Please enjoy a collective story created by the children of Riverley Primary to celebrate this year’s Griffin Literacy Festival theme, Identity: Our Story, Our Legacy.
Riverley’s Whole School Story
On a foggy Saturday morning in Leyton, four friends gathered at the edge of Jubilee Park, squinting at the curious notice pinned to the ship shaped climbing frame. The paper fluttered wildly in the cold wind, as if desperate to be read, and the children leaned in, their breaths mixing in little clouds. As they peered, the fog cleared slightly and they saw the faded map sketched across the page. Something shifted in the air… this really would be an adventure.
Each of them felt it differently: one with a spark of ambition, imagining grand discoveries; another with a flicker of responsibility, sensing trouble if they ignored it; a third with a rush of empathy, wondering who might need help; and the fourth with quiet care, already worrying for the others.
And as the wind tugged at their sleeves, the friends exchanged a look, equal parts excitement and uncertainty. Little did they know, the journey waiting for them would awaken their caring hearts, spark their ambition, demand their responsibility and deepen their empathy.
Neptune
One of them quickly snatched the map and asked, ‘is this really happening?’ Out of nowhere a portal rose from the ground, the fourth friend was concerned about what might happen if they entered the portal, but it was too late… the others with excitement had leaped in. Reassuring herself that everything will be alright and not wanting to let her friends down, she tentatively shuffled into the portal.
In the blink of an eye, they were in a new world. Suddenly the map burst into life.
Venus
Their eyes slowly started to adjust to the bright light that circled around them. The world around them shimmered into focus, revealing a golden landscape unlike anything they had ever seen. Tall, twisting trees with silver leaves swayed without a breeze, their branches whispering the stories of the past. Beneath the children’s feet, the ground sparkled with tiny flecks of yellow light, forming pathways that shifted and rearranged themselves as if alive. An icy breeze slipped through their fingers, reminding them that this was not a dream… but their new reality.
Year 1
Suddenly the four friends felt a dark shadow that looked hairy with sharp horns and had five legs! The friend named Empathy tried to guard his friend using his arms but didn’t have enough power…Responsibility yelled out “it’s a creature!” Then the ground started rumbling, the trees started groaning, and the branches swayed and clashed and it got louder and louder and LOUDER until there was silence…
Nimbus
All of a sudden there was darkness, and they were all dragged under a mysterious material. There was a dim light and as they looked around they realised that they were in a prison of ice. They tried to escape the prison. One by one they created a plan, however none of the plans worked. It felt as though they were dreaming. Then, out of the blue, Empathy stormed off and realised that there was an unlocked door where they could escape. Then they saw a dark figure walking towards them, which loomed over them like a shadow covering the light. They realised that it was a devil-like creature that was trapping them inside the underground fortress.
Stratus
Without a sound, the four of them tiptoed towards the unlocked door, hoping for an escape. Suddenly, a trap door snapped open beneath them and Responsibility was dragged away by the creature. When they followed, they discovered the creature wasn’t actually dangerous at all – it was just its first day and this strange place was its home. Trying to explain itself, the nervous creature accidentally grabbed them and tossed them back into the icy cell. As they scrambled out again, a second, much fiercer creature appeared and stomped towards them. The first creature urged them to run and together they raced down what felt like an endless, twisting corridor. At the end stood a stone door covered in glowing symbols and they realised they would need to solve a riddle to escape.
Year 4
As the glowing symbols on the stone door pulsed brighter, the friends studied them closely. Responsibility traced the markings with a trembling finger while Ambition searched for patterns, noticing how the symbols shifted when they worked together. Empathy urged patience, sensing the door responded not to speed but to understanding, and Care reminded them to stay calm. Slowly, the symbols rearranged themselves, revealing a hidden message, but before they could fully unlock its meaning, the air shimmered and something else began to appear…
Year 3
Instantly, a mysterious face appeared out of nowhere and asked them to solve a difficult riddle which had them thinking endlessly as they did not know how to solve it. With little time to spare, they had to plead to the peculiar and mysterious face that they cannot solve this riddle. The face did not show any kindness to help the four friends. Suddenly, Ambition noticed a dazzling, silver button on the wall which allowed them to make a fast escape. Luckily within seconds, the four friends found their mystical portal and were transported back to their own reality; however, when they returned, everything was not as it seemed…
Diamond
With a worried look on their faces, the four friends did not know what to do. Empathy muttered “Was this all a dream?” and then Responsibility whispered and pointed quietly “Look behind you, look at our shadows”. Their shadows had transformed into the shadows of the icy creatures they had just escaped from. With a shivering voice Care muttered, “We have brought the portal back with us, these creatures must not be too far away.”
Sapphire
As they were trying to figure out how the portal had been brought back with them, a flash of fur darted in between the trees. It couldn’t be…
One by one, monsters emerged into their realm, slipping through the portal into the children’s world. When Ambition, Responsibility, Empathy and Care turned around, they found the creatures standing behind them. Fear gripped their stomachs. They didn’t know what to do, but they knew they had to work together and gather a team to help them. They rushed home hoping for answers… only to find that their parents didn’t believe a single word.
Still determined, Ambition, Responsibility, Care and Empathy set out to find people who would believe them. They gathered a small group of Riverley children who were ready to help and began their next mission: to safely transport the monsters back to their world. With courage, teamwork and a little hope, the four friends got to planning their greatest adventure yet. Will they safely return the monsters to their realm?
