School’s out for Summer! Who will win the cup as Year 12 contemplate life beyond St Paul’s

Viva VAPAmusic, dance and song

Around the SchoolRegular features including Horror-scopes, Cecil’s Corner and our Short Story

Editor Campbell Barnesassistant Editors Andrew Coulshed Rashmi SingdePhotography Tamara Muir

2012 | TERM 4 www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au

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ThE GRaMMaR EyE Student newspaper of St Paul’s Grammar School | By the students for the students | From M Block to L Block since 2012

Many thanks to all our student contributors including: Frederick Webb, Laura Sinclair, amber McIntosh, Caitlin Guerin, Katelyn Biddell, Stewart Bishop, Evan Barnes and special thanks to Mr Weatherhead who ordered the news paper and did the design and layout

Race narrows for Codrington CupEvan refl ects on Year 12This year has been a very

close and competitive year for our houses in the Codrington Cup competition. after Castlereagh’s terrifi c win last year, being the inaugural winners of the cup, the competition has been high.

Melville has won two out of three carnivals but clearly that isn’t all that counts. Wilberforce and Castlereagh are very close behind, even though they haven’t won any carnivals. Strathdon, winning the Cross Country Carnival, has thrown a spanner in the works , but congratulations to them.The paper’s investigative team have tried to get exact points, but unfortunately that information is confi dential. We were able to get the current places ; these rankings were correct as of the 6th of November).

Of course, you are no longer able to get Hilbrand Tanya points, but there are a large number of people who will receive Gold Hilbrand Tanya awards this year. Your only chance to get house points now is the House Debating Competition which will be the decider. Remember, every bit of support counts so turn up to the debate and cheer your house on.

Castlereagh who, were the winners last year have often said this year: “We were the fi rst house to get the Codrington Cup, we want to be the fi rst house to keep it. We don’t want to be the fi rst house to lose it.” Of course winning this year won’t be as historical as 2011, but, it certainly will be just as exciting when that time comes to announce the winner at this year’s Presentation Night.

Evan Barnes The 2012 Captains award winnerYear 11 and 12 is like falling - it ends painfully; neither the exams nor leaving your friends is fun! But before the end, comes the free fall, where you brace yourself for landing. In my free fall I dreamt of burning my ancient history notes, fi nally fi gured out how to write essays, wanted to throw Great Expectations out the window (sorry Mrs Hastie) and simply became closer to my friends.

There were trials and joy, angst and laughter, fear and smiles. That was my free fall, and through all of that I became a better Evan. As I’m writing this

I have six days until I fi nish my exams; thankfully the end isn’t all that counts.

It is what I have learnt and how I have grown up along the way that has been truly the most important thing.

hOUSE LEaDERBOaRD*

1st – Melville

2nd – Wilberforce

3rd – Castlereagh

4th – Strathdon

5th – Cornwallis

6th – Claremont

*as of 6th November

Frederick Webb

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ThE GRaMMaR EyE

“The artist brings something into the world that didn’t exist before, and he does it without destroying something else”

at St Paul’s there are a lot of opportunities for everyone. One department that really does offer high quality extra-curricular activities is the VaPa department. There is Dramaniacs for those who love drama and the SPGS Ballet and Dance Academy that has over 100 students and offers

everything from Contemporary dance to Ballet and Pilates. However, St Paul’s also offers a huge number of musical opportunities for students of all skill levels.

You may have heard about our senior bands Cross My Heart and others that have also raised money for charities.

A lot of people attended the performances held annually; performances that show off our school’s students’ talents. One of the most recent concerts was the Continuum concert that was a huge success. The VAPA department also put on Sojourn 12. The Symphony Orchestra , formed in Term 2, runs every Wednesday afternoon from 3:30pm, in PA6. Mrs Jarman is the conductor and organiser. The Orchestra has 1st, 2nd, and 3rd violinists, a cellist, a trombonist, a saxophonist, two flute players, 1st and 2nd clarinets a trumpet and percussionists playing instruments such as the triangle, crash cymbals, timpani and marimba. There is also a bass guitar filling in as a double bass. They are playing pieces from different genres and times in the classical period. At the moment, the most successful piece is, ‘Themes from Capriccio Italian’ composed by Tchaikovsky. Since starting in Term two, the Symphony Orchestra has been successful and there has been no lack of enthusiasm. There is a wide range of abilities. There are students from Year 7 to Year 12.

The Orchestra is challenging and fun. Mrs Jarman is very

happy for new people to join, as long as they are committed and capable of playing an instrument suited to an Orchestra. If you want to hear or experience you could easily go along.

If your instrument is not suited to the Orchestra, there is another band, Hipnosis. They play jazz music and their instruments include saxophone, bass and electric guitar, keyboard, drums/percussion and more. It is run by Mr Arblaster and Mr Jarman. You may have heard their performances in different assemblies.

The VAPA department is quite happy for and encourages people to form their own bands and the Conservatorium wing is open at lunch for this purpose. Many people have taken up this opportunity and others that VAPA provides in and outside of class.

Doing these extra-curricular activities can also be counted for much needed Hilbrand Tanya points and lead to opportunities for Community and Service. Maybe it’s time for you to consider trying one of these awesome opportunities in VAPA.

Thursday evening on the first of November was a packed night at the Joan as our St Paul’s Dance academy presented Sojourn 2012. With over thirty pieces, our dancers celebrated a year of hard work in an impressive display of colourful costumes, bright feathers and lively dances.

As a first time dancer (the extent of my experience goes to ‘Viva La Vida’ PE dance compositions), Sojourn was a completely new experience (besides Ricochet). What surprised me was the gradual build-up of emotions as time approached the show’s open. What began as an easy laid back morning with sleepy eyes turned to enthusiasm as

dancers practiced turns, lifts, rolls, jumps, leaps etc. over and over again. By 3pm, the atmosphere was markedly tenser as nerves started to set in, with girls running around trying to polish routines between dress rehearsals. By 6pm, with only half an hour to go before curtains opened, the excitement was thick in the air. Phones buzzed with good luck wishes from loved ones and all dancers chatted animatedly while applying makeup and putting on dazzling costumes. By 6.29pm, the opening dancers waited breathlessly as the murmurs in the crowd died out and the lights dimmed out. At the signal, they ran on stage into positions and then the lights switched back on and

the music began. The show had begun.

Sojourn was an exciting dance showcase, with wonderful performances from dance groups across the whole school. Highlights include Year 11 student Emma Johnson’s solo

and crowd favourites including Parallel Project’s musical theatre dance to Mercy and Prima Ballet’s neoclassical approach to ballet in their dance to Wolfmother. The junior school made memorable appearances in the hip hop routines and ballet.

Awesome Arts! Frederick Webb

Viva la Dance!Rashmi Shingde

This artwork shows the contrasting colours of the yellow and orange cup against the blue and green background. This cup and saucer was made by Lysandra anis and inspired by ‘The great wave of hokusi’

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When you are singing you can hear the echo of people in the audience singing every single word with you, and that was that big dream that I had for myself. It’s happening.

What do you do if you’re bored, don’t have anything important to do on Tuesday lunchtimes, enjoy working with other people and like the sound of your own voice? Join the school year 7 to 12 choir, of course!Seriously though, the school choir is a brilliant lunchtime activity for one to do if you enjoy singing. Run by Terri Hughes and accompanied by

Mr. Jarman, it is a fun group to join. Singing everything from operas to Disney songs, it is entertaining and fulfilling to hear the music made by yourself and others.

If Tuesday lunchtimes are a little inconvenient for you, there’s always the chamber choir that is on Fridays: both are great fun. All that is needed to try out is to alert Terri that you wish to join and sing

a song of your choice for her. It is open to all students; boys and girls, year 7s to year 12s; all are welcome at the choir.I interviewed active choir member Caitlin McDougall in regards to what the choir was like. Asking her if she enjoyed choir, she responded with, “Yes, choir is a great place to hang out with your friends doing something you all love. It also helps improve your voice and singing techniques as well as getting to sing songs from many different genres.” I also asked if she would recommend choir to others, “I

would definitely recommend choir to anyone who haves a love for singing! It’s a great environment and heaps of fun!” Her response says it all choir is a great activity for her and others in her group, and others interested in singing.

Through the experience I have had, and talking with others who are part of it, I would say that choir is a brilliant activity for those who like to sing and enjoy doing it with friends. It is a lot of fun and can be a great addition to your life.

Dear Cecil,I am stressing out about Year 10 formal! You’ve heard how they’ve changed the tables from ten to eight people? Well, before it happened, I had the perfect table with all my best friends, but the new change has ruined everything! It started getting really awkward with my friends because we all knew two of us had to leave, but no one wanted to say anything. Anyways, formal was getting really close so I made the hard decision and offered to move to another table. But now, I’m worried I won’t have as much fun with my new table. I mean, they’re nice but I don’t really know them. What should I do? #Pumped4Prom

Dear Pumped4Prom,Why so serious? I’ll admit, the new table seating has created a little havoc in our drama-infused teenage lives. Why not just have everyone wait outside and as soon as the doors open, everyone madly runs in and grabs any chair (like Musical Chairs)? But having a table with a bunch of new people is actually exciting. you’ll get to know all these classmates and there’d be so much to talk about! If you hit it off as friends, you’ve got this shared experience to gloat over for the rest of your

lives. and is it a really that big a deal where you’re sitting? ask anyone in the grades above and they’ll all tell you that you’ll be moving around and talking to everyone anyways. By the way, you deserve a medal for offering to move. That took guts!

Dear Cecil,You’ve got to help me. Every time I drink a cup of hot chocolate, I get a stabbing pain in my eye!#LetsEatSomePie

Dear LetsEatSomePie,Try taking the spoon out first.

Dear Cecil,I just got my Learner’s licence and I’ve got this dilemma. At home, my mum drives a manual transmission car and my dad drives an automatic. Which one should I learn?#Rev_head

Dear Rev_head,Well, you’ve asked me the age-old question; manual or

auto? Well if I had to choose, there’d be no hesitation because I am 100% automatic. But to be fair, manuals have their pros: they’re generally cheaper and they offer the most power from your engine. What scares me is the multi-tasking; automatics are safer as they allow you to concentrate on hazards. But manual-lovers will argue that with experience, driving a manual becomes automatic! Basically, a manual car offers precision and speed while an automatic offers simplicity.

Cecil’s Corner

Singing up a stormLaura Sinclair

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“People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.”

Soren aabye Kierkegaard

Tom McMahon recently gave a speech to his class about the benefits of the Carbon Tax to australia and the environment. you will find a written copy of his speech below, as well as some questions asked of him about his speech and his feeling towards the Carbon Tax.

“It is the great challenge of this century and the great responsibility of our lifetime to achieve what previous generations have failed to do. It is our challenge to accept responsibility of our environment. The crisis that is facing our environment today is the warming of our planet by the additional carbon in the atmosphere that has been placed there by us, and we must accept the challenge of committing to clean energy and reducing carbon emissions. And the first step in this enormous challenge is the carbon tax.It has become almost a reflex for Australians when they hear the dreaded word to immediately respond with hatred and this was no different for the carbon tax. Fear mongers from the day the carbon tax was introduced have spread the idea that the carbon tax will drastically raise prices and won’t help the environment, this could not be further from the truth, and I will now explain exactly what the carbon tax is and why it is necessary and favourable for our country.How does the carbon tax work?The simple idea of the carbon tax is to tax Australia’s five hundred biggest carbon emitters, companies such as electricity providers and mining companies, these companies then have to pay money to the government for every tonne of carbon they emit each year. The effect of this tax on the companies is that it provides a financial incentive – which let’s face it, is the only real incentive in big business - this financial incentive makes the big emitters look for ways to conserve energy and thus reduce carbon emissions. Because it is a tax it

raises the price of energy that emits carbon, which allows clean energy such as solar, and winds to be more competitive in the financial market and encourages business to try and use those resources. The fear of most critics of this great tax is that it will “raise prices”; these critics do not know the first thing about the economy. Australia has a private enterprise competitive market, which means that individuals have a range of choices from who to buy certain products from, including electricity. This means electricity companies will not raise prices to simply adjust for the tax as they are competing against other companies for consumers and the lower your prices the more appealing to consumers. Even if some companies cannot afford to keep prices at the same rate and they do go up, the federal government is providing cash hand outs to help balance the possible increase in price.The second fear is “The carbon tax won’t actually do anything for the environment”. This is also a false statement as the tax promotes and makes non-carbon emitting resources such as solar and wind energy economically competitive with traditionally cheap carbon emitting products such as coal.The carbon tax will have no large financial effect on most of the population and promotes clean sustainable energy as an economically viable product. Even if the carbon tax raises prices marginally as some critics would have you believe, you have to ask yourself which would you rather endure the price of minor commodities rising by two dollars, or billions of tonnes of carbon being pumped into Australia’s atmosphere annually. The carbon tax is a giant leap in the steps towards clean energy and environmental friendliness, one that you and our nation as a whole should be proud of.I leave you with a quote by Robert Kennedy that is useful when considering such brilliant ideas as the carbon tax “Some

men see things as they are and say why; I dream things that never were and say why not”.”

Interviewer: So many people have had a negative reaction to the carbon tax. Do you think this is from a lack of education about the benefit, because people are generally aware of the potential downfalls, or because of the Gillard Government reneging on their initial promise?

Tom: People dislike the carbon tax for a range of different reasons- a main one is that the labour government has had no large campaign supporting the idea and teaching Australians actually how the carbon tax will work [and] there has been a massive rally by the coalition and much of the media about how much it will raise prices.

Interviewer: What do you have to say about the widely used argument against the carbon tax in Australia that the economy of New Zealand went down when a similar tax was introduced there?

Tom: When New Zealand entered their emissions trading scheme, the world had just begun to plummet into the [first] worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.. The slowing of the New Zealand economy was not from the emissions trading scheme, which would have had a relatively low impact, but rather from the problems of the global economy and the impacts it had. Germany has a similar tax on electricity and energy where renewables are exempt, and Germanys economy is one of the largest and strongest in the world, with a lot of renewable energy.

Interviewer: How did you come to feel so strongly about the carbon tax?Tom: I came to feel strongly

about the carbon tax because I saw it as a way towards clean energy and accepting environmental responsibility

Interviewer: Have you always been in favour of an Australian carbon tax?

Tom: No, before I did research about how the carbon tax actually works, I did not like the carbon tax;[ however], when I got past the scare tactics of the media I saw that it could be beneficial for Australia and the environment.

Interviewer: If you could summarise why Australia will benefit from the carbon tax in a sentence, what would it be?

Tom: It is a path way to clean energy and energy reduction.

Interviewer: Do you see the carbon tax as something that will continue in Australia for a long period of time?

Tom: I see renewable energy as the future of Australian energy and the carbon tax as a way of making renewable energy economically viable.

If you feel strongly about a current issue and wish to air your opinion, speak to Campbell Barnes, out editor for your spot on The Soapbox!

Take a stand on The Student Soapbox Campbell Barnes interviews Tom McMahon

2012 | TERM 4 w w w . s t p a u l s . n s w . e d u . a u

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aCT TODay - ‘Planning to make a plan, is not a plan’Bush Survival Plans could save your life - be proactive and find out what you need to do from the RFS

website

at St Paul’s there are many extracurricular activities you can do. Rowing, Rugby, Basketball, Dramaniacs, Dance, Chess just to name a small number of options. But from all the things you can do, there is nothing quite like the Rural Fire Service Fire Cadets on a Friday afternoon.

The Fire Cadets is a program that is offered at few other schools. It is a privilege to be part of the Fire Cadets where you not only learn skills vital to putting out bush fires, house fires, hazard reduction and rescue, but you learn about working in a team in different situations, some which can be pretty stressful!

Most Fridays the Fire Cadets get together at the Shed. The cadets get changed into their official RFS uniform made from bright orange, somewhat fireproof material that can only be worn when fighting a fire or at an official RFS meeting or event. The cadets line up in the three platoons Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. The ages range from year 7 recruits to more experienced people in year 10. They stand at attention while the flag is raised. Angus Findlay is the student captain and Mr Gribble is our Captain of the entire brigade taking over from the great work of Mr Head who recently stepped down.

After lining, up the cadets will either do some theory about working in a brigade including hazard reduction, Immediate Emergency care and radios or they do drills, including using all real equipment to put out fake fires. Sometimes a RFS vehicle will come in. Some vehicles that have come in recently are a super tanker, a communications van and another fire-fighting truck. With the vehicles come the drivers who come from proper brigades and can teach the cadets about important aspects of the RFS.

The RFS cadets also do things for the school. One of the main things they do is parking directing for school functions and help with the father and son camp.

The fire cadets are a great group and should be given serious consideration when you are choosing your extra-curricular activities in 2013.

On Monday September 3rd, we were fortunate enough to have a large number of Japanese exchange students visit our school. They spent from 11am until 2:30pm with buddies, attending two regular classes with them and sharing in a lunch, as well as a cultural presentation in period five.

I was one of the lucky few to get a buddy to look after, so I got to see the insides of the presentation, as well as bond with an exchange student through two classes of mine.

We volunteers met our buddies at recess, showing them around the school and helping them make their ways to their respective lockers.

Once the formalities were over (showing directions and major sites on the school), it was time for classes, where we carried out the normal activities of the day, and even taking a test for some. We spent two classes with the buddies and they got a bit of a taste of life at our school. Then it was over to the VAPA courtyard, where we shared in a lunch of sausage sandwiches and coleslaw. At one thirty we all headed back to the hall to farewell the students, but not before a show.

We were given a speech about the school they had come from by one of the boys who came. His English was a little hesitant, as English was his second language, but he spoke wonderfully about the structure of the school, the sports it offers, the grounds and some other aspects of life in Japan.

Next, we were given a short origami demonstration, where some students went up the front and were shown one on one how to do everything, while the rest of people sitting in chairs were handed a piece of origami paper and shown to make something... Well they attempted, we didn’t quite get time to finish the steps and were left with a half folded piece of paper to muck around with. Many people made paper planes from that, myself included!

All the students had changed by this time, the girls into Kimonos and the boys into what can only be described as blue karate uniforms. Then the girls danced in their dresses, with some cherry blossoms branches. They danced elegantly to some chime music, before the boys took their places on the stage. The boys danced and chanted to a Japanese fishermen song, which was interesting to watch as they re-enacted the actions that a fisherman would undertake in a day.

The visit was concluded by a couple words from a student of each school, and then a teacher from the Japanese school.

We jumped on the stage for a couple of quick photos, before saying our goodbyes and heading back off to our classes.

Having the Japanese students visit us was a joy and much was learnt by both groups of students.

The FireysFrederick Webb

Our cultural experienceCaitlin Guerin

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“Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.”

John Washington Carver

at creative writing camp 2012, a group of around forty students from across all grades had the opportunity to meet the spunky author Jane Bourke.

Born in Sydney, Jane trained as a nurse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital before she started writing stories, especially aimed at teenagers. Her novels include White Lies, The Red Cardigan, Faking Sweet and The Story of Tom Brennan (which won the 2006 Book of the Year from the Children’s Book Council). She guided students through thought-provoking, fast paced and exciting workshops that highlighted how small details can drive a story forward.

After her workshops, two Year 10 students Andrew and Rashmi had the chance to chat to her in person.

andrew: So, where do you get your inspiration?Jane: My inspiration comes from being a sticky-beak. Stickybeak, busybody, nosey

neighbour. [Laughs]. All my inspiration comes from something I hear, something I see, and then I play that game of “hypotheticals”. I say, “What if that happened?” and the whole story comes from there.

Rashmi: Does your ‘sticky-beaking’ ever come back to bite you?Jane: [Laughs]. Not yet, but it will!

andrew: So, what’s the most exciting thing about writing stories?Jane: I love that part of just getting to know the character. You’ve actually got to sound like them, be like them. It’s difficult in the beginning, like a friend you don’t know that well. But then, all of a sudden, you realise you’ve got their voice. To me, it feels like I’m just typing while they’re talking.

Rashmi: Do the characters ever take you in unexpected directions?Jane: Yeah, they say, “Hang on, I want to go here, not there!”

And that’s when you know you’ve got a story written.Andrew: Why choose teenage fiction?Jane: I don’t know why. My protagonists always tend to be 17 to 18...

Rashmi: Is it the whole self-identity and fitting in theme?Jane: Um, I also like that young people don’t have that cynicism and are open minded in their journey. That’s important for me as I’m a character based writer and it’s all about what your character is going through.

andrew: I’ve always wanted to know how you deal with writer’s block?Jane: Write. Just write. It’s the only way to deal with writer’s block. It’s like a pain barrier where you just have to push through. It will just sort itself out. You can always go back to change anything.

andrew: You recently won the Ned Kelly prize, congratulations! Is recognition important to you?

Jane: I beat some incredible writers and that was shocking. I also knew that there are a few nasty blogs online with comments like “What’s a teen fiction novel doing on the Shortlist? Who would read this?” But it’s not just a young adult book; it’s a book about people. It’s great to know that adults read it and that my book’s been noticed.

andrew: So where has the research behind your plots taken you?Jane: Oh, you know, from gaming to pig gutting and shooting!

andrew: And finally, any advice for aspiring writers like us?Jane: You’ve got to be that kid who says, “Oh my gosh, did you see that?” It’s all about noticing the small things.

Rashmi: Well, thank you so much for your time and we hope to have you back next time. Jane: No worries, it’s been great fun!

When you come to St Paul’s, there are many features that define it as a school. Open spaces, friendly staff and pleasant students all contribute to the wonderful atmosphere of our School. however, the “St Paulian”

embrace of the natural world is one of the most prominent and defining features of our school.

As a junior schooler, one of my first impressions of the school was the importance of

plants at the school. Outside lessons, grassy playgrounds and tree-lined paths all play an integral part in creating and perpetuating the ambience of the school.

One of my fondest memories was “Plant a Tree Day”, where the entire school gathered outside to plant some trees along the winding path to the high school. Even my PYP exhibition focused on the Natural World, and how we use it to our advantage. Another fond memory of mine is our year 7 agriculture work. For a couple of months, our class would troop down to the agriculture plots to tend a couple a fruits and vegetables we’d planted as a class. By the time all the plants had grown, we all were sent home with a little bag of vegetables to cook, something I still remember doing.

Even last year, one of the highlights was hiking through the Katoomba valley as part of Duke of Ed. About 40 of us hiked through the gum forests, crossing rivers, climbing over rocks, slipping down muddy slopes and camping in soggy fields. Not only was this an incredibly beautiful place to be, but it was incredibly character building. There is an incredible sense of tranquillity that can be derived from nature, something that is valued incredibly highly at St Paul’s. The Duke of Ed was one of the most enjoyable things I have participated in.So next time you walk along a path or corridor at St Paul’s, take a moment to stop and appreciate the plants, shrubs and trees around you.. The natural world is an integral part of our life, and something to be treasured.

Creative Questioning

Focus on: Natureandrew Coulshed

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Nancy Bird liked tea, but not just ordinary tea. She could scarcely get through the day without her morning cup of decaf. It was nearly 9 o’clock when, as she did daily, she entered the kitchen, placed some tea leaves in her kettle and placed it carefully on the stove. She had owned the same kettle for over thirty years. It was the old-fashioned kind; none of this fancy electrical stuff. Her policy on kettles, as it was with everything else, was essentially: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

When the kettle had boiled, Nancy poured the hot water carefully into a mug. Adding a drop of milk, she stirred it with a spoon. Satisfied, she took the tea to the living room and sat in her favourite armchair. In the winter, it sat just close enough to the fire to get the warmth, but far enough away so as to be comfortable; in the summer, as it was now, she could feel the warm sun through the window. The room itself was elegantly decorated, with a large oil painting of a riverbank and a black-and-white photograph of her as a child, hanging side by side on one wall. Underneath the armchair and a larger couch that sat adjacent on the wooden boards, was a patterned rug. This décor was exactly to her tastes.

Taking another sip of tea, Nancy placed the mug delicately on a coaster, before picking up her knitting. She was nearing the end of a colourful striped scarf, although she suspected she would need more red wool to finish it. What a bother.

No sooner had she began to knit when the doorbell rang, unexpectantly. She had chosen it especially for its tune - the first four bars of “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt. With a sigh, she replaced the knitting, eased herself out of her

armchair and made her way slowly to the door. The bell rang again just before she opened it to see the faces of two serious-looking policemen.

“Miss Bird?” one of them asked. “Yes, that’s me.”“May we come in?”She frowned, lingering in the doorway. “Is something the matter?”“Well... yes.” Seeing her face, he quickly added, “Oh – not with you. We just want to ask a few questions.”Nancy shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Come in.”She led them through the door and back into the living room. She sat in her favourite armchair and motioned for them to sit on the couch. “Please, have a seat.”

They sat. The first policeman, a balding middle-aged man, cleared his throat. “Have you ever heard of a man named Calvin Reeds?” She shook her head. “He was murdered four years ago in Randwick. Poisoned.”“Oh, dear. The poor man,” said Nancy, shaking her head and sighing. “It’s really awful, this murdering business, isn’t it? Ghastly.”“Well, yes. Certainly.” The policeman shifted. “He told a friend before he died that he had found out something about a person he knew. Something that could potentially be used against them.”“I see,” Nancy said carefully.“Calvin also had a sister, a woman named Clarice Reeds, whom you may have heard of.”She thought, “Clarice Reeds? I seem to recall someone named that… Ah. She was my neighbour. She lived across the street.”“Was?” the policemen leaned forwards. The second, who had stayed silent thus far, was a young man with reddish hair. He took out a tape recorder and set it on the table.“With your permission, Miss

Bird,” he said in a high voice, “we’ll need to record this.”She shrugged again, “I don’t mind.”

The first policeman continued in his deeper, rougher tone. “As I was saying, Calvin Reeds had a sister. You mentioned that she was your neighbour.”“Yes. She was. She moved out two, maybe three years ago. I suppose it was soon after her brother… passed away,” Nancy murmured. She couldn’t bring herself to say ‘murdered’ in polite conversation - with a police officer, no less. “She never mentioned any relatives. In fact, I rarely spoke to her. Would you care for a cup of tea? The kettle has only just boiled.”The policemen looked at each other.

“Oh, go on,” she said. She was smiling.The first policeman shrugged. “I… don’t see why not. Thank you.”She got carefully to her feet. “I’ll be right back,” she said, ambling into the kitchen. “Is decaffeinated. It’s all I have. It’s the only kind I’ll drink.”“That’s fine,” the first policeman called. The two of them exchanged another glance.

After a few moments, Nancy came back into the living room and set two cups of tea in perfectly clean mugs on a coffee table in front of the policemen. Returning to her seat, she asked, “So why do you want to ask me about this? I’m afraid I don’t know a lot about all this.”“That’s alright,” the second policeman said, taking a sip of tea.

“We’re opening a new investigation into it,” the first said. “We thought that, as a former neighbour of his sister… that you might know a thing or two.”

“Fair enough.” Nancy picked up her knitting. “Oh - sorry. I

hope you don’t mind. I have a beautiful scarf coming along and I’m desperate to finish.”“Not at all.” The policeman paused. “Are you sure you never met Calvin? We heard that he visited his sister frequently. Surely you must have met him at least once?”Nancy shook her head again. “No, never.”“He seemed to have heard of you.” The policeman sipped at the tea.“Oh?”

“That’s how we found you. The friend I spoke of earlier mentioned his sister when we spoke to him. And he also mentioned you.”There was a long, awkward pause. The first policeman looked around. The second was gulping down tea.“Well,” the first said, breaking the silence, “I suppose we’re done here. Thank you for your help, Ms Bird.”“Any time, officer.” Nancy rose. “I’ll see you both out.”“Come on, Sam,” the first policeman said gruffly. “We’re leaving.” Reluctantly, the second, Sam, stood and followed them out of the room to the door.

“Thanks again, Miss Bird,” the first said, before getting into their police car and driving off. Nancy watched them go, then wandered back into the kitchen, packed away the tea leaves, the kettle, the milk, and the small, deadly, half-empty bottle of poison that sat on the kitchen table. Then she returned to the living room and lowered herself into her armchair. She noticed the two cups of tea sitting on the coffee table: one nearly empty, the other drained.

“Well, that’s that,” she said softly to herself.

Satisfied, she sat back and began to knit.

The Grammar Eye Page 7

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

from ‘Sherlock holmes’ by Sir arthur Conan Doyle

Nancy Birda short story by Stewart Bishop

Contributions for The Grammar Eye - Term 1 2013We welcome and read all submissions for The Grammar Eye with an open mind.If you would like to make a contribution about anything for the school newspaper please email either our Editor, Campbell Barnes, or Mrs Wynne-Jones who is very friendly and helpful (and who wrote this!!)

2012 | TERM 4 www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au

The Grammar Eye Page 8

School. Most of us dread it, but one subject everyone looks forward to doing in Year 7 is Food Tech! Most people love it, you get to make oaty coconut slice for example.

You start with your folio gather-ing information about all sorts of things., when you get to the end of the unit you do a fi nal choice recipe. Everyone comes up with diff erent recipes that you create in a pair.

For example in year seven you had to choose to do a ‘healthy recipe’. Some people did smoothies, some did burgers, the list is endless. I did healthy burgers.

I did my recipe with a girl in Year Seven. Grace McAuliff e. We decided that we would split the ingredients in half and each buy some of them.

healthy BurgersIngredients (serves 4)• 400g lamb mince• 4 round white rolls, halved

crossways• 8 green rocket lettuce leaves• 1 large tomato, sliced• 1 Cucumber• 2 Rashes of Bacon• 1 Carrot GratedMethod1. Preheat grill to high for

approximately 1 minute to make rolls crispy or just golden brown.

2. Put the Lamb Mince in a Bowl with half a diced Onion and make into Paddies.

3. Grill 2 Rashes of Bacon then slice.

4. Grate 1 Carrot. Slice 1 Cu-cumber and Tomato. Break up Lettuce leave.

5. assemble and tuck in!

aries This week, avoid walking. The stars suggest hopping or skipping - those who walk with one leg will fi nd one truth.Lucky Day: WednesdayLucky Object: Deodorant *hint hint*

Taurus The stars show that windmills will work well for you this week. Allitera-tion also assists all that you attempt.Lucky Day: YesterdayLucky Object: Locker 714

GeminiAvoid all school work and strenuous writing - we suggest Flash Tetris or Cleverbot (conversation robots will understand your feelings more than your teachers)Lucky Day: Day 23Lucky Object: The third tissue from the bottom

Cancer Do not talk to Arians or teachers, students, parents - the results will be hideous. We all know they smell anyways. Lucky Day: Thursday next.Lucky Object: Laptop charger

LeoAvoid being defenestrated.Lucky Day: TomorrowLucky Object: This Newspaper

VirgoBe generous in everything you do. Be nice and friendly - you never know when you will meet someone somewhere else.Lucky Day: Speak Like a Pirate DayLucky Object: Assignments

LibraAvoid playing limbo - the pole will fall on you.Lucky Day: Thursday, or Sunday if you played cricket on the 3rd of March this year.Lucky Object: Windows

ScorpioIf you pat a rabbit while cleaning your teeth you will meet an old friend.Lucky Day: SaturdayLucky Object: Thongs

SagittariusDo not add avocados to your salad.Lucky Day: Your great aunt’s birthday.Lucky Object: Avocados

Capricorn The passing of Venus says that you should continue your life as normal.Lucky Day: WheneverLucky Object: Sand

aquariusThe alignment of Mercury dictates that you must wear a hat at all time. This is possibly reminiscent of the ridiculous hats that plagued Tues-day last week.Lucky Day: May the Fourth (be with you)Lucky Object: Hat pins

PiscesAvoid all human contact. Lucky Day: SaturdayLucky Object: Studded boots

The FoodiesKatelyn Biddell and Grace Mcauliff e

This Weeks - horrorscope

Student newspaper of St Paul’s Grammar School | By the students for the students | From M Block to L Block since 2012