The way you can measure a society's soul is by the way that it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela

Issue No. 11 - 27th October 2005

Welcome to Kidz Newz especially to all new subscribers.  This is a regular newsletter with information and teaching tips for anyone involved with young children.  Please forward this to anyone you feel it may be of interest to.

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In last week's issue of The Maverick Spirit (www.maverickspirit.com) I read the following article.  I was so impressed I felt I had to pass it on.  May it help you to inspire any of your children who struggle to read and write.  Lucas Haynes, despite chronic dsylexia, has been awarded a prize for innovation by the Victorian Science Talent Search.

Isn't that inspiring... how many times have we heard the refrain: "Because I can't read or write..."

Well this is what Lucas said to Kelly Ryan, a journalist from The Herald Sun who interviewed him for an article that appeared on October 17th, 2005:

"Because I can't read or write, I couldn't send an essay to accompany my entry in the competition. So I photographed it every step of the way instead and I did a PowerPoint presentation in which my voice could explain how and why I came to build the water saver.

Einstein was a slow learner and it didn't hold him back. Not being able to read or write doesn't mean you still can't achieve things."

And this young man is how old?? Lucas is a Year 2 pupil and is a ripe old age of 8!

A child's interpretation of birth !

The Middle Wife,  By an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher:
                 
I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second-grade classroom a few years back.
                 
 When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that.
                 
And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it to school and talk about it, they're welcome.
                 
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.  She holds up a snapshot of an infant.  "This is Luke, my baby brother and I'm going to tell you about his birthday. First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an "umbrella cord." She's standing there with her hands on the pillow and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.
                 
"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, oh, oh!'   Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!"  Now the kid's doing this hysterical duck walk, holding her back and groaning.
                 
"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man." "They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this." Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.
                 
"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!" This kid has her legs spread and with her little hands are miming water flowing away. It was too much!
"Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push' and 'breathe, breathe'. They started counting, but never even got past ten."
                 
"Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff, they all said was from Mom's play-center! , so there must be a lot of stuff inside there."
                 
Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, if it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another Erica comes along.

Margy Supramaniam 'Preschool teacher, ISS International School, Singapore.