Pat Garland

I came across this obituary of Pat Garland - a pioneer of the railway preservation movement in the UK.

Punters rescue Cutty Sark

The National Lottery rescues this historic ship thanks to Britain's mug punters. The Evening Standard has the story. After the wicked waste of a billion on the Millennium Dome this is the least they can do. See PunchBuggy Passim.

Animal Alphabet Poem By D. Y.

A is for anteater with a long tongue
B is for bull charging away
C is for cobra, Watch out it'll bite!
D is for dingo a very dangerous dog
E is for eagle that soars in the sky
F is for fox silent and sly
G is for great white shark, a blood thirsty shark
H is for hammerhead, another shark
I is for iguana a scaly lizard
J is for jaguar a silent black cat
K is for koala a very lazy bear
L is for lynx a playful cat
M is for mountain gorilla, a rare gorilla
N is for narwhal a weird whale
O if for ox a very strong animal
P is for penguins that waddle away
Q is for quail a funny bird
R is for red-tailed hawk a cool soaring bird
S is for skinny pig a hairless creature
T is for tiger silent and fast
U if for umbrella fish another weird fish
V is for vulture a bird of prey
W is for whale shark a very big shark
X is for x-ray fish a fish with a weird name
Y is for yak like the show Yakety Yak
Z is for the zebra with stripes all over him!

Good morning

Everybody across North America is making with the snow pictures. So here is ours, shot by the Mrs this morning.

Internet radio grows up

The Telegraph has the story.

Ontario in the snow

Rode the 'hound to Kitchener for the weekend. A town that has seen good times and bad. Off the bus in freezing cold weather Friday night and dive into Peter Martin's Restaurant at 20 King. Good food served at a glacial pace - it took about fifteen minutes to get a menu - make sure you have the rest of the night off. I'm glad we weren't going to the theatre across the street. Not cheap either, $9 on the soup index, but about the only place that isn't a chain restaurant in those parts.
If you are wondering what there is to do in Kitchener everybody says to go to the farmer's market. So we did.





These young ladies were warming up for Burns Night and plugging the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games on 12,13,14 August 2005. Good to see the old traditions being celebrated as they danced to a pipe band. After years of being taught to be ashamed of our origins in the UK these folk were refreshing.
Back to Hogtown on Sunday in record time chugging down the 401 sat behind the driver in the Greyhound with every other seat taken.

Multiplication Table Contest

On Friday January 16th we had a multiplication contest during our weekly assembly. Students in grades 2, 3, 4, & 5 tried to be the fastest at correctly writing out the times tables. The teachers and principal joined in the fun.

I hope all the students in Room 222 are practicing so that they can do their best at our next assembly.

Multiplication Table Contest 

"Young Miss Franny Being Scared by the Bear" by S.G. 

Poem of the Day

Kids in My Class
by J. P.

Kids are nice,kids are mean,
Some kid's lockers aren't very clean.

Oh my gosh! There are so many girls,
Some kids come from different worlds.

There's not a lot of toys, or many boys.

Some kids work so hard, what can I say?
The rest of the class is talking away

Lots of the class pays attention,
If you don't you'll have a detention!
Dunn, dunn, dunn!!!!!

Book Three Now on Sale! 

The second book by P.X. and K.C.. 

Famous Author and Illustrator in Room 222

The long awaited sequel to The Adventures of Captain Sheepy Pants and Captain Sheepy Pants and the Attack of the Evil Toilets went on sale today. Author P.X. and illustrator K.C. started selling their third book, Captain Sheepy Pants and the Attack of the Five Crazy Roosters. Staff and students love reading about the wacky adventures of the four boys, their weird teacher, mean principal and psychotic janitor.

We are all looking forward to the fourth book The Attack of the Evil Martians. Meanwhile....watch out for the Hypno Ring.

Round the clock Clive

Here is my friend Chaplain Clive posing outside Dimpflmeier's bakery in Toronto with his '95 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The car has four-wheel-drive and 341 thousand kilometers on the clock. Still plenty of life in the old girl yet - why swap her when she owes you nothing? The bread is a bargain too.

Digital desert

The Consumer Electronics Show is underway in Las Vegas. My pal Matt Baile is there - PC World has the story. I used to go to CeBIT in Hanover in the old days - you need stamina for these gigs.

Winn-Dixie the Movie

Every time I read Because of Winn-Dixie I think they should make a movie based on it.
Well, finally they have! Find out more here: http://www.becauseofwinndixiemovie.com/

Movie Title: BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE
STATUS: Coming Soon
RELEASE DATE: February 18, 2005
CAST: Jeff Daniels, Dave Matthews, Eva Maria Saint, Cicely Tyson, AnnaSophia Robb

SYNOPSIS:
A lonely young girl (AnnaSophia Robb) adopts an orphaned dog, Winn-Dixie (named for the supermarket where she found him), who helps her makes friends in a small Florida town. The bond between the girl and her special companion brings together the townspeople, and helps heal her own troubled relationship with her father (Jeff Daniels).
Based on Kate DiCamillo's 2001 Newbery Honor winning novel.

GENRE: Family
DIRECTOR: Wayne Wang
STUDIO: 20th Century Fox
PRODUCER: Trevor Albert, Joan V. Singleton
SCREENPLAY Joan V. Singleton

Have you ever seen a dog smile? 

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

What kind of kid names a dog after a grocery store? India Opal Buloni is not your typical 10 year old. She lives with her father, whom she refers to as "the preacher", in a trailer park in Florida.

Students in our class think that she's:

1. Kind: She saved a dog from being sent to the pound.
2. Quiet: She was considered an "exception" by the manager of the adults only trailer park because of her good behaviour.

We'll add more as we read the novel over the next few weeks.

About the Author

Kids Reads: Where did the idea for BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE come from?
Kate DiCamillo: I think it came from longing: longing for home and longing for a dog. I wrote the story during the worst winter on record in Minnesota (brrrrr!) when I was missing Florida (where I grew up); also, my apartment building does not allow dogs. But imaginary dogs aren't against the rules. So I made one up to keep me (and Opal) company.

How Animals Help People

Yesterday did a "think, pair, share" activity. Here are the top responses to the question:

How do animals help people?

1. Keep us company.
2. Protect and/or guard us.
3. Provide food.
4. Guide and assist handicapped people.
5. Entertain us. (movies,circus, horse & dog racing)
6. Pets can help reduce the risk of heart attack.
7. Provide material for clothing. (wool, leather)

Mon Dieu

Check out this English language radio from Paris: Paris Live Radio.

New Year's Resolutions.

Today we talked about our New Year's resolutions. Some people said that they are going to work harder and do better in school this year. Some people plan to advance levels in video games. Other people plan to watch less TV. Many people are working towards achieving their goals. Some people want to improve their attitude. We hope that everyone can stick to their resolutions.