The Colly Crew on ABC TV's 7.30 Program...

The Colly Crew are moving onwards and upwards. The things that we do are being recognised as making a difference. They are being recognised as allowing for change. They are being recognised for creating opportunities. And, they are being recognised for opening doors.

The Colly Crew grew out of a program called "Step-By-Step". It is a hip hop based program designed to engage kids with school and their education. It is worth noting that Collarenebri is a small, very rural and remote community. The school is a central school and there is a significant local Indigenous community with a very rich history. Consequently, the program is often referred to as being an Indigenous hip hop program. For me, perhaps a community hip hop program is a more accurate reflection of what we are actually doing.

About the program. There are elements of literacy and numeracy, but it is more than just about literacy and numeracy it is about understanding how the choices we make impact upon our lives. It is about how we can take control of our lives and make smarter decisions and achieve those things that perhaps others in our families have never had the opportunity to do. Any teachers out there looking for a spoken word, performance poetry, rap unit of work that incorporates what we have done so successfully in this program let me know, we are always happy to share.

I am not sure how to embed just the video. Nevertheless, the link to the 7.30 Program and their report can be found here.

I encourage you to watch it.

All feedback is accepted. I am sure that there are those out there who love what we are doing and are amazed by it. I am also not naive enough to believe that absolutely every single person out there is in favour of it. Keep it civil though.

Collarenebri Central School -- Generation One -- Closing the Gap...

If you watch one thing today, then watch this.



This is why I came back to teaching.

This is a rap that Collarenebri school students put together. It has become a very highly acclaimed piece of art. They performed it last year at the ARIA ceremony at the Opera House down in the 'Big Smoke' (aka Sydney). They have received numerous requests to perform it elsewhere.

My personal view is that these students need to be nominated for a ""Deadly". A Deadly is an award for excellence. In some forms of Aboriginal English the word deadly means excellent.

We are going to be working on a new rap this year. Hopefully, we will work on new raps every year. The students love getting involved and it has been a very positive influence on the students, the school, and the community as a whole.

The video is courtesy of Desert Pea Media.

All of these students remain in school.

Enjoy your weekend.

50 Cent -- Quick Fire Sale...

It seems that 50 Cent wants to downsize from his current crib, a rather imposing 19 bedroom and 37 bathroom place, to something a little smaller. In fact the rapper is so keen to sell that he has dropped the initial asking price from USD 14.5 million to just USD 10.9 million. Unfortunately, for 5o this means that he is probably only going to break even. He bought the place for USD 4.1 million and has made somewhere in the vicinity of USD 6 million in renovations.

50's humble abode can be found in the suburb of Farmington in Hartford, Connecticut. Another selling point aside from the fact that each bedroom has almost two bathrooms is that the place was once owned by Mike Tyson. And, there is also a gym, a billiards (I prefer pool myself) room, racquet ball courts, and a disco room with stripper poles. Now, every home should have a disco with stripper poles. There is also a helipad.

Anyways, best of luck 50. If I had the cash, I would be interested.

The Lives of the Rich and Famous -- 50 Cent

I like 50 Cent and I often punch out my written work while damaging my ear drums to the tunes of Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent. I guess I enjoy the music because the lyrics are real and reflect real life experiences and it is so much in your face all of the time. Let's face it I heard "It's ya birthday" on Oprah so what more of an endorsement can one get?

This post though is not so much about the music but about the legal troubles 50 Cent has with his former girlfriend and the mother of his 10-year old son. Shaniqua Tompkins has won a restraining order against 50 Cent which includes a provision that he must surrender all guns in his possession. I wonder whether there is a legal technicality here as it relates to access to guns. Does the temporary restraining order require all those associated with 50 Cent to hand in their weapons as well.

In any event it is being reported that he has no guns and his lawyer, Brett Kimmel has said, "To my knowledge, he has no guns". The restraining order also requires that 50 Cent stay away from Tompkins and presumably his son.

The whole affair is a nasty money battle based on Tompkins belief that she is entitled to half of the 50 Cent fortune, which by all accounts is considerable. Tompkins claim is based on an oral agreement. An oral agreement or contract is technical enforceable but the burden of proving whether such an agreement has been made is often difficult without the ability to provide corroborating testimony to the agreement.

The fight has become increasingly bitter and ugly. The house that Tompkins and her son live in, and which is owned by 50 Cent was burned to the ground last month. The police have said that investigations are ongoing and that the fire is still classified as being suspicious. At the time, Tompkins said that the fire was started on the orders of 50 Cent and it was not an attempt to intimidate her but it was an attempt to permanently silence her by killing her.

This has prompted a defamation action by 50 Cent, who has denied any involvement in the fire, for USD 20 million in a Connecticut Superior Court against Tompkins for the statements she made to the media.

My guess is this thing is destined to get even uglier, if such a thing is possible, before it is finally resolved.