them. Did I make them not love each other? Will they still love me when they realize what I’ve done?

Then Mum told me that we’re leaving very soon and told me to go my room and pick out some clothes I can use for the night because we’re going to Nana’s. I asked what would happen with my school and Mum said I’d be going to a new school in Queensland. I got really sad because I realized I’d probably never see Jacqui again. When Mum asked what the matter was I told her, then she said that, most likely, there will be more girls like Jacqui in Brisbane. I hope she’s right.

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