Laila, 5
Student

When are you happiest?

Giving my mum the best cuddles.

This is the one that’s the secret. Watching the phone! [*giggles*] I don’t watch anything on my phone but I play my games. It’s the game of the little monster and you have to try and get the monster to have the candy.

What is your favorite thing to do?

Drawing. Because you have to practice drawing and when you get good at drawing you can be an artist.

What is your favorite thing you have made?

Well the favorite thing that I made is my house. I think it’s broken. The house that’s made out of sponge. The cleaners must have thrown it away. It was a quite big house and everybody else made small things and it took me lots of time to make that. That’s why its special, very special. I put it in a special place, and the cleaners came, and I don’t know where they put it.

What would you like to do this year?

Something special is my birthday! On my birthday I want to go to the planetarium.

And go to the beach and go to the Gold Coast! So we go to the Gold Coast, there will be a beach near the Gold Coast.

Who do you look up to?

Mummy.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

A secret… some people, like a lot of people in my school, some people know it… that I want to be an artist. But a lot of people don’t.

What is the scariest thing you’ve done?

When I was at daddy’s house Samara dropped the glass on the floor, and it banged loudly when I was sleeping.

Ohhh yeahhhh Water Log [a theme park ride]

It was so brave. There was a dinosaur but the dinosaur had batteries in it. And the dark tunnel if you go in there it feels like there is a storm! Because remember the storm. That was fun not scary. Mummy thought it was scary! Mummy’s scared of the rides that I like.

What can other kids do to make the world better?

Clean up

What does ‘Allah’ mean to you?

Allah is the one who makes the trees and the plants.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

Is there any more questions or is it done? Can we do another question?

What is your favorite subject at school?

First I just want to know what is a subject and then I can answer. [the meaning of subject is explained]

My favorite thing is to learn about, well… to learn about… I’m in grade one but they are still teaching the alphabet so I am learning to trace because I’m not very good at tracing. When I trace, first I go straight, then I go off the lines. So I’m trying to practice.

I done A, I done B, I done C, I done D, I done G, I done H, is H after G? I’ve done H. I’ve done E.

Can we do one more? [Laila comes up with some questions and begins interviewing those in the room]

What is your favorite colour?

My favorite colour is pink, purple, blue, black, reds, actually I like all the colours. Red orange yellow green blue purple pink.

Black and blue… and black and pink… black and purple, black and black [*giggles*].

Are we taking a photo? Cheeseee.

Oneee more questionnn?