Literacy
Welcome to the Literacy page of the OLSC newsletter. Here you will find information about the Literacy programs across the school, interviews with staff and students, news about important events and book recommendations from time to time.
What are you reading?
Every fortnight, staff and students will be invited to share with the school community what they are currently reading.
Finn (Year 5)- Diary of an 8 Bit Warrior (Epic Books)
Why did you choose this book series?
Because I have been playing Minecraft lately and I was getting into the game. Then I decided to start reading the first book which was a normal novel with just words. It had over 200 pages and I read it in 2 hours and 32 minutes. But now I am reading the graphic novels and the one I am reading now has 95 pages.
What do you like about this book series?
That they have Minecraft things and they describe the life of a Minecraft villager. The main character (Runt) says, "You should try being a Minecraft villager for a day."
Who else might enjoy reading this series of books?
You would have to like Minecraft to enjoy these books.
Genelia (Year 3)- Ella and Olivia books
Why did you choose to read these books?
The first time I started to read these books was when I was in Grade One and I went to the library. I saw them on the front shelf and I asked my mum if she could help me read them. Now I can read them by myself.
What do you like about this book series?
I like the problems in the stories and how they solve them.
Who else might enjoy reading this series of books?
I think other kids who are in Grades 1, 2 and 3 would like to read these books.
Wintana (Year 3)- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Why did you choose to read this book?
My sister in Grade 5 told me about these books and I thought I would like them
What do you like about this book series?
The book is by Jeff Kinney. It has lots of funny bits and it is about a kid called Greg who is 12 years old and he has two brothers. On his birthday, Greg's mum took his birthday money and gave it to his friend's dad because Greg wasted his friend's dad's money. This made Greg feel sad. I have just started reading The Last Straw which is another Wimpy Kid story.
Abigail (Year 3)- The Bad Guys Episode 3
Why did you choose to read this book?
When I first went to the bookshelf at school I saw all of The Bad Guys books and I looked through them and found Episode 1. Then I read number 2 and have now started number 3.
What are you finding most interesting about these books?
What I enjoy about the book is when they get the chickens and the dogs out of the cages and also when they have the news in the stories. The Bad Guys are trying hard to be good but people keep thinking they are bad.
Who would you recommend this book to?
Probably kids who are in Grades 3 and 4.
Marion (1/2 LC Teacher) - The Women by Kristin Hannah
What made you choose to read this book?
I heard about it through my sister's Book Club.
What did you enjoy most about this book?
The book explored the Vietnam War, specifically Women in and after the war.
The themes - Women can be Heroes - There are no women in war.
Set in the USA, It follows the life of Frances McGrath, a twenty year old nurse going to and being in the Vietnam War and also when she came home. It examines how all women were treated when they went to war and how they became a much needed part of the medical system near the war front. It also looks at Frances' life when she returns home and how she was treated. Her parents told their friends she was overseas studying as they could not accept that their daughter had gone to war, especially a war that was very contested by protests. It challenges our beliefs and educates us on how these women and men were treated and how hard life was for them on their return from a war they were told to go and fight.
Who would you recommend this book to?
Anyone who wanted to know more about how women were treated in general and how real lives were affected by the Vietnam War - and especially how the veterans were treated when they came home.
PhOrMeS - Staff Professional Development Day
On Monday 5th of May, the teachers are participating in a professional development day led by Shane from PhOrMeS. Although all staff will join in on the day, this program will be used in our Year 3 to Year 6 classrooms. The following is an extract from the PhOrMeS website and gives a brief explanation of what the program is all about:
Why has PhOrMeS been created?
PhOrMeS has been created in order to provide schools with high-quality literacy curriculum materials that cover decoding, spelling and vocabulary.
Standing for Phonology, Orthography, Morphology, etymology and Semantics, PhOrMeS is not, simply, a phonics program. While it utilises systematic, synthetic phonics to teach early decoding and spelling, it aims to teach children proficiency in many areas of our deep, challenging and beautiful English language. The ability to comprehend, evaluate and analyse what we read, and write an array of genres for a plethora of audiences is part of the end goal of literacy learning. PhOrMeS is designed to give children the building blocks they need to achieve these critical skills.
National Simultaneous Storytime
This year, the National Simultaneous Storytime book is titled The Truck Cat, written by Australian author Deborah Frenkel. On Wednesday 21st of May, students in primary schools all around Australia will listen to this story and share in discussions about what happens to Tinka the cat in the book. It is a tale of friendship, belonging, immigration and love. The students at OLSC will also be reading this book on that day. It is a beautiful story, one that I recommend for your bookshelves at home. Keep an eye out for it at your local shops.
Kristina Morrissey
kmorrissey@olscwyn.catholic.edu.au
Literacy Leader