Saturday 1 November 2014

Des Hunt Writing Workshop


We were fortunate to have Des Hunt at Raroa taking us for a Writing Workshop.  
Check out his advice here


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We wanted more, more, more....





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The ray gun at work!
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Laugh a minute!

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Thanks for saying thanks, Dan.

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The readers'/writers' maze

Saturday 27 September 2014

Florence just shared this great site...

It generates:

Random Subjects to Write About

Random First Line Prompts

Random Scenarios

Random Plot Generator     and more ... check it out.


Friday 26 September 2014

Ext Writers vs Parents: Debate

Congrats to Lokyee, Dan, Phoebe and Hannah S for your outstanding prep and presentation of a debate against staff and parents...


Tuesday 16 September 2014

How is this for a competition?

Oscar recently entered a competition where he had to write a story up to 500 words BUT had to include these 10 words:

                          hibiscus              interactive                 asparagus
                          bugle                  yonks                        photon
                         elucidate            Galapagos                  tendon
                         bittersweet
Did he meet the challenge?  
Go to the Students' Writing Blog to find out!


Sunday 7 September 2014

Want to see Derek Landy?


1) Skulduggery Pleasant author Derek Landy will be speaking at Scots College at 5.30pm on October 3rd.

$10 adult or child or $33 for copy of The Dying of the Light (normally $28) + ticket.

All profits to Save the Children.

To book contact The Children's Bookshop, Shop 26 Kilbirnie Plaza, Kilbirnie , Wellington. Phone: 04 387 3905 or  email: books@thechildrens bookshop.co.nz

Gary Crew at Raroa

 Australian author Gary Crew visited Raroa last week. He has won Picture Book of the Year several times and his newest Book of the Year was First Light. He also likes to write non-fiction books like The Lost Diamond of Killiecrankie.

We were lucky to go and workshop with him. He talked to us about the types of books he writes and how he researches a lot before he begins. He showed us pictures and then had us write about them. Then he modelled how to write a short story by using a guideline to help sort our ideas.

We really enjoyed Gary Crew coming to Raroa to talk to us about his career and about writing.
By Quirine Goossens and Maia Jackson

Writers Go Speed-dating

Recently a group of Raroan writers went to a NZ Book Council event at Te Papa called Speed Date an Author, where they got to spend time with different New Zealand authors and illustrators to help develop their writing craft. In one of the sessions with writer, director and actor Jo Randerson the students were asked to sit with their eyes shut and listen to the sounds of the building around them, then to study some museum artifacts on a table - a variety of preserved animals and human mementos. They were then given 15 minutes to create some writing.

This is Oscar's piece of writing from this experience:

The crackle of the long grass whistles through the air concealing the subtle pad of my leathery paws. The deer’s ears prick. My body freezes. Its ears swivel as the mournful cry of the wind blows through the valley. A grin slowly spreads across my face revealing sharp pearly white canines. My muscles tense and I fly.

Saturday 2 August 2014

Filming Script on Location At Otari Bush

Olivia and Emma - writers, producers and directors

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Action!  Featuring, Carlos (left) one of the writers and Oskar and Mae, our brilliant actors.


How's it look?


Tavish and Finn in action

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Filming on Location in Otari Nature Reserve

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 Emma and Olivia

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Action shots at Otari Bush

Monday 28 July 2014


Check out...

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Word Crimes

Thanks Tom for the link!


NZ Essay Winners at Raroa!

Congratulations to Oscar  (Rm 12) and Maggie (Rm 15) 
on coming first and second, respectively, in an persuasive essay competition held by the Mars Society of New Zealand.  The students wrote about whether the first human explorers and settlers should journey to Mars on a return trip, or travel one way?
Read their winning essays here: Oscar's Essay  Maggie's Essay  

 Well done, Oscar and Maggie.

Extension Writers had fun writing six word stories as a warm-up today.  See out writing blog to enjoy them...

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Six Word Stories

The Creative Writing Class had fun making Six Word stories, following Ernest Hemingway's example:

'For Sale: Baby Shoes: Never Worn'

Jessie, Sophie, Rhianna
'I began to read: Dear John.'  

Alex
'Then and Now: Totally Different Places.'  
"The Time Of A Lifetime. Then."
"The Way They Died Was Unexpected"

Pierre and Nicholas
'Look there' said the blind guy'  

Hannah and Abby
'Loose pants; School performance.  Uh-oh'
"Lion cage; Open door; Roar; Ouch"
"White wall, colourful paint, uh oh"
"Drawing picture, mini earthquake, dang it"  

Lachie
'It slipped. I ran. They chased.'

Robbie
'Hey Superman, hold this kryptonite. Thanks'

Esben
'I really love you. By Anonymous'
I dropped the gate. Dead body.

Callum
'Billy Brown hit someone with nun-chucks' 

Nadia
'What happened? she asked, too interestedly.'

Sophie
'The blonde, the brunette. Both dead.'

Helena
''I shot him. He'll be OK'

Friday 2 May 2014

ICAS Writing Exam

 ICAS Writing Exam = 16 June 
NOT!

Term 2 Options

The Extension Writers have a few exciting options for Term 2:

FIRSTLY, some will be researching and writing a persuasive argument for the Mars Society Science Essay Competition which is only open to Wellingtonians!

Topic: Argue for either: 
The first human explorers of Mars should travel there, stay for a while, and return to earth 
or 
The first human explorers of Mars should travel there and stay (one way trip) 

An engineer, who is a member of  the Mars Society of New Zealand, will be coming and talk to the students on the topic of 'Humans to Mars" 

SECONDLY, some will be SCRIPT WRITERS for the term, taking the current School Prospectus and turning it into a script for a video   This video will be for students and parents who are considering coming to Raroa Intermediate.

IN ADDITION, the students will be editing and publishing their personal writing from Term 1.  Keep an eye on the Students' Writing section of the blog in the next few weeks!



 

Another NZ Competition- Close 17 May

Welcome back!  Hope you all had a refreshing break during the holidays!

Lots of news for Extension Writers:

Fabo Stories is an awesome NZ writers' website for students which has begun its writing competitions again.  You are given a first paragraph and then have the next 500ish words to write. Every fortnight there is a new story.  Here are the details of the contest closing on 17 May!

Main Character:  June – a 13 year old with an adventurous streak  Setting: A distant planet
First Paragraph: June hit the ignition on her landing craft and groaned as the engine spluttered and died. Her parents would kill her! She wasn’t supposed to have landed on this strange planet in the first place, especially as she had no idea what creatures lived here. Oh well, she was here now. May as well take a look around…                                                                                          
 Go on line to finish it Click here    
The judge is " hoping to see lots of action this month! Top prize will go to the person with the most exciting story. (Extra points if you also make it funny!)"

Tuesday 8 April 2014

A New Competition!

The Elsie Locke Writing Prize is a NZ competition which commemorates Elsie Locke’s life, both as a writer and as a person who was concerned about peace, the environment, women’s issues, and community.

The winner receives $250 together with a commemorative bookplate and certificate, and their story is published in a School Journal.

Theme for 2014 – Water
Water is a crucial resource. It matters to people, to countries, to the planet. So who does water belong to? How should it be used and controlled?
Students should write a piece of fiction in which water plays a key role. The story could be about
people finding water, using water, needing water, or fighting over water. It could be set in the past,
present, or future – but it needs to show that water matters.


Details on the competition page!

Monday 17 March 2014

At Extension Writing today, the group welcomed Alex and Sam who have joined us from Room 8.  The sharing of each other's writing today managed to scare us, inspire us and challenge us.  What a talented group of writers we have!  Here are some beginnings so far...

A patch of blue shone out of the sea of gray. Light fell through the gap in the impenetrable wall of clouds making the canyon glow orange in the late afternoon. The rocks stood like the towers of an ancient temple. The forest of pillars, a barren rocky landscape. Life was near impossible. But it went on. (Oscar)

Showers of bird calls bounced of the roof of the shack like little pebbles. Adoni sat on the crate outside embracing the warm breeze blowing past. (Tabi)


A dark presence pushed itself upon my mind sending daggers of psychic force burrowing into my very being. (Finn)


We also have 2 groups of students writing screenplays - they successfully wrote the script for the upcoming School Production and now feel inspired to not only write another screenplay, but they want to produce and direct it as well! Can't wait to have a progress update from them!


I love writing. 
I love the swirl and swing of words 
as they tangle with human emotions. 
~James Michener




Monday 10 March 2014

Competitions closing soon

Remember that TWO competitions close this month.
Top Outdoor Spot Competition
Submit a photo of your favourite outdoor spot (don't include people in your photo) and a description or poem about what makes it special. Use only 60 quality words!  
Click here to see previous entries 
Two Prizes: one for best photo and one for best description.  All entries are published on line. 
Win a 20L Dash Backpack and $100 book voucher for the school.  
Final submission date: 14 March                 

2014 Takahē Magazine Short Story Competition
FIRST PRIZE: $250, $200 book voucher and publication in Takahē 
SECOND PRIZE: $100 and $100 book voucher 
Two runners up will receive one year's free subscription to Takahē
Closing date: 15 March 2014 
http://www.takahe.org.nz/competitions/TakaheShortStoryContest2014.pdf

Speed Date an Author

LATEST NEWS

Six students, Carlos, Florence, Maia, Barnaby, Nadia and  Lachlan, spent the morning speed-dating  five authors! The students spent 20 minutes with each author, learning about a key aspect of writing.

Nadia has generously share her notes with us.  

Nadia's Speed Date An Author Notes


Thursday 6 March 2014

Trip to Writers' Week Seminar

The Extension Writing students went to a seminar for Writers' Week which was part of Wellington's International Festival of the Arts.  The seminar was led by writer and lecturer, James Brown with contributions from some students from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University.  


James and the University students shared their writing and demonstrated how a collaborative editing session works.
James Brown, Russell & Freya
Rebecca and Claire

There was a lot of new learning for us including how effective feedback from others can give us different perspectives on our own work and how we should always encourage and value imagination.  It can be challenging but fun to force your imagination to work hard!

Thanks to our parent helpers who made this visit possible!




Wednesday 5 February 2014


Welcome to Extension Writing 2014!  

This blog is for you... 

to access information 
and to share your writing.