Primary 5 awarded pieces* (2nd place, 3rd place and merits)
A Letter of Advice to Miss Trunchbull SECOND PLACE
Anthony Pan 5D
Dear Miss Trunchbull,
Hello! I’m Anthony and I want to give you some general advice about your job and on buying a car.
First of all, rather than being a headmistress of Crumchem Hall Primary School, I think you will find a great career at the Correctional Services Department. Correctional Services deal with prisoners and keep them disciplined in jail. You are very suitable for this job because of your unfathomable strength and the ability to keep the prisoners disciplined. With your tough attitude and unforgiving stance, you will be sure to keep all the prisoners polite and well behaved and never even dare to think of breaking out of their prison cell for fear of being put into the chokey.
Secondly, I feel deeply for you for buying a rotten car unknowingly. To prevent that from happening again, I advise you to seek third-party professional car examiners to examine the car before purchasing it. In addition, you can also purchase a car from a reputable dealer and a reliable brand. You can’t just buy a car with a cheap price-tag and good mileage. There is a high possibility that this a cunning trick, like the car you bought from Mr Wormwood. There are a lot of dishonest car dealers around the world too. I sincerely hope that you won’t meet a dishonest car dealer again.
I hope that you find the advice I give you useful.
Yours sincerely,
Anthony Pan
Anthony Pan 5D
Dear Miss Trunchbull,
Hello! I’m Anthony and I want to give you some general advice about your job and on buying a car.
First of all, rather than being a headmistress of Crumchem Hall Primary School, I think you will find a great career at the Correctional Services Department. Correctional Services deal with prisoners and keep them disciplined in jail. You are very suitable for this job because of your unfathomable strength and the ability to keep the prisoners disciplined. With your tough attitude and unforgiving stance, you will be sure to keep all the prisoners polite and well behaved and never even dare to think of breaking out of their prison cell for fear of being put into the chokey.
Secondly, I feel deeply for you for buying a rotten car unknowingly. To prevent that from happening again, I advise you to seek third-party professional car examiners to examine the car before purchasing it. In addition, you can also purchase a car from a reputable dealer and a reliable brand. You can’t just buy a car with a cheap price-tag and good mileage. There is a high possibility that this a cunning trick, like the car you bought from Mr Wormwood. There are a lot of dishonest car dealers around the world too. I sincerely hope that you won’t meet a dishonest car dealer again.
I hope that you find the advice I give you useful.
Yours sincerely,
Anthony Pan
Assessments Should Not Be Conducted by Video Conference Platforms THIRD PLACE
Ethan Wu 5E
In my opinion, assessments should not be conducted by video conference platforms. There are a lot of disadvantages in doing assessments online. These are the reasons why I think assessments should not be conducted by video conference platforms.
Firstly, students can cheat easily. Statistics show that students who take assessments online have a higher chance of cheating. There is no particular security system designed to monitor online assessments, it is only based on an honest system. For example, examiners can monitor students by web cameras during their online assessments, but the web cameras cannot cover every corner of their home. Students might open their books or text their friends using their phones behind the web camera. The examiners cannot do anything to stop them.
Secondly, environments outside of a classroom can be distracting. Some students might get distracted because the assessment is not taking place at school, but at a comfortable place at home. For example, when students are taking exams by video conference at home, they will lose their concentration because of their toys, other entertainment devices or the noises that others might produce in their houses.
Finally, internet connectivity problems. Assessments via video conference platforms rely on internet connectivity. Without Wi-fi access, the video conference is not possible. For example, a nearby building is under construction. The internet connectivity is poor and causes video lagging and connection failure. It will take some time for networking companies to restore the service. As a result, he student cannot get back online and will be forced to retake the assessment again or be disqualified.
In conclusion, I think assessments should not be conducted by video conference platforms. It is because students can cheat easily, environments outside of a classroom is distracting and there could be internet connectivity problems.
Ethan Wu 5E
In my opinion, assessments should not be conducted by video conference platforms. There are a lot of disadvantages in doing assessments online. These are the reasons why I think assessments should not be conducted by video conference platforms.
Firstly, students can cheat easily. Statistics show that students who take assessments online have a higher chance of cheating. There is no particular security system designed to monitor online assessments, it is only based on an honest system. For example, examiners can monitor students by web cameras during their online assessments, but the web cameras cannot cover every corner of their home. Students might open their books or text their friends using their phones behind the web camera. The examiners cannot do anything to stop them.
Secondly, environments outside of a classroom can be distracting. Some students might get distracted because the assessment is not taking place at school, but at a comfortable place at home. For example, when students are taking exams by video conference at home, they will lose their concentration because of their toys, other entertainment devices or the noises that others might produce in their houses.
Finally, internet connectivity problems. Assessments via video conference platforms rely on internet connectivity. Without Wi-fi access, the video conference is not possible. For example, a nearby building is under construction. The internet connectivity is poor and causes video lagging and connection failure. It will take some time for networking companies to restore the service. As a result, he student cannot get back online and will be forced to retake the assessment again or be disqualified.
In conclusion, I think assessments should not be conducted by video conference platforms. It is because students can cheat easily, environments outside of a classroom is distracting and there could be internet connectivity problems.
An Exciting Day MERIT
Edgar Tsang 5B
Dear Diary,
Today was a dangerous and scary day.
I woke up at six o’ clock in the morning and saw a fly buzzing around me. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled. I hid on a leaf and my tongue lashed out quickly. In a second, I was enjoying the tasty fly.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of rustling leaves. There was an owl. I thought, “No, not now!” I scrambled frantically under a leaf where my protective colour works best. Unfortunately, the owl has an excellent sense of hearing. It spread its wings and dived head-first towards me. Following my instincts, I jumped. Miraculously, I landed in a hole in a tree where I could stay safe from the owl. However, the owl tried to pull me out of the hold with its beak. I edged deeper into the hole. The owl tried to grab me with its sharp claws. It caught hold of my tail. I yanked myself free but left my tail behind. Fortunately, it would grow back.
A few minutes later, I caught a few flies and climbed to the treetop where I had a great view of the forest. I spotted a pine tree and found a warm hole. I curled up and started dozing off. I would need to hibernate. I could not wait until springtime.
Edgar Tsang 5B
Dear Diary,
Today was a dangerous and scary day.
I woke up at six o’ clock in the morning and saw a fly buzzing around me. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled. I hid on a leaf and my tongue lashed out quickly. In a second, I was enjoying the tasty fly.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of rustling leaves. There was an owl. I thought, “No, not now!” I scrambled frantically under a leaf where my protective colour works best. Unfortunately, the owl has an excellent sense of hearing. It spread its wings and dived head-first towards me. Following my instincts, I jumped. Miraculously, I landed in a hole in a tree where I could stay safe from the owl. However, the owl tried to pull me out of the hold with its beak. I edged deeper into the hole. The owl tried to grab me with its sharp claws. It caught hold of my tail. I yanked myself free but left my tail behind. Fortunately, it would grow back.
A few minutes later, I caught a few flies and climbed to the treetop where I had a great view of the forest. I spotted a pine tree and found a warm hole. I curled up and started dozing off. I would need to hibernate. I could not wait until springtime.
A Street That Filled Me with Joy MERIT
Karson Yau 5B
I once saw a thing that filled me with joy,
And that was a truly fantastic street.
That was when I was just a little boy…
I didn’t know that it was a great feat
When pigs fly, bats crawl and dolphins walk.
So, I went to a bench and took a seat.
And what I saw was a lovely hawk
Who took a lot of food from a shop.
And as it ate I heard the creature talk.
“Lucky there isn’t a cop!”
He exclaimed as he flew away,
Snatching another lollipop.
Looking back, it was an epic day.
But there was still a marvelous scene,
Which was a cute, small duck eating hay.
I also say a small jellybean
Hiding from a cruel hungry dog,
Who was barking and both thin and lean.
And out also came a large bullfrog
Who looked happy about this place.
And I agreed as to home I jogged.
Karson Yau 5B
I once saw a thing that filled me with joy,
And that was a truly fantastic street.
That was when I was just a little boy…
I didn’t know that it was a great feat
When pigs fly, bats crawl and dolphins walk.
So, I went to a bench and took a seat.
And what I saw was a lovely hawk
Who took a lot of food from a shop.
And as it ate I heard the creature talk.
“Lucky there isn’t a cop!”
He exclaimed as he flew away,
Snatching another lollipop.
Looking back, it was an epic day.
But there was still a marvelous scene,
Which was a cute, small duck eating hay.
I also say a small jellybean
Hiding from a cruel hungry dog,
Who was barking and both thin and lean.
And out also came a large bullfrog
Who looked happy about this place.
And I agreed as to home I jogged.
A Day in the Life of a Lizard MERIT
Cedric Ho 5C
When I woke up, I felt something waving behind my back. I looked back, and I saw a long green tail behind my back! I rushed into the bathroom and looked at the mirror. I was shocked…
My skin was dry and green. I had black stripes on my skin. I had two small yellow eyes with small eyes and a large mouth with a long tongue. What’s more, I had high crests on my head and my back. Last, but not least, my long hair whip-like tail. All my characteristics are the same as a green basilisk reptile. I crawled down the stairs and went to the living room. My mom and dad were shocked. Dad took a wooden broom and tried to scare me away. I wanted to explain that I was their son, but I couldn’t say anything with my lizard mouth. I was backed off to the edge by Dad’s broom. I crawled to the window and jumped out of the window.
I jumped over the fence and crawled under the sun. Meanwhile, a hungry bird was flying around, tried to find its prey. When it looked at me, it drooled. It flew straight towards me. I was so scared that I kept crawling until I was backed up against the pond. “I hate being cornered,” I said to myself. The bird screeched. When it was about to eat me, I suddenly remembered what my general studies teacher said, “Green basilisks can run on water.”
“That’s it!” I thought. I jumped into the pond and ran on the water. I thought I could run on water but things did not go as expected. I could not run on the surface of the pond. I ran out of oxygen and drowned in the water…
Suddenly, I woke up. It felt like a beautiful day to be a human. I was confused about whether all things happened just now were real or just a dream.
Cedric Ho 5C
When I woke up, I felt something waving behind my back. I looked back, and I saw a long green tail behind my back! I rushed into the bathroom and looked at the mirror. I was shocked…
My skin was dry and green. I had black stripes on my skin. I had two small yellow eyes with small eyes and a large mouth with a long tongue. What’s more, I had high crests on my head and my back. Last, but not least, my long hair whip-like tail. All my characteristics are the same as a green basilisk reptile. I crawled down the stairs and went to the living room. My mom and dad were shocked. Dad took a wooden broom and tried to scare me away. I wanted to explain that I was their son, but I couldn’t say anything with my lizard mouth. I was backed off to the edge by Dad’s broom. I crawled to the window and jumped out of the window.
I jumped over the fence and crawled under the sun. Meanwhile, a hungry bird was flying around, tried to find its prey. When it looked at me, it drooled. It flew straight towards me. I was so scared that I kept crawling until I was backed up against the pond. “I hate being cornered,” I said to myself. The bird screeched. When it was about to eat me, I suddenly remembered what my general studies teacher said, “Green basilisks can run on water.”
“That’s it!” I thought. I jumped into the pond and ran on the water. I thought I could run on water but things did not go as expected. I could not run on the surface of the pond. I ran out of oxygen and drowned in the water…
Suddenly, I woke up. It felt like a beautiful day to be a human. I was confused about whether all things happened just now were real or just a dream.
A Strange Sign MERIT
Yau Cheuk Lok 5D
I, Detective Falcon, member of the Central Intelligence Agency, arrived at the scene seven minutes later. The celebrated author Mr Brown had died.
According to the witness, Mrs Brown, she reported that she came back home with bags of groceries and discovered her husband dead. She dialed 999 and waited without moving anything. She described Mr Brown as “idiot” and “bastard”.
The room didn’t have a lot of furniture. The clues found were a dagger used to kill Mr Brown, his wallet with exactly nine thousand dollars and an electric typewriter.
The dagger was examined for fingerprints and they were confirmed by the police that they were washed away. The wallet only had Mr Brown’s fingerprints. The typewriter’s final line was “j74e3434j628r3” and was apparently a result from when his head struck the keyboard. His head was lolling next to the typewriter. I had a rough idea who the culprit was: Mrs Brown!
Below is my explanation. “When Mr Brown was attacked, his head struck the typewriter. It is natural to leave words on the paper. But what I think is Mr Brown was a clever man and he wanted to leave us a clue. You were the first person to discover the murder,” I said to Mrs Brown. “If he had typed words overly straightforwardly, you would have destroyed the evidence.”
“Why are you suspecting me?” Mrs Brown gasped.
“Listen please,” I continued. “In an attempt to tell the truth, Mr Brown placed his fingers on the wrong home keys before typing. He just moved the letters downwards to the right. In the end, the message becomes ‘murderermywife’. The sign is clear enough although there are no spaces between the words.”
“That’s not enough!” Mrs Brown blurted out.
“Proof? Not enough proof?” I raised my eyebrows. “I agree, but what you said earlier betrayed your identity. We know the money in his wallet was untouched. Therefore, the murderer had to be someone who hated him badly enough to kill him. I can narrow the suspect list down to you as you mentioned MR Brown as an idiot and a bastard, didn’t you?”
Mrs Brown was taken to the police with nothing more to say. The proof was more than enough to arrest her. The truth was revealed as Mrs Brown confessed that the husband was seeking a divorce. That was the reason why she had a motive.
This was how I cracked “the case of the typewriter’s strange sign.”
Yau Cheuk Lok 5D
I, Detective Falcon, member of the Central Intelligence Agency, arrived at the scene seven minutes later. The celebrated author Mr Brown had died.
According to the witness, Mrs Brown, she reported that she came back home with bags of groceries and discovered her husband dead. She dialed 999 and waited without moving anything. She described Mr Brown as “idiot” and “bastard”.
The room didn’t have a lot of furniture. The clues found were a dagger used to kill Mr Brown, his wallet with exactly nine thousand dollars and an electric typewriter.
The dagger was examined for fingerprints and they were confirmed by the police that they were washed away. The wallet only had Mr Brown’s fingerprints. The typewriter’s final line was “j74e3434j628r3” and was apparently a result from when his head struck the keyboard. His head was lolling next to the typewriter. I had a rough idea who the culprit was: Mrs Brown!
Below is my explanation. “When Mr Brown was attacked, his head struck the typewriter. It is natural to leave words on the paper. But what I think is Mr Brown was a clever man and he wanted to leave us a clue. You were the first person to discover the murder,” I said to Mrs Brown. “If he had typed words overly straightforwardly, you would have destroyed the evidence.”
“Why are you suspecting me?” Mrs Brown gasped.
“Listen please,” I continued. “In an attempt to tell the truth, Mr Brown placed his fingers on the wrong home keys before typing. He just moved the letters downwards to the right. In the end, the message becomes ‘murderermywife’. The sign is clear enough although there are no spaces between the words.”
“That’s not enough!” Mrs Brown blurted out.
“Proof? Not enough proof?” I raised my eyebrows. “I agree, but what you said earlier betrayed your identity. We know the money in his wallet was untouched. Therefore, the murderer had to be someone who hated him badly enough to kill him. I can narrow the suspect list down to you as you mentioned MR Brown as an idiot and a bastard, didn’t you?”
Mrs Brown was taken to the police with nothing more to say. The proof was more than enough to arrest her. The truth was revealed as Mrs Brown confessed that the husband was seeking a divorce. That was the reason why she had a motive.
This was how I cracked “the case of the typewriter’s strange sign.”
A Day in the Life of a Lizard MERIT
Jensen Chung 5E
I am a common house gecko. I am in the lizard family so technically I am a lizard. As a common house gecko, I live in people’s houses and eat the bugs like flies that they say are “really disturbing”.
So on this day …
I woke up in the night. I didn’t yawn since I am a gecko, went into the kitchen to do some hunting. I saw some fruit in a basket. “Ah!” I thought, “perfect place to hunt for some flies.” I waiting.
After a few seconds, a fly came. I used my long tongue to grab the fly. “Yummy,” I said to myself. “So good.”
Then, another gecko came. He is my older brother and is here to hunt too.
“Got a fly yet?” he asked me.
“Yes,” I replied.
“How many?” he asked.
“One,” I said. I saw another fly come. I grabbed it and ate it. “Two,” I corrected.
“Okay, my turn to hunt these flies,” my older brother said.
Two flies came. He grabbed the first fly, knocked it to the second one, grabbed the second fly with the rest of his tongue and then ate them.
“Quit showing off would you,” I said. “You showed me this skill, like, for five years already.”
“Fine,” he said.
Then we went back to sleep for a while.
I dreamt of me having super powers. I caught ten flies in one second. I was flying, but without wings, so it is more like floating.
When I woke up, I saw the sun was rising. Since I am nocturnal, I went back to sleep.
The next day and we did exactly the same thing again.
Jensen Chung 5E
I am a common house gecko. I am in the lizard family so technically I am a lizard. As a common house gecko, I live in people’s houses and eat the bugs like flies that they say are “really disturbing”.
So on this day …
I woke up in the night. I didn’t yawn since I am a gecko, went into the kitchen to do some hunting. I saw some fruit in a basket. “Ah!” I thought, “perfect place to hunt for some flies.” I waiting.
After a few seconds, a fly came. I used my long tongue to grab the fly. “Yummy,” I said to myself. “So good.”
Then, another gecko came. He is my older brother and is here to hunt too.
“Got a fly yet?” he asked me.
“Yes,” I replied.
“How many?” he asked.
“One,” I said. I saw another fly come. I grabbed it and ate it. “Two,” I corrected.
“Okay, my turn to hunt these flies,” my older brother said.
Two flies came. He grabbed the first fly, knocked it to the second one, grabbed the second fly with the rest of his tongue and then ate them.
“Quit showing off would you,” I said. “You showed me this skill, like, for five years already.”
“Fine,” he said.
Then we went back to sleep for a while.
I dreamt of me having super powers. I caught ten flies in one second. I was flying, but without wings, so it is more like floating.
When I woke up, I saw the sun was rising. Since I am nocturnal, I went back to sleep.
The next day and we did exactly the same thing again.
