Grocery grab fuel for writers

Budding young writers year 7 pupil Nooroa Turua, 11 (left), and year 5 pupil Zac Miller, 10....
Budding young writers year 7 pupil Nooroa Turua, 11 (left), and year 5 pupil Zac Miller, 10. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Gore woman Bronwyn Fennessy never lets anything get in the way of education. So when the literacy teacher won a two-minute grocery grab it became a lesson in storytelling. A couple of young aspiring writers penned her journey for The Ensign

Bronwyn Fennessy is a resource teacher of literacy who has been working at Waikaka School and Maruawai Junior Campus with young writers.

Lately she has been getting them to help her plan a grocery grab she had won through Nestle.

Firstly, they had to write down a plan for what she should grab in the two-minute, $500 challenge.

Bronwyn Fennessy and her grocery grab she nabbed earlier this month.
Bronwyn Fennessy and her grocery grab she nabbed earlier this month.
Then they all helped plot out a course, so she could get everything she wanted in time.

Although one child suggested she go to the gym and work out to get fit for the event, there was not time.

Instead they decided she should wear sneakers to help with cornering at speed. Items on the shared list included: not cucumbers but chocolate, meat, cat food, honey, chicken, tomato sauce, gluten-free bread, flavoured milk, more cat food, still no cucumbers, and cheese and butter. (Mrs Fennessy doesn’t like cucumbers!)

At 8am last Wednesday, she took on the challenge. Armed with their amazing plans, she set off.

By the end of the race she had a trolley full to the brim and over $800 worth of groceries. Nestle kindly paid $500 and Mrs Fennessy topped up the rest.

Back at school the children were all treated to pictures of her fast grocery grab.

They then worked together to write this article for the paper.

Whoever said "chocolate isn’t good for you" obviously has never won a grocery grab like this, just for buying Nestle chocolate at Gore New World!

This goes to prove amazing writing comes from exciting experiences. Great job Mrs F. Thanks to all those children who worked to help her.

• Zac Miller is in year 5, and Nooroa Turua is in year 7, at Waikaka School.