On Monday Morgans once more hosts a Gifted and Talented writing event for pupils from 5 other primaries. This time we welcome the children's author, Roy Apps, who has won a BAFTA for his script writing and has previously written scripts for the Children's BBC series 'Byker Grove!' 11 of our children, including Nathan, are involved.

Misunderstandings

My name is Bella. I have no other name. Just plain, simple Bella. My mistress wanted to call me Poppy but my master chose Bella. Oh, how I miss them, my mistress especially. I can just picture her kind, bright face close to mine as it was so often. We had such happy times together. Out in her garden, up in her room or by the fire.

But things have moved on. She is no longer part of my life. It was horrible having to leave her and her cosy house that had come to be my home. She kissed my black velvet ears, stroked my whiskers and waved while I was put in a basket and taken away. Taken away, far away in the basket held by a tall woman. I yowled and clawed at it's sides but the woman walked on. On and on she walked with long, confident strides until she set me down on a black surface. Then she went away and left me alone in the darkness.

After I was released, I learnt that the surface was a van though at the time, I had no idea where I was. I curled up on the cushion inside the basket and slept.

When I awoke I was no longer in the basket. I was in a man's arms and he was having a conversation with the tall woman.

"For how long though?" he was asking.

"Not long," the woman replied, "Only a week."

My heart began to thump.

"This is by far the best cattery," remarked the man.

"Perfect for a kitten like her," agreed the woman, stroking my back.

I wriggled from under her cold fingers. The man laughed, carried me past the woman and lay me in a large basket beside a ginger tabby. The tabby growled.

"First an itchy basket, now a witch's cat," he grumbled.

I scowled. I may be black but I'm an ordinary pet. The man saw me looking cross.

"Take care of her Ape," he said, ruffling the tabby's fur.

I wrinkled my nose.

"Ape, who'd have a name like that?"

"Me," he muttered and curled up quietly.

The next few days passed uneventfully. Ape turned out to be rather nice and everyday, the man fed us kippers and milk. It was quite comfy in the basket and the cats around me seemed pleasant. I made friends with a beige Siamese called Naomi across the room. Each evening, twenty seven cats snoozed by the the fire at one end of the room.

On my seventh day at the cattery, a little blonde girl came into the room. She fetched a tiny white kitten from his his basket and took him away. Later, another girl came in and my green eyes widened. It was my mistress! She came over and hugged me close.

"We had a lovely holiday," she told me as we drove home, "But it wasn't right without you."

By Sarah

THE HANDS OF TIME...

Tommy had always known he had a special gift, if he thought hard enough he could transport from one place and time, to another. Whenever he tried to tell his parents, they laughed and said he had an over active imagination. His gift helped him out of sticky situations, like when Ben Potts challenged him to a fight; he easily ran rings around him by making time stand still. Sometimes it was useful in school tests, when he couldn't remember the names of Henry VIII's wives, he just went back in time to get the answer, and no-one ever noticed he had gone.

Often, Tommy interfered with things that had happened in the past which he wanted to put right. When his sister's budgie flew away because he had forgotten to close the cage, was he wrong to go back in time and fix his mistake, to save his sisters tears? Tommy thought not, so he kept relying on his gift to mend past errors.

Life was perfect until the day his best friend, Joe, died in a freak accident. Tommy was devastated, if only he had stopped Joe from climbing the fence to get the ball back.

Tommy knew he would be pushing the boundaries of time and space if he tried to alter his friend's fate, but he couldn't stop himself from trying.

As Tommy whizzed back through the portals of time he felt like something was different. He landed with a thump next to the fence, where he watched his younger self play football with Joe. In slow motion he saw the exaggerated kick that he made on the ball, sending it sky high over the fence. He watched helplessly, as Joe strode forwards to retrieve the lost ball, knowing he had to act fast to save him.

When Tommy collided with Joe, a shower of bright sparks hit the ground and both boys were pulled into the vortex. A brilliant light rose before them and dazzled their eyes. Tommy and Joe were suspended in a timeless no mans land, halfway between life and death. A voice vibrated towards them from within the light, "you can't turn back the hands of time Tommy. Interfering with destinies path carries the ultimate penalty."

Tommy hung his head in shame. The voice broke the silence, "you must choose Tommy, your life or his".

He turned to his silent friend, unknowingly frozen in time. There was no contest; he knew which path he had to take.

The light was impressed by his selfless act and after much deliberation, resurrected both boys and cast them back to earth..

Joe sat up and rubbed his head, "what happened?" he murmured. Tommy shrugged. Then Joe spied the punctured ball, "Oh no, look at the state of the ball. If only I could've saved it."

Tommy smiled to himself, "Don't worry,what's done is done, after all, you can't turn back the hands of time."

By Nathan

HOPE

My name is Maya, this is my biography about how my life went from nothing to something amazing, and this is how..........

Just another day in boiling hot, stench smelling slums, the smell so rancid it makes my eyes water and the same routine day after day. I was now ten years old, first I would wake up and read a page of my, book the one I had saved six months for, I had taught myself to read and write, I had never known my father and my mother had passed away two years ago, since then I had lived alone with only a cardboard box and some plastic sheeting to sleep in. I would search for metal and tin cans for hours on the smelly sizzling dumps then go and sell it on the busy streets of India. For the rest of the day I would beg on the streets. we had many tourists walking through and that's how my life changed forever.

I was known as the dancing princess, dance was what helped me get through the long and lonely days. One day I was dancing through the market, when a man came up and started watching me then suddenly a whole crowd, after I had stopped the crowd drifted off, some had thrown money into my bowl, except from one man. He stayed and watched me for what seemed forever. He said I danced like an angel and moved like the wind. He asked where I had learnt to dance. I told him I had taught myself. When I danced it took me away from where I was and into a world where everything was so different. The man seemed friendly, different to many of the men you would see. That day was to change my path in life.

The man I had met was to be the owner of the biggest dance academy in India. After telling him of how I came to live on the street, he held out his hand and asked if I would like to go with him and visit the academy. The academy became my home; I spent the next 8 years there training to become a professional dancer. I danced all over the world. I knew I had been blessed to be given this chance of a new life and felt I could do the same for other children just like me. After many years of dancing through different cities, I felt I wanted to settle in one place, I knew where this was to be.

I opened my own dance school near to where I once lived. My aim was to help children who were on the streets and to give them the chance to change their path in life.

So you see, whatever your hopes and dreams, however big or small they are, never give up on them because if you believe in them hard enough they will come true.

To really encourage a love of writing ... As home learning for this half term holiday we would like the children in Years 1-6 to enter a writing competition. The children have to write a story of their own choice with a maximum of 500 words (perhaps a fantasy, myth, in the style of Lauren Child, science fiction, fairy story or other genre!). Please find all the details of this competition at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/chris-evans/500-words/.

You will need to email  your child's story for entry, but we would like the children to bring in to school a copy of their story to share with their class. The best entry from each year group will feature on the school website for all to enjoy. Those children in Reception or Nursery are welcome to draw a picture of the characters in a story and write a caption to fit with it. We will also aim to include some of these.

On Monday 10th January Rob Parkinson came to Morgans Primary School to host a writing event for the gifted and talented writers. Many other Primary Schools were involved in this event. We all sat down and Rob sang a song which he made up, it was very funny and everyone enjoyed it. He then told us a tale of a man who visited many islands in search of his father's killer. After this, we got into pairs (one student from one school and one student from another) and created our own imaginary islands. After lunch, we sat down at the tables and started work on our own adventure stories, in the style of Rob's tale. We all thoroughly enjoyed Rob's visit and are grateful that he shared his writing experiences with us.

Wedding Ring Riddle

I am the start of forever,
Binding two people together,

There is no other force so strong,
I guide these people through right and wrong.

I am a jewel that glints at your eye,
I am with until the day you die.

By Nathan

On Monday 8th November, Mr Mole came to our school to host the second gifted and talented writing event. We started by reading some of Mr Mole's poems and riddles. He then confused us with a really tricky riddle that his friend wrote. Next we went to the tables and started writing our own riddles, which we later shared with the group. After break we listened to, and then wrote some odes. (An ode is a lyrical poem which can be written to someone or something).

After Lunch we continued to work on our odes, in order to share the finished work with the other group members. We ended the day by listening to some more of Mr Mole's riddles.

Everyone really enjoyed both of the writing events, and I would like to thank both Rob Parkinson and Mr Mole on behalf of Morgans School. Thank you also to Miss Gardner, Mrs Langan and Mrs Sales for organising the events. I look forward to future opportunities.

By Nathan

This week Year 4 treated the rest of the school to their figurative poems about an interesting place. Metaphors, similes and all abundant alliteration where in plentiful supply. Under the ocean, a dark wood and icy mountains all featured, along with this Antarctica poem by Madeline:

Antarctica  

Antarctica is a breezy blanket,
As windy as a blizzard,
It is a magnificent blanket of soft smooth snow.
Freezing frozen figures of identical ice,
Stampeding growling petrifying polar bears,
All as white as a doves feather,
Silent sliding silly prepared penguins,
As slow as a slimy snail!

Written by Madeline, 4KV

Peter, Mason, Max and James were selected to represent the school in the Rotary Club's annual essay writing competition 'What I Would Like To Be When I Grow Up.' Peter was selected as the winner from Morgans, and become the overall runner up.

Thursday, 4th March was World Book Day and to celebrate the occasion, five children from Mr Cordingley's class shared a favourite book in assembly. Sarah, Eleanor, Isaiah, Rachel and Alex demonstrated, with their brief talks, their love of books. Mr Cordingley read his favourite part of  Fantastic Mr Fox, when Fox and Badger enter the cider cellar and encounter Rat. Earlier in the week the children enjoyed 'The Great Mouse Plot' (some a little too much!!!) from Roald Dahl's autobiography 'Boy'.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

Eye of ghost and bone of skeleton,
Teeth of witch and wing of pelican.
In the cauldron boil and bake ...
Flesh of devil and seeds of pumpkin,
Leaf of flower and hair of munchkin.  

Snow

Snow stay until the 2 nd of May
Be good like it should
Be white not frostbite
Be cold not old
Have bumps not humps
S now snow please stay, snow snow go away

by Freya, 2AH

Poem by Kensie3DA

Snow

Snowflakes falling onto the ground
Silver fairies dancing around
Glistening, gleaming, shining and more
The sun is rising, limp and poor

Children playing all in the cold
Laughter sounding joyous and bold
Freezing toes, its time to go home
Light a fire to see its warm tone

By Ellen, Year 5