St Patrick's Day in Kia Kaha

Free Thursday School Journal

It is St Patrick's Day!
St Patrick's Day is a day when you celebrate Ireland.

You might think that means people reading out Ulysses and trying to make sense of it.
Or making a lot of mashed potato and saying begorrah in a bad accent.

But it is not that sort of day. 
It is a day when you say to your friend wanna get a cold one? 
And they will say mate what it’s like 8am
And you will say, yeah but St Paddy's Day eh
And then you all go to the bar and drink like it is Crate Day.

Tyler and Scott and Tom and Jack are drinking at Kia Kaha Turf and Thirst Club.
It is 8am
They are saying get that down ya. 
They are saying begorrah in a bad accent.
It is going to be noisy at Tyler and Scott and Tom and Jack's table.

But it is also quiet at the Kia Kaha Turf and Thirst Club.
Maybe it is quiet because it is 8am and it is not a good time to be drinking.
Maybe it is quiet because lots of people are at home sick with the Omicron.
Maybe it is quiet because lots of people are staying at home trying to not get the fricking Omicron.

Tyler says to Scott and Tom and Jack,
I’m not letting it scare me, you can't hide under the covers.
This is a thing a lot of people say.
They also say,
These businesses are doing it hard, we have to show our support.
This is a thoughtful thing to say.
Also, Tyler and Scott and Tom and Jack like beer a lot.

Tyler and Scott and Tom and Jack have not had Covid.
No one they know has been in hospital or died of Covid.
They do not know if anyone in their family has Long Covid. 
If someone they know ends up dying or someone in their family gets Long Covid they may end up thinking it was not such a good idea to say you can’t hide under the bloody covers mate.

It is also St Patricks Day at Kia Kaha Primary School.
Ms Barry says,
In Ireland they celebrate St Patrick's day because St Patrick drove out all the snakes.
Do you think that was a good idea?
Who likes snakes?

No-one puts up their hand.
It is hard to find anyone who likes you when you are a snake. 
Can anyone tell me if there are any snakes here in Aotearoa? asks Ms Barry.

Seymour thinks there might be some.
He starts to put up his hand.
But no one else is. 
So he takes it down again.

That’s right, says Ms Barry, we don't have any at all.
But do you think we could give St Patrick a job anyway?
What else do we have here that would be good to drive out?

Room 13 is excited now.
They remember the video from last week called Who is Killing All the Kiwi?
They shout,
Weasels!
Stoats!
Ferrets!

Christopher shouts,
Mustelids!

This is a word Christopher learned last week.
It means weasels and stoats and ferrets.
Christopher is very excited to use it.

Ms Barry is writing the names on the whiteboard.
Tash says,
Rats! 

Tane says,
Mice! 

Christopher says,
Mustelids!

Thomas calls out, 
Cats!
Abi starts to cry. She loves her cat SugarPlum Fairy.
Christopher is next to Abi.
He hasn't notice Abi has started crying.
He wants to say mustelids again.

Ms Barry says,
This is the problem. 
There are only a few things everyone agrees about, 
even when you’re deciding what the really bad things are.

Ms Barry says,
What else would you drive out? 
It doesn't have to be an animal.

Caleb says, 
Miss, could it be property managers? 
Because Mum says they are legit  the worst people on earth.
Abi has started crying again. 
Abi’s Dad works for Quinovic.

Amelia says,
Miss, I’d like to drive out that guy Damien who wants to execute the government.
Dad keeps watching him on his phone and then he says he wants to go back down to Wellington and see justice done.
He keeps saying he’s going to do it as soon as the food poisoning has worn off.

Ms Barry says, 
I really hope that doesn't happen, Amelia. 
What does your Mum say? 

Amelia says,
Mum’s not talking much because every time she says I don't think it was the pizza babe, I think it might be the Covid,
Dad just gets all wound up again and says she's been captured by the bought-and-paid-for mainstream media.

Ms Barry says, 
You’ve still got my number haven’t you?
Amelia nods.

Christopher still has his hand up.
Ms Barry pretends not to see.
She says, 
What else would be good to drive out?

Henry says,
Miss, what about Covid?
Ms Barry says, 
It would be good to drive it out wouldn't it?
All of Room 13 nods their head.

Abi has her hand up.
She says,
But Miss, what if we can't drive it out, what will happen?
Do we have to just get used to it?

Ms Barry says,
Well, the answer is yes but the answer is also no.
When something like this happens,
we have to work out what we can do to protect ourselves.
And we have to do all we can to look after ourselves and each other.
And that can mean making a lot of change,
and it can mean not getting to do some of the things we’re used to, 
sometimes for a while,
and maybe forever.

But the important thing to remember is that there are so many different ways we can live our lives that are just as good, 
but different to the way we’re used to.

Ms Barry is looking out the window.
She is thinking about the climate crisis. 
She is thinking about housing affordability.
She is thinking about teachable moments.

She says, 
Let's all start drawing a picture about driving out the things that are bad for us, 
and we’ll talk as we go along.

Tyler and Scott and Tom and Jack are still at the Turf and Thirst.
They are showing their most loyal support.