Celebrating Book Week 2023

This week, the Early Learning Centre and Junior School celebrated Book Week. The annual event looks to encourage students to enjoy reading and read more, while participating in a variety of fun activities with their peers and teachers.

This year, the theme was ‘Read Grow Inspire’, further reiterating the opportunities open to those who dive into reading.

“Book Week is an engaging way of getting students excited about reading”, said Deputy Head of Junior School and Co-Head of Literacy Prep-Year 4, Penny Braid. “We all love a good costume parade, but it’s more than just a dress-up day. It’s an opportunity for students to become enamoured with reading.”

From Monday-Wednesday, students participated in a fundraiser of second-hand children’s books. Families were encouraged to donate their used books for students to purchase for a gold coin donation. All proceeds from the book sale will be donated to the Ballarat Winter Appeal to support those experiencing hardship in the local community.

On Thursday, students were visited by screenwriter and author, Trent Roberts, who produced picture book, A Dinosaur Ate Dad’s Hair, and middle-grade fiction book, Stunt Kids. Together, they read his stories and created their own, working collaboratively while expressing their own imagination and ideas for storytelling.

“The morning that Trent Roberts arrived at school, one very jubilant Year 3 could hardly hold in her enthusiasm blurting – ‘I want to be an author too!’,” said Mrs Braid. “Some students have discovered new reads in their book sale bargains and, some days, there’s been a rush in the library after a ‘taster chapter’ was read by one of their teachers. I do hope that one day I get to enjoy a book written by one of our students.”

Reading is promoted throughout the school year, exposing students to literature through the curriculum, in library activities and homeroom reading. Students are also encouraged to participate in a school holiday creative writing competition, providing budding young authors an opportunity to hone their skills and explore their artistic side.

On Friday, Book Week culminated with a parade for Prep-Year 2 and Year 3-4 students. The day saw students dress up as a book character and showcase their fantastic costumes in a parade on the Junior School oval in front of parents and families.