Cautiously, creeping down the stairs,
carefully avoiding the creaks,
we stop
and take each other’s hand.
At the bottom we tiptoe,
trembling,
towards the door.
Almost afraid to breathe
we slowly, gently, push it open.
Beneath the twinkling lights
sit the gifts.
‘He’s been,’ we whisper
‘He’s been.’
 
 

Gum boots when it’s raining
Sports shoes when I’m training
Sparkly shoes for dancing
Riding boots for prancing
Sandals for a summer’s day
High heeled shoes for dress up play
Then sadly comes that time of year
When Mum says, ‘Let’s go shopping dear.
Your feet keep growing, time to choose
A nice new pair of (yuk!) School Shoes.’
 

Tanvi is an 11 year old student from Melbourne who loves to write. Here is one of her poems which is about Tanvi’s first day in a new school.

All my things are in a box
My clothes, my shoes and all my socks
I get my hairbrush and brush my locks
Staring into space and cuddling my toy fox

We're moving and that is that
I tug my clothes and flip the rug/mat
My mom comes in and gives me a pat
She says I have a surprise what is that?

I get my things and go outside
All the emotions come in like a tide
All my friends are there for me to confide
I was so happy I almost cried
And I burst with pride
And then I realised
That I had a knot tied
Deep, deep inside

A gush of sadness overcame me
Realising that they would no longer be with me
It was a horrible thing to see
And then guilt ran free

My dad squeezed my hand 
I looked up and had a demand 
To stay here and
Stay on the land

My dad said that I would make new friends
Friends till the end
Friendships to mend
And they would always be my friend

I thought about it, lad
It then seemed rad 
I wrote it in my notepad
Maybe it won't be so bad

What do we remember
On Remembrance Day?
Why do we lay wreaths
And hear a bugle play?

This day marks the end
Of the First World War;
The human race had never seen
A war like that before.

On land and sea, and in the air,
The conflict raged four years;
Millions died, nations fell,
Great empires disappeared.

It’s the day to wear a poppy
With honour, and with pride,
And remember all Australians
Who went to war and died.  

Teachers’ Note:

The Great War ended at the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, 1918.  Sadly, two decades later, the world was at war again.

Jack be nimble,

Jack be quick,

Jack tripped over

The candlestick!

CRASH!

Then he met Jill

And went up the hill,

It ended in disaster.

Jill fell down,

Didn’t break her crown,

But Jack ended up in plaster.