Thursday, February 18, 2010

Brier Park Public School


Forgot to charge and bring my camera or there would be a photo here of some outstanding actors delivering the great lines they wrote today. Two grade five and one grade six class write with me in the morning and in the afternoon. It's already day three of this Ontario Artist in Education sponsored week. Day three is always dialogue one of my favourite activities. I pair the young writers and they collaborate on one of three scenarios involving (usually) a young person trying to talk an adult into something.

It's interesting how the parents respond. In these skits they always seem to cave in and the young person wins. Is this wishful thinking or do all adults allow their kids to have dragons and aliens as pets?

Monday, February 15, 2010

SkyRide in Death on YouTube

Jade only has a week to live or really a week to relive of her previous life. Except she changes everything by committing to a list, essentially a bucket list. On it is skydiving which you can't do unless you're 18 and she's 14. So she goes indoor skydiving at Niagara Falls instead. Yes you have to be 18 to try it without a parent present but even a 7 year old can do it with her parents there. I figure it's easier to get by the rules with someone else's ID than it would be actually jumping from an airplane. After the "skydive", Aiden, the boy who will ultimately kill her, suggests the SkyRide.

Well you can research blogs and study advertisement on the ride all you want, you're never going to feel the experience unless you do it. I would ordinarily never go on the SkyRide because I would expect to feel nauseous. But because of Jade's list, I went on and it was lovely. Not scary, just a very slow turn up in the sky which gives you yet another view of The Falls.

After the SkyRide, I think I will try the ferris wheel on Centre Island too.

Next Jade's dad will give her a surprise ride on a hotair balloon. It's winter, there's no way I can try it. I'm waiting for a friend to tell me all about her experience this year trying it.