The highlight of this week has been Book Week. This special event has been a celebration of books, knowledge and reading and there have been many book-related activities for students to get involved in across the week.
Year 7-9 students have had the opportunity to participate in a ‘Read and Relax’ day and Secondary students dressed up for Character Day on Tuesday. Primary students participated in the Prep-Year 6 Book Week Parade, they have made Superhero gifts for their teachers, played Superheroes Bingo, read books about the heroic acts of some famous people, had fun in the Community Heroes dress-up corner and they have written Hero Acrostic Poems.
Our Lower Primary students have also enjoyed a visit from the author Peter Canvas and students have worked on illustrating their story writing with Paul O’Sullivan. The Book Fair, open throughout the week, has had a wonderful selection of books on sale.
Mem Fox is a famous Australian author who has been writing children’s books for more than 25 years. As we celebrate books and reading I would love to leave you with some of her insightful quotes to ponder on and consider as you think about reading in your own life but more importantly the benefits of reading to and with your children.
“Reading aloud and talking about what we’re reading sharpens children’s brains. It helps develop their ability to concentrate at length, to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly.”- Mem Fox.
“If every parent understood the huge educational benefits and intense happiness brought about by reading aloud to their children and if every parent and every adult caring for a child read aloud three stories a day to the children in their lives, we would probably wipe out illiteracy in one generation” – Reading Magic Mem Fox.
“The ideal three stories a day are one favourite, one familiar and one new but the same book three times is also fine.”- Mem Fox, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever.
“Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.” – Mem Fox.
“When I say to a parent, “read to a child”, I don’t want it to sound like medicine. I want it to sound like chocolate.” – Mem Fox, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever.
“Books don’t harm kids; they arm them.” – Mem Fox.
Gail Mitchell, Head of Primary