sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Hire Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Poetry Friday: Back to School

January 26, 2018 by Sally

Here in Australia the long summer holidays are coming to an end, and children and teachers are heading back to the classroom. So, I thought it might be nice to have a school themed post for Poetry Friday. A search through my poetry files found this one, written a few years ago (for the #postitnotepoetry challenge on Twitter), and written at a time when I still had school aged children:

Back to School

Six weeks ago                     Bug

I breathed a sigh

relieved

that school was over for the year.

Today

I sigh once more

relieved the holidays

have ended.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

This year is the first year in 26 years that I do not have one or more children heading back to school, and so this year my feelings are a bit different. But the feeling  I had every summer when I had school age children was pretty consistent – relieved at the start that the end-of-year scurry was over, and that we would have a break from routine, and time at home, and maybe a holiday somewhere; then, at the end of the holidays, a feeling of relief that we  would all get back into a regular routine again.  Though, if I’m honest, there was another feeling, one that is also here this year: the feeling that time moves just too quickly, and my babies were (are) growing up so fast!

This second one was also written a while back and, I promise, is very tongue-in-cheek,and not autobiographical.

I Hate It!

I hate school!

The kids are mean.

The classroom smells funny.

The lessons are hard

and recess is too noisy

We have to do sport

and the kids laugh

when I drop the ball.

The lunch orders are always cold

or soggy

or both

and the toilets

are leaky

and stinky.

I hate school

and I wish I could stay home

but the principal says

teachers should show up for work.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

This of course sent me looking to see if I had a more positive poem to share. Surely not all my poems about school are negative? After all, I loved school when I was a child, so much so that I became a teacher and still spend lots of my working life in schools. Luckily, I found this one:

Preschool

We come each dayGnomes

We sing.

We play.

 

We laugh.

We draw.

We laugh some more.

 

We take our turn.

We read.

We learn.

 

We listen.

We read.

We read read read.

 

We have such fun.

We jump.

We run.

 

We clap.

We dance.

And home we prance.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

Ahhh preschool (or kinder, kindy, or prep, depending where you live!). But what about older kids?  I had to wrack my brains for this, but then I remembered my verse novels and, my friend John (from Toppling) came through with his thoughts:

It’s not great having to head back to school    

after two weeks of holidays

but it’s cool being back with the gang.

Being in a group like ours

is great.

At recess

and lunch

and in class

you always have someone to sit with

or talk to

or just to hang out with.

You always get chosen for a team

during sport

and you have people

who remind you about homework

and notes

and even training after school.

Miss Timms calls us “the gigglers”

because on her first day

we couldn’t stop laughing.

It’s not a cool name

for a group of Year Six boys

but it sounds okay when Miss Timms says it.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

Here’s to the Miss Timmses of the world, who are going to make kids giggle, and help them learn this year. And here’s to the Johns who can find the good things about school – and here’s too, to the kids, who maybe aren’t looking forward to school. I hope this is the year it gets easier for you! As for me, I’m glad school is going back because soon I will be out visiting schools and spreading a joy of reading and writing. My favourite part of my job!

 

Have a great Friday. The Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by  Carol at Beyond Literacy Link.

Book a Visit for 2018

January 25, 2018 by Sally

Welcome back to the new school year.  My regular Teacher Tuesday posts will start again from next week but, in the meantime, I thought I’d remind you that now is a wonderful time to think about booking an author visit session with me.

Based in Western Australia, but available to travel anywhere in Australia (or the world!), I can run writing workshops, meet the author sessions, and teacher professional development.

Want to inspire your students to write creatively? A narrative writing or poetry workshop might be the go.

Want to inspire them to read? Then book a meet the author session.

You can see my recommended sessions here, but I am happy to tailor to your needs.

2018 marks the 100-year anniversary of the end of Word War 1, and also the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Villers Bretonneux. My picture book Do Not Forget Australia focusses on this battle, and the extraordinary friendship it led to between France and Australia.  I would love to visit your school and talk about this friendship – and the book.

Why book me?  My goal in life is to spread a love of reading, and writing – and my sessions are energetic, fun and engaging. I’m also an experienced teacher, with a PhD in children’s poetry, so my energy is backed by depth of knowledge.  What all this translates to is that  an author visit will increase your students’ motivation and interest in reading and writing.

Want to know more? Contact me today.

Sage’s (and Sally’s) Bookweek Adventures

September 13, 2016 by Sally

Wherever I went over the past month, Sage came too. She loves getting out and about. Today, we went through our photos and made a little slide show of our adventures. Enjoy.

It’s only 11 months till next Bookweek. Can’t wait 🙂

Copyright Sally Murphy © 2019