Hello.
Hmm.
Huh?
Look!
Oh!
Huh?
Whoa!
Hmm.
Whoa!
Huh?
Look!
Oh!
I'm Sally.
And I'm Possum.
Hello!
Hm.
Great.
Ha-ha!
Hi, Possum.
Hi, Sally.
Hello.
Hi, everyone.
The toast is almost ready.
Oh, great!
I'll go and get it.
Oh.
Oh?
Oh, which ones my chair.
I've forgotten.
Shh.
Ha-ha!
Oh.
Oh.
Shh.
Oh, that cheeky Possum is playing a trick on me.
He normally sits in that chair and now he's moved into mine.
Hm.
I'll play a trick on him.
I know…
Ooh.
Shh.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Ha-ha!
Huh?
Ha-ha-ha!
Ha-ha!
Oh.
Sally!
What are you doing?
Why do you have a tail?
I've got a tail because I'm the new Possum.
Toast, please, toast, please.
Oh, Sally.
I was just joking.
This is your chair and that's my chair.
I'm just playing with you.
You're funny!
Yes, that was funny.
Oh!
We don't always have to set in the same chairs.
You can move around.
That's ok.
Ah.
Sally, your chair is very comfortable.
It's just like my chair.
Yes.
I was just pretending to forget which one was my chair.
Possum, you are funny!
Oh Sally, should be put our names on the chairs?
We can put Sally on your chair, and on my chair, my name.
Oh.
It's like at school, isn't it?
Like our list to show who is here today.
We could make a list like that.
Oh, yeah.
That'd be great!
Sally, can you teach me how to write my name?
Oh yes, I can do that.
You can already finger spell your name very well.
I think I could now show you how to write it in English.
Oh!
Well, not only your name, but my name as well.
Oh, yeah!
But…
Wait, it's important that we learn at Possum School.
Oh!
Well Possum, children don't just learn at school, they can learn at home too, especially their reading and writing but I do like your idea of having a Possum School because it's always such fun.
Yes!
Why don't we go outside and set it up, ok?
OK.
Great.
Let's go.
Ha-ha.
Right.
Ha-ha!
Whoa.
Great.
And there.
Oh, good.
And…
Done.
Ha-ha.
Ready.
Let's go.
Who is at school today?
I am!
Great.
Put your name up there.
OK.
There.
And I'm here too.
Ooh.
Great.
Good.
Now, is my student here?
Yes.
Are you ready to learn?
Yes! I'm always ready to learn.
That's great.
Oh, can I sit down now?
Oh, not yet.
First I want you to have a look at the sign.
OK.
I want you to carefully read what it says.
Right.
OK.
Hm.
Possum…
That's right.
And…
.School.
Oh, great job!
You know how to sign Possum School and you can also finger spell Possum School.
Ah, yeah.
That is beautiful Auslan but this is English.
Oh.
It's different.
See, in English, they've got the two words 'possum' and 'school' and each word has letters in it that form that word.
Oh.
Today we are going to be reading and writing the words.
Oh!
I like letters.
I think you are probably the only possum in the world that can sign and you've already started writing your name.
Yeah.
I don't think any other possum could do that.
No, most possums can't write English or sign.
They just make possum noises.
Mm, that's right.
Good job.
Alright, why don't we sit down now.
Oh, ok.
Great.
Right.
Good.
Very soon, you will be able to read English words, and understand what they mean.
That's great.
So, what we're going to do now is to use these letters that I've cut out of empty milk cartons.
Oh.
We have a P.
Oh, and an S.
Which one do you think is the P?
Ah.
Um… Hm.
Ah, this one.
You're right.
And… Oh!
That's the S.
Oh, great job, Possum.
You're right.
These are good because we can paint them.
Oh.
You start painting these, and I'm going to cut out some more letters, ok?
Sally?
What other letters are you going to cut out?
Oh, you'll have to wait and see Possum.
When you see them, you'll understand what we're going to do.
We're going to make some very special English words.
Oh, ok!
Great.
Now…
Hmm.
Hm.
Uh-huh.
Possum, hold on, I've had an idea.
Why don't we watch some children learning about words and spelling in English.
Oh!
Yeah, let's watch.
When signing, sometimes we must finger spell words.
Sally.
S-A-L-L-Y.
Sally.
I can finger spell Sally's name.
S-A-L-L-Y.
Possum.
P-O-S-S-U-M.
Possum.
Possum.
I can finger spell Possum's name.
P-O-S-S-U-M.
Teacher.
T-E-A-C-H-E-R.
Teacher.
Teacher.
I can't hear talking but I can understand writing.
Learn.
L-E-A-R-N.
Learn.
Sometimes when I'm writing, I get stuck with spelling and I have to check that it's right.
Good.
Oh, wow! That was great!
Those kids were fantastic!
They love learning to write.
They're just like me.
That's right, Possum, they are.
I've made these letters for us.
Can you see if you can recognise any?
Mmm, ok.
Oh, this one.
There.
Ah, yes.
That's P.
P for Possum.
That's my name!
Ha-ha.
Yes, that's right.
Is there anything else you can recognise?
Hm.
Oh.
This one.
Yes?
That's S.
S for school.
Yes, that's right Possum!
What else do you think begins with S?
Oh.
Sally.
Your name.
Yes, that's right!
Now, you see this small S?
Yeah.
Look at your name again!
Mm.
OK.
Hm.
Oh.
I have two S's.
That's right. Great.
Oh!
Oh, here it is.
Oh, yes, that's right.
Great.
Now, I'm going to show you the other letters.
OK.
There's an M.
M.
OK.
That's an O.
O.
Oh, that's like my soccer ball.
It's round.
Yes, that's right.
Oh.
Ahh.
That's a U.
U.
Great.
Now, can you look at all the letters and see if you can find out what English word can be made with them?
Oh.
Hm.
Oh, I know.
Possum – P-O-S-S-U-M.
That's fantastic!
You can finger spell an English word.
Yeah.
Now, can you write the English word in your book?
OK.
There.
Oh, that is great.
Well done.
Ha-ha.
Yeah.
Great.
Now, there's another word I'd like you to look at.
Ooh.
Can you work out what English word we can make using these letters?
Hm.
S.
School…
No.
No?
Oh.
Oh, I know! I can make a special word out of these.
It's my favourite word.
It says is a S-A-L-L-Y, Sally!
Your name!
Yes, my name.
You've managed to arrange the letters into an English word!
Can you write my name in English, in your book?
OK.
Hm.
Look!
Oh.
That says S-A-L-L-Y.
Sally! Your name.
Yes, that's right!
Now you know how to sign them in Auslan and you can read them and write them in English.
That's great, Possum.
Yeah!
I think now's a good time to pack up and inside I have another surprise.
Oh, ok.
Let's go!
Oh!
Ahh!
Sally, is this my surprise?
Yes, it is!
Yay!
Can we have a look?
Yes, have a look.
Ooh.
Oh, that's great!
Yes, let's see if we can make some words!
OK.
Hm.
Hm.
That's great!
Sally and Possum.
Yes.
Oh, you are a very, very good signer and, now you can write English words.
Yes.
Oh, Sally, thank you so much for teaching me the right way to write those words in English.
I had so much fun!
You have done a very good job Possum and I can see, from now on, you will really enjoy writing words.
Yeah.
It's so much fun and it's definitely worthwhile.
Yeah.
Oh, hang on Sally!
Ooh.
Oh.
Over here.
Mm.
Ha-ha-ha!
I'm Possum.
Well, our time is up
Thanks for watching.
See you next time.
Bye.
Bye.
You're so funny.
Sally!
Oh.
That's me and that's you.
Oh, that's me.