Book Week in the Primary School

In the lead-up to Book Week, all the primary students have been exploring the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) shortlisted titles during their weekly library lessons. Some classes voted on their favourite titles, while others examined how the language and form of these books varied according to purpose and intended audience. We discussed genre and how narratives set up expectations using familiar, real, and imagined characters, situations, and phrases.

The CBCA Book of the Year Awards Ceremony was watched live by the students in 4P, as their lesson coincided with the announcement on Friday August 16, at midday. Since being named the winning book in the Younger Readers category, Tristan Bancks’ Scar Town has been in constant demand in the library, especially among the older students.

The culmination of Book Week celebrations in the Primary School is the annual Book Character Parade. Hundreds of parents gathered in the playground, with some climbing onto the play equipment to catch a glimpse of their daughters dressed as their favourite book characters. With the 2024 theme being “Reading is Magic!”, we welcomed Harry Potters, Matildas, Cats in the Hats, Billie B Browns, Cat Kids, and many others. Year 6 students Claire Tesvic and Layla Hanley were the wonderful MCs of the event, and Emmy Rath-Mazzochi presented the Welcome to Country. It was delightful to hear students from Kindergarten to Year 6 being interviewed about their favourite books and reasons for enjoying reading. Mr. Lee-Lindsay made a surprise appearance as a bear from Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt!

Here are some images from the Book Parade:

The grand finale of the Book Parade was the announcement of the class with the greatest participation rate in the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC). Out of 283 students in the primary school, 263 completed the PRC, with 6S and 4P each achieving a 100% completion rate! A huge congratulations to these students and their teachers for providing ongoing motivation and encouragement.

Karen McBride
Primary Teacher Librarian