Weekes' Weekly News

Dear Sacred Heart Kew Families,

August has arrived. What’s that you say? Book Week must be around the corner…

There is something wonderfully special about Book Week. For one week each year, our school becomes a place where books and book characters come alive. Classrooms are filled with favourite stories, strange and mysterious characters wander through the playground (all who have signed in and marked present on the class roll), and children are reminded of the incredible adventures that can begin simply by opening a book. 

For me, Book Week also brings back some very happy childhood memories. One of my favourite books (and I have a few), is The BFG by Roald Dahl. I loved the imagination, the humour and, of course, the wonderfully unusual language. It is one of those books that reminds us that reading should not simply be about learning words. It should be about entering another world, meeting unforgettable characters and allowing our imaginations to run wild.

Some of my fondest memories of books, however, are not necessarily about the books themselves, but about reading them with my dad. There was something special about the night time ritual of sitting together and sharing a story. Looking back, I realise that those moments were about much more than reading. They were about time together, laughter, imagination, and creating memories that have stayed with me long after we turned the final page.

And then there is that great Book Week tradition of dressing up as your favourite book character. Which can offer up a plethora of emotions, throughout the entire process: Choosing the idea, planning, preparing and executing chosen idea. 

It brings me tremendous joy each year, to watch our children arrive at school, dressed as their chosen favourite book characters. The creativity, effort and enthusiasm on display is simply fantastic. For one day, we have a raft of new children, ranging from superheroes, princesses, wizards, animals, adventurers and characters, that sometimes, I have absolutely no idea about (signalling to me that I need to get ‘out more’ or maybe get ‘in more’ to the classrooms, or to our beautiful new Library space). I really should find more time to pull up a stool or plonk myself down on a couch, and immerse myself in our children’s world, where the real action and adventure can be found. 

I am always amazed by the confidence of our children, who happily arrive at school in elaborate costumes, completely comfortable being transformed into someone or something else for the day. I, on the other hand, spend far too much time worrying about what character I could possibly be, whether anyone would recognise the character and, most importantly, whether I could physically walk around the school all day in my costume. There’s those emotions surfacing again. I am sure that there would be some parents who might feel similar, as they expend much time and energy creating, with their children, their chosen Book Week costume each year. 

All jokes aside, Book Week is a wonderful reminder of the power of reading. Books help our children develop their imagination, vocabulary, empathy and curiosity. They allow us all to travel to places we may never visit, meet people we may never know, and experience stories that can stay with us for a lifetime. So, this Book Week, I encourage our children to do three things: read a book, share a book and let their imaginations take them somewhere wonderful.

And if you’re wondering, yes, I did dress up all those years ago, as the BFG. My large ears and long legs were most helpful to the overall piece. There's another tip for everyone. Make use of what you have. 

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend. Good luck with the costume preparation. Only 1 week to go!

Kind Regards, 

Ed Weekes 

School Principal