About
Photographer and Video/DVD production for schools and community groups (non-profit)
Children’s short story and novel writer (unpublished)
Child care worker for holiday and after school groups (casual)
Primary school teacher (retired as permanent but now casual)
I still have a sense of wonder when seeing new things new and have the ability to spread that excitement to the young.
Ross's Writing Blog 
Millie
October 11, 2011 at 15:31
Hi my name is Millie and I am in 2KM and 2KJ and you have been leaving lots of comments on our class blog.
I like your blog even it looks like a blog for teachers it’s still looks fantastic.
Millie Aus
Ross Mannell
October 11, 2011 at 17:54
Hello Millie,
Thank you for leaving a comment on my story blog. Did you know you are the first school student to do so? While I mostly get comments from teachers, the stories have been written for primary school children.
Saturday Centus stories are for an American story writing group and often allow only 100 words to write a story.
100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups (100WCGU) also normally allows only 100 words. It’s based in England.
I have also included some of my short stories if you look at the categories on the right. Children’s novel teasers let readers know of children’s novels I’ve written but don’t have the entire story.
As you can see, as well as writing comments, I love writing stories although none have ever been published in books.
Have you ever written a long or short story to show others?
Ross Mannell (teacher)
NSW, Australia
Millie
October 12, 2011 at 09:31
Dear Ross Mannell, 😆
Thank you for your reply.
Well I have wrote a few stories. Three were long and two were short but I am still working on a very long story called The Sea Monster and I have already wrote four pages.
I also think your stories sound awesome to read to children. Well when I get older I might become a story writer about nonfiction stories and maybe five fiction stories.
It looks like your having a lot of fun blogging.
What is your top favourite story? (If you have got one)
Did you make up some stories or did you copy some from other Authors?
Happy blogging.
Your friend,
Millie : lol:
Ross Mannell
October 12, 2011 at 11:17
Hi again Millie,
Perhaps my favourite story, if you mean from the ones I’ve written, is the children’s novel entitled “Samuel Samantha” I wrote for primary aged children earlier this year. It was a little over 48,000 words. I only wrote what I called a teaser in this blog. It gives the blog reader a chance to see what the story is about without revealing the adventure itself. Here is the teaser information…
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
” My name is Samuel but you can call me Samantha or just Sam. I’m eight.”
So begins Samuel/Samantha’s story…
Samuel, he likes to be called Sam, finds himself in an unusual situation. His family is placed in a witness protection scheme but discovery becomes an issue. Convinced he is a great actor, he agrees to pretend to be a girl. He feels it would be easy. Sam faces no real danger in the novel. This is a story of discovery. He is befriended by a girl named Debbie who becomes his BFF. Sam discovers girls have fun too. His experiences at first make him feel uneasy but he decides you can take just about anything when you’re with friends. When the witness protection ends and he returns to his old home as a boy again, he misses his BFF. Solution is found.
” It seems as long as you’re with your best friends you can do almost anything. “
The final line.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The stories on this blog are all made up by me as are novels like “Samuel Samantha”. I sometimes have an idea and can’t stop writing until the story is finished. The 100 word stories usually only take about 15 minutes to write but “Samuel Samantha” took a week to write then more weeks to read over and edit.
Shorter stories such as “BFF Nanna”, “Castaway Kayla”, “Never Born” and “Not My Family” are usually less than 10,000 words and can be written in a day or two before editing. The editing can take many more days until I’m happy with the story.
As a teacher, I always enjoyed telling stories and reading stories from my class. I’m glad to see you’re a writer too. It’s a great hobby and could even see your stories in print one day. That would be spectacular.
I hope you keep writing, Millie. Perhaps you will share “The Sea Monster” with your blog readers.
Do you like to make up you own ideas for stories or do you get ideas from other writers?
Ross Mannell (teacher)
NSW, Australia
Millie
October 28, 2011 at 09:36
Ross Mannell,
Thanks for the reply.
I rather do both but the stories I make up I don’t know if I have took another story off someone or it is just made up but I rather write my own but it can be good sometimes if I have took another story.
Your friend,
Millie 😆
Mikayla
October 27, 2011 at 16:39
@ ross,
I really like to here fom you so so so so much.
I have my own blog this is the address
http://mikaylasblog.globla2.vic.edu.au
Your friend,
Mikayla
Ross Mannell
February 16, 2012 at 13:14
Hello Mikayla,
Thank you for leaving a comment in my About section. I had forgotten comments could be left here and only discovered yours in Feb 2012. I will know to check here more often from now on.
I hope you are having a great time in your 2012 class. I am now starting to visit 4KM and 4KJ’c blogs and leaving comments. Perhaps I’ll see some from your new class. 🙂
@RossMannell
Millie and Meg
November 2, 2011 at 14:11
Dear Ross Mannell, 😎
Hi our names are Meg and Millie and Meg is in 2KJ and Millie is in 2KM.
Millie: You have probably heared my name before because I left comments on your story blog.
Meg: I love your blog so much, I wish I could be a part of it. Millie and I were ment to say great post. I am a friend of Millies.
Millie: We have read a few stories and they sound fantastic and I wish those stories were in a book shop because they would be wounderful for children to read when children are getting ready for bed or in the afternoon.
Meg: I love your stories that you did they are awesome!!!
Your blogging friends,
Millie and Meg 😆
Ross Mannell
February 16, 2012 at 13:11
Hello Millie and Meg,
As I have been explaining to people, I didn’t realise there were comments in “About” waiting for a replies until I check in Feb 2012. If you enjoyed some of my stories, that is the nicest thing anyone could have said. I like writing stories but they are only read if I post them on this blog. 🙂
I hope all is going well in 2012. I am in contact with 4KM and 4KJ and will be leaving comments for them. Perhaps I will hear about posts from your grade 3 class and be able to leave comments. 🙂
@RossMannell
Millie
November 27, 2011 at 10:02
Hi Ross,
Did you know that Eublog Awards has been going.
check here to find more on my blog :
http://milliesblog.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/11/21/edublog-awards-nominations-2011/
your friend,
Millie
Ross Mannell
February 16, 2012 at 13:07
Hello Millie,
I may be involved with five blogs and comment on many but I didn’t notice this comment in the About section until Feb 2012. I did know about and vote in the Edublog awards. I know your class did very well in the world rankings.
I hope your class in 2012 is just as exciting as your 2011 class. 🙂
@RossMannell
Mrs Rawlings (HDS)
November 28, 2011 at 18:17
Dear Ross Mannell
Many, many thanks for commenting upon my Year 7’s efforts with their comics on bullying.
We had great fun with this activity, as suggested by one of our partner Quad Bloggers http://classroom244.edublogs.org/ in New Jersey, USA.
Having joined the Quad Blogging experience in September, my students have been engaged, excited and enthusiatic about their ICT lessons.
Great to ‘meet’ you!
Melanie Rawlings
Maths and ICT teacher
Humphry Davy School
Penzance
Cornwall
England
Ross Mannell
February 16, 2012 at 13:04
Hello Mrs Rawlings,
This is terribly tardy of me. With the comments on the main part of the blog, I had forgotten comments could also appear in the About section. This is something I will certainly have to remedy.
Even though you sent the message on Nov 28 last year, I wanted to send a reply as an apology for not thinking to check “About”.
I’m afraid I no longer have a class of my own in order to join a Quadblog. I have retired and am more likely now to be called into a school to film a play or performance in order to produce a DVD. My contact with Quadblogging is only being able to drop in and leave comments when I find a posting.
Sorry again for the tardiness.
@RossMannell
Annaka
February 16, 2012 at 08:11
Hi Ross,
I found your site, because you commented on my blog. I was so excited to see a dot on Australia! Thank you soo much for encouraging me to keep blogging! I love your blog!
Thanks!
Annaka
http://sjsdblogs.com/annakak13
(Could you visit my friend’s site? He really wants to have someone from Austrailia. http://sjsdblogs.com/wesleyv17 )
Ross Mannell
February 16, 2012 at 12:59
Hello Annaka,
Thanks for visiting my blog. I have visited your friend’s blog and left a comment so there’ll be an Australian dot on the world globe soon.
@RossMannell
Georgia
February 22, 2012 at 17:42
Dear Ross Mannell,
I saw your reply back to me on my class blog and it is very long! When Mrs Morris told me in class that you replyed I couldn’t wait to read it!
What is it like to be a photographer?
Your blogging Buddy
Georgia (4KM)
P.S Please leave comment on my blog.
Ross Mannell
February 22, 2012 at 18:59
Message has been added to your blog.
Georgia
February 23, 2012 at 15:37
On what post?
Ross Mannell
February 23, 2012 at 19:04
Hi Georgia,
The message should have been on “Colours”. Remember, your blog has a moderator. As this was last year’s blog, is it still being checked by a teacher?
Georgia
February 24, 2012 at 11:46
Well Ross,
I stopped blogging a bit last year so I’m working on another post but its taking a while becaue I’m still getting used to typing.
Georgia
outback7
May 26, 2014 at 16:26
To Ross Mannell
I am working on my children’s stories with activities that I will self publish in Sept and sell. It has really helped me in including the activities as in teaching training I had to do unit and lesson plans and I wanted the activities to be interesting as well as challenging. I read a post on your blog about students asking about the 2000 Olympics and you had written The Olympic Factbook through to the year 2000. I have permission from the publishers Visable Ink Press to use information I had from The Courier Mail in Brisbane that was from the Olympic Factbook. Visible Ink Press want me to write the author/s,and year and I cannot find anything to do with 2000 Olympic Factbook to get author/s names and year. I was wondering if you had the Author/s name and year on The Olympic Factbook you obtained information from and its the closest as goes up to year 2000. The story in my book is about Baseball. I look forward to your reply. With Thanks.
Regards Madonna Weaver
Ross Mannell
May 26, 2014 at 21:40
Hi Madonna,
I’m sorry, the edition of “The Olympic Factbook” I have is 1996. On checking, I had mistakenly written the book had information up to 2000. With the London 2012 on its way, I had used other resources in order to fill in the information for the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. I will give you the information I have if it is still of help.
Information:
“The Olympic Factbook – A Spectator’s Guide tot he Olympic Games”
1996 edition
Editors: Rebecca Nelson and Marie J. MacNee
Art Director: Michelle DiMercurio
ISBN: 0-7876-0939-0
I see from your blog you are also in Australia. If you would like the 1996 edition, I can easily post it to you as a gift. I think it’s unlikely I would need it again. The Blogroll on this blog has a link to “Website (basic only)”. You will find an email contact there if you have a postal address.
Ross
outback7
August 6, 2014 at 00:28
Sorry Ross I have taken so long to reply. I appreciate your offer of the Olympic Factbook as a gift and information. I did happen to find the year 2000 Authors eventually. Would you still be sending the book as a gift as I would be putting the year 2000 information as I need to as the newspaper baseball diagram and information is in that year. Later I will look up where your email is and have a look at your blog. Regards Madonna
outback7
August 6, 2014 at 00:32
Sorry Ross I have taken so long to reply. I appreciate your offer of the Olympic Factbook as a gift and information. I did happen to find the year 2000 Authors eventually. Would you still be sending the book as a gift as I would be putting the year 2000 information as I need to as the newspaper baseball diagram and information is in that year. Later I will look up where your email is and have a look at your blog. Did you want me to put in your Olympic book information in my references and who you are or not seeing I will be using the other year 2000 Authors on the internet. Regards Madonna