It is reading time in Room 13 at Kia Kaha Primary School.
Reading time is fun.
You get to stand up and read something out and everyone has to guess what the person was trying to say.
Ms Barry says,
who would like to read something out about World War Two?
Ryan puts up his hand.
Ryan likes to pretend he is a soldier on the computer and shoot at people.
Some people worry that when people like Ryan grow up they will be dangerous.
But not everyone who shoots people on the computer grows up to be dangerous.
Also it is harder to buy guns than it used to be.
Ms Barry says,
Here you are Ryan, just the bit in yellow highlighter.
Ryan reads,
Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the
Ryan looks at Ms Barry.
He points at a word he doesn't know.
Ms Barry says helpfully,
Odious
Ryan says,
and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule,
we shall not flag or fail.
We shall go on to the end.
We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air,
we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.
We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender,
Thank you Ryan, says Ms Barry, that was very good.
Now, who can tell me what kind of person might say that?
Grace says,
An Influencer, Miss?
Ms Barry says,
Good guess Grace but there weren't any Influencers back then.
This was a Prime Minister.
Thomas says,
Was it John Key? Dad always says if you want a proper Prime Minister you want John Key.
Ms Barry says,
No Thomas, it wasnāt John Key, it was Winston Churchill.
He was Prime Minister of Britain and he gave speeches like this that made people feel as though even though they might be about to lose the war they should keep going anyway.
Ms Barry says,
If you heard a speech like this do you think it would make you feel like you could keep going anyway?
Moana says,
Well if Ryan was reading it, Miss, heād probably be pointing an AK47 at me so I'd be like yeah whatevs Ryan if you say so bro.
The children laugh and Ms Barry smiles.
She says,
But if there wasn't a gun, do you think it might still make you feel like you could go on?
Put up your hand if you think it would help.
All the children put up their hand except for Seymour.
Oh no! Seymour has his hands in his shorts again.
Ms Barry says,
Seymour, remember what we talked about.
Seymour takes out his hand and puts it up with the others.
Seymour wasn't listening.
So he doesn't know why he has his hand up.
But the best thing to do when you havenāt been listening is to do what everyone else is doing and keep quiet.
Ms Barry says,
Who can tell me something they noticed about this speech?
Chloe says,
He kept saying we shall.
Xavier says,
It made you think of a lot of places, like the beach and the streets and the hills.
Ellen says,
It kept you listening the whole time. It was exciting. You wanted to know what was coming next.
Ms Barry says,
Do you think politicians still give speeches like that?
Rose says,
Not Jacinda, she talks more like you're in hospital and she's come to visit you.
Ms Barry says,
Thatās very interesting Rose.
Do you think that would make you feel like you could keep going on if there was a war?
Rose thinks for a moment. She says,
Well yes I suppose it does. I mean it's sort of like being in a war at the moment. Only hardly anyone is dying. Well not here anyway, not yet anyway.
Ms Barry says,
Who else would like to do a reading? How about you, Mihi?
Ms Barry hands her a piece of paper and says,
This came from a community message board.
Mihi reads out,
Hey team!
Can everyone help with community policing for late at night?
There are little kids camping and lots of tired people who have been camping all week so to play music loudly at night can be a little disrespectful.
If any one is playing after 10pm just gently remind them that there is a larger reason they are here and tiring people out is not helping the cause.
Ms Barry says,
What kind of person does that sound like?
Chloe says,
I think it might be a Mum. Mums talk like that.
Caleb says,
It sounds like you Miss.
Ms Barry says,
Why do you say that Caleb?
Caleb says,
Because you're always saying to be respectful.
Ms Barry says,
Well now thatās interesting because what if I told you that the person who wrote this was part of the protest group at Parliament who have been spitting at people and coughing over them and frightening school children and telling people they are going to hang them?
Caleb says,
Well they're not very good at practising what they preach eh.
Everyone is quiet now.
They are thinking about Amelia.
Amelia is still at the protest with her parents.
They wonder if people are keeping Amelia awake by playing lame music and being disrespectful and telling people they are going to hang them.
Ms Barry says,
Who else is going to read for us? How about you, Tane?
Ms Barry hands Tane a piece of paper.
Tane looks at it and frowns.
Tane tries reading it to himself under his breath first.
But he is still frowning.
He says,
Itās really about the right time and the right place. Fundamentally, you've got to look at it and say, you know, the research would say āIf the economy is growing around three to four per cent, and itās broad-based and it's healthy, that's a good time for you to take minimum wage increasesā.
Ms Barry says,
Hands up who could understand that.
Seymour starts to put his hand up just in case.
But no one else is putting theirs up.
So he stops.
Ms Barry says,
When something is hard to understand what do we do?
Chloe says,
We ask questions?
Thatās right Chloe, says Ms Barry, what questions does this make you ask?
Moana says,
What even are words?
Olivia says
Is there something wrong with the printer?
Ms Barry says,
Perhaps we could ask what kind of person might be saying this?
Carson says,
It sounds like my Mum's boss.
Sometimes when sheās having wines with the book club she reads out his emails and they laugh and laugh and laugh. And then someone says seriously though Amy, you need to get your CV out there.
Ms Barry says,
Very good Carson.
Yes, this is what can happen when people don't stop and think about what they are trying to say and what they want people to hear.
A lot of people in business can be like that,
especially if they are the boss.
People will tell them itās very good and clear even if it isn't.
Ms Barry thinks about telling Room 13 that the person who said this is actually Mr Luxon the Leader of the Opposition who wants to be a Prime Minister like Winston Churchill.
But she is thinking about what Roger Artichoke said at the last school board meeting about political agendas in the classroom.
So she says,
Okay that's enough reading comprehension for today, let's see how that bean plant in the cupboard is doing.
